A Shrimp Burger That Made Guy Fieri Eat His Words
Guy Fieri walked into La Tostadaria at Grand Central Market with a bold challenge on the table. Chef Jeff Fernando—a culinary journeyman who’d traveled from Mexico to Canada, opened a taqueria, launched a carnitas joint, then went to culinary school to elevate his craft—told Guy that if he didn’t love the Paterna Burger, he’d buy lunch for the entire crew.
Bad bet for Fernando’s wallet? Not a chance.
The Journey Behind the Food
What makes this segment special isn’t just the food—it’s the story. Fernando’s path took him through multiple countries and ventures before landing at Nato’s, his fresh seafood concept that Guy described as “a cross between a great ceviche joint and a taco stand.” That cross-cultural, elevated-yet-accessible approach shows up in every plate.
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Building the Paterna Burger
This isn’t your typical seafood burger. Fernando started with Mexican shrimp—not frozen, no processing—which he emphasized makes a huge difference. The shrimp gets cooked with butter, salt, and pepper, but the real secret weapon is the Oaxaca cheese.
“It’s like jack mozzarella,” Fernando explained. “That’s going to be kind of what actually holds this burger together. It’s like the duct tape in Mexican food.”
The bun gets toasted and dressed with chipotle aioli (or as Guy joked, “before culinary school he called that chipotle”). Then comes shredded lettuce, tomato, raw onion, and the melted Oaxaca cheese layered with those perfectly cooked shrimp. But Fernando wasn’t done—he topped it with an avocado mango salsa and shredded potatoes for crunch.
That salsa deserves its own spotlight: mango, habanero pepper, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, salt, agave nectar, and avocados specifically from Michoacán. When Guy called out the region, Fernando grinned: “You just drop Michoacán in as often as you can, don’t you?”
The Verdict
Guy had promised to claim he hated it regardless—crew’s gotta eat, after all. But after one bite, even his poker face crumbled. “I got good news and I got bad news,” he told Fernando. “Good news is—that’s fantastic. The bad news is the crew’s hitting the vending machine.”
He broke down exactly why it worked: the saltiness and texture of the cheese, perfectly cooked shrimp, and all those accoutrements working together—the chipotle mayo, raw onion, shredded lettuce, and that phenomenal mango-avocado salsa. Guy even busted out the hunch, noting he hadn’t had to deploy that move in a while.
“I pride myself in my burgers. I’m known for my burgers,” Guy said. “That right there, in my expectation level of burgers, that is about as high as they go.”
Diners echoed the praise, with one customer noting that when you come to a market like Grand Central, you might stereotype the food—but this was “high-end fancy restaurant elevated Mexican food, completely unexpected.”
Tips From the Kitchen
Fresh shrimp matters: Fernando was adamant about using unfrozen, unprocessed Mexican shrimp. The texture and flavor difference is substantial.
Oaxaca cheese is your binding agent: Its melting properties hold ingredients together while adding saltiness and texture—essential for a burger built on shrimp rather than ground meat.
Add crunch strategically: Those shredded potatoes on top weren’t an afterthought. When your protein is tender shrimp, you need textural contrast.
For more episodes featuring unexpected takes on classics—like Pasta al Forno with Meatballs or Massive Corned Beef in San Francisco 🍖—check out our restaurant directory to find Triple D spots near you.