Kua’aina Burger
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (東京都渋谷区渋谷1丁目10−4)
Say it like this: “Koo-a eye-na”. It basically means redneck/hick/bogan, depending on where you come from, but for native Hawaiians it refers more to those who actively live Hawaiian culture and keep the spirit of the land alive. So by now you would’ve guess that this burger joint is in fact originally Hawaiian. With 2 locations in Obama’s home-town, 1 in London and a whopping 15 across Japan, it’s safe to say the Hawaiian-Japanese relationship has moved on since Pearl Harbour. As you walk in you can’t help but notice the “Hawaii-ness” (it’s a word, look it up) of the place. Lining the walls are surfboards, photos and memorabilia from it’s 35 year history including shots of the original owners and even some of the main man himself, President Barack Obama- we hear he’s a big fan! So if it’s good enough for him you’re darn right it’s good enough for us. Along with their burger selections you’ll find a tonne of different sandwiches ranging from East Coast favourites like Pastrami and Roast Beef, to the more tropical Mahi Mahi and Teri Chicken. We asked our friendly Hawaiian shirt wearing cook what burger Obama enjoys most and so we went for their famous Avocado Burger. It came on a Kaiser Roll with a char-grilled 1/3 pound U.S beef pattie, butter lettuce, avocado, mayo, herb butter and a grilled onion.
Looks like a simple, yet satisfing combination of ingredients.
BTW, Urban Burger has a menu item called a “Loaded Hog” which includes a beef pattie, avocado, bacon, salad, relish & aioli. I tried it the other day and thought it was pretty decent. They mash their avocado, but it still works nice against the salty bacon.
Had another burger from Beatbox Kitchen last night, and concluded the Raph Burger still holds pole position within Australia IMHO.
Cheers
Nathaniel