TOKYO: Shake Shack シェイクシャック

Website:  http://www.shakeshack.jp

Address:  東京港区北青山２丁目１−１５.  Located about an eight-minute walk from Aoyama-icchome Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open:  11 am to 10 pm.

Last year while visiting my sister in the Washington, D.C. area, I happened upon a crowded burger/hot dog joint that I had never heard of, but I was starving at the time and decided to give it a try.  The restaurant was called Shake Shack, and little did I know that it was a favored eatery along the east coast of America.

Picky as I am, I ordered a regular hamburger, fries, and a chocolate shake.

My life changed from that time on! 

(Overly exaggerated, but you get the point.)

The burger was amazingly delicious, so much so that I started feeling confused over which was the better burger, this savory Shack Burger or my beloved In-n-Out Burgers back home in Southern California.  

But it was the Shake Shack shake, that glorious, chocolaty cream of heaven on earth, that rocked my world!

Alas, that was the one and only time that I had the opportunity to enjoy this bit of scrumptiousness.

That is, until they opened the new Shake Shack in Kita-Aoyama on November 13^th!

Last weekend, my wife and I went down to Tokyo for a quick getaway and made a visit to the Tokyo Shake Shack our top priority.  Apparently, numerous others had it on their To-Do lists as well, as we arrived at around noontime to a loooong line of people, so long that we were told that it would be a three-hour wait.

It was a gorgeous, autumn day and I didn't feel like wasting it standing in a line with a few hundred hungry humans, even if it was for a piece of hamburger heaven.

We asked the kind attendant holding the “end-of-the-line” sign when might be a better time to come and he informed us that at around 9 pm the line had been much shorter during their first week, so we decided to try again later that evening and instead spent the day exploring the fall leaves of Tokyo.

But our tummies couldn't hold out that long, and we returned at 7:30 pm to happily find a much shorter line.  We asked the new kind attendant how long the wait would be, and he notified us that it should only take an hour or less, which made us even happier.

I timed it and it took us exactly thirty minutes to get to the counter and place our order.  Considering the three-hour wait we could have endured, this didn't seem so bad.  I was so close, my mouth began to water.  

I decided upon a double ShackBurger sans cheese (980 yen), a regular order of crinkle cut fries (420 yen), and a regular size chocolate shake (650 yen).  

My wife went with a single ShackBurger (680 yen) and a small iced tea (230 yen).

I liked the little sumo guy!  I didn't like that I still had to wait 20  more minutes.

Well, my mouth watered, … dripped, … and dripped some more, and then started to dry up little by little as the wait for our meal became longer and longer.

Twenty-six minutes after placing our order is when the little beeper that we were given upon ordering began to beep.  In total it took fifty-six minutes from the point of getting in line to receiving our food. The kind attendant guy knew his stuff.

But as soon as I saw the burgers my mouth started salivating all over again as the tempting aroma of the beef wafted around me.

I tore off a small portion of the beef to test it; peppery, flavorful, juicy but not greasy.  

I took a few bites and found it oh-so-good!  BUT, … not exactly the way I remembered the burger in the U.S.  Something was just a touch off.   Perhaps it was that the beef wasn’t pippin’ hot.  It was warm, but it didn’t have that “fresh-off-the-grill” taste.  Still, it was one of the best burgers I’ve had in Japan.

Next I tried the crinkle cut fries.  They were crispy, as they should be.  Salty, as they should be.  But warm at best.  Not hot.   Which really depreciated its overall flavor. 

My wife shared my opinions over her burger and the fries, and she also commented that the wait for the food was very poor customer service, especially according to Japanese standards.

But the saving grace for me was the chocolate shake!

It was the best shake I’ve ever had in Japan or California!  

BUT, … not quite the same as what I remember from the Shake Shack in D.C.  Perhaps, I’ve been romanticizing my previous shake love affair and placing it on an unattainable altar, but still, this shake wasn’t the same as the other shake.  It was a very close second place.

That being said, this smooth, luscious, chocolate shake was terrific!  This was the reason I came, and I was satisfied!

