Where Are The Best Hamburgers In Bkk?

[Mr_Dave]

After reading this thread for the last couple of weeks I was inspired to go out and do a bit of research!!

Thank you, wave -- I always respect a man who does his own research.

Went to the Big Mango ...[snip]... The music was awful, too loud and the usual Thai dance/techno..dissapointing. The service was fine but I didn't appreciate the repetitive screams every time a member of the staff potted a ball.

Thank you for the warning.

Just lost my appetite reading that.

I've been reading about the great burgers at Big Mango, but unless they offer delivery service, I won't be repeating your research.

The Dubliner Irish pub on Sukhumvit at the corner of Washington Square (opposite soi 33) has a wide selection of Burgers (amongst other things).

I'll offer another recommendation for the Dubliner: overall food and service is to a high standard.

The burger is tasty and substantial, but not exceptional.

However, after discovering Dubliner's superb fry-up platter, the burger has little attraction for me.

The Bulls Head pub on Sukhumvit soi 33/1 also has a burger on its menu. ...[snip]... a real homemade affair well textured meat with a slice of cheddar and sliced dill pickles with salad on the side. Again asked how we wanted it cooked. Big chips only no French fries. Bun was nice and had sesame seeds on it.

Then I'm on my way over to The Bull's Head.

Every time I've eaten there, food has been commendable and service good.

Somehow I neglected to notice the burgers on the menu, so thanks for this research report.

For readers who haven't visited The Bull's Head yet, upstairs gives more elbow room and is a bit quieter.

The Londoner on the corner of Sukhumvit soi 33. This was really awful. The burger was a factory made affair. About a quarter inch thick and fried rather than grilled, no flavour, terrible texture. Soggy tasteless bun, floppy anemic looking chips and tired salad. Expensive at 250bt. Cavernous basement bar. Ok Service, terrible presentation. Avoid!

.

My experience at The Londoner matches yours.

There is a saying in Thai: "krang-rehk, krang-tee-lay-oh".

There is an identical saying in English: "First time and last time."

That applies to my experience at The Londoner, as well.

How they stay in business, with those prices, is beyond me.

Great location, but, you can't eat location.

.

[OldAsiaHand]

Went to the Big Mango ...[snip]... The music was awful, too loud and the usual Thai dance/techno..dissapointing. The service was fine but I didn't appreciate the repetitive screams every time a member of the staff potted a ball.

Thank you for the warning.

Just lost my appetite reading that.

I've been reading about the great burgers at Big Mango, but unless they offer delivery service, I won't be repeating your research.

Then you'd be making a huge mistake.

The part of the Big Mango the poster is talking about is an upstairs floor, a place I've only been to hit the head. Downstairs on the main floor there is a very pleasant bar area and a huge, wrap-around balcony with a great view out over Nana Plaza.

Get a burger, sit out there to enjoy it, and soak up the endless vistas of what made Bangkok famous. No pool tables, no techno music (or any other kind). Just movies or sports on the big flat screen and pleasant company. You can't do better. Really.

[karazyal]

Every once in awhile I like to have some food from home and right now it is a good hamburger. I live in the Pratunam area and I have not found one place around here. I am looking for a big fat, juicy hamburger, with onions and pickles, mustard and ketchup, a slice of sharp cheddar cheese, and a toasted bun. Are you as hungry as I am?

Seriiously, if you know of any really good places please let me know.

Thanks,

bob

Any Burger King!

[RBWilson]

Every once in awhile I like to have some food from home and right now it is a good hamburger. I live in the Pratunam area and I have not found one place around here. I am looking for a big fat, juicy hamburger, with onions and pickles, mustard and ketchup, a slice of sharp cheddar cheese, and a toasted bun. Are you as hungry as I am?

Seriiously, if you know of any really good places please let me know.

Thanks,

bob

Any Burger King!

Not exactly in Pratunam, but Tee Sud is not far away and is my choice. (described earlier in this thread I believe). See: http://matrix.bangkokpost.co.th/entertainm...view.php?id=150

[percy2]

Went to the Big Mango a few nights back had the burger and fries and Beer Lao. The burger was nicely seasoned and well cooked. I found the fat content a little bit high for my liking, it all seeped into the bun which made it a bit soggy and greasy. French Fries were fine but I do prefer fat chips. Beer Lao was great though The bar is fine with good pool tables and great cues. The music was awful, too loud and the usual Thai dance/techno..dissapointing. The service was fine but I didn't appreciate the repetitive screams every time a member of the staff potted a ball.

