Burger Wars Round One: The Local vs. Flamme

Put on your loosest pants, the Beijinger Burger Cup is back! In the lead up to the Burger Cook-Off Launch Party on August 23 and the start of voting on August 25, we are kicking off with Burger Wars: a series of face-offs pitting Beijing's beef patties against each other. These will not necessarily reflect the ultimate match-ups in our Burger Cup bracket, but give burger fans and burger chefs an idea as to how the product may fare in the final competition.

Come back often for more Burger Wars, information about the upcoming Burger Festival and news on how to vote.

Round one pits The Local against Flamme in a Sanlitun-based battle for supremacy.

Contestant one: The Local
2013 ranking: 4

The Local's Original Cheese Burger (RMB 60) is unapologetically classic, just a burnished bun, onions, a hint of lettuce, piquant cheese and a thick, juicy patty. And when we say juicy, we really mean juicy; within a few bites we had to ask the wait staff for more napkins. Trust us when we say that this is a very good thing. The bun held up surprisingly well against this onslaught of moisture. Good chips too.

Bonus burger: Try the Dry Rub Avocado Burger (RMB 75), which comes coated with Mexican spices, and topped with salsa and half an avocado. A must for spice lovers.

Contestant two: Flamme
2013 ranking: 10

It goes without saying that Flamme is famous for steaks in Beijing, so how would it's burger fare up? The Flamme Signature Burger (RMB 88) is a three-tiered monster made up of two cheese-topped patties, bacon (not pictured above), and an egg. I appreciated that the vegetable accouterments were served on the side – who wants to feel healthy when they're eating a burger anyway? The patties themselves were well seasoned and the bun was tasty, but the overall feeling was a little dry, even though I asked for the burger to be cooked medium.

Price: RMB 88

Verdict
The Local narrowly takes this round. The egg topping the burger at Flamme was a nice touch, but we just couldn't get over the juiciness of The Local's patties.

Check back on Thursday for another round of burger wars.

Photo: Robynne Tindall