The “World Burger Tour Menu” is Back at the Hard Rock Cafe for a limited time.

On Thursday, April 27, 2017 we were thrilled to be media guests at the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood at Hollywood Boulevard for a special blind taste test event that officially announced the kick-off the all new Hard Rock Cafe “World Burger Tour 2017” limited time menu. Miniature sized versions of full sized loaded Burgers from around the world were put on display as part of the restaurants annual World Burger Tour international themed menu for the 2017 Burger season.

The blind tasting consisted of a sampling of FOUR burgers selected from the exotic ingredients of Local Legendary Burgers from across the globe as part of its new World Burger Tour menu. Chef Alex Delgado and several other Hard Rock representatives provided insights into the history of the “World Burger Tour” as well as explained how the final selected Burgers made the cut.

Around the world each Hard Rock Cafe location creates one “Local Burger” A recipe is then submitted to the company and the burger is then judged on various internal criteria which are kept secret. Once the burgers have been narrowed down the globally inspired burgers are then introduced to cafes around the country as well as internationally for two-months only so you don’t have much time to try them all.

Signature Cocktails are also unique to various locations and some are also standards of “Legendary Cocktails” ranging from the “Classic Hurricane” loaded with refreshing Pineapple, Mango and orange juice, Bacardi Superior Rum, Bacardi Select Rum, Amaretto and Grenadine, a New Orleans or N’awlins staple to the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood’s own “Big Moose’s Rising Star”, a special signature Vodka based cocktail loaded with over 7 colorful ingredients that give this colorful cocktail its blue radiant color. Don’t let either of these drinks fool you because they sure do pack a punch so make sure to have your phones charged and ride-share apps on stand-by.

The Greater Los Angeles Area has two Hard Rock Cafe locations, one in Universal City and the other in Hollywood and they are in a relatively close proximity serving both the San Fernando Valley as well as the Westside/Hollywood areas.

The “World Burger Tour 2017” runs May thru June and throughout the promotion different burgers will be featured with the first four burgers launching on Monday, May 1, 2017 thru June 25, 2017.

The blind taste test was a great way to get the conversation going as well as test ones competitive foodie and culinary knowledge of the origins of ingredients as well as regional and international flavors. Each of the 4 burgers sampled had a flag with a corresponding number to allow us to blind-ly guess which burger belongs to a corresponding Hard Rock Cafe global dining destination. Our two person team tasted and even deconstructed each burger to determine what the secret ingredient(s) were to connect the burger to one of eight different cities. There were of course a few wild-cards and curve balls but we managed to match all 4 burgers to their cities and ended up winning a prize from the Hard Rock Cafe. The burgers sampled and their descriptions are listed below:

Colombian Plantain Burger (#1) (Cartagena, Colombia) – a South American savory and sweet combination of caramelized onions, bacon and Monterey Jack Cheese, spiked with molasses and topped with fried plantains on a Certified Angus Beef® patty. Perfectly paired with crispy plantain chips and mojo sauce

Olé Burger (#2) (Barcelona, Spain) – a fury of red peppered Romesco sauce, roasted vegetables, with goat cheese crumbles and arugula, dancing on a Certified Angus Beef® and between a toasted bun

Banh Mi Burger (#3) (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam) – coated in tangy house-made Vietnamese glaze, topped with sliced cucumbers and pickled vegetables, accompanied by a garnishment of cilantro and green onions all on a Certified Angus Beef® patty

Jambalaya Burger (#4) (New Orleans, Louisiana) – this big easy burger features spiced up Certified Angus Beef® fixed with Cajun mayo, pickles, andouille sausage, pepper jack cheese and a jammin’ jambalaya rice cake

All burgers featured are miniature versions of full-sized Hard Rock Cafe “Legendary Burgers” that are served on Brioche Buns for taste testing purposes) Gluten-Free buns and veggie patties can also be substituted for those with allergies and dietary restrictions.

Mike, the General manager thanked us for coming. They love the world Burger tour for the fact that it allows their kitchen to experience the excitement of working with diverse ingredients and international flavors that they wouldn’t normally showcase.

“World Burger Tour, a limited-time offering of Hard Rock Local Legendary© Burgers, inspired by the taste and flavors from cafe locations around the world, hits tables at select participating Hard Rock Cafe locations including London around the world beginning May 1, 2017 and continues through June 25, 2017.”

We would like to give a special thanks to our good friend and guest foodie and Chef Josh McKnight for joining us as we experienced some of the highlights and international flavors from the “World Burger Tour 2017” menu at the Hard Rock Cafe- Hollywood Boulevard. For a complete listing of “World Burger Tour 2017” burgers and launch dates please visit the Hard Rock Cafe website here.

All burgers featured are miniature versions of full-sized Hard Rock Cafe “Legendary Burgers” that are served on Brioche Buns for taste testing purposes) Gluten-Free buns and veggie patties can also be substituted for those with allergies and dietary restrictions.

THIS IS HARD ROCK

Hard Rock is a haven for fans of music, food, and great times. Whether you are down for a Legendary Burger, live music, a Classic Tee, a Rock Star Suite, or the latest collectible pin, there’s something for everyone. Every Hard Rock Cafe, Hotel & Casino, or Live around the world serves up authentic experiences that rock. Since its establishment in 1971, Hard Rock has also been committed to a wide variety of philanthropic causes and activities. Love All – Serve All.”