Formerly Pig Pen Delicacy, the hotspot for all things pork, Ground House recently redesigned its stall at the Irvine food hall TRADE into a burger-driven concept built around its mantra of taking American comfort food to the next level. All of Ground House’s burger creations are pretty spectacular, but we recommend starting with the Pinoy Burger.
The ultra-thick patty is a blend of spiced longanisa and angus, topped with gooey American singles and leafy greens. It all comes together with caramelized onions and banana Island aioli—Filipino banana ketchup (think Jufran, banana sauce, born out of a shortage of tomato ketchup and an abundance of bananas in the Philippines during World World II) à la Thousand Island dressing. This symphony of flavors goes from savory to salty to sweet with each bite.
Ground House, 2222 Michelson Dr., Irvine; pigpendelicacy.com.
Cynthia Rebolledo covers anything and everything food, culture and spirits.