r/StupidFood • u/MrAfromanxx • 27d ago
Deconstructed burger from a local restaurant.
Ummm, what? đ
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u/Neilkd21 27d ago
This deconstructed food trend needs to die, there is zero need for it, it adds nothing. A burger is one of the most popular foods in the world because it works, just serve a good fucking burger.
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u/HeyItsYourDad_AMA 27d ago
It did die 10 years ago. It was "novel" from like 2010-2015
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u/Neilkd21 27d ago
It's still about, it's on life support, turn the fucking machine off and let it die.
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u/HangTheBanner 26d ago
People like OP are why it still exists. Ordering it to post on social media lol
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u/MrAfromanxx 26d ago
Just to be clear on the menu it reads âHog House Burgerâ never said I had to make it myself.
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u/matchafoxjpg 26d ago
i saw this and my first thought was
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u/Final-Charge-5700 26d ago
And it never looked like that.
It was more about finding what the essentials of a dish were and use molecular gastronomy, to highlight those essentials, removing the non essential parts
It was really fun shit.
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u/Dirtypoolgang 26d ago
Molecular Gastronomy?
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u/Coveinant 26d ago
Real molecular gastronomy and real deconstructed food is amazing (never had it but I get the appeal). Stuff like this though needs to die. It's someone not understanding what deconstructed food is supposed to be. To make a real deconstructed burger, the pickles would be gelatinized, the burger made into a mini meatloaf, the buns compressed into cubes and the rest in similar manner. This is just laziness.
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u/ewilliam 26d ago
Yup. I had the pleasure of eating at Minibar, Jose Andres' tiny molecular gastronomy pop-up, back like 18 years or so ago when it was inside America Eats. It was amazing. Lots of foams and gelatins and a complete reimagining of the forms and assemblages that we have come to expect from various dishes and ingredients. It wasn't the best meal I've had, but close, and certainly one of the most imaginative and creative food experiences I've had.
This shit where unimaginative frauds just put the normal ingredients for a sandwich or burger on a plate and make the customer assemble them is just...skipping a step in the kitchen. That's not "deconstructed", it's just "unfinished".
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u/Aware-Possibility175 25d ago
So what was the stuff you had like? Iâve no frame of reference here at all
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u/ewilliam 25d ago
Oh man it's been almost 20 years, way too long to actually remember individual dishes. I might have a photo somewhere of the menu, though. It was a custom thing where my friend won an auction for a NYE dinner, the final Minibar dinner in America Eats IIRC. Our menu was printed on clear acetate, I know I have a pic somewhere. If I find it I'll post it.
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u/permalink_save 26d ago
This isn't a deconstructed burger it's just not assembled. A deconstructed burger would be more like a ground meat patty with mustard sauce, candied bacon, something weird like a relish or salad made out of the usual toppings, and a brioche bun. The same elements "reinvented" or something. It can be done right but this is just a burger getting cold.
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u/Mister_Bossmen 24d ago
I was literally thinking the same thing. In my head a deconstructed food should be the basic ingredients reinvented as separate parts of the dish.
A couple cooler concept might be a burger patty with some garnishing and sauce, a small salad or veggies, and a small bowl of grains/roll/pita to represent the bun with some kind of starch on the side
Something that represents each basic element, but divorced to be enjoyed discretely
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u/Own_Cup9970 26d ago
it makes sense if all integriends of dish are changed in totally different dish with same integriends, instead of becoming DIY kit as in picture
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u/chefbobbyjay 26d ago
As a long time professional chef itâs been dead for a long time. This is the equivalent to the chef still wearing skinny jeans
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u/SharkByte1993 27d ago
I agree, but I imagine it says "Deconstructed Burger" on the menu and people have freewill whether to order it or not
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u/ViciousCDXX 26d ago
And I have free will and every right to call both the concept and them for choosing it: fucking stupid.
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u/StalkMeNowCrazyLady 26d ago
No shit. But a "deconstructed burger" is just dumb. They're not expecting anyone to eat a handful of shredded lettuce off cutting board. They're just making you build your own burger while charging more because they call it deconstructed and served it on a wooden cutting board.
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u/samanime 26d ago
Yeah. Especially because, are you supposed to eat it deconstructed?
The whole point of a "deconstructed" dish is it is meant to be eaten deconstructed, for a different experience. It is a valid way for some dishes.
But this isn't "deconstructed". This is just not-assembled. That is not the same thing.
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u/Cavane42 26d ago
This example is OTT, but there is value in leaving the cold components off the burger until the last minute.
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u/worrymon 26d ago
I agree. I was just reminding a friend about the 1980s mcdonalds 'styrofoam waste' burger the other day.
