April 10, 2011
PHAT Burger
Burgers had always been available in Taipei, but more as an afterthought in American-style restaurant menus, there as a checklist item. But now there are more and more dedicated burger joints scattered around Taipei's more fashionable districts. With the opening of the Songshan Cultural Park, the alleys behind the former UDN building, between SYT Memorial Hall and Taipei City Hall, has seen an invasion of little restaurants and cafes in the formerly residential niche. Phat Burger was one of the early arrivals. And it quickly made a name for itself amongst the Net-foodies with its insistence of local, never-frozen beef, cooked to retain as much meaty juices as possible.
Was by myself at home one day so a quick burger-lunch was just the ticket. Good thing I was a single that could squeeze into the counter space, as the relatively small restaurant was packed with couples and groups. Decided to go for the all-out beef coma and ordered a double-cheeseburger with ridiculously stacked patties that overflowed with savory juices as soon as I took a bite, garnished with a couple slices of thick-cut bacon on top. Not usually a big fan of raw onion but the tang was needed in this case to cut the grease a little bit. Thank goodness for the all-you-can-drink soda. I was looking forward to root beer but they were out so I had to settle for Coke Zero. The squirting juices on my hands were fun at first, but it congealed into caked grease as it cooled, and it took some serious handwashing with extra soapage to get the oily slick off my hands. At least it means some of the fat didn't end up in my system. The portion of fries was on the small side, but that's no big deal when I'm already filled up on beef (and bacon).
Another weekend found me alone at home again and I wandered over to Phat Burger once again. Wanted to try something different but weren't impressed by the gimmicky burgers like the peanut butter or the Mexican. Ended up with a Thai chicken sandwich. The chicken filet was competently grilled and the the sweet-and-sour Thai glaze was OK, but I really should've stuck to the beef.
Props to the bun, too, which held up surprisingly well under the soaking until the bitter end when I finally had to resort to knife-and-fork.
PHAT Burger
忠孝東路四段553巷22弄2-1號
(02)8787-8757