I went to Aldebaran, the best hamburger restaurant in Tokyo or Japan?

Many hamburger fans praise Aldebaran as the best in Tokyo, no, the best in Japan. Famous foodies also praise this place as a special place. I tried various restaurants this time, but the burgers at this restaurant are definitely head and shoulders above the rest.

Yes, this time it's the hamburger that everyone loves. In the last 10 years or so, burgers in Tokyo have made extraordinary progress. They are in the gourmet burger category, and cost around 1500 to 2500 yen. Although the shape is the same as that of the burgers sold at chain stores, the meat and buns are completely different types of food.

Aldebaran is located on the third floor of a multi-tenant building in Azabu-Juban. It was originally located right next to Roppongi Hills, and many fans cried when it closed. Then, two months after it closed, it reopened in Azabu-Juban with more power than ever. When you open the door, you'll be surprised by the chic bar-like setting.

It's rare for a burger restaurant to operate by reservation only. Once you set the time, they start cooking your burger 5 minutes before you arrive, so being late is not an option. I was worried that it would be a difficult place, but I didn't need to worry. The staff were extremely friendly.

First, I would like to state my personal opinion on hamburgers. