A5 Wagyu is just the start of what makes this is a burger to remember.
Wagyu beef is highly sought after for its delicate marbling and irresistible melt-in-the-mouth texture, but not all wagyu are made the same. Like beef in a lot of countries, Japanese beef is ranked according to quality, and at the very top of the ranking is A5 Wagyu, reserved for only the very best products that display excellent texture, colour and marbling.
Purists might argue that A5 Wagyu is best enjoyed as a steak, cut up into bite-sized pieces for utmost enjoyment, but the high fat content makes it ideal in burgers as well. So when our Japanese-language reporter Egawa Tasuku heard that a new burger place had opened up in Tokyo with A5 wagyu on the menu, he dropped everything and headed out there immediately.
▼ The new burger joint is located on the ground floor of Coredo Muromachi Terrace in Nihonbashi.
▼ It didn’t take Egawa long to find the place, as it was lit up with a sign that displayed the word “wagyu” (和牛) in Japanese.
Wagyu Burger is operated by the Heijoen Company, which also runs the high-class yakiniku restaurant “Heijoen”, so Egawa immediately knew he was in for a quality beef experience. Taking a look at the menu, he could see four burger options in front of him: “The Burger“, “Cheeseburger“, “Chili Con Carne Burger“, and “Teriyaki Burger“.
▼ The patties in all these burgers contain 100-percent A5 Wagyu from Japan.
Egawa wanted to try them all, but he decided to opt for a cheeseburger, which was priced at 1,650 yen (US$15.16) on its own, or 2,090 for a set that includes a drink and fries.
▼ Egawa got the set.
The first thing that caught Egawa’s eye was the word “wagyu” which had been branded onto the glistening bun in Japanese. Then he caught sight of the mid-section, which revealed slices of…bacon?
After checking with the staff, Egawa discovered that what he was seeing really was bacon, and it wasn’t just any old bacon–it was made from A5 wagyu.
Egawa had never had wagyu bacon before, so he decided to slice the burger in two to see what else was hiding in there. He discovered a generous mound of grilled onions, a slice of cheddar cheese, and a perfectly cooked wagyu patty, which stole the show in between it all.
Egawa was also impressed with the quality of the buns, which looked beautifully light and fluffy, and despite him clasping his hands around them, they managed to maintain their shape.
What he was really interested in, though, was the taste of the wagyu, so he sank his teeth right through those buns and took out a huge mouthful. Straight away, he was impressed by the texture of the meat–unlike regular burgers, which can be greasy and require some effort to chew, this patty was exquisitely light. It melted on the tongue and disappeared in an instant, leaving him with a pleasant umami flavour.
▼ This juicy mountain of meat was pure luxury.
Every bite of this burger was hearty and flavourful, and well worth the relatively high price he’d paid for it. At roughly 2,000 yen per set, these burgers aren’t cheap, but the quality is undeniable, and considering the patties contain 100-percent A5 wagyu, plus the added bonus of bacon, it’s very reasonably priced for a burger in Tokyo.
▼ There’s also the option to customise your order with additional toppings, including an extra patty for 550 yen and an extra slice of bacon for 280 yen.
Egawa is now keen to order a burger with ALL the toppings, to take his love of wagyu right to the limit. Even with all the extras it would turn out to be a well-priced luxury meal, and a lot cheaper than the 10,000 yen Yoshinoya x Wagyumafia Premium Gyudon that popped up in Japan last month.
Restaurant Information
Wagyu Burger / ワギュウバーガー
Address: Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi Muromachi 3-2-1 Coredo Muromachi Terrace 1F
東京都中央区日本橋室町3-2-1 コレド室町テラス 1F
Hours: 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. (last order 10:00 p.m.)
Currently, the restaurant closes at 8:00 p.m. (last orders 7:30 p.m.) until 11 May, due to coronavirus countermeasures.
Photos © SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]