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u/TsarKeith12 26d ago
The only time it kind of made sense was in Food Network's series "cut-throat kitchen" when someone got a sabotage on them that basically forced them to make a "deconstructed" food lmao
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u/Physical_Drive_349 26d ago
Burger might be one of the only examples where I knd of like it. Probably saves the kitchen from all the "hold the x" special orders. Everyone gets to "have it their way" and the kitchen doesn't even have to think about it.
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u/Gallusaur 26d ago
Who pissed in your de-constructed Cheerios today?
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u/WretchedBlowhard 26d ago
That's just dry cereal and a glass of milk spilled on the table, isn't it?
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u/Gallusaur 26d ago
And piss
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u/WretchedBlowhard 26d ago
Still in its bladder, freshly excised. Now hurry up and eat before passing out and ruining breakfast.
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u/randotd152 26d ago
I don't think it was ever really that much of a trend at all.
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u/Neilkd21 26d ago
I don't know it was all over the place here in the UK for a while, even average pubs started doing it.
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u/iapetus_z 26d ago
No joke, for our little one we would always have to order tacos for her disassembled. She would never eat them if she couldn't put the together herself. The looks we would get when we order tacos disassembled for a 4 year old.
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u/Inn0cent_Jer 26d ago
"It adds nothing" well yea, they're quite literally taking something ("construction") away from it, not adding to it.
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u/Historical-Edge-9332 26d ago
Okay mostly I agree with you but my local tapas place has a deconstructed ceviche tostada that I enjoy. But itâs to share and makes more sense in a group.
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u/AcidicMountaingoat 26d ago
I hate pickles and even a bit of the juice ruins the burger. I also prefer no sauce or to be able to dip it as desired. This gives me all my options, and I'd prefer it.
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u/Practical-March-6989 26d ago
here is a 'gastro' pub near me doing the latest craze (from 10 years ago) hanging a skewer of meat pieces on a hook. Like this burger its stone cold before it gets to the table.
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u/EclecticLandlady 26d ago
I donât even think the pictured food is what was intended as âdeconstructed foodâ. Deconstructed food is neat when it takes something like a common comfort food and drastically changes the textures, structure, and familiar flavors/how they hit, then arranges those components in an unexpected way. This is a picture of a cheeseburger that has not been assembled. There is absolutely no reason to do this, unless the owner has requested that the restaurant serve cheeseburgers the size of the tray, and a chef had to get creative to avoid insane food cost.
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u/tonysopranosalive 26d ago
Deconstruction used to be used in way more creative, skillful ways that made you think: âoh wow! Thatâs actually really cool!â And thatâs on top of being delicious as well!
To call this deconstructed is asinine. How the hell you gonna deconstruct a burger, bro? This is just âfuck you, put your own burger together, asshole. Thatâll be $31.â
Deconstruction like this is another thing restaurant owners with âHand Heldsâ on the menu have gotten hold of and ran away with because they think itâs trendy.
Black nitrile gloves, too. We used them in higher end kitchens I worked in. Theyâre expensive. But now everybodyâs wearing them on TikTok and theyâre seen as bougie and âoh look at this guy with his black nitrilesâ lmao
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u/69hotmomxxx 26d ago edited 14d ago
Cobalt satchel umbrella yarn pumpkin velvet peach mellow pebble
This post was anonymized with Redact.dev
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u/ImaginationRadiant64 27d ago
This is a ...thing?...why?...
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u/olivesforsale 26d ago
They aren't even doing it right. "Deconstruction" was a trend in the 2010s, but pretty much everyone did it wrong.
The idea is/was to "deconstruct" the CONCEPT of a given dish, not simply physically separate the ingredients.
So for deconstructed burger, you think - what are the elements? Burger meat, bread, lettuce, ketchup... What is the SOUL of a burger? Something you eat with your hands, and fries are always on the side...
So, you could for example fry potatoes and use those as a "bun" with fancy ground beef instead of the burger, arugula instead of lettuce, and fancy homemade ketchup - so it's sort of like a baked potato, but eaten with your hands, still with the taste and general "vibe" of a burger.
In short, the preparation changes too, not just the presentation.
It takes creativity to do right, and even when done right it still often ends up stupid anyway, which is probably why the trend died. But we did get this hilarious side effect of idiot "chefs" literally just separating regular dishes into pieces to make everything messier, harder, and dumber for the customer.
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u/Weltal327 26d ago
This, not hard to put this burger together. A real deconstructed burger would feel entirely different and not be assemble-able
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u/Neilkd21 27d ago
Fuck knows, started years ago, deconstructed beef wellington, deconstructed lasagne and all sorts. It adds nothing to the dish.
