The Truffle Burger at Umami Burger- San Francisco

Already a staple and well known name on the L.A burger scene, Umami burger is a relatively new player in the Bay Area and opened it's first location in San Francisco in 2011, and a second in Palo Alto March 2013. The name 'Umami' refers to the 5th taste component beyond sweet, salty, sour, bitter and is loosely translated from it's Japanese origins meaning "pleasant savory taste" that can be found in foods.

Umami Burger- San Francisco, CA

The front of the building is unassuming and absent of obnoxious signage. The only thing that tells you that you are in the right place is the overhanging facade with simple orange back-lit outline of a burger. You'll find some limited outdoor patio seating, full dine-in order at your table seating and limited seating at the bar. The decor is open, inviting and modern chic.

If I could use one word to summarize the menu at Umami it would be "fresh" as Umami makes almost everything on the menu from scratch- from the pickles, to the cheese, to the condiments. Condiments include house-made mustard, ketchup, garlic ailioli, and a semi-spicy/sweet diablo sauce. *Tip- try the truffle fries! They are thin cut fries topped with truffle cheese...a side of garlic ailoli or house made ketchup make the perfect dipping addition.

Burgers are a 6oz hormone-free beef patty that is ground fresh daily and come from cows that are first grass fed, then finished with a grain diet. Umami suggests ordering their burgers medium-rare to maximize flavor while retaining moisture, but you can order it any way you like.

Their "Umami burger" is their most popular burger, however, the menu includes some daily specials including the "Brunch burger", topped with pork belly, a fried egg, house-made American cheese and diablo sauce (available only on weekends).

The Truffle Burger

I tried the Truffle burger- medium rare, topped with house-made truffle cheese and a truffle glaze ($12). The burger was cooked on a flat-top and came out with an awesome crust locking in incredible juiciness. The freshness and great depth of flavor of the beef was equally impressive. I really appreciated the simplicity of the ingredients. Rather than overwhelming my palate with a bunch of condiments, the burger was simply topped with truffle cheese and a truffle glaze that added richness, complexity and complimented the fantastic "meatiness" of the burger. The overall result was an incredibly juicy and luscious burger that is absolutely a must try and the Truffle burger from Umami burger goes down as one of the best burgers that I've had in a long time and should be on everyone's burger bucket list.

Aburgeraday rating- 8.5/10