My boyfriend got it into his head that he wanted to be like Rocky and eat Rocky hamburgers, which are big manly burgers that clog your arteries just by being thought of. Basically, we made hamburger patties (fried in a pan, not grilled, because we don’t have a grill), then piled on all sorts of things. We had the requisite lettuce and sliced tomatoes, plus onions, bacon, fried eggs, blue cheese, and bad guacamole. Also, I think that everyone should season their hamburger patties with cinnamon and nutmeg. It really adds a subtle twist.

Main ingredients: ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes were readily available. But I had to go to the Western food market for decent (though still not great) hamburger buns, and while I was there, I thought I’d pick up better cheese.

Special flavorings: bacon, eggs and the jar of guacamole also are all easy to find. And now that I have them, we spiced our hamburger patties with nutmeg and cinnamon, which is highly recommended if you want to add an interesting, subtle kick to your hamburgers.

Total cost: 50 — 55 RMB ($8.10) for four hamburgers. Not too bad, considering one of them alone at a restaurant would cost at least 80 kuai ($11.80).