Stuffed Burger Inspirations, Part 2

One of our regular writers, Kim Decker, dropped me an e-mail this morning in response to last week's posting on the practically infinite number of possibilities that burgers of all types--not just basic beef--offer product developers. The first nugget of interest involves an offering from McDonald's in Japan--she just returned from a trip to the legendary land of the rising sun--and the other centered on the Burgerville concept. (Here's my original post: http://www.foodproductdesign.com/blogs/doug/?m=art&a=6ah101592.html; readers of Food Product Design are undoubtedly familiar with Kim--she "pens" something for us in practically every issue; here's a recent one: /articles/2006/12/in-praise-of-potatoes.aspx.) Kim writes:

McDonald's Japanese menu includes what it dubs an Ebi Fillet-O--a "burger" of fried shrimp--done more tonkatsu than tempura style, so much as I could tell (I didn't actually eat the thing; far too many other foods to try, and in far too little time, to spend my yen at McDonald's) and the usual fixin's, with the addition of two we'd find somewhat less usual: a hoisin-like tonkatsu sauce and a curry mayo. (At least that's what my limited Japanese ability to decipher the adverts led me to figure they were.) Wonder how the sandwich would fly over here; after all, two weeks of too much tempura and tonkatsu reminded me why a predilection for fried foods is universal. As I like to say, there are no bad fried foods, only badly fried ones. (Here's something on the Ebi Fillet-O: http://ebipuri.com/; have patience with this one--unmistakably super happy fun Japanese web design...)

The other posting--on the fresh-seasonal-local mantra (less a mantra from on high than the standard operating procedure in Japan, by the way)--rang my Burgerville bell. (I think she's referencing http://www.foodproductdesign.com/blogs/doug/?m=art&a=6ah2135632.html.) You're from Oregon; surely you know the outfit. (You certainly don't have to be from Oregon to know them.) To me, they really represent how progressive principles can work within a viable "fast-feeding" business model when both interests know how to push and pull. The restaurant really seems to have reached a compromise that leaves its principles intact but also allows for practicality and profit.

Not sure how the shrimp burger would fly here in the States, but I like the concept--and folks sure like their fried foods. With increasing attention paid to panko breading these days (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panko for a glimpse of info)--a nice variation from typical American breadcrumbs--perhaps a wider approach to fried items could add a nice dose of diversity to QSR and casual menus.

And indeed, I am familiar with Burgerville and would regularly look forward to their seasonal milkshakes during my time out west (see http://www.burgerville.com/html/menu/seasonal.html). Perhaps the chain could pick up on the Ebi-Fillet-O concept and create a version based on Yaquina Bay oysters (best place to eat them: with a squeeze of lemon and a shot of hot sauce, sitting on the waterfront at the Rogue brewery in Newport, washed down with big gulps of Dead Guy Ale).

It would be interesting to see how the Burgerville concept could translate into retail, with sustainability and seasonal ingredients driving product-development decisions, perhaps even with specific lines geared to regional markets. If you could get the numbers to crunch, I bet the concept would find an immediate market via the Wegmans, Wild Oats and Whole Foods crowd.