If, like us, the idea of a new single-product restaurant dedicated to smash burgers has you fearing the worst, and especially the reconversion of a boss with little knowledge of real cuisine but well-informed about the latest money-making trends - after the poke bowl, why not the smash burger; then rest assured right now.
Specimen founderBenoit Heraud knows what he's talking about. Just take a look at the film on his iPhone, filled with dozens of photos of his own burgers made for himself and his lucky friends, to realize that he is indeed an unconditional fan of the burger, and particularly the smash burger.
Trained at a prestigious Swiss hotel school, Benoit initially turned to mixology, opening Le Persifleur - now closed - a cocktail bar on the Butte Montmartre in the mid-2010s. But the call of his first love, burgers, was too strong for this ayatollah of plump bread and carefully-cooked meat, who decided, during confinement, to open his own burger restaurant, taking a long time to perfect his own version of a burger tasted in Los Angeles: the famous smash burger.
A burger star in Paris for some years now, it can be found both on the menu of dedicated stalls and at the counter of restaurants with more traditional burgers, but which have given in to the song of the smash, now widely acclaimed by street-food fans.
At Specimen, Benoit Heraud is determined to return to the very essence of the smash burger. Gone are the unnecessary additions and toppings to make it look pretty, and here it's the real US recipe that expresses itself, with quality meat crushed as finely as possible on a plancha to obtain meat that is crispy at the ends and caramelized by the brisk cooking of its own juices - the Maillard reaction. On the meat side, Specimen is a blend of three beef parts, properly matured and sourced from carefully selected producers.
Behind its plastic curtain, worthy of a butcher's backyard, which we pull aside in curiosity, we discover a minimalist room with 70's touches - armchairs from an old New York restaurant from those years, custom-made from Eames chairs, orange lighting fixtures and a retro-design illuminated menu where we discover a concise menu: a doublecheese smash burger (€12.90) for meat eaters, a smash burger for vegetarians (€12.90) with a large breaded and fried portobello mushroom as meat, and crispy, spice-seasoned fries, to be dipped as desired in a rather spicy homemade ketchup or a secret sauce reminiscent of the famous Big Mac sauce.
So, what's Specimen's smash burger worth? Well, we enjoyed it. The potato bun was as moist and smooth as a baby's cheek; the meat, smashed to perfection, crispy, caramelized, topped very generously with melted cheddar, a little sauce and garnished with a few pieces of lettuce for freshness and crunch. Size-wise, we couldn't have gobbled up a second one, but each to his own.
For those with big appetites, it's possible to finish the meal with a peanut butter milkshake. And for those who want to remember Le Persifleur's best years, Benoit has created a cocktail creation that changes several times a year, but always remains frozen, whether it's a frozen Bloody Mary, a frozen Margarita or a frozen Mezcal, the House's flagship spirit, which can be purchased in bottles on site at a range of prices.
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.
Location
Specimen
3 Rue Guisarde
75006 Paris 6
Prices
Frozen cocktail: €8
Smash burgers: €12.9
Official website
specimenburger.com
