Umami Burger

Adam Fleischman was an aspiring screenwriter running a wine bar when, eating a double cheeseburger at In-N-Out, he started wondering how far the savoury taste of umami could push a burger. In 2009 he spent a month blending seaweed, miso, fish sauce, soy, cheese and dried fish in his kitchen, then opened the first Umami Burger on South La Brea Avenue with $40,000.

The burgers were seasoned with a house sauce and a powder of dried porcini and fish, topped with things like roasted tomatoes and parmesan crisps, and priced well above fast food. GQ named it Burger of the Year in 2010, and the chain spread to San Francisco, New York, Miami and Tokyo before shrinking sharply in the 2020s.

Once more than 25 restaurants in the US and Japan. Much smaller now, with branches in Los Angeles, food halls and abroad.