Friday, September 6, 2013

Burgers, Sides and Old Dreams

I just had what could possibly be the best burger I've ever had the pleasure to experience.

The patty was homemade, using lean meat. There was only a hint of fat, and even then it was lost somewhere. The spices blended together beautifully, and the moisture coming out of the pan-fried patty was a perfect mixture of grease and beef juice that complemented the lettuce and poached cherry tomatoes.

For sides, there was a bowl of tossed garden salad with none of the annoying mayonnaise. Mayonnaise - the food of baboons. Instead, a mixture of perhaps the moisture from the patty was mixed with something I could not fathom served as the dressing. There was also a plate of sweet potatoes? SOmebody mentioned eggplant at the table, and I was thrown off. Western cuisine is not my forte. WHatever it was, the focus on texture was splendid.

The bun was heavenly. It was toasted to a point where it tasted more like a muffin, or a bread with honeycomb dough more than a plain bun.

When it came to slicing the bun, it was not done all the way. This allowed a clasp-like structure to hold the meat and everything from falling out. I loathe burgers where everything falls apart at the tiniest bite, but this one just held everything together wonderfully.

It was brilliant. A perfect burger if I have ever encountered one. And sadly, it is not for sale. The person who cooked it is a Malaysian chef who has a restaurant somewhere in the UK. I did not want to ask his techniques or his ingredients for fear of attempting perfection and failing miserably.

I failed at something recently. Nothing to do with my corporate endeavours, so my clients need not fret. But as usual, biting off more than I could chew has resulted in pedestrian mistakes and delays.

I was raised by a father who barely tolerates anything below 100%, so my reaction was naturally to try and prove him wrong. I usually fall flat on my face. But I am as stubborn as he is.

On a lighter note, an area of my life I deemed closed suddenly resurfaced and old dreams revisited. Seven years ago, I was much too young and much too ill-equipped to comprehend what I could do with certain things.

I believe the time has come to take the bull by the horns and finally show you how powerful I really am. In failure, I dream of success.

Oh well. You win some, you lose some. And sometimes, you find the best burger ever.