A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to have Hanbao in Worcester brought to our attention, and took a trip to see what they were about. This week we returned to sample their Halloween special, and more of those amazing fries….
The image above may seem to be a little familiar. Those of you with an eagle eye for detail may remember that this was the image that kicked off our initial pilgrimage to Hanbao, the Worcester based burger aficionados, in the first place. You may also have noticed that we then didn’t mention this towering best again – and that was because this was a Halloween special that had not yet been released…… so we had to return!
The ‘Second Coming’ as we are going to call it was arranged in the midst of announcements for the second national lockdown, which put us under a little pressure to get our chops around La Calavera Catrina before the limited run was over and before the restaurant had to close in line with national restrictions. Initial investigations didn’t look good, as Hanbao is normally only opens on a Weds- Sun schedule so there were very little in table spaces. It was going to be mission.
Luckily for us, Hanbao made the wise decision to open on a different schedule this week as they wouldn’t be able to operate their normal table service over the weekend, and we were able to swoop in and grab one of their very sought after tables meaning that the trip was on!
Having made the short journey up the M5 in the dark of winters night, we were lucky to find a parking spot not far from the eatery and rushed through the biting winds to take our place at this most hallowed of burger joints. As usual we scanned in to the venue and had our temperatures taken at the door, which were more than likely much cooler than usual due to said winds. It feels like this winter is going to be especially dark and foreboding. Less of that though – It can’t be bad when there are still burgers to eat!
This time we were seating on the raised seating area in the center of the restaurant. It’s difficult to imagine how much busier they would be in pre-covid conditions. The tables are well spaced to allow for socially distanced dining, which doesn’t dampen the feeling of ‘bustle’ that you find in a busy establishment. Having settled in we had a cursory glance at the menu, and roundly pretended that we didn’t already know exactly what we wanted and weren’t in any way excited about the coming prospect of a burger with a whole beef short rib in it.
It being late on a Monday night, we decided that the most sensible option was to share a portion of their excellent Tiger Fries ( a decision that my cholesterol no doubt appreciated, but which I later regretted as they are a genuine delight).
The fries here cannot be understated. They are a marvel all of their own, delicious skin on fries that are packed with flavour in themselves, are then topped with shredded sweet and sour chicken, a smattering of sesame soy mayonnaise, spring onions and then a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds make for a side dish that leaves you wanting more. But – these are just the side show, the main event was something all together more special.
The Main Event
The choices that are on offer at Hanbao are all worth a mention, and I’m sure that over time we will more than likely cover most, if not all of the offerings that are here. Today though we chose a hot one and a sweet one. Lets start with the hot one…..
La Calavera Catrina is as much a work of art as it is a burger. Sure, there are elements that you would expect to see – oozing cheese, glistening beef patty and a subtly glazed brioche style burger bun, but what you might not expect to see if a whacking great big beef rib bone sprouting from the sides of it. This Halloween special is trying to conjure the fires from hell and serve them in a delicious package of smoked meat, spices and decadence. The beef short rib that is so prominent is more than just a decoration however, and this is not a half thought out addition to make the burger stand out although it most certainly does just that. This is an expertly smoked, tender and delicious bit of beef that falls off of the bone at the slightest touch. Glazed in a tequila and habanero spice mix, the flavours conveyed are those of smoky nights, with just enough fire to remind you that they are there, but not so powerful as to have you reaching for a glass of milk. Served on the excellent Hanbao dry aged, smashed beef patty which hides a layer of pickled jalapenos and caramelised red onion this was one burger that I was genuinely sad to finish.
Second burger of the second coming was The Odd Future – a burger from their usual menu and available as a take-out (so if you get peckish this lockdown, go seek it out!). This is not idly named either – much like La Calavera Catrina, this is a tour de force of bold flavours that on paper are opposing, but oddly work well when combined. Incorporating the ubiquitous burger flavours, dry aged patty, American cheese and maple streaky bacon, they have upped the anti by adding a generous portion of bourbon bacon jam adding to the sweet/savoury combo, fresh chilli for a slight kick and then capped the lot off with a fresh glazed ring doughnut that was toasted to add a smoky flavour and turned ‘upside down’ so that he glaze in in the mix with the rest of the bun occupants.
The result was a sweet and savoury burger, that we found to be slighty difficult to eat with our hands (a doughnut doesn’t hold quite as nicely as a brioche bun) but was no worse off for it. It was just as eagerly devoured with a knife and fork as it would have been in the mitts.
As previously mentioned, we had decided to forgo a portion of fries each in order to not feel overly guilty about ordering a dessert each (there’s logic in there somewhere!) as Hanbao also make their own ice-cream on site. The flavour choices are each as unique as the burgers and fries on offer, and of just as high a quality. I plummed for a scoop of Banana Fudge and scoop of Cereal Milk.
The banana fudge as you can see is possibly glow in the dark the colour is so vibrant, and it has a flavour simliar to a popular instant milkshake brand that shall go nameless. Shot through with small lumps of fudge and chocolate drops, it was refreshingly different.
The Milk Cereal on the other hand was a whole other story. aptly named as it tastes like the milk that you get at the bottom of a bowl after you have eaten cereal, conveying a sugary sweet flavour that I have no idea how they have achieved. This was shot through with small marshmallow pieces ala lucky charms to add to the already sweet mixture. Not unpleasant, but I certainly wouldn’t be able to eat a lot of it.
Overall, our second trip to Hanbao was as successful as the first. The burgers have been constantly delicious on our trips there, and the restaurant feels safe to be in during these interesting times.
During the next period of lockdown, I understand that they are going to continue to offer a click and collect service, so if you are in the area I would highly recommend that you go and take a look for yourself!
The Burger Blog 