With Its New Venue HeyBurger Becomes a Fast Food Haven In 798
For those of you who have arrived famished at a faceless chain restaurant and ordered up a burger, only to be dismayed by its flavorless, rubbery patty on brittle, crumbly buns... well, Mingyuan "Jack" Shi feels your pain. The owner of HeyBurger – which originally opened in Tongzhou but now has a second location in 798 – was motivated by one subpar corporate fast food experience too many to add to his ongoing career in media with a restaurant owner side project. His ultimate goal: to helm a burger brand of his own that would make customers happier than the usual fast food giants.
During a recent visit to their newer low-key location – located in an industrial park near 798 that houses a gym, a salad bar, and numerous offices – Jack told us about reaching his big brand burger breaking point. “What I had at the chain was so awful, and I saw a lot of other people eating there. So I thought I should make some affordable, quality handmade burgers for the people!”
It’s an admirable, straightforward approach that Jack and his team mostly pull off at their 798 location. Of the standouts during our visit was the Niubility Beef Burger (RMB 42), which like all of the restaurant’s hamburgers, features imported grain-fed Australian beef that is seasoned in advance, allowing the flavors to settle in and abound from the moment you sink your teeth in. But the Niubility nudges ahead of its counterparts thanks to distinctive diced onions doused in HeyBurger's in-house secret sauce, making for a savory, crunchy topping that melds amiably with its gooey cheese.
Enjoyable as their signature burger is, their veggie burger is, unfortunately, an absolute misfire. Attempting what we can only assume to be a keto burger, the patty here is replaced with a handful of diced eggplant, lotus root, and carrot, which immediately disintegrate within a bite or two of the “burger.” The worst part is, the vegetables add neither satisfying flavors or textures to the proceedings.
Sure, these aren't Beijing’s best burgers but with Jack’s unfussy and clearly passionate approach and a few adjustments to the menu, HeyBurger should be in good stead. Coupled with more than reasonable prices and a decent location – poised to catch nearby workers and gallery-goers alike – the whole package makes for an experience heartier than the bland restaurants nearby or, worse still, one of the corporate chains that inspired Jack to get into the burger biz in the first place.
HeyBurger
Daily 10.30am-9pm. 10 Jiuxianqiao, Dashanzi/798 Art District, Chaoyang District (5746 5899)
朝阳区酒仙桥东路10号1台
Vote now in the Beijing Burger Cup Final Four or forever hold your peace!
Photos: Uni You
