Burger and Lobster – Decisions, decisions…

Burger and Lobster

36 Dean Street

London

W1D 4PS

Call me lazy but I’d be a happier man if I was presented with a multi-choice questionnaire for decisions I had to make on a daily basis. That way, I can spend less time on trivial subjects such as shirt/tie combos and turn my attention to big issues such as how to solve the recession and, more importantly, what to have for my next meal. Unfortunately, it’s not all quite that easy but Burger and Lobster are sure doing their best to keep things as simple as possible.

Located in the heart of Soho on Dean Street, Burger and Lobster have made a name for themselves around town through 2 things; their burgers and their lobster. In fact, the most difficult thing about the meal is getting a table which, because bookings are not usually taken, can take up to over an hour if you go during peak times. On my Saturday lunch time visit though, my party only had to wait a respectable 20 minutes which was a pleasant surprise.

From here onwards, everything becomes pretty straight forward. You have the choice of either ordering the burger, the lobster roll or the lobster. Complications arise only if you decided to go for the lobster where you have to choose whether you want small, medium or large and grilled or steamed. The burger, lobster roll and small lobster are all £20 (with the medium and large lobsters understandably costing more) and come with a serving of salad and chips.

Being a man of simple mind, I stayed away from the difficult decisions accompanying the lobster and ordered the lobster roll though my more competent friends managed to get through the lobster order with no trouble (they got a small one and grilled. I was shocked at how easy they made it look).

The lobster roll, a toasted brioche bun stuffed with lobster meat and served with a light Japanese mayo, is 100% pure awesomeness. It was just absolutely incredible. The brioche bun was so buttery and creamy which complemented the lobster filling like they were designed to be eaten together and the lobster was steamed cooked just right as it was still firm to the bite and retained all it natural seafood goodness. I could eat this over and over and over again. I’m hungry just thinking about it.

The lobster that came to our table was grilled over charcoal and served with a beautiful aioli butter sauce. The sauce, though full of flavour, was subtle enough as to not overpower the taste of the crayfish. I also thought the portion of crayfish was quite generous for £20 and that this dish was probably the best value for money of the 3 choices.

As far as the sides go, they may not make your meal but they are not certainly nothing to be scoffed at. The salad was spinach, red onion and parmesan which was nice but like Homer Simpson famously proclaimed, “You don’t make friends with salad”. The chips were excellently fried; crunchy exterior but fluffy and dense interior and though not meant to be the highlight of the dish, held its own as part of the overall meal.

So there it is, a delicious stress-free meal done and dusted. Now I can finally move onto more important thoughts such as finding a socially acceptable location in Central London to take a nap in public.

KS