This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Plan Check's "ketchup leather," developed by chef Ernesto Uchimura, gets the kind of attention that most novelty foods strive for. Sure, it looks like a Fruit Roll-Up was put in your burger, but don't write it off as a gimmick.
Plan Check's director of culinary operations Sean Yontz took us behind the scenes at their Fairfax location to show us how it's made, and he says that there's a practical reason for the ketchup leather's existence: it prevents the bun from getting soggy. So, while all those other loser burgers are drowning in a watery pool of Heinz, the Plan Check burger (the "PCB") stays neat and dry—that is, until you take a bite and all the juices percolate and leave your hands in an greasy mess (which is a good thing).
Practicality aside, the ketchup does exactly what it should do. It adds a brighter tint to the baroque richness of the cheese and ground beef. And with the water in the ketchup evaporated (the sauce is dehydrated in an oven) we get a more potent kick of the prickly sourness. Paired with a juicy patty, melted dashi cheese, and a carefully toasted bun, the ketchup leather conspires for a burger that abounds with sharper flavors.