My wife decided to order a ShackMeister Ale beer (830 yen/18 oz.) from a roaming waitress.  We noticed that a man sitting at the next table had also ordered something some time before us, as he called the same waitress over asking to change his order to take-out as he was in a hurry and no longer had time to wait.

My wife patiently waited, and waited, and waited.  After the sixteen-minute mark she said to me, “This isn’t right” and called the waitress over again to politely ask why it was taking so long for just a beer.  In less than a minute the waitress brought the beer over.  My civil-tongued spouse then explained in detail to the waitress about the sub-par temperature of the hamburger and fries, and the extrodinary un-Japanese customer service that caused the unnecessary wait.  

Apparently, the waitress conveyed this information to the manager, who humbly accosted me on my way to the restroom and apologized profusely.  As I returned to our table I found him on one knee apologizing to my wife.  He told us both the same thing; they have been overwhelmed by the amount of customers and that they haven’t worked out all the problems yet, but that it was his fault as manager and to please come back again and he would work hard to resolve those issues.  

He guided us out as we left the restaurant, and my wife whispered to me, “Now that was Japanese customer service.”  I said, “Yeah, but I would’ve preferred a discount coupon.”

I will definitely be back, in the late evening, to delight in a delectable dinner at the Shake Shake.   

I’m hoping that like other American franchises, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Cinnabons, etc., that the novelty will wear out and the lines will become shorter. 

I do highly recommend a visit, but you just might want to wait a while, or not mind the wait.

The Closing of Kame House Burger カメホウス・ハンバーガー 022-374-5747

Click HERE for a previous write-up on Kame House.

Website:  http://www.sendai-burger.com/index.html

Address:  仙台市泉区中央１丁目22-1.   Located on Route 35, about a three-minute walk from Izumi Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Weekdays lunch:  11:30 am – 2:45 pm.     Weekdays dinner:  5:30 pm – 10:30 pm.

Sundays and Holidays:  11:30 am – 8:30 pm.   Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

It is with a heavy heart that I write that Kame House Burger will be closing at the end of September.

Apparently, the owner is moving on to bigger and better things in Tokyo, so this hamburger joint will soon be history.  

Luckily for me, I’ve already dined there twice within the last two weeks with a couple of good friends to share the moment, and I plan on returning at least once more for ole’ time’s sake.

I was never a frequent visitor to Kame House due to its location in Izumi, which made it quite a trek for me.  Still, it was worth the trek when I did make it.

A week ago I visited on Friday during lunchtime with my good friend, Tony, who had never been to Kame House but had always wanted to go.  He seemed to really like his Double-Burger.  The place had quite a few customers but it was no problem getting a table.

This weekend, I was fortunate enough to have my dear friend, Yvonne, accompany me to the famed burger restaurant.  The place was crowded!  And we ended up waiting about twenty minutes for our table.  I ordered my usual Double-Burger (1100 yen) without sauce, and my companion went with the Avocado-Cheeseburger with Barbeque Sauce on the side. We both split an order of Onion Rings.

Double-Burger

Avocado-Cheeseburger

Onion Rings (Scrumptious!  But pass on the salsa)

The meat patty in my burger on this second visit seemed thicker than my previous encounter, with a strong and delicious peppery flavor to it.  The fries were good and I was quite happy with the onion rings.  Yvonne seemed to really enjoy her burger as well!

My disappointment came as I had my heart set on a chocolate milkshake to go with my burger, only to be informed that shakes are only served after 5:30 pm.  Despite my pleading and puppy dog eyes, I was given a stern “ごめんなさい.”  That’s why I plan to go back one more time, but after 5:30 pm.

If you have never been to Kame House, I urge you to rush down as soon as you can to try one of the best burgers in town!  For those of you who have devoured the greasy goodness, return before it’s too late!

**Yvonne was gracious enough to give me permission to use her photos for this post.  I am very grateful as she is a much better photographer than I am.  Thanks, Vonnie!