Tried Bing Mango last night.

I would agree mainly with your comments.

The patty was great tasting , not sure the fat content was too high or the burger just needed to be left to stand a couple of minutes on a grill before going on the bun.

The buns are terrible mass produced things and unfortunately not toasted.

I would also prefer fat chips to french fries.

No pickle!

Beer Lao was great!

Music too lound. Probably to cover the music from other venues . It goes with the terroritory.

One of the girls was hel_l bent on "buy me cola" , the others were ok and friendly.

Another poster talked about the magnificent vistas from the balconys

All in all not a bad burger good be very good with a little fine tuning.

Quality of burger I would go

Woodstock

Dubliner

Big Mango

Though Big Mango wins hands down on value for money.

Cheers

[Simmo]

Not exactly in Pratunam, but Tee Sud is not far away and is my choice. (described earlier in this thread I believe). See: http://matrix.bangkokpost.co.th/entertainm...view.php?id=150

Yeah , I'll second that.

I live on that Soi and enjoy a burger there once a week or thereabouts . There's a good variety of plain burgers, cheesburger, bacon burger & some other varieties. Reasonably priced too (130-170b). Not the most enthusiastic staff and however and the atmosphere is a little lacking.

[OldAsiaHand]

Another poster talked about the magnificent vistas from the balconys

Uh....I was reaching for irony, but maybe that was lost in translation. Or maybe it was just a case of pearls before swine.

Okay, okay. Just kidding.

[Spaniel]

The Texxan Bar off soi 22 make a pretty good burger/fries.

[ronw]

Every once in awhile I like to have some food from home and right now it is a good hamburger. I live in the Pratunam area and I have not found one place around here. I am looking for a big fat, juicy hamburger, with onions and pickles, mustard and ketchup, a slice of sharp cheddar cheese, and a toasted bun. Are you as hungry as I am?

Seriiously, if you know of any really good places please let me know.

Thanks,

bob

Any Burger King!

I have been following this thread with mixed feelings......all that eulogising about what is essentially a pressed minced beef sandwich.The main reason it is minced is because it enables the seller to dispose of the old tough meat ,fat and gristle.Usually speaking, a burger and chips will provide a well balanced meal at a reasonable cost...............until it is tasted.

Now, a properly cooked steak is a far different proposition.

P.S. tomato ketchup should be called taste disguiser.....fit only for very young children,and those whose palate is severely underdeveloped.

[toptuan]

THe best hamburger I have ever eaten in thailand can be had from a small cart on soi nana close to the plaza. Its about 70 baht, throw a fried egg on it and your set.

An EGG?? Sacrilege! Must be an aussie or brit thing.

[Mr_Dave]

all that eulogising about what is essentially a pressed minced beef sandwich.The main reason it is minced is because it enables the seller to dispose of the old tough meat ,fat and gristle.

Thank you ronw, for that post.

Now I understand more.

I've been testing burgers around town for several years.

Big hotels, little restaurants, some bars.

The taste and quality of many seem to be moving in the same direction -- declining.

Not like a real burger, but "pressed, minced, beef".

Looks like a burger ... until the first bite.

Just last night, I went to sample a burger at Bourbon Street, in Washington Square near Suk 22.

The last one I had there, about a year ago, was not good.

A couple of years ago Bourbon Street made quite a decent burger.

Moist, juicy, somewhat rough shape -- not machine made, that's for sure.

And it had that peppery flavor that Bourbon Street adds to all their home-made dishes.

I don't much care for that flavor, but it was assurance that the burger was home-made at Bourbon Street.

But somewhere around a year or so ago, Bourbon Street changed to the same "pressed minced beef" that I've found at Larry's, and at Woodstock, and at many other places.

Sure, I'll go back to Bourbon Street, but I won't be ordering any more burgers there.

I still haven't sampled a burger at The Bull's Head in Suk 33/2, but it certainly is on my list.

.

[percy2]

all that eulogising about what is essentially a pressed minced beef sandwich.The main reason it is minced is because it enables the seller to dispose of the old tough meat ,fat and gristle.

