[Review] Le Bun - Burgers at Le Zetter

Late to the party, but fashionably so, I've just managed to try out the delights of Le Bun at Le Zetter with some burger loving work colleagues - five days before their residency ends. I'll give you the full brief after the jump, but if you're a fan of Le Bun (or if you've never tried it) you have to get yourself a booking for their next residency.

Price:

Le Truffle Cheeseburger - £7.50
Fries - £3

Presentation:

There's a lovely aesthetic to the Le Bun offering. The black-rimmed enamel plates and the branded greaseproof monochrome paper emphasize the bright colours of the signature ingredients (in the case below the red pickled cabbage and the yellow american cheese). It's simple, but effective.

Toppings:

Le Truffle Cheeseburger is pretty simple - a forest of rocket, american cheese and truffle mayonnaise combine together to give a serious hit of umami. It's rich, creamy, earthy and incredibly moreish. What's also well thought out in this burger is the rocket. It's not just for show (although the green gives impact to the monochrome crockery), it adds a great texture balance against the soft bun and mayo, however I would like to taste more of a peppery flavour to counteract that huge truffle hit. The same could be said for the american cheese, which although is melted into the various interstices of the roughly formed patty - it lacks the acidity this cheese could bring, and which would bring more balance in general.

Meat:

This, to me, is how a patty should be cooked. There is some SERIOUS caramelisation on the outside of the burger - almost like it's been pressed on the flat-top and then deep fried - the beef is almost crunchy and it's been very well seasoned. It reminds me of how Lucky Chip do their burgers, and it's a joyful experience. Inside, the burger is done medium-rare (although I sent my first burger back as it was well done) and the mellow-aged juicy beef contrasts perfectly with the salty outside. I just sat there smiling into my pint of Camden Hells lager. Burger good times.

Bun:

An airy, glazed and sesame-seeded white bun. On first look (and feel) the bun seems too firm and solid for the burger, but on the bite-through those fears are laid to rest as it's light, airy and the bottom bun soaks up loads of juice - it's like mopping up your gravy with bread at the end of a roast.

Accessories:

French fries and truffle mayo. Absolutely nothing wrong with these fries - crisp sticks of hot, salty fried potato. And truffle mayo. So. Good.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Yes. Le Bun is a damn decent burger. it delivers lashings of umami in the truffle mayonnaise and the patty is one of the best cooked in London. The only thing that could take this to the next level for me is more of a balance of acidity/pepper in the burger to marry with the rich truffle. Still, this left me smiling, and I can't wait to have another go when Le Bun announce their future plans. And if you're going, you can also track them down at Winter Wonderland...

Keep in touch with them on Twitter @LeBunUK.