There are so many times when I crave a delicious, juicy burger...with extra lettuce of course! I have been to Umami Burger several times in the OC and I thought that it was pretty good and unexpectedly filling based on its size. But I also thought that it was too expensive for the portion and quality. It is just one of those burger places that I can enjoy a couple times here and there, but a place I wouldn't and couldn't go every single week.
I finally went to the Umami Burger in the Art District of Downtown Los Angeles. The place was quaint, but had a very relaxing and cool environment. I went around 5:30 p.m. and there was not that many people in the restaurant, but towards 6:00/6:30 p.m. people started coming in.
I usually always get the Cali Burger, so that is exactly what I got. I usually get this one because its the closest thing to a cheeseburger...and let's be honest, a girl's just gotta have a regular cheeseburger sometimes! :)
Starting off with the burger, I actually liked it a lot better than the ones I've tried in the OC, mostly because they gave me a lot of lettuce and really fresh lettuce too. I think the butter lettuce adds a very nice texture and freshness to the juicy burger. I love having a lot of lettuce on my burger, so this was a big plus for me! The meat was cooked well (for my personal taste) and it was really juicy, so it got the bun kind of wet, which I am personally not a huge fan of...But overall the burger was cooked well, prepared well, and it came out very hot and fresh. On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being absolutely amazing), for me the burger itself was:
8 out of 10
Now, the fries...those were a different story. I have been really into truffle fries lately and if I go to a restaurant and they serve them there, I usually try them to see how different and how good it is. I had heard a lot about Umami's truffle fries and they looked pretty good, but I was hesitant because they had cheese fondue over the fries. I am not really into condiments being on my fries or my fries being wet, but I went on a limb and ordered them.
First of all, as you may find out in the future, not only am I a very picky eater, I am very sensitive about food preparation and I don't appreciate when food comes out cold and not very fresh. One thing that is a must for me is that the fries must be hot. But when the truffle fries came out and I put one in my mouth, disappointment just filled my mouth and mind. So we told the waiter that they were not hot and fresh at all, and he was more than happy to get us a new order of truffle fries. The second batch was a little better, but not much... I think if I ever go back to Umami, I will just stick with getting regular fries, just because the quality, taste, and portion wasn't worth the price, which was about $6.50.
I personally just like the truffle fries that have truffle oil over them, more so than the truffle cheese fondue. It was just very heavy and the cheese was not that tasteful and flavorful. And you could barely taste any of the truffles. And there was a lot more cheese than expected and they were just soggy almost. So if you like truffle fries and you want to take a risk, I think it is okay to try it once, but I personally wouldn't get them again. I honestly just finished it because of the price we were paying for them and of course, I didn't want to waste them... I was really disappointed with the taste of fries and the quality, so the truffle fries were an:
3 out of 10
But of course, I always appreciate great service. For me, if the customer service is awful and the food is delicious, I don't really feel like going back at all because I take customer service very seriously and it puts me in a very negative and bad mood when people are not very nice and friendly. But if the food is mediocre, but the service is excellent, it makes the situation a lot better and it makes the customer still satisfied because they have seen hard work and have experienced good quality service. And you can still leave in a good mood. The overall service at Umami Burger was:
8 out of 10
I am glad that I had the chance to go to Umami, but as of right now, I don't think I am going to be going for a while, mostly because I really didn't like their truffle fries. To me it is interesting how different each restaurant can be from their other locations. The Umami Burger in the Art District has their own charm and qualities that are unique to the area and that reflect the district. Their menu is also slightly different than other locations. It includes certain items that are only unique to the area they are in. It is really cool to see how the restaurant is a reflection of their surrounding environment.
Ultimately, you will never have the luck of always going to yummy restaurants. Some will be memorable and delicious, and some will be awful and not as good. But that is what adventure and exploration is all about...It's about taking chances and risks, even with the foods you decide to try out. So although this is my personal review on this restaurant, I hope that you decide to go and try each restaurant out and create your own opinion and perspective on them! :)
Until next time,
Bri
I finally went to the Umami Burger in the Art District of Downtown Los Angeles. The place was quaint, but had a very relaxing and cool environment. I went around 5:30 p.m. and there was not that many people in the restaurant, but towards 6:00/6:30 p.m. people started coming in.
I usually always get the Cali Burger, so that is exactly what I got. I usually get this one because its the closest thing to a cheeseburger...and let's be honest, a girl's just gotta have a regular cheeseburger sometimes! :)
Starting off with the burger, I actually liked it a lot better than the ones I've tried in the OC, mostly because they gave me a lot of lettuce and really fresh lettuce too. I think the butter lettuce adds a very nice texture and freshness to the juicy burger. I love having a lot of lettuce on my burger, so this was a big plus for me! The meat was cooked well (for my personal taste) and it was really juicy, so it got the bun kind of wet, which I am personally not a huge fan of...But overall the burger was cooked well, prepared well, and it came out very hot and fresh. On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being absolutely amazing), for me the burger itself was:
8 out of 10
Now, the fries...those were a different story. I have been really into truffle fries lately and if I go to a restaurant and they serve them there, I usually try them to see how different and how good it is. I had heard a lot about Umami's truffle fries and they looked pretty good, but I was hesitant because they had cheese fondue over the fries. I am not really into condiments being on my fries or my fries being wet, but I went on a limb and ordered them.
First of all, as you may find out in the future, not only am I a very picky eater, I am very sensitive about food preparation and I don't appreciate when food comes out cold and not very fresh. One thing that is a must for me is that the fries must be hot. But when the truffle fries came out and I put one in my mouth, disappointment just filled my mouth and mind. So we told the waiter that they were not hot and fresh at all, and he was more than happy to get us a new order of truffle fries. The second batch was a little better, but not much... I think if I ever go back to Umami, I will just stick with getting regular fries, just because the quality, taste, and portion wasn't worth the price, which was about $6.50.
I personally just like the truffle fries that have truffle oil over them, more so than the truffle cheese fondue. It was just very heavy and the cheese was not that tasteful and flavorful. And you could barely taste any of the truffles. And there was a lot more cheese than expected and they were just soggy almost. So if you like truffle fries and you want to take a risk, I think it is okay to try it once, but I personally wouldn't get them again. I honestly just finished it because of the price we were paying for them and of course, I didn't want to waste them... I was really disappointed with the taste of fries and the quality, so the truffle fries were an:
3 out of 10
But of course, I always appreciate great service. For me, if the customer service is awful and the food is delicious, I don't really feel like going back at all because I take customer service very seriously and it puts me in a very negative and bad mood when people are not very nice and friendly. But if the food is mediocre, but the service is excellent, it makes the situation a lot better and it makes the customer still satisfied because they have seen hard work and have experienced good quality service. And you can still leave in a good mood. The overall service at Umami Burger was:
8 out of 10
I am glad that I had the chance to go to Umami, but as of right now, I don't think I am going to be going for a while, mostly because I really didn't like their truffle fries. To me it is interesting how different each restaurant can be from their other locations. The Umami Burger in the Art District has their own charm and qualities that are unique to the area and that reflect the district. Their menu is also slightly different than other locations. It includes certain items that are only unique to the area they are in. It is really cool to see how the restaurant is a reflection of their surrounding environment.
Ultimately, you will never have the luck of always going to yummy restaurants. Some will be memorable and delicious, and some will be awful and not as good. But that is what adventure and exploration is all about...It's about taking chances and risks, even with the foods you decide to try out. So although this is my personal review on this restaurant, I hope that you decide to go and try each restaurant out and create your own opinion and perspective on them! :)
Until next time,
Bri