Just start putting ramen in and on everything
Behold, the “ramen burger,” one of many creations being served at newly-opened Oh My Burger on Jianguo Xi Lu.
The original ramen burger was created by Keizo Shimamoto, a then 35-year-old blogger-turned chef. It debuted in New York in 2013, shortly after the cronut, a croissant-donut hybrid. You’ve probably seen the likes of it in your Instagram feed. As with most international food fads, a certain amount of cultural lag slows such things down. So while everybody else is going gaga for intravenously administered Iberico ham fat, vapable mojitos or whatever food trend is taking Manhattan by storm these days, we finally get to enjoy this crossover cuisine here in Shanghai.
The Ramen Burger (RMB70) is a sight to behold. Instead of mixing the egg in with the ramen to create the “buns” like Shimamoto does, Oh My Burger’s ramen go without, which makes them less dense and easier to fall apart. In other words, keep the pre-meal social media snapshots to a minimum. That crunch on this “bun” has a short shelf life. Before long, the yolk of the sunny side up egg oozes through and gels beef patty, cheese and spicy Sriracha into one messy, satisfying grease feast.
Of course, everything that follows the Ramen Burger shines only half as bright. Don’t let that stop you from trying the Avocado Fish (RMB70), though. Pan-fried salmon is its centerpiece, and its laden with fresh avocado, red onion, mint and julienned cucumber. It’s a complete 180 from the star attraction, but it holds its own with fresh, clean flavors and a juicy slab of salmon.
The Vegan Only (RMB65) uses Portobello mushrooms in place of the buns with a quinoa patty and avocado at the center. This one’s a knife-and-forker. It easily falls apart—but the tasty mushrooms make up for the mess.
Oh My Burger also does a few Chinese spins with the Sichuan Beef (RMB70) and Bao (RMB65) with fried chicken cutlet. Maybe skip these. The Sichuan peppercorn only has a mild spice and numbing sensation and the bao could use more dressing or crunch.
They also serve three different varieties of fries: Cajun (RMB40), Slim (RMB40) and Double Fried in Duck Oil (RMB50). There’s a reason why that last one sounds so appealing, so order up some real good—real bad for you—fries fried in duck fat. You’re welcome.
That said, the Ramen Burger alone is worth the visit.
Address: No. 105, 691 Jianguo Xi Lu (near Wanping Lu) 建国西路691号105商铺 (近宛平路)
Tel: 158-2188-0569