Thank you ronw, for that post.

Now I understand more.

I've been testing burgers around town for several years.

Big hotels, little restaurants, some bars.

The taste and quality of many seem to be moving in the same direction -- declining.

Not like a real burger, but "pressed, minced, beef".

Looks like a burger ... until the first bite.

Just last night, I went to sample a burger at Bourbon Street, in Washington Square near Suk 22.

The last one I had there, about a year ago, was not good.

A couple of years ago Bourbon Street made quite a decent burger.

Moist, juicy, somewhat rough shape -- not machine made, that's for sure.

And it had that peppery flavor that Bourbon Street adds to all their home-made dishes.

I don't much care for that flavor, but it was assurance that the burger was home-made at Bourbon Street.

But somewhere around a year or so ago, Bourbon Street changed to the same "pressed minced beef" that I've found at Larry's, and at Woodstock, and at many other places.

Sure, I'll go back to Bourbon Street, but I won't be ordering any more burgers there.

I still haven't sampled a burger at The Bull's Head in Suk 33/2, but it certainly is on my list.

.

Anybody tried Roadhouse yet?

Corner of Suriwong and Rama 4.

Went for the ribs tonight but will be back to try the burger.

[somchai jones]

Looking for burgers in Thailand?

I put that right up there with those that go looking for 'The Full monty Fried Breakfast' in France.

Sad.

[Momenthai]

what a ridiculous response....is it sad to look for Thai or Chinese food when you are in the UK or US!!?

[somchai jones]

what a ridiculous response....is it sad to look for Thai or Chinese food when you are in the UK or US!!?

No, simply because Thailand and China have a tradition of culinary excellence whereas a burger or fried breakfast are the epitemy of all that is bad in UK/US food.

Having said that, being quite a healthy chap, I'm probably a little biased towards good nutritious food. Something which, on the whole, burgers are not.

Chok Dee my friend.

[AlexLah]

Finding the right burger for you is not easy, it all depends on your personal taste.

For me when I wanna have a good burger it starts with the meat.

I stopped looking for good burgers anywhere I just make them myself.

Here is the one that I like:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. honey

1-2 clove garlic, crushed

One medium sized onion chopped into fine pieces

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Shape meat into 4 parts (or more depending on thickness). Combine remaining ingredients. Stir well. Brush on patties. Broil or grill until done to taste.

The secret is to first soak your meat in the mixture for half an hour ore so. Then when baking you keep on wetting them with above mixture.

You can choose yourself to add some fresh cutted tomato and unions before serving.

Just finding the right bread is a bit difficult but I found that serving the meat on normal bread it also taste very nice.

Cheers,

Alex

[profidamus]

I just had my cheese burger tonight a Tee Sud Isaan . As good and as big as ever. I always get it done medium and it really is the best in BKK.

As far as the drunken farlang, well I think he is on the wagon right now. I have been up twice in the last week and he has not been in the fridge once. Doesnt look any better and the foods the same so that's a real plus.

Regards,

Robert

[OldAsiaHand]

what a ridiculous response....is it sad to look for Thai or Chinese food when you are in the UK or US!!?

No, simply because Thailand and China have a tradition of culinary excellence whereas a burger or fried breakfast are the epitemy of all that is bad in UK/US food.

Having said that, being quite a healthy chap, I'm probably a little biased towards good nutritious food. Something which, on the whole, burgers are not.

Chok Dee my friend.

I don't know about you, Momenthai, but I would have a hard time surviving in Thailand if prats....eh, types like somchai jones didn't check in every now and then here on TV and put the rest of us poor sods in our place by reminding us of the morally superior lives they lead. They're even willing to give us a few hints from time to time as to how the rest of us can become better people. Wow, it really gives you something to aspire to, doesn't it?

[somchai jones]

what a ridiculous response....is it sad to look for Thai or Chinese food when you are in the UK or US!!?

No, simply because Thailand and China have a tradition of culinary excellence whereas a burger or fried breakfast are the epitemy of all that is bad in UK/US food.

Having said that, being quite a healthy chap, I'm probably a little biased towards good nutritious food. Something which, on the whole, burgers are not.

Chok Dee my friend.

