Pasteur Street Spotlight: The Burger

What makes a good burger? An American may think of the classic diner burger, dripping with grease and loaded with cheese, lettuce, and tomato while in an Australian’s head, it may be a large portion of beef topped with a fried egg and pickled beets.

Many countries around the world go with lamb, pork, or chicken instead of beef. And some even ditch the bun altogether.

When it comes to a burger, the options are truly limitless.

For this blog post, our Executive Chef, Logan Hester, will talk about burgers and what went into creating Pasteur Street Brewing Company’s adaptation of the divisive sandwich.

The introduction of modern burgers

To start the conversation, Logan introduced us to the DB Burger. In 2001, celebrity chef Danile Boulud created a $27 burger for his Manhattan restaurant, DB Bistro Moderne. It consisted of fresh ground beef wrapped around red wine braised beef ribs, foie gras, and black truffles.

Needless to say, this got a lot of attention at the time. Some people praised its innovation, while others criticized its excess. “To compare a burger like this to a burger from, say In-N-Out, is like comparing a Lager to an Imperial IPA… sure. Both are beers, but they are very different. Each burger has its own merit and perfect situation for enjoyment.” While the DB burger goes full on extra, the In-N-Out burger is the perfect post night-out snack. 

What makes Pasteur Street burger fitting to craft beer drinkability?

We have established that not all burgers are created equally, but they all deserve their own time to shine. So what makes our burgers so fitting to drinking beer in our Taprooms? Here’s why –  using beer ingredients! We start with a lean Australian beef patty, and sear it on the grill with freshly ground Phu Quoc black pepper.

When it gets warm and juicy, we stack it on a toasted bun smothered in caramelized sweet onions and our house-made Saison beer cheese. To finish it off, it’s topped with vine ripe tomatoes, baby mustard greens, and a touch of our signature Viet Wit mustard.

When we asked Logan what his favorite beer pairing is for this “ultimate classic burger,” he mentioned the new Petite Saison without hesitation. “I love this burger… maybe a bit too much. I have been obsessed with the way the guava flavor in the Petite Saison plays with the juiciness of our burger! It’s a fantastic pairing.”

The burger scene in Vietnam

Burgers are no new concept for Vietnam, it has been a restaurant go-to for years with a burger for every taste, and Logan has tried just about all of them. He shared some of his favorites.

“The first time I ate at Marcel Burger in Saigon, I cried. My tears were born of confusion and joy. The French inspired burger I held in my hands was highlighting something I had overlooked before then… THE BUN!

Marcel Gourmet Burger is well-known as one of the best burgers in Saigon

Up In Hanoi, Chops Burger is killing it! They grind their mince beef fresh daily and bake all their buns twice per day to to keep them wicked fresh.

The Big Kahuna is a monster loaded down with cheddar cheese, pineapple and mango chutney that goes great with the Hazy IPA. Hanging out on their patio looking over West Lake with a cold pint is almost are refreshing as this burger. 

Going above and beyond in pursuit of being badass is BiaCraft. Their No Bull Beyond Burger paired with God Water is a juggernaut of a meal. Starting with a Beyond Burger vegan patty, they load it down with melted cheese, caramelized onions, and fresh arugula on a warm bun. This burger is definitely No Bull…especially when paired with a Double IPA.

One of the newest burgers in town is Village Grill. I highly recommend ordering a double cheese with avocado and Jasmine IPA. If you are a fan of flavor, you won’t be disappointed.

To sum it all up, there’s always a burger for every situation life throws your way. Whether you’re looking for something classy or a hangover cure, burgers really are the one sandwich to rule them all.

Come by any of our Pasteur Street Taprooms and give ours a try with a beer of your choice for just from 200k!