Each week on the Food Chain, we ask a chef to describe a dish he or she recently enjoyed. The chef who prepared the dish responds and then picks his or her own memorable meal. On and on it goes. Last week, Peter Hoffman of New York’s Back Forty went cuckoo for Abe Hiroki’s freshly made scooped tofu at Manhattan’s EN Japanese Brasserie. What dish recently did it for you, Abe?
Who: Abe Hiroki, chef at EN Japanese Brasserie in New York
What: Cheeseburger
Where: Comme Ça, L.A.
“The last time I had the burger at Comme Ça, it was only available for lunch, so I rushed to the restaurant late in the afternoon just before they stopped service. I’ve heard it’s now available for dinner, and I can’t imagine how many they must make in an evening. It’s a juicy patty cooked perfectly medium rare, with an excellent char on the outside and a layer of melted cheddar on top. My favorite part is the sauce: it tastes like an update on Thousand Island dressing, but with a little more kick. My mouth is watering just thinking about it - I wish they could send it here to New York!”
Comme Ça’s Chef and Owner David Myers responds:
“My Mom used to make this burger for me as a kid. It was super simple, but delicious. As I started to cook, I would crave this simple burger. When I opened Comme Ça, my team and I decided this was the burger to have and then they tweaked every detail, like the percentage of fat to beef and the bun, to make it even better. We tried many buns but wanted a soft texture to it and it also needed to be able to soak up all of the glorious meat juices. The slaw is rich, crunchy and has just the right kick to it that pairs well with the rich meat.”