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Montana モンタナ 022-376-6444

Website:  http://www.welcome-montana.com/

Address:  仙台市泉区福岡字森下2-3.   Located way out in the boonies on the way to Izumigatake and Spring Valley Ski Resort on Route 223.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open weekdays from 11 am till 7 pm, weekends and holidays open till 9 pm.  Closed Tuesdays.

Upon returning from a recent snowboarding trip to Spring Valley, my good friends, Yvonne and Fong, and I stopped by the Montana restaurant.  I heard about this famed American restaurant some time ago, and had visited once before a few years before I started my blog.

From the log cabin architecture and the Pontiac Trans Am in the parking lot, to the interior rich with Americana artifacts, this place so reminded me of my homeland.

Sitting near the wood-burning stove added an additional sense of coziness and warmth.

But my companions and I were starving, and although we enjoyed the atmosphere, we wanted to dig into some good-ole American grub!

We started off with an order of french fries (682 yen), which were actually thick potato wedges.  Crispy on the outside and seasoned just right!  Although, they seemed to be oven baked rather than fried, this was a plus as they were not the least bit greasy.  What a great way to start a meal!

フレンチフライ

Following the fries, came the Big Burger Sandwich (1312 yen w/drink), and true to its word, it was BIG!  Vonnie and I would have been better off had we shared one sandwich as we originally had planned, that’s how big it was.   However, it was mostly the romaine and iceberg lettuce that added to its size, along with the thick slices of bread, and not the amount of beef. The hamburger patty itself was quite flavorful, but I would’ve preferred to have it cooked just a little more thoroughly.

バーガーBIGサンド

Next came the Cowboy Rice (945 yen), which we ordered out of curiosity.  “What the hell is Cowboy Rice?” was the question being asked at our table, where two of the three diners were American born and bred.  According to the menu, this dish is a Montana original mix of chili, cheese, and rice.  To be honest, I didn’t have my glasses with me at the time, and had I read that it had cheese, I would have passed on it.  But after sampling a couple of spoonfuls, I would also recommend that you pass on it, too!  No flavor whatsoever.  It seemed as if they opened a can of Hormel chili beans and put it on top of the rice.  If this is what the cowboys ate, no wonder there ain’t many left.

カウボーイライス

Because our eyes were much bigger than our stomachs, we finished off our American-style feast with the Max platter of spareribs (2940 yen).  In my opinion, spareribs should be so tender that you can separate the meat from the bone with a fork, and then let the succulent beef or pork melt in your mouth.  

Well, I had to use a knife.  And, I had to chew… a lot.

Although the barbeque sauce was delicious, these were not the finger-licking spareribs I remember from home.

スペアリブステーキ

One thing I found interesting, in a good way, was the coffee that came with the hamburger set we had chosen.  I normally do not care for flavored coffees, but Montana’s coffee had what I believe to be a hint of cocoa, which was enjoyable.

Overall, I think you should try Montana if you are in the area, but I wouldn’t drive out of my way for a meal here.  My normal-eater friends were in agreement with me on this.

The next time I’m returning from Spring Valley, I would definitely want to stop in Montana for their tasty Big Burger, fries, and coffee, but that’s about it.

An old photo from a few years ago of the Chili con Carne.   More like a can of Hormel Chili.

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Sasebo Burger 佐世保バーガー 022-721-1575

Website:  The website written on their receipt doesn’t work, so here is another site that has some info on them: 
http://tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040101/4010472/

Address:  仙台市青葉区国分町2-14-25.   Located on Jozenji-dori about a two-minute walk from Kotodai-koen Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Open everyday from 10 am.  Sundays and Holidays open till midnight.  Mondays to Thursdays open till 2 am.  Fridays and Saturdays open till 4 am.  Lunchtime special is from 11 am to 2 pm.

My friend, Ben, and a host of others that swear by these burgers, recommended this joint to me.  My wife had dined here by herself sometime ago but didn't think much of it at the time, so it took a while to convince her to give it another shot.

Last month we visited there for the first time together and tried their lunch set for 880 yen.  It came with a choice of sandwich, fries, salad, soft drink, and dessert.  It’s a very good deal and quite voluminous!

The Lunch Set for 880 円.

