Rock-Hard Buns: Ringing in Juicy Burgers at Nali Patio Newbie The Bell

In the lead-up to our 2018 Beijing Burger Festival on Jun 16-17 at Galaxy Soho, our Rock-Hard Buns series will whet your appetite by taking a look at those vendors signed up to sling their wares at the veritable meat fest ahead.

The Bell has only been open for a few weeks but its reverberations are already ringing out loud and clear in Beijing's F&B scene. Aside from its elegant and eye-catching decor, upbeat cover band performances, and the alluring Martini rooftop bar upstairs, The Bell's roster of pub grub is also turning heads. A slew of pub fare, pizzas, sandwiches, and burgers are on offer, with The Bell team paying particular attention to the juiciness, texture, and flavors of the latter options. Below, We speak to The Bell management about what they've been grilling up ahead of this weekend's Burger Fest.

What are the most important elements in making a great burger?
The fusion of rich juiciness, fragrant aromas, and a tender texture are all key when you set out to make a good burger. So the most essential elements are of course bread, meat, and cheese. Of course, various new elements are now being added to the mix by many creative restaurateurs but you have to make sure that you don't lose sight of the basic essentials when you dress burgers up with fresh new flourishes.

Tell us about your signature burger.
It's called The Spicy. It's a huge burger topped with peppers to give it a slow, spicy kick. We're confident it will do well in the Burger Cup because we hired expert culinary consultants from the US to tweak its recipe to perfection. The patty is made from a blend of beef cuts and its fat ratio is carefully balanced. We strived to make it abundantly juicy. When you grasp it with both hands, the juice seeps into the bun and makes every bite irresistibly succulent.

Another strong point about this burger is our unique pickled peppers, which are prepared in-house. First, we roast the peppers before marinating them in a secret sauce that preserves their aroma and flavor as well as reducing the unpleasant aspects of the chili's burn. When paired with beef, these peppers offset the burger's grease and offer a new dimension via their nuanced spicy notes.

Then there's our hamburger buns, which are baked with butter and served with caramelized butter onions. The patties rest atop a layer of gooey cheese.

What burgers and sides will you bring to our 2018 Beijing Burger Fest?
We'll be bringing “The Spicy” and also our prosciutto burger (pictured left and right above, respectively). The latter has a beef hamburger patty and, instead of topping it with typical bacon, we used smoked prosciutto Italian ham, giving you a double whammy of pork and beef flavors.

Guests at the Burger Fest may face too many choices, so we will be serving slider-sized burgers to make sure everyone has enough room to keep munching. In addition, we will bring our special fries and delicious chicken wings.

What drink from your menu goes best with the burger?
We offer alcohol-free guava ice tea and alcoholic beverages like passion fruit mojitos.

What foodstuff or condiment should never sully a beautiful burger?
These days many restaurants are challenging themselves with plenty of new concepts and innovations. There don't seem to be any taboos. It seems like nothing is impossible anymore. On the whole, I'd call that progress.

Aside from your own restaurant's burger, what is the best burger you've ever had?
I think Great Leap's lamb burger is groundbreaking. It has a unique taste and texture of lamb, and its vegetable toppings added other dimensions that made it all the more satisfying. I made sure to go say goodbye to many old friends when they hosted their recent farewell party at their Sanlitun location.

Taste The Bell's offerings and burgers from 40 other vendors at this year's Beijing Burger Festival. To learn more about what's in store this weekend, click here.

Photos courtesy of The Bell, Uni You