Bar Boulud, London

I'm a huge fan of Daniel Boulud, so as soon as I found out that he opened his signature Bar Boulud in London, I knew I had to try it out. This is a casual restaurant located at the ground floor or the Mandarin Oriental on Brompton Road, just in from Harrods. I was really there to try their signature Burgers, but the menu is quite extensive, with House made Terrines, Patés, Hams and Sausages...definitely I will have to come back to try the rest of the menu.

For starters, Moules a la Basquaise (Mussels steamed in white wine, Chorizo roasted Peppers, White Beans, grilled ciabatta). The sauce was very creamy and the Mussels very fresh. I chose this since this is a light dish, in preparation for the Burger to come.

We did not drink wine, but had beer instead. I had a Brew Dog Punk IPA, a locally manufacture beer in the UK. I found this very light, delicate and even a bit fruity. Not hoppy at all and medium bodied. Not what I was expecting but it paired well with the burger.

Then, our burgers arrived. There are 3 types of NY Burgers on the menu: The Yankee Burger (with Cheddar Cheese), Frenchie Burger (with Confit Pork Belly) and the Piggie Burger (with BBQ pulled pork). It was a hard choice but I ordered the Frenchie Burger.

Grilled Beef with confit pork belly, rocket tomato-onion compote, Morbier cheese, Peppered brioche bun and pommes frite. It was served Medium rare as I had asked. It was very juicy, so rich and definitely oozing with the Pork Belly fat and flavors. The frites were thrice fried, so you can imagine how those tasted. The ketchup was home made, so this was a nice surprise.

Definitely a place I would want to return, maybe while I am still here in London, to try the other Burgers. This is one though is one of the best Burgers I have tried. Not that I am a burger expert but this one is at the top of my list.