Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, April 27th, 2024 at noon (DK’s pick).
Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, DK, Wayne, and me (Innie).
Guest starring: Lucy and Chris, dynamic duo
I. Ordering
Amboy has a straightforward but extensive menu. They offer 5 different styles of burger (Amboy, Fancy, Steak House, Chili Cheese, and Truffle), which can be paired with several options of patty (single or double Classic Smashed, single or double Slim Thicc, and the DH). Even without considering the optional add-on toppings, that’s already 25 different burger variations!
Angela and Trev shared an Amboy (Amboy burger sauce, American cheese, caramelized onions, sliced pickles in a toasted sesame seed bun) with double Slim Thicc patties and bacon add-on, and a side of truffle fries.
Wayne and I both ordered an Amboy with double Classic Smashed patties, and a side of regular fries.
DK ordered a Steak House (Amboy steak sauce, American cheese, diced raw onions, sliced pickles in a toasted sesame seed bun) with double Classic Smashed patties with an add-on of pepperoncini, and a side of garlic fries.
II. The Burger
Let me just preface by saying, there’s lots to unpack in this burger, in all the best possible ways. This is probably one of the most praiseworthy burgers we’ve had in a while.
First off, the patties. They really live up to the “Quality Meats” moniker of the restaurant. The patties all had a great beefy flavor, and were consistently juicy and well seared between all of our orders. Angela and Trev were able to order their burger medium rare since they had “Slim Thicc” patties, while the rest of us had the classic smashed patties. They also opted to add on a topping of bacon, which ended up being a very good decision. The bacon add-on is a super thick, tender slab of pork belly, far beyond what we normally picture when considering the term “bacon”. It wasn’t crunchy, but neither was it chewy. (Our unnamed chewy-bacon lobbyist briefly attempted to claim the adjective for this bacon.) Trev described it to be as tender as a well-smoked brisket. We thought this was a secret menu item at first since we couldn’t remember it being on the posted menu, but upon closer inspection, it’s listed under the optional “add-ons”. For the price of $5, this bacon is well worth every porcine penny.
Another home run was the toasted sesame seed buns. These buns were A+ grade, and it is the humble opinion of this crew that the name of the restaurant be updated to Quality Meats and Buns. Aggressively covered in sesame seeds on BOTH top AND bottom buns, these buns were impressively toasted and had an amazing soft and chewy bite. We’ve become accustomed to the squishy, soft, (sometimes dry) brioche buns that seem ubiquitous to many burger places. While those are usually fine (if rather nondescript), these sesame buns were almost as much of a star of the show as the patties… which is saying a lot! (Note: According to the description in the Westfield Topanga Amboy location, these buns are sourced locally from Breadbar.)
The other components of the burgers were equally satisfying. The pickles were generously well dispersed, and to our great appreciation, were situated on top of the bottom bun. The American cheese was as gooey and melty as expected, and played well with the burger sauce and caramelized onions.
The steak sauce in DK’s burger was more savory and spicy than sweet. He saw specks of chili flakes which accounted for the bit of heat he tasted.
III. The Sides
Some otherwise great burger places serve up some rather unimpressive fries. (I’m looking at you, In-N-Out. I may try to placate myself by ordering them done medium well, but we both know we’re not fooling anyone into thinking those are good fries.)
We’re happy to report that these fries were solidly good fries. Crunchy and crispy outsides, fluffy insides, nicely seasoned, and stayed tasty even when they cooled down. The plain fries, served with a side of ketchup, were properly salted and had a great texture. The truffle fries, served with a truffle dip, were deemed “not too truffle-y” by Trev, since he could actually taste the fries and not just an overpowering flavor of mushroom. The garlic fries were covered in a garlic aioli sauce, with little bits of garlic. The portions were also generous for the price, particularly for LA.
IV. Miscellaneous
Amboy was opened in 2020 and is located in the Far East Plaza in Chinatown, in Chego’s old spot. Orders are made at the counter, and there is limited indoor and outdoor seating. Service was very good – we were checked up on a couple of times after receiving our food, which is unexpected for this type of casual service restaurant. Drinks are available in cans and there is no complementary tap water, so bring your own if you’re thrifty but enjoy being hydrated. They also seem to be environmentally conscious, as everything is served in paper products and they have recycling bins available.
Their menu also includes several different melts and hotdogs, as well as a mysteriously advertised option called a “Chester”.
I didn’t know this until researching for this review, but amboy is a term for a Filipino raised in America. Per his cookbook bio, Alvin Cailan (the chef behind Amboy) grew up in East LA feeling not American enough to be an American but not Filipino enough to be Filipino, thus identifying with the term amboy.
V. Value
The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers. These were the ratings and value given by the crew:
Me: 4.8, $16
Wayne: 4.5, $10
Angela: 4.7, $16
DK. 4.8, $17.50
Trev: 4.8, $18
VI. Verdict
I think it’s safe to say that we can recommend Amboy for a great meal of burgers and fries. Everything we tried seemed to be very thoughtfully considered and executed, and we all left satisfied and happy.
A visit was long overdue, so kudos to DK for making it an official Burger Crew choice!
Next Burger Crew meeting is scheduled for Sunday, 5/5 at Ban Ban Burgers.