FatManSeoul

- Mark Twain

“I’m not telling you, ‘Never eat a hamburger.’ Just eat the good ones with real beef, you know, like the ones from that mom-and-pop diner down the street, … And it’s so good that when you take a bite out of that burger, you just know somewhere in the world a vegan is crying.”
- Homer Simpson
Somewhere out there, right now, the vegans are disconsolate.
When the trend for luxury burgers hit Seoul, Zen Kimchi was ready to call it a stunt. Of course, he was also willing to give the burger a chance to prove its mettle . . . if somebody else could foot the bill. The W Seoul-Walkerhill rose to the challenge, and invited Zen Kimchi (and a friend! C’est moi, c’est moi, tis Fatman!) to try the now infamous “X Burger” (really, go right now and read Zen’s article!  Don’t worry, Fatman will wait while you click over and come back.)

query: if Zen Kimchi is a mooch for taking the offer, what does one call Fatman, who mooched off a mooch? is Fatman the ultra-mooch?

Executive Chef Ciaran Hickey and his staff not only served us the X Burger, he took the time to sit down and discuss his kitchen philosophy, the state of the business worldwide, his feelings on Korean food, and give a personal tour of the hotel.  Of course, Fatman knows what you’re really all here for:  Food Porn.

Well, ask and ye shall receive:

Yes, you get fries with that. Crispy on the outside, soft and floury on the inside, perfectly seasoned fries.

Watercress and shaved fennel salad brings fresh, bright notes to lighten things up.

sweet, buttery lobster tail sits stacked on fragrant pine mushrooms, tender asparagus shoots, grilled red onion, and a brightening slice of tomato.

Let’s have another look at that, shall we?

But let’s face it, you’re here for the burger.

It wasn’t enough to have a fresh brioche bun, pleasantly egg-y and the perfect texture for soaking up all those delicious drippings without ever becoming sodden. And they couldn’t just be content with making a fabulous burger patty out of Australian wagyu beef. Fatman has always been skeptical of turning quality marbled cuts of meat into hamburger, but this changed our mind: the beef had a rich and meaty flavor while also having an amazing, almost creamy texture.

No, they had to go all the way, step over the line and top it all off with a thick slice of foie gras and then sprinkle it all with truffles. Oh, the humanity! As Zen Kimchi might have mentioned, Fatman is a big fan of foie gras, which along with the truffles adds a significant amount to the production costs of this burger - importing this kind of stuff ain’t cheap! Nor did they stint; the beautiful, buttery foie gras came in a thick, generous slab, and the truffle fragrance permeated it all.
That wasn’t the only place truffles were showing up.

The burger comes with three sauces for dipping, dunking, or just pouring straight into your waiting mouth: a sprightly tomato salsa, a sinfully decadent red wine truffle sauce, and a creamy truffle aioli to die for.
Zen Kimchi went whole hog, stacking all the offerings together into a burger for which we fear a single “X” is not enough. It should be re-christened the “XXX Burger” and footage of its consumption restricted. Fatman agrees with Chef Hickey that all told, the X Burger is so rich that it’s almost too much for one person, let alone one mouthful. Besides, we like our taste buds undistracted from the glorious foie gras and truffles.
Besides, you don’t want to miss out on dessert.

From left to right: chocolate sea-salt caramel ice cream, a shot of pure liquid chocolate, and a chocolate mousse. The ice cream is hands down the best thing Fatman has ever tasted. No, really.
In addition to the ala carte menu, there’s a dessert buffet that simply cannot be believed.

Moist carrot cake with the most amazing frosting you’ll ever put in your mouth, topped with the most luscious frosting that you’ll ever smack your lips on.

Treacle pudding like you’ve never had it before - sweet and charming.

This lemon souffle is perfection - bright citrus is balanced by the light creamy texture of the souffle.
The W Hotel has paid a lot of attention to their desserts, paring down the sweetness that overpowers too many of the desserts here in Korea. The offerings are beautifully balanced, well conceived, and elegantly executed. If you need more convincing, check out The Pantry’s rendition of peanut butter cups:

The space in which you can consume these delectables is one of the best in Seoul. Architecturally innovate without being overwhelming, the designers behind the W put a lot of thought into The Kitchen.

The long family-style table has hosted some fun events, from wine tastings to food tastings to anti-valentine’s day parties.
The good design extends throughout the whole hotel, including the lobby and Woobar.

Listen, Fatman cannot tell a lie: This burger is going to set you back a bundle. 180,000 won, after vat tax and all else comes together. But more than 100 people have found it worth their while in the three months since the X Burger debuted. If Fatman had a spare 180,000 won lying around in our back pocket, we’d be there chowing down again right now. It may be an indulgence, but the burger, like everything else we tasted at the W, had the quality to back it up. Go get yourself a part-time job delivering papers.

For even more food porn, check out our flickr account: www.flickr.com/fatmanseoul

Many, many, many thanks to Zen Kimchi, Executive Chef Ciaran Hickey, and the W Seoul-Walkerhill for the fabulous indulgence!