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steak, versus ground ahi, he added. Make sure the steak is cut evenly, so one side doesn’t cook faster than the other. Dip the steak in a sauce like Soy Vay Teriyaki, get the grill as hot as possible (“You don’t want to cook it, you’re just trying to sear the outside,”) and flip it often so the outside is charred and the inside a little pink. The best topping for ahi is some sort of Asian slaw or salad, Gott said. His restaurants serve the ahi burger seared rare with ginger-wasabi mayo and a slaw made with green and red cabbage, cilantro, ginger, shallots, green onion and an Asian dressing that Gott said is similar to Soy Vay. A chopped vegetable salad tossed in any Asian dressing could work well too, he said. For a meat burger, Gott’s words of wisdom are “don’t overcook,” and have fun with seasonal toppings. Instead of using cheese or ketchup, go on a search for artisan pickles (maybe pick up some Bubbies pickled green tomatoes at Dittmer’s), make your own “secret sauce” (Gott’s is basically ketchup and mayonnaise with some chopped herbs), throw a barbecued pineapple slice on top, find the per-
Ground beef at Dittmer’s Gourmet Meats and Wurst-Haus.
PENINSULA
Discover the best places to eat this week! AMERICAN
New Tung Kee Noodle House
Armadillo Willy’s
947-8888 520 Showers Drive, Mountain View www.shopmountainview.com/luunoodlemv
941-2922 1031 N. San Antonio Road, Los Altos www.armadillowillys.com
INDIAN
The Old Pro
Janta Indian Restaurant
326-1446 541 Ramona Street, Palo Alto www.oldpropa.com
462-5903 369 Lytton Ave. www.jantaindianrestaurant.com
ITALIAN
Thaiphoon
Cucina Venti
323-7700 543 Emerson Ave, Palo Alto www.ThaiphoonRestaurant.com
254-1120 1390 Pear Ave, Mountain View www.cucinaventi.com CHINESE
Chef Chu’s
Read and post reviews, explore restaurant menus,
948-2696 1067 N. San Antonio Road www.chefchu.com
and more at ShopPaloAlto,
Ming’s
ShopMenloPark
856-7700 1700 Embarcadero East, Palo Alto www.mings.com
and ShopMountainView
get hours and directions
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■ Mountain View Voice ■ MountainViewOnline.com ■ August 30, 2013
fect tomato or avocado. Gott, who previously worked at a Sonoma County winery and now owns numerous wine brands of his own, had endless recommendations for burger-wine parings, but his go-to’s are sauvignon blanc or rosÈ for the ahi and zinfandels for a meat burger. For beer, he recommends the classic Anchor Steam, any Pilsner or, for a Labor Day barbecue, purchasing a mix of local or craft beers that guests might have not tried. Shelton said that if a burger does have ketchup on it, the sweetness makes wine difficult. “Sweet foods tend to make the wine bitter. But beer, you don’t really have that problem.” He recommends the Palo Alto Brewing Company’s Hoppy Ending Pale Ale, “a good meat beer.” Fleischman echoes that, recommending a pale ale or IPA to go with Umami’s Hatch burger. On the wine side of things, he’d do a fruity zinfandel or light white wine. Regardless of where you get it or what you put on top of it, the one thing everyone can agree on is the importance of high-quality meat cooked right. Shelton might have put it best: “A burger is something your teeth should fall right through, you know?” N
N RECIPES
PALO ALTO GRILL KETCHUP (FROM CHEF RYAN SHELTON) Ingredients: 2 cups malt vinegar 1 1/3cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tube good-quality tomato paste 2 cups canned tomato paste Salt, to taste Instructions: Put malt vinegar, sugar, onion powder and garlic powder in a pot and simmer over medium heat until reduced to 2 cups total. Add tomato paste and season with salt, whisking smooth. Store in the refrigerator for up to a month.
UMAMI HATCH BURGER Here’s a basic home-recipe version of the Hatch Burger. Note that this is edited for home use and may not reflect the exact version in restaurants. Ingredients: Brioche bun or Hawaiian Roll 6-ounce ground all natural steak blend patty (you can ask your butcher to grind it for you) White American cheese Blend of roasted seasonal green chiles (Anaheim chiles are a great addition. Also poblanos, serranos or jalapenos for heat. To reduce heat, remove the seeds.) Garlic aioli (mayo with chopped or crushed garlic added) Umami Master Sauce (available at umami.com) Umami Dust (available at umami.com) Butter Instructions: Form patty and cook to medium rare. Season with a dash of Umami Master Sauce and sprinkle of Umami Dust while cooking for maximum flavor. Lightly butter and toast brioche bun or Hawaiian roll. Build burger from bottom up with beef patty, American cheese and chile blend.