Expensive, Juicy, and Asian (like my women)

So Kanye West is touring with N.E.R.D., Rihanna, and Lupe Fiasco this year, and while tickets are frickin' expensive, you know they're definitely worth it.  (N.B: none of the Barons have ever seen Kanye West live, but we fully trust it would be worth it if someday we could afford tickets).  Namu, located in the Inner Richmond, is a tad bit out of our price range ($11), but their tasty n' inventive burger is definitely worth mentioning. 

Essential Details

Namu means wood in Korean, a great name, since this place feels like it was designed by Renzo Piano.  Cool slate, steel, and polished hardwood tones seem more appropriate to SOMA than the Inner Richmond. but it's a welcome change. 

In fact, Namu staff have told your correspondents that their bar is actually a solid piece of wood from Golden Gate Park.  In the evening, Namu is overtaken with awesome Japanese movies on the flat screen and chill hip-hop, but on to more pressing matters...

Na-moo!

As mentioned above, Namu's burger ranks around $$ on a scale of $ to $$$$$.  Spending this much moo-lah, we expect only the finest beef.  Niman Ranch, bitches.  Everyone in the Bay Area knows that this North Bay farm treats their cows like royalty.  Before slaughtering them.  These patties ain't no frozen merchandise.  The fresh, hand-sculpted patty is cooked to order, faithful to the customer's request.  With beef of this caliber, we recommend medium-rare.  The outside is seared, creating a delicious crust of caramelized meat sugars.  The interior retains a wonderful drippy beefiness. Mmm, erotic...

Accouterments 

We loooove the creative Asian-fusion twist on produce and condiments.  The burger comes dressed with your choice of cheese, wasabi-infused mayo and soy-glazed onions.  On the side, to add at your leisure, are roma tomato slices, romaine lettuce, watercress, and--our favorite--slices of daikon radish in lieu of pickles.  We suggest using all of the provided dressings, creating various tensions between the tart daikon, sweet soy-glazed onions, and oh-so-slightly bitter watercress.  Holding it all together is a bun with character and flavor of its own while showcasing its cargo.

We really could go on about this place forever, but let it be known that while pricey, Namu is definitely worth the cash for one inventive and tasty burger. 

Namubar.com