HANBAAGAASUUTEEKI: Viral For A Reason!

HANBAAGAASUUTEEKI, the smash burger restaurant in Victoria has been all over my tik tok and instagram as the must try Smash Burger restaurant. It’s become viral for fusing classic American burgers with Asian influences.

Now if you know me, I hardly ever order a burger at a restaurant and smash burgers… not really my thing but HANBAAGAASUUTEEKI had me very intrigued. So when I was invited for lunch, I was excited to see whether my opinion on smash burgers could be changed. Spoiler alert… it was!

Created by Fatih Alkan, who had an extensive global culinary background, the menu promised to take diners through a culinary journey throughout Asia and it delivers. Every component, from the house-made kimchi to the onions, has been tested, reworked, and refined to create unique takes on the classics. Staff are fans of the burgers and my server on the day informed me, the restaurant never used to have a hot dog on the menu until Fatih Alkan realised he was buying one every day so created one so he could eat at HANBAAGAASUUTEEKI.

My lovely server brought me a selection oh must try menu items starting with the Yuzu Matcha Chicken Baga. This Crispy chicken glazed with bright yuzu and earthy matcha notes was sharp, aromatic, and deeply satisfying. Definitely off to a strong start but it was the Shrimp Kong Baga that won me over to Smash burgers! A whole beef patty with 5 crispy shrimp had such bold umami flavours that complimented each other perfectly. I will be back for this burger alone!

By this stage I was pretty full already so only had a few bites of the Ika Ringu Dog made with Golden calamari rings stacked into a soft hot dog bun and the Kimuchi Dog, dog topped with house kimchi, bringing heat and tang to the regular hotdogs and legs be honest… a classic hotdog needed an upgrade and this is it! Don’t worry I throughly enjoyed these for dinner that night. I will admit though I’m not the biggest fan of kimchi but the kimchi dog did have sway me more into the for kimchi camp.

And then there are the fries. These really aren’t sides… they’re statements. The Kimchi Loaded Fries are punchy, tangy and spicy from the in house kimchi and gochujang mayo.  I wish I’d gotten to try the Miso Loaded Fries which are layered with Japanese fermented miso and butter. You know I’ll be  getting these next time I visit for sure!

I really enjoyed my meals at HANBAAGAASUUTEEKI and while my friends laugh at me trying to say the name out loud… they’re not laughing when I tell them it’s definitely worth the hype. Finally a viral place which is worthy of going viral for all the right reasons. Staff deserve a shout out as well as they were friendly and as I said before knowledgeable (and enthusiastic) about the menu items which also made my experience even better. If staff are enthusiastic about the products they’re selling, you know you’re getting great quality and extremely tasty food.

Fatih Alkan has created a winning restaurant here and Onin.London can’t wait to see what else is to come.

Location: 36 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0RE
Follow us on Instagram: @hanbaagaasuuteeki