It is really hard for someone who doesn't like Japanese food to live in Japan. Especially myself, an outsider who came from New York to Tokyo last year. But after a year of staying in Tokyo, you will start to miss your country’s food such as footlong subway sandwiches, pancakes with perfect maple syrup, and Mexican burritos that count as a real burrito.
While day dreaming about America’s food, I finally got the chance to taste Japan’s Shake Shack, which just landed in Meiji-jingu park last month. In the meantime, I wanted to try to evaluate whether their Shake Shack is similar to the New York original ones, and how Japanese people react to this number one leading fast food hamburger chain in America. Humbly speaking, the average performance is stated to be more than twice McDonald’s average store performance in U.S.
Shack Shack’s burger is strictly organically made for its high-quality taste, beloved and agreed upon by New Yorkers taste. When I was living in New York, a normal country citizen who dreamed to be in Japan someday, I had a vision that Shack Shake could completely takeover the whole burger restaurant business in Japan, including other international franchises who try to get into the market. I noticed the bread of the burger was more towards Japanese people’s taste. As interesting fact, french people like hard bread, and American people like mid-hard or slightly softer bread. As for Japan, they are more impressed with soft bread, and want maximum softness! In Japanese they called it “fuwafuwa (gently soft, similar to a pillow)."
Long Waiting Line
The line was a little unexpectedly long even though I understand its greatness, but standing three hours in the line for a burger? A little bit of an overreaction??
grape
After two and a half hours passed, my team and I had finally reach the front of the line. The design of the place is similar to New York’s store, but more classy and fun.
grape
Japan Shake Shack Burger
Here comes the burger, which is the main purpose of why I am here and it took me too freaking long to get it, so I ordered two single burgers, one french fries, and a small classic lemonade. The total cost was 2200 yen ($20 USD). Acceptable price because everything that comes from America is always doubled or tripled more than the original price.
grape
One of my Japanese friends ordered their Japan Blue's bear bottle. It cost him 900 yen ($8 USD). Tasted good, but for 900 yen, not quite!
Firstly the flavor, which was closely similar to the New York's, was awesome! You can feel the mysterious salt on the beef melt in your mouth from time to time. My Japanese friends had similar comments on the interesting taste , but coming with a more “wow” from it at their first attempt in eating a Shake Shack burger. And behind the table, there was a guy nodding his head while eating the the burger.
Japan Shake Shack's Pros & Cons
Unexpectedly, the bad part was the bread. I was shocked that my prediction had failed but later on I sort of understood the idea behind it. The bread was “extremely soft.” In fact, I felt there was no bread while chewing it. The Japanese folks seemed to enjoy it better, so that explains why! But as a foreigner myself, I hoped it could be more like bread I was used to. Fortunately, there was a counter part that made me strongly recommend Japan’s Shake Shack to everyone – the “beef.” The size of the beef is one half times larger than the original ones!!
grape
This is incredible because normally people think that every Japanese stuff runs smaller, which is true, but not in Japan’s Shake Shack. We certainly have to give a great applause to whoever is the mastermind behind this.
It is really hard for someone who doesn't like Japanese food to live in Japan. Especially myself, an outsider who came from New York to Tokyo last year. But after a year of staying in Tokyo, you will start to miss your country’s food such as footlong subway sandwiches, pancakes with perfect maple syrup, and Mexican burritos that count as a real burrito.
While day dreaming about America’s food, I finally got the chance to taste Japan’s Shake Shack, which just landed in Meiji-jingu park last month. In the meantime, I wanted to try to evaluate whether their Shake Shack is similar to the New York original ones, and how Japanese people react to this number one leading fast food hamburger chain in America. Humbly speaking, the average performance is stated to be more than twice McDonald’s average store performance in U.S.
shakeshack
New York Shake Shack Burger
Shack Shack’s burger is strictly organically made for its high-quality taste, beloved and agreed upon by New Yorkers taste. When I was living in New York, a normal country citizen who dreamed to be in Japan someday, I had a vision that Shack Shake could completely takeover the whole burger restaurant business in Japan, including other international franchises who try to get into the market. I noticed the bread of the burger was more towards Japanese people’s taste. As interesting fact, french people like hard bread, and American people like mid-hard or slightly softer bread. As for Japan, they are more impressed with soft bread, and want maximum softness! In Japanese they called it “fuwafuwa (gently soft, similar to a pillow)."
Long Waiting Line
The line was a little unexpectedly long even though I understand its greatness, but standing three hours in the line for a burger? A little bit of an overreaction??
grape
After two and a half hours passed, my team and I had finally reach the front of the line. The design of the place is similar to New York’s store, but more classy and fun.
grape
Japan Shake Shack Burger
Here comes the burger, which is the main purpose of why I am here and it took me too freaking long to get it, so I ordered two single burgers, one french fries, and a small classic lemonade. The total cost was 2200 yen ($20 USD). Acceptable price because everything that comes from America is always doubled or tripled more than the original price.
grape
One of my Japanese friends ordered their Japan Blue's bear bottle. It cost him 900 yen ($8 USD). Tasted good, but for 900 yen, not quite!
Firstly the flavor, which was closely similar to the New York's, was awesome! You can feel the mysterious salt on the beef melt in your mouth from time to time. My Japanese friends had similar comments on the interesting taste , but coming with a more “wow” from it at their first attempt in eating a Shake Shack burger. And behind the table, there was a guy nodding his head while eating the the burger.
Japan Shake Shack's Pros & Cons
Unexpectedly, the bad part was the bread. I was shocked that my prediction had failed but later on I sort of understood the idea behind it. The bread was “extremely soft.” In fact, I felt there was no bread while chewing it. The Japanese folks seemed to enjoy it better, so that explains why! But as a foreigner myself, I hoped it could be more like bread I was used to. Fortunately, there was a counter part that made me strongly recommend Japan’s Shake Shack to everyone – the “beef.” The size of the beef is one half times larger than the original ones!!
grape
This is incredible because normally people think that every Japanese stuff runs smaller, which is true, but not in Japan’s Shake Shack. We certainly have to give a great applause to whoever is the mastermind behind this.