Acclaimed Restaurant Critic Soleil Ho Puts These Chips In Their Sandwich

Soleil Ho has covered a lot of ground when it comes to writing about food. Their work for the San Francisco Chronicle has delved into Bay Area soups, the best snacks offered in the San Francisco ferry building, and even whether their own food criticism is aiding gentrification. Ho's efforts haven't gone unnoticed, and according to their website, they have even received a James Beard Foundation award for their work at the Chronicle and a Society for Features Journalism Excellence in Features award for their podcast, "Extra Spicy."

It's not uncommon for restaurant critics to be asked about their eating habits, and when it comes to eating burgers, Ho revealed some of their preferences to LifeHacker. Ho disclosed a fondness for smash burgers as well as a penchant for one particular texture in sandwiches. "I like crunchy things between bread," they told the outlet. To get that crunchy satisfaction, Ho shared a flavorful solution.

Sweet Maui Onion chips level up Ho's burgers

The necessary steps to build a perfect burger all come down to the person who will ultimately be indulging in it. For Soleil Ho, adding potato chips is a game-changing move. As Ho explained to LifeHacker, Sweet Maui Onion is their fave chip flavor, making it the perfect sandwich addition. "I'll throw those into a sandwich," Ho told the outlet, explaining the move goes all the way back to childhood when they would make sandwiches out of bagels and Doritos. Of course, Ho isn't the only one in the food industry who recommends adding chips to improve a burger.

Bobby Flay has a similar rule he shared with Today, "One must always 'crunchify' a burger," explained Flay. "When eating a burger, there is nothing better than getting a mouthful of juicy burger and salty, crispy potato chips in one bite," he told the publication. As for the Sweet Maui Onion flavor, Ho mentioned "the Hawaiian ones," which we're thinking is the Utz Hawaiian kettle-style variety. But, for folks who are looking for these Sweet Maui Onion flavored chips and coming up short, it looks like Deep River, Lays, and Frito Lay all have versions that might help people get their crunch on. Of course, if the chip flavor nearest and dearest to your heart is something altogether different, you could always try it out on your next sandwich — and then you can be your own critic!