I don't know about you, Momenthai, but I would have a hard time surviving in Thailand if prats....eh, types like somchai jones didn't check in every now and then here on TV and put the rest of us poor sods in our place by reminding us of the morally superior lives they lead. They're even willing to give us a few hints from time to time as to how the rest of us can become better people. Wow, it really gives you something to aspire to, doesn't it?

Thanks for the personal attack.

I'm certainly in no position to preach morals to anyone. Like everyone else, I have my faults.

Whilst you may or may not agree with my sentiments on food, do you really need to resort to name calling?

If you care to look at my previous posts on TV, you'll see that far from offering advice on how to lead lives, my posts are usually tongue in cheeck anecdotes.

Take it easy my friend and I'll keep my burger views to myself.

[alexth]

what a ridiculous response....is it sad to look for Thai or Chinese food when you are in the UK or US!!?

No, simply because Thailand and China have a tradition of culinary excellence whereas a burger or fried breakfast are the epitemy of all that is bad in UK/US food.

Having said that, being quite a healthy chap, I'm probably a little biased towards good nutritious food. Something which, on the whole, burgers are not.

Chok Dee my friend.

I don't know about you, Momenthai, but I would have a hard time surviving in Thailand if prats....eh, types like somchai jones didn't check in every now and then here on TV and put the rest of us poor sods in our place by reminding us of the morally superior lives they lead. They're even willing to give us a few hints from time to time as to how the rest of us can become better people. Wow, it really gives you something to aspire to, doesn't it?

Was that about food? At least somchai was on topic. OldAsiaHand, get a prozac or something...

Edited July 21, 2006 by alexth

[tutsiwarrior]

a flame war on TV...the subject being hamburgers...

[OldAsiaHand]

Oh Lord, another one.......

[somchai jones]

Oh Lord, another one.......

[wave]

No, simply because Thailand and China have a tradition of culinary excellence

Oh Really? Must be all that MSG and the excessive use of sugar and salt then.... lets not forget all the organic food that is available everywhere in Asia as well...

whereas a burger or fried breakfast are the epitemy of all that is bad in UK/US food.

And why exactly is that? Nothing wrong about a burger or fried breakfast that uses and is prepared with quality ingredients.

I'm probably a little biased towards good nutritious food.

Deep fried and BBQ food is widely consumed in Asia. Fried foods are almost exclusivly cooked in palm oil which is very high in saturated fats(not good) rather than sunflower or olive oil.

With lots of factory farming and the high use of pesticides in Asia it is as difficult to find "good nutritious food" as it is anywhere else.

Your comments sound like culinary racism or at best culinary snobism. Asia good. US/UK bad.

[profidamus]

What happened to the best hamburgers????

We all know about the best and worst of people. Count me in on either side but tell me about what I want to know please.

Just hamburgers OK?

[percy2]

What happened to the best hamburgers????

We all know about the best and worst of people. Count me in on either side but tell me about what I want to know please.

Just hamburgers OK?

Shall we also do the worst Hamburgers?

The worst ones I ever had was in Pantip , the meat actually tasted rancid.

Fortunatley its was about 10 years ago and I think the food outlet has sinced closed / changed.

After that the worst has got to be the Fatboy? at Larrys.

[tutsiwarrior]

What happened to the best hamburgers????

We all know about the best and worst of people. Count me in on either side but tell me about what I want to know please.

Just hamburgers OK?

Shall we also do the worst Hamburgers?

The worst ones I ever had was in Pantip , the meat actually tasted rancid.

Fortunatley its was about 10 years ago and I think the food outlet has sinced closed / changed.

After that the worst has got to be the Fatboy? at Larrys.

in lieu of a bad burger seek out yer nearest sebben elebben and get a couple of dogs with the works...an agreeable substitute, also remember a large Chang with a straw...

as you sit on the stoop in front of the convenience store amongst the scowling motorbike taxi drivers and consume your purchase the street traffic will gaze upon you, admiringly ('hey...isn't that fat old guy with the hot dogs and beer tutsiwarrior?')

[Mr_Dave]

.

Based on several comments here about Teesud Isaan Inter, I went there for a hamburger this past Thursday.

I wish I hadn't.

I live in Bangkok and I often hunger for a good 'burger.

Teesud Isaan Inter is conveniently located near a skytrain station (Victory), so I was eager to see if it would become my "go-to" place for hamburgers.

