Shanghai's most decadent burger

The burger, "The Real Thing" at The Puli Hotel Shanghai’s Jing’an Restaurant is definitely not for the faint-hearted … or for Shanghai burger fans on calorie watch. Here’s the reason why: The burger consists of a hand-chopped beef patty, a generous slice of beautifully seared foie gras, truffle and a cheese layered in between two freshly grilled buns.

If that’s not enough to get you salivating, the burger comes with thick-cut potato fries. The calories will surely tick into the thousands from this meal, and every bite is worth it.

Chef de Cuisine Dane Clouston enjoys a burger, or two, himself every now and then. “Combining the beef with the foie gras and truffle is a nice, extravagant option to have at lunch time.” We'll put that in the "understatement of the year" file.

Clouston reveals that “the texture is maintained in the patty because the beef is hand-chopped instead of being minced through a machine.” This time consuming job evidently adds more love into this Shanghai burger. Priced at RMB 180, it is worth every Mao.

But if you have time to linger for an extra 10 minutes, take this lunchtime indulgence a step further -- at risk of committing the (deadly) sinful act of gluttony -- and order the lemon curd pie for dessert anyway.

Repentance for this Shanghai burger and dessert can come later.

getting there

Jing’An Restaurant
1 Changde Lu, The Puli Hotel and Spa, near Yan'an Zhong Lu 常德路1号璞麗酒店, 近延安中路
Hours: Lunch noon-2:30pm, Dinner 7-10:30pm
tel +86 21 2216 6988
www.jinganrestaurant.com