Legendary Cheeseburger
The burger that made Nowon: a double smash burger with roasted kimchi, a kimchi special sauce that takes two weeks to make, pickles, onion and American cheese. Rich, tangy and a little spicy, a Big Mac reimagined through Korean flavours.
The story
Jae Lee has said the burger is a tribute to his first taste of McDonald’s after moving from Seoul to New York as a child: “I remember eating a Big Mac and falling in love.” He first served kimchi burgers at a 2019 pop-up in an East Village bar, and the Legendary became the signature of the restaurant that followed; in 2026 it helped Nowon into the world’s top fifteen burgers.
What’s inside
- two smashed beef patties
- roasted kimchi
- kimchi special sauce
- pickles
- onion
- American cheese
- bun
Make it at home
There is no copycat of the Legendary Cheeseburger yet. Until there is, these recipes on the site come closest to it, judged by what goes into the bun.
- Shares beef and cheese
Burger Sliders - Shares beef and cheese
TOP 2McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese (Copycat) - Shares beef and cheese
Big Mac Taco - Shares beef and cheese
Big Mac Hot Dog
Variations
The Legendary Cheeseburger, taken somewhere it was never meant to go.Similar burgers at other chains
Built around the same things as the Legendary Cheeseburger.- Harlem Shake · beef, a special sauce and cheese
SignatureHarlem Classic - Jack's · beef, a special sauce and cheese
Cheeseburger - Carl's Jr. · beef, a special sauce and cheese
SignatureFamous Star with Cheese - Burger Lounge · beef, a special sauce and cheese
SignatureLounge Burger
More from Nowon
About Nowon
Jae Lee moved from Seoul to New York at the age of eight, and he named his restaurant after Nowon, his home district in the Korean capital. It began in 2019 as a pop-up called Him, Korean for “strength”, in the kitchen of an East Village biker bar, serving Korean-flavoured American classics such as kimchi burgers and honey-butter tater tots. The first Nowon restaurant opened in the East Village the same year.
Restaurants in New York’s East Village, Bushwick in Brooklyn, and Boston’s Seaport.
Not affiliated with Nowon. Trademarks belong to their owners. The photo shows my home version, not the restaurant’s product.