When opening Fault Burger in Seoul’s Sinsa-dong this May, Yoon Seong-ho, CEO of the burger joint’s parent company, asked, “Does a burger have to only be like this?”

Looking to think outside the traditional burger box, Yoon turned to the tennis court for inspiration and appropriated the term “fault,” which refers to a situation where a served ball misses the designated area of the court, for his latest enterprise.

“We wanted to break away from any set concept of how a burger should be and create a brand that provides fresh flavors and vibes,” Yoon, 50, explained in an email interview how he wanted to step outside the proverbial court. 

To do so, the creativity of the team at the Italian restaurant Coemo, Fault Burger’s sister establishment, was enlisted to develop the menu.

“All the ingredients and recipes for Fault Burger were created by the chefs at Coemo,” said Yoon.

“We didn’t want to deviate too much from the American-style hamburger, but focused on making small changes,” said Coemo and Fault Burger chef Lee Jung-chul, 33.

Ketchup was swapped out for a romesco-inspired sauce, cucumber pickles were swapped out for jalapeno pickles, explained Lee, and charred chives were added to the mix. 

Also, instead of sticking solely to meat-based burgers, Fault Burger ventured into the realm of the plant-based burger with an ovo-lacto vegetarian-friendly variation called the “no meat” burger.

The “no meat” burger does feature eggs and dairy but no other meat products, said Lee, who explained how he and his team started with a broccoli and potato patty before adding in chickpeas to create their ideal patty.

The light nuttiness of the spiced patty crafted from chickpeas, potatoes and broccoli is elevated by the umami play of charred chives and balsamic vinaigrette, while pickled jalapenos provide fiery pops of crunch.

Melted cheese and the cushiony butter-rich, egg-rich brioche bun add a layer of unctuous decadence to the “no meat” burger while the paprika-based romesco-sauce provides an extra punch of flavor. 

Fault Burger also whips out a juicy, rib-sticking chicken variation, featuring that same bouffant brioche bun swaddled around a massive, succulent hunk of chicken thigh dredged in a buttermilk-based batter and fried to a shaggy crispness.

The remaining line-up of seven burgers are crafted with 140 gram patties of beef that are ground daily and topped with everything from homemade bacon to pulled pork.

All burgers can be ordered as take-out via their automated machine or delivered within a two kilometer-radius from the store via Baedal Minjok (Baemin) and Yogiyo. 

Fault Burger
1F, 648-23 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
(0507) 1376-7110
Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Burgers cost 7,800 won to 11,800 won, sides cost 3,900 won to 6,900 won

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)