Put on your loosest pants, the Beijinger Burger Cup is back! In the lead up to the Burger Cook-Off Launch Party on August 23 and the start of voting on August 25, we are kicking off with Burger Wars: a series of face-offs pitting Beijing’s best beef patties against each other. These will not necessarily reflect the ultimate match-ups in our Burger Cup bracket, but give burger fans and burger chefs an idea as to how the product may fare in the final competition.

Come back often for more Burger Wars, information about the upcoming Burger Festival and news on how to vote.

Round two has been dubbed the “Shuangjing Showdown,” at least it has by myself and Robynne. Grinders, a firm favorite in Shuangjing’s boozy hot bed along Tianzhi Jiaozi faces off against a familiar foe in the form of Plan B, last year’s runner-up in our annual burger-off. A tall ask for Grinders, perhaps, to face off against a Shuangjing burger institution like Plan B in a Burger War, but we wouldn’t have thrown them in the ring together if we didn’t think it had a chance. Heading into the showdown, we gave them a puncher’s chance of toppling the Pingod heavy hitter.

Contestant one: Plan B
2013 ranking: 2

Plan B’s house cheeseburger consists of a thick beef patty and a serving of chunky crinkle cut chips. The patty is grilled out front on the bar’s gas barbecue and comes served on a sesame seed bun with a selection of fixings including jalapenos and thick cut fried onions.

Price: RMB 50

Contestant two: Grinders
2013 ranking: 35

Grinders’ cheeseburger takes the form of a hugely thick beef patty with melted cheese and two well-cooked slices of bacon on a lightly toasted white sesame seed bun. It comes with a portion of crinkle cut chips and a helping of salad.

Price: RMB 55

Verdict
In the end, the know how of the Plan B kitchen just put them ahead. It’s the small things that count in these tight fights and the thick cut fried onions, as well as a nicely toasted bun and the thick chips fried to the cusp of perfection just gave the Plan B burger the nod. It’s a consistently good burger, which rarely encounters a disappointed diner. Thankfully, a short-lived experiment with a mealy wholewheat bun seems to have fallen by the wayside.

We always knew it was going to be a big ask for Grinders to come out on top in this battle. In truth, we expected no contest, but the Grinders cheeseburger was far, far better than we’d anticipated. On this showing, it’s sure to improve dramatically on its final placing from last year. The patty was thick and the meal itself is good value for money at just RMB 55 (with huge discounts available for ordering online). One minor grumble would be that the patty takes on an almost paste-like texture, but that’s nitpicking – it was a solid burger. If they can maintain this consistency, they’ll definitely put up a good showing in this year’s contest.

Check back on Sunday for the next installment of Burger Wars.

RELATED – Burger Wars Round One: The Local vs. Flamme
RELATED – Home Plate Bar-B-Que Wins the Beijinger 2013 Burger Cup in Close Race

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