Tisha Eats New York: The Tale of the $32 Burger

If a picture could paint a thousand words, then this could fill a thousand stomachs...

But before we get into the, eherm, meat of the matter (sorry, couldn't resist), a little backgrounder.

King had this idea of trying to get standby tickets to Conan, but our first and second attempts were a bust. (The second was, to be more accurate, a near-attempt, as I had decided earlier on that Ethan Hawke wasn't worth getting up at 6:00 am for.) My tour guide was feeling bad that none of our plans seemed to be pushing through, so he decided to treat me to lunch at db Bistro Moderne. I will forever be grateful that none of our earlier plans worked out; otherwise, I would've missed out on one of my best NYC experiences!

The place is one of chef Daniel Boulud's seven award-winning restos, and luckily, it was where one of King's sisters worked. King generously shelled out over $60 (plus tip!) for two entrees--but with these, we got three complimentary appetizers and four free desserts! The dish that I was raring to try was the famed Original db Burger--a whopping $32 burger that King told me about the day before. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, take a look at the appetizers we were served, on the house!

Cucumber cups with goat cheese. These tiny things were very refreshing.

I'm not sure exactly what this was, but I think it had escargot in it. I loved how it was perfectly salty. Me likey sodium!

When King's sister-- a chef at the resto--asked what we were given, she gave him a horrified look when he replied, "'Yung parang embotido!" King, konting culture naman. Haha. (In fairness, we were both clueless! 'Til now, I have no idea what it was!)

And then, it was time for the main attraction:

The Original db Burger, a sirloin burger filled with braised short ribs, foie gras, and black truffle, served on a parmesan bun and with fries on the side. Good grief. The waiter set it down in front of me, and I was staring at it, speechless, for about half a minute. The maitre d' walked by and voiced out exactly what I was thinking: "How do you eat it?" he began. "With your hands!" he finished, holding out his hands in a crushing motion for emphasis. I looked at him, then looked back at that monster of a burger, unconvinced.

I ended up using a knife and fork. but even then it was a bit of a challenge devouring that hunk of meat. I love showing people this photo because it always elicits a reaction (often along the lines of, "OMG!"). Looking at it now, I wonder if they used an entire calf to make it.

I don't think I'll ever have that burger again--not because it wasn't good, because it really was. I am happy enough that I at least got to experience it once. But coming from a developing country, I would feel far too guilty to blow that much a second time (whether it's my money or someone else's!) for a burger. (And if we're talking decadence, there's that $150 burger with 20g of shaved black truffles!)

Oh, we also had this...

Crispy Duck Confit ($33), which had wild mushrooms, broccoli rale, sweet and sour duck jus. In true hating-kapatid fashion, King and I each ate half of the two entrees. The memorable meal ended on a sweet note. Or, rather, four sweet notes (alas, I didn't get to take a picture of the basket of little lemon-y pastries):

I think one is pumpkin pie, in keeping with the holiday spirit as it was Thanksgiving that week. The one on the left had my name all over it. That thing had a chocolate, peanut butter, and marshmallow layer, a bit of toffee sauce, and berry sorbet. The Eurhythmics must've had this in mind or in mouth when they sang, "Sweet dreams are made of this..."

I barely even touched this pretty selection because I was so damn full. Macaroons, chocolates, nougat...how I wish I could go back to finish what I left behind!

When I thought about what I would eat in NY, I imagined hot dogs, burgers--you know, American food. I never imagined I would have American food with a French twist, or that I would even have the chance to eat not just a famous $32 burger, but a lot of absolutely delicious extras along with it. And for that, I am incredibly thankful to King, his sister, Chef Mimi, and all the gracious people at db Bistro Moderne. This is, by far, one of my most memorable food trips ever!

db Bistro Moderne
55 West 44th St., NYC 10036
http://www.danielnyc.com/dbbistro.html