The Las Vegas Chinatown Restaurant Fusing American Classics With Asian Flavor

Amidst a sea of exceptional dining in Las Vegas' Chinatown (which sits west of the Strip and is centered around the Spring Mountain Corridor), Fukuburger remains a culinary beacon offering compelling American-Asian fusion cooking. With beef patties front and center — and Japanese-inspired flavors to boot — the restaurant blurs culinary lines into a delicious handheld feast. The brainchild of Colin Fukunaga, Fukuburger began as a food truck. Call it luck or the right timing, but Fukuburger fortuitously arrived at a moment when there was little competition in the city, making the concept stand out. Through social media and, of course, exemplary recipes, Fukuburger became a buzzy Vegas fixture. After some false-start attempts at expansion, Fukunaga finally opened the doors to his Chinatown flagship — inside a former Taco Bell — in 2015.

The restaurant naturally gives its namesake sandwich top billing on the menu. A Fukuburger is a cheeseburger with several exciting twists, starting with a patty made from 80/20 ground beef that's marinated in a ponzu-like mixture made with soy sauce, garlic, sesame, and lemon pepper seasoning before it hits the griddle. Nestled between toasted buns and topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickled red onions, it's finished with funky condiments like wasabi mayo and mustardy Fuku sauce. Fans online say it's fresh, of exceptional quality, and offers a truly unique flavor. Now operating from two Sin City locations (the truck is still available for private catering), Fukuburger has grown from its humble vehicular beginnings into a true local favorite.

Fukuburger focuses on a short but sweet roster of hearty bites: six handcrafted burgers with a nice balance of toppings, two sides, and a couple of extras. This is a good sign, as one of the biggest restaurant menu red flags is an excessively long menu, which can make it hard to maintain quality. 

Aside from the Fukuburger, the Tamago — which translates to egg — is another fan favorite. The fried runny egg takes center stage here, paired with bold teriyaki sauce and crispy onion strings for some contrasting crunch. Bacon lovers will likely gravitate towards the Buta, featuring applewood-smoked bacon, pickled red ginger, and Japanese barbecue sauce, while the Kinoko's patty comes crowned with grilled mushrooms. And those who enjoy fried chicken sandwiches might want to scope out the panko-crusted chicken katsu dressed with shredded cabbage and drizzles of traditional katsu sauce and Fukuburger's crack sauce, the latter of which features a mayo base and modest sweet heat from Thai chili sauce. 

Fries are the only side and come sprinkled with peppery togarashi garlic salt or with an optional ladling of homemade gravy made from bacon drippings (turning them into "Jazz Fries"). That same gravy anchors the Fukumoco rice plate (featuring both a beef patty and a fried egg), which rounds out the menu alongside the Naga Dog, a snappy, spicy hot link sausage smothered in grilled kimchi, daikon relish, habanero eel sauce, and wasabi mayo. Clearly, when it comes to bold flavors, Fukuburger is the rare Las Vegas establishment that isn't a gamble.