KUNG-FU FIGHTING

The burger craze in Toronto is getting a bit out of hand. How many more people are going to jump on the bandwagon? We have the Burger Shoppe, Craft Burger, Gourmet Burger Co. etc.. then recently Bamburger and Burger Bar. They're more or less the same thing..blah! Don't get me wrong, some of these are tasty burgers but not really that different in their offering.

In my recent trip to Singapore (click here to read the editorial) I came upon a new burger concept called R Burger. It's definitely nothing we have here in Canada or US for that matter. R Burger is a Japanese concept with locations in Singapore, Thailand and Japan. The location I went to is inside the beautiful shopping complex, Ion Orchard.

R Burger is about creating a healthy burger. Healthy burger? Isn't that an oxymoron? What makes them different? First off is the colour of the bun. It's white. R Burger has replaced the traditional baked bun with a white steamed version. Then on the majority of their burgers the lettuce has been substituted with shiso leaf. Shisho leaf is considered rich in minerals and vitamins. I'm sure their are other healthy changes they've made but you can read that on their site.

So how does it taste? I tried the Avocado Cheese Burger. It was delicious! The "albino" steamed bun was soft and fluffy. The meat patty was juicy and the sauce (demi-glace) was tasty without being overpowering. I could have eaten 2!

Oh did I forget to mention that one of the ingredients in the R Burger bun is marine collagen? Yup! As we've heard collagen reduces wrinkles and fine lines. Supposedly good for your skin.

I can just hear those aging Hollywood types clambering to get their fill now.

p.s. The top photo is the avocado cheese burger. I know it's stock but I bit into mine too quick to snap my own photo. The second photo is the Chicken Ume Burger my friend ate.