A Burger Is Born
Marked 5 offers a unique spin on an American favorite
Angelenos love two things--burgers and street food--so it was only a matter of time before someone combined the two. Enter Marked 5 and its rice-bun burgers.
This is no In-N-Out: Inspired by Japanese fast-food chains, the Marked 5 burger puts a new twist on the all-American staple, and it starts with the bun. The thin, square patties are hand-formed out of sticky long-grain rice (think: sushi rice without the vinegary sweetness) and crisped on a flat-top grill. They make a surprisingly sturdy vehicle for fried or grilled meats and fresh vegetables.
The tangy house special sauce called torraku, or "truck" sauce--what tastes like a mixture of teriyaki, barbecue and sriracha sauces--smothers almost all of the sandwiches. It adds a flavorful zing to the panko-fried katsu pork ($5), and makes a delicious umami marinade for the juicy Angus beef burger ($5) and the grilled tofu steak ($5). Only the katsu chicken ($5) is different; it comes doused in a mild yellow curry sauce.
You'll find Marked 5, with its sizable supply of Pocky and brightly colored Japanese sodas, anywhere a lunch or late-night crowd congregates, from Abbot Kinney to Eagle Rock (follow along on Twitter, of course).
