Smash Burger Pop Up Tonight at The Camel!

By Ned Kelly, February 16, 2023

What are your plans for tonight? Well forget that! Head on down to The Camel for Justin Birmingham's Smash Burger Pop Up.

Chef Justin Birmingham has spent the last two years at The Bull & Claw in Shanghai sizzling up steaks and lobsters, but his background of being the chef behind Shanghai's favorite Burger chain The Fat Cow gives him a deep passion for burgers.

And to kick start 2023, Justin has developed a whole new Smash Burger and Wings menu that will tour events and festivals this summer!

What?

The basic principle of a Smash Burger is to take a big handful of minced beef, loosely packed (lest you’ll end up with a beef-puck), and then slam it down onto a very hot, flat cooking surface.

Then – and this part is key – smash the mound of beef as flat as you dare with a spatula.

Since most of the meat is pressed down onto the grill and browned, you’re getting more Maillard goodness than when cooking a regular burger. Maximum browning equals maximum flavor.

Who?

Justin Birmingham, Executive Head Chef of The Bull & Claw in Shanghai, was born in the UK and raised in New Zealand, he has been settled in Shanghai for over 10 years with his wife and two children (both boys and Justin play American Football in Shanghai).

Before Birmingham took on Shanghai he got his love of cooking at a young age and was a regional winner of the TV show Junior MasterChef before moving back to the UK to hone his craft at a two-star Michelin restaurant in the UK countryside.

In his time in Shanghai, Birmingham has created menus for The Shanghai Brewery, Saffron, The Fat Cow, Chicken & Egg, Grill Republik, Tequila Loca, The Refinery, BrewDog, Bourbon Cookhouse, The Smokehouse and The Blarney Stone.

He has created so many dishes and concepts throughout his time in Shanghai that so many people have loved and enjoyed.

And now he's heading to Suzhou and it's going to be a smashing old time!