"It was important to me to do things out of conviction and not because they are trendy. Consistency, quality and authenticity win out in the end."

What's Beef is more than just a burger joint. For twelve years, the Düsseldorf pattie paradise has been blurring the boundaries between gastronomy and art: as a red-tiled homage to street food and the spirit of New York, hip-hop culture and urban art. At the "Chefs in Town" gastro event, What's Beef founder Selim Varol remains true to his vision and celebrates the butter burger - together with guest chef Max Strohe from Berlin and Offenbach artist Stefan Strumbel. In this interview, Selim reveals why a burger is more than the sum of its ingredients for him and how even burger paper becomes a limited edition art object in his burger store.

Selim, you're dedicating an entire Saturday evening to the butter burger at "Chefs in Town" on September 28 and have Max Strohe, chef and co-owner of the Berlin restaurant Tulus Lotrek, as your guest. What can we expect at the event?
We are celebrating the butter burger - for me, the best burger ever. The quality of a burger depends on exactly two ingredients: the meat and the bread. You can only taste true quality when the meat is pure and the bun is fresh. If butter is added as a flavor carrier, I personally don't need sauce, onions, tomatoes or lettuce. But everyone has their own interpretation. Max Strohe brings his version with American cheese, confit onions and an extra portion of smoked raw milk butter from Bordier to Düsseldorf. The Butter Burger will be available in a limited edition of 200 pieces. First come, first serve.

You serve the butter burger in a piece of paper designed by artist Stefan Strumbel. How did this combination of culinary art and art come about?
We wanted to combine culinary art and visual art for our Butter Burger event. As an art fan and collector, I have a strong connection with Stefan Strumbel. He deals with the theme of home in his work and immediately thought of Beuys and the grease stain when he thought of Düsseldorf and butter burgers. The burger inevitably ends up on the paper. We have the paper specially printed in Düsseldorf. Stefan Strumbel's artwork for "Chefs in Town" is only available together with the limited edition burger, each one numbered and signed.

What emotional connection do you personally have to burgers?
Burgers are a cultural asset. I traveled the world for many years and tried burgers everywhere. Back then, there were no really good burgers anywhere in Düsseldorf, so I had to make them myself. I'm an 'americanophile' and a passionate collector of art. Combining street art with street food was just perfect. But I don't just want to sell burgers, I want to take a short trip to New York. At What's Beef, the menu is in English, old-school hip hop is playing and you can experience American burger tradition without having to fly to the USA.

From the Smash Burger to the vegan Captain Future: what makes your burgers special?
We have been baking the buns ourselves in our in-house bakery for twelve years. The meat is also freshly ground on site. In general, we should eat less meat, but when we do, it should be of high quality. And always ask ourselves: where does the meat come from? The name What's Beef also alludes to this - and is also a song by Notorious B.I.G. (US rapper and representative of East Coast hip-hop. He was shot and killed in Los Angeles in 1997. // Editor's note) As a restaurateur, I have a responsibility. I know every single one of my breeders from Naturverbund Niederrhein, every farmer, every butcher. There are now great meat alternatives like our Captain Future Burger with planted steak. We are also dedicating an event to this as a chili cheese version at "Chefs in Town": "Meatless Sunday" together with Düsseldorf chef Torsten Hülsmann.

When you opened What's Beef twelve years ago, you were a pioneer of burger culture in Düsseldorf. Did you think that burgers would become so established?
It was important to me to do things out of conviction and not because they were trendy. Consistency, quality and authenticity win out in the end - if you establish and live tradition properly. At What's Beef, everything is unified: the quality of the food and the composition of art, music, colors and materials. The store could have been around for 40 years and won't really look any older even in ten years' time. It gets patina and becomes even more beautiful. For me, that also means sustainability.

You have an impressive collection of designer toys and urban art. Is there a burger that is inspired by artists?
I think it's the other way around: What's Beef inspires artists to make burgers again and again. (Laughs.) But our real artists are the staff in our store. The ones who manage to serve perfect quality every day and juggle the processes. Like my partner and operations manager Ali, who runs the store.

Which burger best represents your personality?
We have had the "Selims ABC' Burger" on the menu since the beginning. I think the combination of avocado, bacon and cheese is incredibly tasty, although I now take a more critical view of avocados from a sustainability perspective. What is important for our DNA: our bacon is made from beef. I'm not strictly Muslim, but I don't eat pork out of habit.

If you had a culinary superpower, how would you use it to revolutionize the burger world?
I would abolish factory farming. If livestock farming, then in the traditional way - or not at all. If there was such a superpower, it would save our planet.

Where would you like to open another What's Beef burger store?
In New York, of course. I've been completely blown away by the city ever since I went there for the first time when I was 19. At What's Beef, we welcome a lot of tourists. When Americans come to us, they celebrate it and ask at the same time: 'Why isn't this place in the USA? After all, burgers were an imported product in the USA when German immigrants started selling meatballs between two slices of toast. It would be fantastic to re-import burgers back into the USA, so to speak.

Which burger goes best with Altbier?
Every single burger goes perfectly with every type of beer. I make no distinction between Alt or Pilsner. Beer is beer. And a person is a person.

What does Düsseldorf mean to you personally? Is it home?
I have lived in Düsseldorf for 27 years. Since I started a family, I've arrived. Culturally, Düsseldorf is way ahead, blessed with great museums, collections and galleries. Culinary-wise, there's a lot going on. Düsseldorf has the potential to become the gastronomic hotspot in NRW. Eating together has always been the origin of human interaction, of coming together, also between cultures. This connection between people must be encouraged and celebrated. Gastronomy can take a city a long way forward - with new chefs, a breath of fresh air and cultural exchange. That's why I'm looking forward to "Chefs in Town". I would like to see even more good people coming to Düsseldorf to celebrate good gastronomy.

When I want something other than burgers. Where do you like to eat in Düsseldorf?
Bar Olio is my favorite restaurant and a culture in itself. I love the mix of French and Italian cuisine. A new discovery is Luciano's Pizzeria in Spichernstraße - a perfect Neapolitan pizza. But I also like to eat spicy chicken or Japanese. This variety is what makes Düsseldorf so special.

What other places in Düsseldorf do you like to visit?
When the new Kunstpalast opened, it was as if a UFO had landed in Düsseldorf. Insanely great. The atmosphere reminds me of the MET in New York. But I also like visiting the Hombroich Museum Island and appreciate the variety of galleries. Honoring and promoting artists and sharing their energy is something I wouldn't want to miss in Düsseldorf. I also appreciate the funfair on the Rhine, the festivals and now, of course, "Chefs in Town" and Rolling Pin.

whatsbeef.de

Information

The "Chefs in Town" event took place from September 27 to 29, and a veritable gourmet invasion descended on Düsseldorf. Tim Raue served his interpretation of a Berlin currywurst at Schwan am Burgplatz, Yannick Noack invited guests to the Rheinische Küchenparty at Agata's and Björn Freitag cooked for fiftyfifty and Housing first.
At The Court, Philipp Lange served a vegetarian six-hands menu together with Nils Henkel and Kevin Bürmann. We visited Philipp Lange for you and Mike Litt interviewed him for our podcast "Alle Rhein!".
Did you miss "Chefs in Town"? Then look forward to the 2025 edition!

chefsintown.com

Text: Karolina Landowski
Photos: Markus Luigs