The Impossible Burger Has Enough Umami For Umami Burger

The 100% plant-based Impossible Burger has joined forces with LA's famed Umami Burger to share the meaty meatless burger with the masses of Southern California.

The burger chain will serve the vegan patty at nine L.A. County locations: Santa Monica, Broadway, Arts District, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Pasadena and Thousand Oaks. The Impossible Burger won't be dressed to the nines like some of Umami Burger's other sandwiches — no truffled arugula beer cheese here. Just two patties, caramelized onions, American cheese, miso-mustard, house spread, dill pickles, lettuce and tomatoes.

Back in October, Food Republic contributor Mary Ladd wrote that a key ingredient in the Impossible patty gives off the familiar beefy taste carnivores are used to and crave: heme. According to NPR, heme is a molecule that contains iron and carries oxygen in the blood. It's what gives meat that slightly metallic taste, and colors our blood red.

The Impossible Burger first made its West Coast debut last October at Jardiniere (San Francisco), Cockscomb (San Francisco) and Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles) . Before that, it made an appearance at David Chang's Momofuku Nishi in New York City. Ready to take the plunge?