Not even close.

Everybody knows you can't eat atmosphere, and that's a good thing at Teesud Isaan Inter, because there is no atmosphere.

It's a carbon copy of 10,000 other little shop-house restaurants anywhere in Thailand.

It is not clean.

My girl friend -- an Isaan lady herself -- wiped a finger along the water glasses in the little cart next to the table and wrinkled her nose, "Not clean, ka."

It is not air-conditioned.

Of course, many places in Thailand are not air-conditioned, but this restaurant is right in the middle of the perpetual traffic jam that is Rang Nam Road.

Car and diesel fumes swept into the restaurant, encouraged by the wall fans.

The only remarkable thing about the decor were the ubiquitous photos, news articles, and certificates of the owner.

You couldn't look in any direction without seeing her photo.

Now on to the main attraction: The hamburger.

It was less than special.

It was far less than described in several posts on this thread.

It had zero flavour.

I've been eating hamburgers for over 50 years, and I've never before tasted a hamburger with so little flavour.

On the positive side, the texture was good: real, ground meat, not a restaurant-service frozen hockey puck.

I ordered "medium" and, indeed, it was cooked perfectly "medium", with a light pink inside.

The burger arrived with two fried onion rings: zero flavour there, also.

How do they do that -- remove flavour from onion rings?

A few slices of tomato and some raw onion on the plate.

The bun was okay.

The french fries were frozen, commercial, potatoes -- no complaints, but nothing special.

If I remember, the price was 130 baht -- hardly a bargain.

My Isaan girl friend ordered a "tom yam" with fish and we shared an omelette.

Both dishes received her opinion of, "okay, ka".

Translated from Thai into English, her comment means, "Please don't make me eat here again."

That neatly sums up my opinion, too.

.

[tutsiwarrior]

.

Based on several comments here about Teesud Isaan Inter, I went there for a hamburger this past Thursday.

I wish I hadn't.

I live in Bangkok and I often hunger for a good 'burger.

Teesud Isaan Inter is conveniently located near a skytrain station (Victory), so I was eager to see if it would become my "go-to" place for hamburgers.

Not even close.

Everybody knows you can't eat atmosphere, and that's a good thing at Teesud Isaan Inter, because there is no atmosphere.

It's a carbon copy of 10,000 other little shop-house restaurants anywhere in Thailand.

It is not clean.

My girl friend -- an Isaan lady herself -- wiped a finger along the water glasses in the little cart next to the table and wrinkled her nose, "Not clean, ka."

It is not air-conditioned.

Of course, many places in Thailand are not air-conditioned, but this restaurant is right in the middle of the perpetual traffic jam that is Rang Nam Road.

Car and diesel fumes swept into the restaurant, encouraged by the wall fans.

The only remarkable thing about the decor were the ubiquitous photos, news articles, and certificates of the owner.

You couldn't look in any direction without seeing her photo.

Now on to the main attraction: The hamburger.

It was less than special.

It was far less than described in several posts on this thread.

It had zero flavour.

I've been eating hamburgers for over 50 years, and I've never before tasted a hamburger with so little flavour.

On the positive side, the texture was good: real, ground meat, not a restaurant-service frozen hockey puck.

I ordered "medium" and, indeed, it was cooked perfectly "medium", with a light pink inside.

The burger arrived with two fried onion rings: zero flavour there, also.

How do they do that -- remove flavour from onion rings?

A few slices of tomato and some raw onion on the plate.

The bun was okay.

The french fries were frozen, commercial, potatoes -- no complaints, but nothing special.

If I remember, the price was 130 baht -- hardly a bargain.

My Isaan girl friend ordered a "tom yam" with fish and we shared an omelette.

Both dishes received her opinion of, "okay, ka".

Translated from Thai into English, her comment means, "Please don't make me eat here again."

That neatly sums up my opinion, too.

.

a wonderful contribution to what is becoming a very interesting thread...

c'mon the rest of you 'I like burgers but never would admit on a thailand forum' sissies...burgers are a metaphor for falang uniqueness...

be proud or get off the bus...

tutsi the bully...

[Mr_Dave]

.

Finally!

After two years of extensive eating, I've found my personal choice for "best hamburger" in Bangkok.

