Tuesday, June 09, 2020

Wagyu txuleta burger sets from Basque Kitchen by Aitor

Basque Kitchen by Aitor, wagyu burger

I was intrigued by the txuleta (pronounced choo-letah) that was mentioned for these burgers from the one Michelin starred Basque Kitchen by Aitor (97 Amoy Street). Txuleta in a nutshell are older cows - aged between 3 and 18 years old from what I've read that are reared in the Basque region which purports a more intense beefy flavour in the meat.

So is wagyu Txuleta what I think it is or is it something else? Anyways I decided to splurge to see if it was good.

Basque Kitchen by Aitor, wagyu burger

Pretty and nicely constructed between brioche. Flavour was not bad actually. I got the beefiness but a couple of things didn't work for me. The sauce - I don't what it was made of but there was a tanginess which reminded me of the "Thousand Island-esque" concoctions. Once I had gotten beyond the lightly crusty edges of the burger, I though that the sauce was too much and was contending with the flavour of the beef.

Definitely not the first time I'm wondering why kitchens sauce up supposedly better quality meat that they're selling.

Basque Kitchen by Aitor, wagyu burger

The other thing was - I got a chunk, not sure how a chunk came forth minced meat, of very chewy...part I couldn't tear with my teeth after some effort. Too big to swallow. I had to spit it out.

The first comparison that came to mind for the burger was with the Smash Burger at Employees Only. Rather instinctively I would say. That was a better experience and one that was less expensive. $24 for 2 versus $78 for 2.

Basque Kitchen by Aitor, guanaja chocolate custard

This came with dessert. Guanaja chocolate custard - kinda like mousse with dark chocolate/salted caramel pearls. Not bad. Tasted a little coconut-y though.

Basque Kitchen by Aitor, guanaja chocolate custard

No comments: