Station Eats' Korean Burger & Cookie Shake

That’s correct…the name of Filling Station in New Canaan is transitioning to Station Eats as it expands into other towns in Fairfield County. And as this column mentioned last month, the new flavor concept for this month’s Special Burger and Shake is Southeast Asia with the Station Eats’ Korean Burger. To complement the Korean Burger, this month’s Special Shake is an All-American Loopie Doop Chocolate Chip Cookie Shake. 

I recommend the Korean Burger; I really enjoyed the bold flavors of the sauces. And this month’s special hamburger is all about the sauces. The first sauce is an interpretation of the traditional Korean hot sauce Gochujang, which is a staple in the traditional Korean dish, Bibimbap. Station Eats first dilutes the hot pepper sauce with a little water, then adds some sesame oil and granulated sugar to create a sweet and spicy sauce. Sitting atop the Gochujang are juliennes of pickled carrots and cucumbers. The second sauce is a Sriracha mayonnaise which adds additional spiciness from its chili peppers and vinegar to the hamburger. I first tasted the Gochujang to assure myself that the level of spice was fine and I was glad it was not that spicy. The vegetables added a nice crunch to the hamburger and the Sriracha mayonnaise contributed a nice level of creaminess. The Korean Burger is delicious and is both the boldest-flavored Special hamburger and the messiest; additional napkins are a must. Overall, I recommend this month’s special Korean Burger.

The Loopie Doop Chocolate Chip Cookie Shake was not to my liking but I think that children might enjoy. The shake combines the Station Eats’ shake with a Cookie Dough concentrate, plus crumbled Loopie Doop Chocolate Chip Cookies. The shake begins with a sweetened base, then adds a sweetened cookie dough concentrate and then increases the sweetness with the various chips from the cookies. It was just too sweet for me and the crumbled cookie bits immediately sank to the bottom of the glass; children might enjoy using a spoon to create a milk and cookie sensation. I think that a sweet drink is perfect complement to the Korean Burger but I would probably enjoy a vanilla or chocolate shake more than this month’s Special shake. 

Station Eats’ September Special Korean Burger delivers a delicious and flavorful Southeast Asian interpretation with the addition of Gochujang and the Sriracha sauces and I recommend this as an excellent introduction to the deep flavors of that part of the world.