Apparently, in the three months I haven’t been to Half Pound, the management has changed, and with it, the menu. The signature Half Pound Burger is still there, but with a few changes.

The pickled daikon that worked wonders before has been dumped for a pineapple ring. The pineapple ring, unfortunately, wasn’t grilled and as such, the sweetness within was relatively non-existent. It did add a bit of bite and crunch to the burger, but it wasn’t as clean and crunchy as the daikon before.

Unfortunately, the one thing they failed to change was one of the original hang ups I had with the old recipe: they threw raw onions into the burger instead of sautéing the onions till they were charmingly caramelized before slapping it onto the burger. All burger joints please take note: don’t just pound your meat, sauté your onions before putting it on your burger, for the love of Christ.

The beetroot slaw, however, was a genius addition to the burger, as it’s crunchy texture was worthy of replacing its daikon predecessor, and the sharpness of the beet brought a zest and additional dimension to the savory burger that was a pleasant surprise.

The charcoal buns are a purely cosmetic change, as they neither added nor subtracted from the overall flavor of the burger. As for the rest of the burger, it’s pretty much stayed the same. The juicy half pound ground beef patty is still the same one I enjoyed pounding away at previously, and the candied bacon strips are still gloriously indulgent.

The butter sauce did seem a touch less rich than previously, but it still serves to add a rich, velvety texture to the whole burger. More importantly, it lubricates the burger excellently for the frenetic pounding that is to come.

This was a hosted Eatup, courtesy of Half Pound Burger Bar & Grill, and Burpple!