We have Talking with John Chow, Driving with John Chow, and now, we have Eating with John Chow!
Now you may ask, isn’t this really the Dot Com Lunch? No it’s not. The Dot Com Lunch focuses more the discussions during the lunch. Eating with John Chow is all about the food. There’s no “gadget of the week” distractions.
For this eat out, we headed to the Umami Burger in Costa Mesa. What is an Umami burger? It’s the art of creating that perfect mouthful. The burger starts with the house-ground, hand-formed patty infused with the Umami Master Sauce. Then, it builds with the carefully crafted combination of toppings resting on the lightly toasted and slightly sweet bun.
The experience is amplified by the vibe of the room, the energy of the community and the fine-dining service with a California casual feel. The sauces are all made in-house. There are also some very unique side dishes, like fried pickles and tempura onion rings.
The newest invention from the Umami chefs is the Voltaggio Monte Cristo. Take a Umami burger, soak the bun in vanilla custard, then deep fry it. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar, add a side of maple syrup, and you got a heart-attack-inducing taste for the senses. This is definitely a burger to try before you die. Just make sure you don’t die after trying it. One dollar from every Voltaggio sold goes to the LA Mission.
The burgers are Umami range from $12 to $15. Fairly expensive when compared to fast food burger joints, but the unique taste, and experience of Umami justifies the premium. These are some of the best burgers I’ve ever tasted. Highly recommended.
