Shrimp Burger

The shrimp burger is a sandwich built around a patty of minced or whole shrimp, typically breaded and deep-fried, and served on a bun with lettuce, tartar sauce, or a sweet-chili dressing. While the modern shrimp burger is often associated with fast-food chains in East Asia, its roots trace back to coastal communities in the American South, where cooks would form leftover shrimp into cakes and serve them on bread.

A great shrimp burger achieves a crisp, golden crust that shatters on first bite, giving way to a moist, bouncy interior where the shrimp flavor remains clean and sweet rather than fishy. The patty should be coarse enough to retain texture—never a pasty, over-processed slurry. The bun must be soft but sturdy, and the sauce should cut through the fry with acidity or heat.

In Seoul, the shrimp burger has become a staple of local fast-food culture. **UFO Burger** offers a version praised by Pratt for its "crunchy, juicy patty" and house-made sauce that balances creaminess with a kick of gochugaru. **Mom's Touch**, a major Korean chain, serves a more classic iteration—a rectangular, crumb-coated patty with shredded cabbage and a tangy mayo—that Pratt calls "the gold standard for a quick, satisfying lunch." Regional variations also appear in Japan, where the *ebi burger* often includes a whole-tiger-shrimp patty and a drizzle of tonkatsu sauce, and in coastal U.S. states, where versions lean on remoulade and brioche.