Being the picky eater that I am, I don’t like a lot of extra stuff (avocado, bacon, cheese, etc.) contaminating my burgers so I chose the plain hamburger, while my wife ordered the Avocado Burger for her selection.  When the burger arrived I remember thinking “What a thin meat patty.”  The dressing on the burger was really delicious, so delicious in fact that it helped curb my disappointment in the meat patty (due to the beef's thinness and lack of substantial seasoning).  I asked my better half how her Avocado Burger was and she said it was “average.”

Close-up of the Plain Hamburger

Close-up of the Avocado Burger

I wanted to test the waters with the onion rings for an additional 390 yen.  The onion rings looked gorgeous and on the first bite you could tell they were fried to perfection.  Yet despite being very crispy they didn’t have a whole lot of flavor to them, either.  The salad that came with the set also looked quite nice, but as with the meat patty and the onion rings, there was nothing savory about it.  The dessert was cold banana pound cake with Hershey’s chocolate syrup on it.  Again, not bad but nothing special.  The fries were the saving grace as they were very good, crispy and salty.  We walked out of there full, satisfied with the value but not so much so with the taste.  We agreed that maybe since we had the lunch special that we didn’t get the best they had to offer.

Onion Rings

So last week, I decided to give this place another try and ran into my old friend, Iain, and his lovely wife, Kyoko, at Sasebo Burger.  They invited me to sit with them and we discussed our thoughts about the food.  Iain and Kyoko, both normal eaters, gave me some insight to the attractiveness of the burgers.  Iain said it was the dressing that was the distinctive characteristic of this restaurant.  Actually, he said it much more eloquently but I forgot his exact words.  I agreed that the dressing is great, but that I think the patty should be just as good.

I had missed out on the lunch special by five minutes so I went with a double burger in order to be able to really evaluate the flavor of the meat.  The patty was a little thicker than the last time and had a little bit more seasoning, but still not enough.  The onion rings were left in the fryer just a touch too long but they also seemed to have a bit more flavor today.

Double Burger

I can understand why some people love this restaurant as there are many good points about Sasebo Burger:  the sauce, the value, the location, and the fries.  They also have quite the variety of burgers and sandwiches to choose from.  But I’m going to upset those friends, and others, as I’m not putting this in my Recommended list.  I’ll list in the You Should Give This A Try category as you may become one of the many who end up raving about Sasebo Burger.  But I still have to go back to the beef:  the thin, not-so-flavorful beef.

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Teddy’s Diner テディーズ ダイナー 022-223-9333

UPDATE, OCT. 13, 2013:  UNFORTUNATELY, TEDDY'S DINER IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AT ITS PREVIOUS LOCATION, AND I'M NOT SURE WHETHER IT HAS MOVED OR GONE OUT OF BUSINESS.
On my last visit sometime ago, the owner had told me that he was thinking of moving to a new location near the kencho, but I have not tried looking for it recently.
If you know any information, please let me know.
Until then, you can still read this post to see what you missed out on.
Oh, well.

Website:  http://www.hotpepper.jp/strJ000689907/

Address:  宮城県仙台市青葉区一番町 4-3-3 KIビル2F.   On Hirose-dori across the street from Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream.  Look for their emblem which is the Grateful Dead Teddy Bear sign.  

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Open from 5 pm – ?:00 am.

Today my wife and I visited an old favorite.  We haven't been here in quite a few months and we desperately missed these burgers.   Unfortunately, Teddy’s is no longer open for lunch, which is when we most frequented this diner.   But today we hung around downtown just long enough for some first-rate grub.   

Although my wife used to always order the hot dog, we both went with the standard Teddy’s Burger (750 yen) with a side order of onion rings (500 yen).   

The onion rings, about ten or so, were fantastic!  No need for ketchup with these rings.  But because we were so hungry we devoured them before I remembered to take a picture.   Sorry about that.

Since Teddy's is currently a one-man operation, it took quite a while before our burgers came, but it was definitely worth the wait.  The hamburgers were great!  I cut off a piece of the meat patty to judge its quality, and it was delicious!  I wouldn’t have minded just a serving of meat patty.  The hamburgers came with a few fried potato wedges, which were salted to perfection. 

