Images by Noemi Cassanelli
In December 2014, Chinese premier Li Keqiang made an official visit to Serbia. He attended the third annual China-Central and Eastern European Summit; opened the Chinese-built and -funded Pupin Bridge, which spans the Danube; and held talks with his Serbian counterpart about Chinese involvement in high-speed rail links between Belgrade and Budapest, in neighboring Hungary.
Then, in January of this year, a hole-in-the-wall Balkan burger joint, Serbia Burger, opened in a Beijing back alley. Relations between the two countries have never been rosier.
It’s hard not to be amused by such eccentric cultural path-crossings as Serbia Burger. We love Beijing because it has madcap places like this. But what we love most about this place is that it has – probably unwittingly – out-hipstered all the hipster start-ups in Gulou. “I could really go for a Serbian burger right now,” is a phrase that has probably been said by nobody in Beijing, ever. Ergo: it’d be f*cking cool to open a Serbian burger restaurant. It’s what the hutongs were made for, right?
But how exactly does such a place come into existence? (In these parts Serbia is less famous for its cuisine, more as ground zero for major diplomatic incidents with the US.) It was opened by Mr Liang (pictured above), a native of Beijing, who spent almost a decade living in Novi Sad, the Balkan state’s second city. He ate lots of Serbian burgers there because they reminded him of roujiamo, China’s contribution to the pantheon of breaded meat snacks. Details are not forthcoming as to exactly why he was there – all we need to know is that he’s back in China, and he’s brought his favorite snack with him. Liang is – by his own admission – just a regular Beijing guy, albeit a Serbian-speaking one with a highly eccentric business.
Inside, there are Serbian national flags and photos of picturesque medieval fortresses overlooking the Danube. Liang has opted for a trendy open kitchen, although the place is so small (there’s only seats for four) that it’s really a choice between open kitchen or no kitchen. But seating is not a problem, because these burgers are great on the go. There are six options (RMB28-55) – every possible configuration of the following: cheese/no cheese, “single/double meat” (patty), and pitta/classic bap. Burger sauce and pickle garnish as standard. Fries (RMB10) are the only side option available. The Serbs, it would appear, prefer a burger with minimal embellishments.
Single meat, no cheese, on pitta.
We opt for double meat, pitta, no cheese, and begin to deconstruct the Serbian burger. It’s essentially one of the high-end, booze-soaking varieties, possibly kebab-inspired. The bread is thick and efficiently sandwiches, while the beef is tasty and firm, if a little thin (double meat option recommended). A pleasant amount of juice comes oozing out and the garnish is fresh and crisp. If we’d just consumed a few liters of beer and this fell on to our laps, we would devour it ferociously and be utterly satisfied. One small issue, though: we fail to see anything characteristically Serbian about it. But then again, what exactly is so Chinese about roasting a duck? Beijing, the Serbian burger craze has arrived.
Price:
RMB28-55 for a burger
Who’s Going:
Serbian diplomats, hungry hutong hipsters
Good For:
Burgers. From Serbia.
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