Umami Burger, A Heavenly Place!

As an intern for Metro Newspaper, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a press event for the grand opening of Umami Burger in Palo Alto, a restaurant that focuses on combining savory and unique "umami" flavors in burgers and its accompaniments. 

A stranger to Palo Alto, I had difficulty finding the place. I was lucky enough to nab an excellent parking spot (finding parking on University Avenue is difficult!) and trek my way around the shops. 

I expected a swarm of paparazzi and reporters hiding behind mini notebooks, jotting down every detail of the 1,500 square building, but to my surprise, a host politely greeted me at the door and graciously let me in.

Rows of bookshelves filled the restaurant with lamps hanging from the ceiling. Natural light filled the room from the skylight in the middle. Unpretentious yet unified paintings filled the walls, in a hipster modern art deco flair. The owner, Adam Fleischman, greeted me warmly and gave me the freedom to walk around and snap photos. The library theme is a nod to the student population and inspired by Stanford and its libraries, he said. 

I met a group of lovely ladies from a Palo Alto newspaper who opened up their table to me. We were the only press in the empty restaurant and the servers immediately rushed to our side, asking us for our preferred beverages. (I had ice-cold lemonade, in case you were wondering, but it does sell beer and wine.)

Soon, appetizers began pouring out. We started with the Truffled Beet Salad which had truffled ricotta, smoked almonds, wild baby arugula, truffle dressing – and of course, the beets. Beet haters will surely change their minds after a bite of this salad! The savory ricotta paired deliciously with the peppery flavor of the arugula and the smoked almonds provided the perfect crunch. The beets were fresh and juicy and, to me, acted as a palate cleanser.

Umami’s truffle fries are like no other. Coated in a unique homemade sauce, I can only describe the fries as a party on my palate. It was savory and crispy with the perfect touch of salt. Dip it in the umami ketchup and it’s an explosion in your mouth. 

I tried the Truffle Burger, which had beef, house truffle cheese and a truffle glaze; the Hatch Burger, with roasted green chilies, house American cheese and roasted garlic aioli; the Ahi Tuna Burger, topped with sprouts, crushed avocado, gingered carrots, wasabi flake, wasabi tartar and the Palo Alto exclusive burger, the All Nighter – which is a beef patty smothered with a savory red-eye gravy and topped with maple-glazed slab baco with a side of cheesy tot hash browns. Are you drooling yet?

Each burger had its own element of umami – whether it was in the cheese or beef. The beef is cooked medium rare and the juices just ooze after a bite. The bun is toasted—crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. I’m no burger snob, but In-N-Out, who? I’ve found my new favorite burger joint, and I might just be crazy enough to make the trip over to Palo Alto for a Truffle Burger, which was my favorite of the bunch. 

We politely declined dessert. I’d say we were being ladylike, but let’s be honest – we were too stuffed from sampling the different burgers! For those interested, the desserts are from San Francisco and Its-It, but that’s not the pièce de résistance. It’s the burgers!

I look forward to my next rendezvous with this heavenly place. Until then, I’ll be dreaming of those truffle fries…

Note: Because it was a press event, the meal was provided to reporters for free.