Peanut butter and jelly - or PB&J - are ingredients that when put together conjure up a magical sense of nostalgia. Whether they came together in the form of a mushed up lunchbox sandwich, or a quick carefree afternoon snack, most of us would have come face to face with this unlikely duo at some stage during our childhoods.
But putting these ingredients into a burger in this day and age is what we can only define as a sort of mad genius; a idea that’s so wrong it’s right; a voice inside the head singing: ‘that sounds disgusting but I still want to try it’.
So try it we did. The latest addition to Charlie’s burger menu, falling under their ‘specialty burger’ category, is the Peanut Butter & Jealousy (45RMB) (alongside a David the Goliath (75RMB), double-most-ingredients burger, and The Billy 2.0 (45RMB), a sort of Hawaiian mash up which includes spam, egg and bonito flakes).
Before biting into the Peanut Butter & Jealousy, there’s a moment of mouth-watering anticipation, where your taste buds consider the potential consequences of what you’re about to shove in your mouth. The hit of jelly is immediate, with a generous sticky coating covering the bacon strips and finding happiness within the union. The peanut butter clings to the spiced pork patty, creating a sort of satay skewer vibe. Together the flavours all meld to a sweet-savoury mash up that leaves us sated in all kinds of ways. It’s amazing.
Thankfully the burger is on the small side so there’s no opportunity for the novelty to wear off. That said, we're sort of left wanting another. Immediately. If you’re a PB&J fan from way back, sink your teeth into this brilliant combination while it’s still on the menu.
Charlie’s is at 91 Changshu Lu, near Changle Lu, Jingan district.