Teddy's Burger

However, there are a couple of things that if changed would make this place superb.  One is that the hamburger patty, though tasty, is rather small.  I’m not a big eater but the single patty hamburger was not enough to fill me up completely.  They used to offer an extra patty in their toppings menu, but I didn't notice it this time.  Another thing is that you have to order a drink with your meal.   My wife and I aren’t big on soft drinks and we often just drink water with our meals.  Having to order a beverage rubs me the wrong way just a bit.  Also, Teddy's Diner is not a smoke-free establishment, and since this is a small place it can be a bit bothersome if there are smokers present.

On the plus side Teddy’s menu lists a variety of burgers, hot dogs, shakes, and even tacos, as well as a wide range of alcoholic beverages.  If you're hungry and brave enough, check out the Mega Burger for 1980 yen!

A word of caution if you plan on visiting Teddy’s:  As we left, the owner told us that he's planning on moving to a location near the Kencho.   He doesn't know the exact date yet but he says the phone number should remain the same, so you may want to call ahead to find out if it’s still at the above address or not.  I will keep you updated as I find out more information. 

I'm adding Teddy's Diner to my Favorites list partly for nostalgic reasons.   I've shared some great food with great friends there over the years, and when I think of going to Teddy's it brings a smile to my face remembering those times.  If they were open for lunch, I would once again become the regular customer that I had been. 

If you happen to find yourself one evening hanging around Kokubuncho or the Disney Store and feel like a burger would be a great idea, head on down to Teddy’s.

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Kame House Burger カメホウス ハンバーガー 374-5747

URGENT UPDATE:  PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR IMPORTANT NEWS REGARDING KAME HOUSE BURGER.

Website:   http://www.sendai-burger.com

Address:  仙台市泉区中央１丁目22-1.   Located on Route 35, about a three-minute walk from Izumi Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Weekdays lunch:  11:30 am – 2:45 pm.     

Weekdays dinner:  5:30 pm – 10:30 pm.

Sundays and Holidays:  11:30 am – 8:30 pm.   

Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

A great, big “THANKS!” to blog reader Crawford who recommended this hamburger joint to me (read Comments of the Freshness Burger post).  You were spot on with this, Crawford!

Upon entering, I immediately got a kick out of the American-style décor and the 50’s rock n’ roll music livening up the place.  It sounded like they had stolen my iPod!

Looking at the menu you see that Kame House offers a wide selection of burgers starting at 750 yen.  Crawford suggested I try the Avocado Cheeseburger with Bacon, but instead I went with just a basic hamburger.  I guess it’s the picky eater in me but I really don’t care for other “stuff” on my hamburger (Sorry, Crawford).  I feel a good hamburger should stand on its own laurels and not need any other “stuff” in order to make it right.  I love avocado and I love bacon!  But I’ve never really cared for either of those on my burgers.  My twisted taste buds feel that these great singular flavors taint the wholesomeness of the burger.

Sure it looks like a plain, but that's all I need

My plain, basic hamburger was good … very good!  Everything tasted fresh.  I tried a piece of the meat patty by itself to see if it was appetizing enough to stand on its own.  This piece of patty possessed pleasant and palatable flavors!  The menu states that the Kame House chefs make their meat patties from a mixture of Australian and Wagyu beef, which must be the reasoning behind this great burger.

My wife went with a BLT (750 yen), and although I didn’t get to taste it, she stated that it was really delicious!   All platters come with French fries, which I think is a good value, but we also ordered some onion rings for the side (but at five for 280 yen, maybe not such a great value).

BLT

The fries were cut too thin for my textural liking, but there was nothing lacking in their taste: crisp and salted to perfection.  The onion rings, at first glance, didn’t seem too appetizing either, but to my surprise they were great!  I hold a similar sentiment between hamburgers, fries, and onion rings:  they should be flavorful enough to be enjoyed exclusively, without any needed flavor enhancers.   The onion rings, like the French fries, were delightful with or without ketchup.  I did find it a bit strange that they served the onion rings with a spicy salsa that, my wife and I both agreed, didn't really didn’t go well.