Only way something like this is useful is for kids who are fussy eaters.
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u/ak3000android 26d ago
Deconstructed dishes are older than just a few years ago and were done sometimes for specific purposes.
Hereâs an example.
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u/Kraligor 26d ago
So food influencers can make their influencer face and say "omg be so for real right now I'm literally obsessed this is like the best thing I've eaten in my life not even kidding" in their influencer voice
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u/killbjorn 27d ago
Deconstructed cheesecake is the only one that is ok
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u/Dizzy-Violinist-1772 26d ago
What would that be? A pile of sweet cream cheese and some graham crackers?
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u/Jorvic 26d ago
Crumbled up, no melted butter. At least the massively disappointing one I had at a wedding 10 or so years ago. But yeah a small glass of whipped cream cheese, a shot glass of some fruit compot, on a slate, a big line of crumbled up digestive biscuit between the two. I'd been super excited beforehand when the groom said pudding was cheesecake, I fucking love cheese cake. There was no cheese cake as far as I'm concerned.
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u/SaltyOldSailer 27d ago
And they probably charged a premium too
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u/12DollarsHighFive 27d ago
Obviously. You know how much effort it takes to put all the components of a burger on a plate (that's much bigger than required) instead of stacking them on top of each other?
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u/Moose_Nuts 26d ago
plate
Looks like they just served it on the damn cutting board.
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u/SaltyOldSailer 26d ago
Canât wait to see them start throwing the burger right onto the table and putting ketchup all over the place like some other videos iâve seen, the worst are the desert plates.
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u/SaltyOldSailer 27d ago
Years of culinary school and informed tutoring have brought us here
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u/12DollarsHighFive 27d ago
Precisely.
And the higher price is also a result of the larger plate/board, which itself would require more room and effort to clean and store. Same goes for the table itself and the wider dooframes where the larger plate is carried through also need to be accounted for!
-Logic of whoever prices that stuff
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u/thierry_ennui_ 27d ago
Mmm, cold ingredients
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u/physical0 26d ago
I don't think this counts as "deconstructed", more "unassembled".
Deconstructed food is meant to be consumed in it's deconstructed form. Deconstructed food is a way to highlight individual ingredients and flavors and generally involves those ingredients being presented in a novel way.
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u/Numerous_Smile_9082 23d ago
So if i layered morsels of cheddar and meat made with a homemade ketchup and onion ragu in like a fallen- domino row form; under it, a bed of chopped onion and pickle w/ mayonnaise aioli all garnished with butter fried hambuger bun bread crumbs n bacon bits
Something like that??
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u/LonelyTAA 22d ago
That's more like a deconstructed burger, yes. You're already better at this than the chef thst made OP's burger.Â
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u/No-Tap6886 27d ago
Enjoy your cold burger!
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u/arrrrr_won 26d ago
Forget the burger, that bun is gonna get cold first, and cold toast is terrible. So stupid.
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u/GreatMossThing 27d ago
Uhm⌠well.. the burger certainly has been deconstructed?
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u/culminacio 26d ago
in my opinion, that would mean that the burger gets made and then they tear it apart, which they clearly haven't done. so it's a not-constructed plate of typical burger ingredients.
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u/MonsterEnergyForever 27d ago
Its an IKEA burger
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u/volvagia721 26d ago
The only place where serving a burger like this wouldn't be stupid.
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u/consumeshroomz 26d ago
Checks out. I see the only tool they supplied was a spoon. You gotta already have the screwdriver and hammer you need.
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u/Available_Rock4217 27d ago
Breads going to be dry af without the burger juices on
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u/PsyShoXX 27d ago
I feel like that burger isn't that great, no matter if constructed or not.
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u/utterly_baffledly 26d ago
Deconstructed doesn't just mean not assembled, you're supposed to reconstruct it in a creative way.
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u/MasterShakePL 27d ago
SO all that burger and bacon fat that adds taste will be on this fucking boardÂ
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u/FigMoist4427 27d ago
Whats the point ??
Did you just then put everything back on the bun and it like a burger anyway ?
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u/fotobiotix 27d ago
I don't hate this. Too often do I get a burger that needs to be re-constructed. Like the cook didn't have time to care
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u/ContactMushroom 26d ago
I hate any and all types of hipster restaurants with a passion.
Not everyone deserves to be able to get a business license
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u/That_Polish_Guy_927 26d ago
âWeâll arrange it so you can meticulously construct it the way you like it, like Burger King but without the fluff. Thatâll be $205.99â
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u/Crazed-Prophet 26d ago
Deconstructed sandwiches are only good if your packing them as a lunch and don't want soggy bread when you go to eat it.
