Tamarind Bay (Cambridge, MA)

Tamarind Bay
75 Winthrop Street
Cambridge, MA 02138-5927
(617) 491-4552

Dishes: Murgh Angar Bedgi (chicken cubes marinated in yogurt and bedgi
chili; not shown); Panner Shola (Indian cheese with green pepper and
onions in red chili and tomato sauce); Achari Jhinga (shrimp cooked in
pickled spices); Mysore Chili Chicken (chicken in curry leaf); bread
basket.

Stella (Boston, MA)

Stella Restaurant
1525 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 247-7747
http://www.bostonstella.com/

Architecture: bun, cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, patty, bun. L&T
on the side.

This was handily one of the best burger I had all year. The beef was
cooked to perfection (medium, with a robust pink in center), with a
hint of peppercorns and charcoal. The buttered brioche was similarly
broiled over open fire, yielding a feisty carb rendition that stood up
to the beef. Washed down with a couple of excellent bloody marys, the
burger at Stella was simply divine, with a good initial bite and a
lingering beefy finish. This is not to be missed.

Rating: 1 star to the burger.

Five Napkin Burger (New York, NY)

Five Napkin Burger
Frnt 1, 630 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10036-4754
(212) 757-2277
http://www.fivenapkinburger.com/

The Original, Lobster Roll Sliders.

Architecture (the Original): bun, rosemary aioli, caramelized onions,
gruyere, patty, bun.

Soft, slightly toasted bun engulfed a massive 10-oz. cow. The
caramelized onion accentuated the glory of the bovine power. The
lobster roll slider was fresh but just a little too refrigerated for
my taste. The whole meal was washed off with a couple of Anchor Steam,
which provided a sweet, almost caramel overtone to the gigantic punch
of the Original. This is one of the better burger joints in the City,
and most definitely a welcoming, regal addition to Hell's Kitchen.

Huangheshui Noodles

Huangheshui Shanxi Restaurant (黄河水陕西小吃). Sanlitun, Beijing.
Hand-cut noodles with hot oil and chili spices. Best in class.

Di Napoli

Di Napoli. Lucky Street, Chaoyang Park West Gate, Beijing.
Mixed greens; penne lisce with bacon, tomato sauce and basil. The
effort was passable, though nothing to be very excited about.

85 Degrees

85 Degrees. New World Shopping, Chongwenmen, Beijing.
Mocha coffee bread; the "Julius Caesar". The Julius Caesar was a
combination of bacon, mushrooms, peppers and a béchamel-based sauce,
baked over a slice of French bread. The result was a sumptuous portion
of wholesome luxury.

Rating: 1 star to the bakery, for its selections, product freshness, and ability to reinvent the bakery business.

Navena Cafe

Navena Cafe
Central Park, CBD, Beijing.
Burger: navena double.
Architecture: bun (sesame), bacon, peppers, cheese, two thin patties,
onions, tomatoes, lettuce, bun.
Bun was soft, slightly buttered, and surprisingly yeasty (in a good
way). The sesame on the bun was heated just enough to yield a hint of
floral flavors. The rest was a disaster -- the patties had little but
a manufactured, fresh-out-of-the-plastic-wrap taste, and were devoid
of any meaningful juices and taste. The myriad of stack options was a
tad too superfluous and didn't come together as a coherent whole.