And since I’m complaining, another thing I didn’t like was the pickled carrot slice that was on my plate.  Again, I got caught judging a book by its cover, but this time it didn't go in my favor.  I thought it was just a regular, raw slice of carrot.  Imagine my surprise when I bit into it and realized that it was a pickled carrot!  

Hamburgers + pickles = Good!  

Hamburgers + pickled carrots = No, thank you! 

Onion Rings with weird Salsa

This restaurant offers a point card but upon close inspection it really isn’t worth much as you have to spend at least 4200 yen before you get a 100 yen discount.

Kame House is really easy to find on foot and has two parking spaces for those who drive.  If I lived in Izumi this place would definitely make my Favorites list as I would be a regular diner at this diner.  I highly recommend this eatery and am looking forward to my next trip to Izumi.

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Freshness Burger フレッシュネスバーガー022-399-7130

Website: http://www.freshnessburger.co.jp/

Address: 仙台市太白区長町7-20-5　ララガーデン長町２F.

Located on the 2^nd floor of the LaLa Garden Shopping Mall above the Nagamachi-minami Subway Station.  LaLa Garden is not The Mall, but it does have connecting walkways to The Mall on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors.  There is also a Freshness Burger on the 1^st floor of Sendai JR Train Station, among other locations.


Map:  Click “Location” link below.

Special Half-Price Campaign running now thru March 1, 2012!!!
Well, not exactly half-off your order, but still not a bad deal if you plan to eat here again within the next month or two.  It works like this:  for roughly every 200 円 you spend now you get a 100 円 coupon for your next order.  

This evening, my Classic Burger (480円), large Onion Rings (350 円), and tall Orange Juice (400 円) with tax came to a grand total of 1230 円.  I received seven 100 円 coupons!  And I can use these all at the same time until May 31, 2012.  But, it looks like this offer is only valid at the LaLa Garden location.  If a Freshness Burger near you has the same offer, please let me know.

Classic Burger, Onion Rings, Orange Juice

And now on to the food … it’s pretty good, probably the second best burger in Sendai (Teddy’s Diner has tastier meat in its burger, but I’ll write a post on that later as soon as I get some photos).  But like the name says, it is fresh … mostly.  The Classic Burger has fresh tomato, lettuce, and onion, as well as a quarter-pound (113 grams) Aussie beef patty (more on this below).  Add ketchup, mustard, and other spices from their spice rack to your own liking.  When taking a bite of this big boy, be careful that the dripping grease doesn’t end up on your lap.  

The onion rings are usually great!  On a bad day they’re just okay.  Again, being Japan and all, the large size is probably equivalent to a medium back in your home country (unless your home country is Japan).

My wife likes the fish burger (shouldn’t it be a “fish sandwich?”), the hot dog, and the chai.  I used to order the regular Freshness Burger, which has a special sauce that is tasty, but now I prefer the Classic or Classic WW Burgers.  Their sphere-like doughnuts are also pretty good (actually, I just like the plain one, not the chocolate).

Oh, a couple of items that you don’t see on a McDonald’s menu that you will at Freshness Burger: 7-Up! and Lowenbrau.

The LaLa Garden location is quite spacious and has a separate enclosed smoker’s room.  The Sendai Station location is quite small and cramp, with the smoking seats divided only by an unenclosed glass window.

LaLa Garden in Nagamachi-minami

But I do have a couple of gripes about this place.  This used to be one of the few places where you could buy Pepsi.  Not any newfangled Pepsi concoction, just plain, good old-fashion Pepsi.  But not any more!  They’ve switched to Pepsi Nex.  Also, they used to serve a fantastic hot yuzu drink that really went down well on a cold winter night.  Again, not any more!   And last but not least … the beef.   On my trips back to my hometown I can’t wait to eat at my local In N’ Out Burger where the beef is “fresh, never frozen.”  I think it’s ironic that the restaurant is named Freshness Burger yet their meat patty is frozen.

That being said, I highly recommend Freshness Burger if your jonesing for an American-type burger!