This is not the best hamburger I've ever eaten, but it is quite fine overall.

And for the price, the quality is a very nice value, too.

The restaurant is Chokchai Steakhouse near Asoke.

More about that below, but, first, the hamburger:

On the menu, it is listed as a "steakburger", and indeed it is.

The flavour is certainly that of properly-aged, premium, steak -- not the pre-shaped patties served in many restaurants.

The meat texture is freshly ground -- not something that has been waiting in a freezer since the last ice age.

The burger is thick -- a generous portion -- although not as huge as, say, the burger at the Nana Coffee Shop.

It comes on a fresh bun which was lightly toasted.

Of course, there are slices of tomato and cucumber on the side, plus a small serving of very delicious coleslaw.

I liked the coleslaw a lot, but I wanted more than that small sample.

Next time I will order an extra side dish of that coleslaw.

I was hoping for steak-house-style chips, but, alas, that was not to be.

The french fries are a packaged, commercial, variety -- quite decent, just bland.

The steakburger at Chokchai comes in two varieties.

Plain at 120 baht.

On that plain burger, cheese is free -- a nice touch.

Or order with bacon and grilled onions and cheese and special sauce for 150 baht.

I ordered that fancy option, but next time would just have the plain with cheese.

The bacon and onions weren't needed with an already tasty burger.

The special sauce was a chutney, made, I think, with pineapple.

I don't know if that chutney comes with the plain burger, but I certainly enjoyed the taste addition.

The only problem was I ordered medium, but the burger came rare: barely warm and dark pink inside.

That shows the meat is fresh -- not frozen -- but I don't care for rare.

Maybe my Thai language ability is not as good as I thought?!

Next time I'll order well-done and see what happens.

Chokchai Ranch also runs a large diary operation, and they have a milk and ice-cream shop right next to the restaurant.

For dessert I ordered a butterscotch ice cream sundae.

Their ice cream is at the "premium" level of flavour and fat content -- richer, more dense, than Swensons

The butterscotch sauce was fine, but, I'll bet, came out of a jar.

A generous sprinkling of roasted cashew nuts on top.

An honest value at 55 baht for that sundae.

The service at Chokchai Steakhouse is outstanding.

The staff is exceptionally well-trained for any restaurant in this price range, anywhere.

For Thailand, their level of training is uncommonly high.

The restaurant is moderately small: only 25 tables, but there were about eight waiters/waitresses, three area captains and a room manager.

Everything moved with smooth, well-rehearsed, efficiency: remember this is in Thailand!

Meal platters came out of the kitchen steaming and sizzling.

When a table was finished, waiters would descend and immediately clean and re-set with careful precision.

I was impressed.

This should be a white-table cloth place -- that is the level -- but the tables are actually wood with leather place-mats, in keeping with the steakhouse theme.

The water glasses have long stems: the water doesn't taste any better that way, but it is an indication of the attention to quality.

The decor is bright, but an ersatz version of what some Thai thinks an American ranch-house should look like:

pine lumber studs criss-crossing the ceiling, white canvas shrouds trying to imitate covered wagons.

Everything is very clean.

Even the toilet room had been cleaned in the corners.

Other patrons were up-scale travelers -- business-class -- and some locals, many wearing office shirt-and-tie.

There were none of the backpacker crowd with their dread-lock hair, short-leg trousers, and sweat-stained t-shirts.

I enjoyed Chokchai Steakhouse so much, that I went back again a few days later.

For the second meal, I ordered beef kebab: two huge skewers of beef, onions, sweet peppers, tomatoes and pineapple chunks, plus that same, delicious, chutney.

So much food that I needed a take-home box.

There are more expensive hamburgers in Bangkok, but, so far, I've never found one with a better-taste.

Add in the quality of service and the cleanliness, and it makes the Chokchai steakburger my favorite hamburger.

Location is on Sukhumvit soi 23.

From Asoke sky-train or Sukhumvit subway station, an easy, 10 minute walk North on Asoke Road.

Turn right (East) at Sino-Thai Tower and continue towards soi 23.

Or, from the back entrance of Soi Cowboy, at soi 23, go North approximately 371 metres.

Chokchai is on the West side of soi 23, on the ground floor of a cluster of small shops.

Here's the web site with menu and map: Chokchai steakhouse

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