Linda Falkenstein
The roujiamo from Chin Up.
For some unfathomable reason, roujiamo (sometimes spelled “rougamo”) is almost always referred to as “the Chinese hamburger.” This is a misleading nickname, as roujiamo is nothing like an American hamburger, or anything else, for that matter. It is a Chinese street food sandwich in a bun — I will agree to that. The filling is most often a long-stewed pork; at Chin Up, 461 W. Gilman St., it’s a fatty, super rich pork belly, brightened with flecks of jalapeno and fresh cilantro, with a hint of five spice powder. It’s piled inside a substantial bun that’s something like an English muffin, or even focaccia, with a less open crumb.
While this is, no question, the greasiest sandwich I have ever eaten, it is delicious. The bland bun counteracts some of the richness, and doesn’t get in the way of the play of the jalapeno heat, the sweet cilantro and the indulgent pork. It’s listed as an appetizer, so maybe splitting one three or four ways is an option to stem the gluttony.
Chin Up also may prove to be an option for folks missing the jianbing (Chinese breakfast crepes) from the old Black Walnut Cafe. Here they’re filled with crispy wonton strips, hoisin sauce and sausage.
You can be forgiven if you haven’t noticed Chin Up, the latest of many restaurants to have inhabited this storefront near the corner of Gilman and University over the years (most recently Ramen Kid). Chin Up has few (no?) pretensions — it’s even, subjectively, a hole in the wall. The man at the counter seemed a bit amused when I ordered the roujiamo. “Oh, Chinese hamburger,” he nodded.
