Bouchees Bistro515 Long Beach Blvd.
Long Beach
562-951-8222
Gourmet burgers!!! I'm a pretty simple guy. Give me a good burger that's fresh and tastes good. I don't need a lot of fancy stuff. But Bouchees Bistro does gourmet burgers well. You can tip your own toppings or you can get a predesigned burger.
The first picture if the ahi tuna burger, $10, lemon caper aioli, lettuce and tomato. The ahi tuna is grounded and cooked rare. It was OK but not as fresh as I hoped. The topping were fresh and tasty. I had high hopes for this burger but wasn't impressed.
So I got their happy hour trio. From 4-7 they have a happy hour mini trio, for $9.
The first one is the american beef burger with cheddar cheese : angus sirloin beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, ketchup. This was very good and fresh. I thought the meat was among the most flavorful and moist, I've had. This isn't your McDonald's angus burgers.
The second was the turkey and shiitake mushroom : tenderloin, roma tomato, red onion, peppercorn dijonnaise. I thought this was a bit salty. But overall I liked it. It had a nice spiciness and the turkey was flavorful. I think next time I will say no mushroom.
The third mini burger was the ahi tuna and avocado burger: ground ahi, sliced avocado, baby lettuce leaves, tomato, spicy chili garlic sauce. Again the ahi wasn't as fresh as I would have hoped. This was more spicy than the ahi burger I had, due to the chili garlic sauce. But a decent burger.
My favorite burger is the applewood bacon, chipotle cheeseburger: sirloin beef, $11, pepperjack cheese, caramelized onion, smoked jalapeno sauce. Next time I go, I will get the regular sized burger. This had an amazing combination of flavors that just worked well. The smoked spiciness of the jalapeno with the smoked bacon and pepperjack cheese. Just wonderful!!!
Service was very good. I wasn't lacking for anything. Though when I called to make reservations I talked to somebody who is very confused. How can somebody who grew up on the Southside of Chicago be a fan of the NSLL? Southside is SOXSIDE!!!!!!!!!!
I would go back to Bouchees Bistro anytime.
Update November 4th.
I went back to Bouchees and had the full sized applewood bacon cheeseburger, $11. As with the mini version this was great. A great burger. Juicy and flavorful. I was a bit worried that maybe with a bigger piece of meat it would be a bit dry. But cooked perfectly. What a treat.
Another treat was the mac and cheese. Ok I'm not a fan of mac and cheese made with anything other than regular macaroni. But Bouchees used shell pasta but the cheese was so creamy and flavorful, that it didn't mattter. What a treat. Maybe a bit pricey for the amount you get.
I would go back to Bouchees anytime. The place to go for a gourmet burger in Long Beach.
