Before anyone gets accused of copying, let us first deal with the facts: In 2013, an excellent little restaurant called Burger Counter opened on Gulou Dong Dajie. Then, last month, an average little restaurant called Burger Counter opened nearby, on Beiluoguxiang. This much we know.
But what unfolded in between is less certain.
The original owners claim that, a few months after opening, they were forced out by their landlord, who continued to operate the business using the original brand. Ousted head chef Michael Song then opened a new joint called Katchup, which has been pumping out food of the quality that Burger Counter had once been known for in the two years since its opening.
So when we ask the laoban at the new Burger Counter who precisely she is, we are told that she's the one who owned the Gulou premises and was forced out. All well and good. But then the boss of the infinitely superior Katchup claims that this woman has nothing to do with the original set-up.
Without engaging in a full-scale investigation (this is meant to be a restaurant review, after all), it would be unfair for us to say much more. What we will say, however, is that the new ‘Burger Counter’ hinders its own claim of being the true inheritor of the brand – the sign out front looks like it was made on Windows 95 edition Clipart, and the menu appears to have been drawn (and then colored in) by an impatient child. Claims of originality are also undermined by the fact that most of the burgers here – including the The Firehouse Chili, The Big Bleu, The Mushroom Swiss and The Atomic – have been given exactly the same names as those developed by Michael Song at Katchup.
We should probably tell you a little about said burgers, but there’s not a great deal to report. They’re reasonably priced at RMB38-RMB42. The patties are fairly robust, though the bun gets a little soggy underneath – decent but unremarkable.
Perhaps of greater note is the wonderfully schizophrenic alpine-lodge-meets-cutesy-cafe-meets-798 decor. Every texture imaginable is on display: smooth concrete, bumpy concrete, exposed brick, painted brick, dark wood floors, light wood window frames and an industrial black ceiling.
But can’t we just have the original Burger Counter back?
Images by Holly Li
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