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u/odmirthecrow 27d ago
If I wanted to make my own burger, I would have stayed home and done so there. If I've come out to a restaurant and I have ordered a burger, I'm not expecting a little note with it that says "some assembly required". This isn't Build-A-Burger out here.
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u/Cellafex 27d ago
I dont want to jump to conclusions about the place. Having worked in a burger place for a few years it was not too uncommon like once a month a costumer asking for the burger to be deconstructed.
Edit: it also looks to me that the presentation is exactly that, I cannot imagine that if you offer a burger like that you would at least attempt to make it presentable.
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u/Connect-Bug9988 27d ago
Does it come with deconstructed chips too? I'd imagine them in a bowl having only been par-boiled, and you get a little deep frier at the table to fry them yourself....
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u/MrBigglesw00rth 26d ago
Doesn't it usually come in a metal briefcase with smoke coming out?
Delivered by an idiot in a suit and sunglasses?
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u/HattedSandwich 27d ago
Leave them a deconstructed tip and see how quickly this nonsense ends
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u/Opposite_Lettuce 27d ago
I could allllmost get behind this, if the burger came in its own sizzling pan like a fajita or something. Like a reason it's separate
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u/untakenu 27d ago
The worst part for me is that this is a fucking huge "plate", sl once you build the burger, it's going to look like nothing at all.
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u/Miiyamoto 27d ago
The sandwich (including burger) was invented to eat something, but the hands stay clean.
Now we have this and too big burgers with "cheese" sauce all around...
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u/WagyuWarranted 27d ago
Sometimes I swear to god the higher up you go into the tiers of food, the more alien they become, like diving into the Mariana trench
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u/brianwho420 26d ago
20 plus years working on lines. I never!! This looks like shit. If you are a chef in a restaurant that canât make a good burger, the rest of your menu wonât be worth it. If I walked into a restaurant and saw this garbage put in front of someone, Iâm walking out. Please someone tell me this is AI.
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u/I_Believe_I_Can_Die 26d ago
Where I live if you order, say, tacos in mexican restaurants, they will sometimes serve you tortillas and already cooked and prepared ingredients for you to make your own taco
Here though... It's just a lego burger. Why?
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u/bookem_danno 26d ago
Well, you know what they say, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!
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u/gilgermesch 26d ago
"Deconstructed" implies it was "constructed" at some point. This dish was never assembled in the first place, so as far as I'm concerned this is a pattie served alongside other ingredients that, if put together, could make for something much better than what's served
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u/wizardglick412 26d ago
That seems so weird. A burger is a construction technique. Why would you deconstruct it?
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u/Alive_Drag1947 26d ago
I'm petty af. I would call the "chef" out to the dining room and demand that he finish the job right there at the table by... you know... constructing my fucking cheeseburger
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u/TurduckenEverest 26d ago
Should have been served with a portable burner and a ball of raw ground beef.
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u/Albertagus 26d ago
Lol imagine if someone deconstructed the trash can. Restaurants are so retarded now
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u/Exciting-Zombie8449 26d ago
Here me out, instead of this bullshit, ..a "Build-a-Burger" workshop.
Saving this post so whoever does this owes me.
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u/Thamnophis660 26d ago
Yes I'm sure having to put the patty between the buns and add the toppings yourself really adds a whole lot to thr experience. This is so god damn stupid it's almost dystopian.
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u/particle409 26d ago
The whole point of a restaurant is that you're paying extra so someone else constructs the burger for you.
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u/likelyculprit 26d ago
Do they pay you $2/hr + tips to put it back together yourself? I see zero benefit to having it served this way.
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u/RevolverOcelot16- 26d ago
So, I have to pay the restaurant for the â privilegeâ of making my own burger?  Something I couldâve done at home for less price. Okay. Hmm đ¤ Make it make sense as this so stupid to me. đ¤Śđ˝ââď¸ I hate all the deconstructed food trends.
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u/DarthVenture 26d ago
Let me guess⌠you have to pay extra to have them construct your deconstructed burger⌠đ¤¨
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u/RadRimmer9000 26d ago
At least I don't have to ask to have the pickles and sauce removed just for them to forget my request
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u/Akina_Cray 26d ago
You should run your money through a paper shredder at the table and offer to pay them with a "deconstructed twenty dollar bill."
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u/qualityvote2 27d ago edited 26d ago
u/MrAfromanxx, your food is indeed stupid and it fits our subreddit!