The Ramen Burger Makes Its Way To San Diego

The ramen burger, a meat patty sandwiched between two "buns" of ramen noodles, is poised to become the next Cronut in this summer of food mega-fads. The burger took Williamsburg, Brooklyn, by storm last month when chef Keizo Shimamoto debuted the treat at the neighborhood's popular weekly Smorgasburg food event, and folks have been waiting hours in line for it there ever since. The trend has made its way to the West Coast, as San Diego's Rakiraki Ramen & Tsukemen has begun offering its own take on it.

According to a release, the burger, which was created by chef Junya Watanabe, starts with a ramen noodle bun. In between the buns goes a patty made of ground chicken, mushrooms, chicken "soft bone," onion, green onion, shiso leaf, ginger, garlic, and Japanese herbs. It's topped with five-spice soy sauce, spicy mayo, tomato, and avocado, and wrapped in lettuce. Additional patty options include turkey, pork belly cha siu, and ground beef.

"While the outside ramen noodle bun is lightly crisped, the noodles are still quite soft and juicy on the inside," the chef said in a release.

As the ramen burger trend reaches the West Coast, we have a feeling that there's a long way to go before it wears itself out.