Food: ☆☆☆½

Service: ☆☆☆½

Ambiance: ☆☆ ½

Cost: $$

Must try: Hatch Burger, Thin Fries

Adam Fleischman is the founder of the LA based Umami Burger chain, which has now found its way to Greenwich Village.

Umami is a Japanese concept when literally translated means “pleasant savory taste” – or that intangible fifth taste that is so elusively indescribable. I guess its “that thing that makes you go mmmmmm!”

Marketing genius Fleischman has built an entire menu and line of products based on “Umami” which had New Yorkers initially waiting for a dizzying 2-3 hours to get their hands on one of these burgers.

So what makes these burgers so good? I think it’s a combination of the perfect char grill on a loosely packed six-ounce high quality steak meat patty topped with their Umami Master Sauce and spices. Each burger is served on a brioche like bun stamped with a signature capital “U” in vegetable ink.

The burgers are very good but I still don’t think it topples New York’s favorites like the “Black Label of Minetta” or good old Shake Shack.

Umami Burger also offers some interesting starters of which you must try their “Thin Fries”. I would skip the “Smushed Potatoes” and the “Tuna Tartare” which was tasteless!

I think Umami Burger is definitely worth a check out – especially now that the frenzied crowds have calmed down and the waits are much more decent.

Here is some of what we ate: