AlwaysInvestigating: Kurve’s Wagyu Burger

The Hungry Goat — April 30, 2009

One thing’s for certain, you would never accuse Kurve of being predictable. From the beginning, chef/owner Andy Yang had us all on our toes with his restaurant’s peekaboo open-shutter-reopen debut. Since its “official” September launch, the perennially plagued establishment has become just as notorious for being chronically empty as for its difficult-to-categorize, Asian fare—the eclectic, disjointed menu even left the great Bruni scratching his head. A recent discovery had us feeling the same way. What could be more unpredictable than a seriously great burger made by a “contemporary” Thai restaurant with a Eurotrash dance-club aesthetic?

Located under the “Land” section of the menu, Kurve’s Basil-Rubbed Wagyu Beef Burger ($17), confidently rubs elbows with many of the city’s heavyweight burger barons. It’s served on a buttery, top-heavy brioche bun, with shiitake mushrooms and your choice of American or Swiss cheese. In typical Kurve fashion, the accoutrements are incidental: the “basil rub” doesn’t announce itself unless you bite into one of the few sautéed leaves, the meaty mushrooms are a well-conceived complement but need a thicker cut, and the yucca fries are hit-or-miss. It’s the quality and flavor of the beef that impresses. Perfectly medium-rare, the burger is exquisitely tender and juicy—you feel like you’re eating a great steak, but in burger form. And Kurve’s ‘special sauce,’ a satay-esque spicy mayo is truly delicious. In the immortal words of Jules Winnfield, Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction, “Mmm-hmmm. This is a tasty burger.”

Most East Village residents probably pass Kurve with nary a second thought besides wondering, “how-in-the-hell does the staff manage to stay awake during service?” But between the burger, a weekday happy hour that lasts until 9 p.m., and their on-trend Steamed Pork Buns ($7)—two large doughy buns stuffed with sweet-savory-sauced meat and crisp pickled young cabbage—Kurve makes a compelling case for a quick bite. Of course, if you’re too prideful to be judged by passersby for being one of the three customers in the place, you can always get delivery, we’ve heard the burger holds up pretty well.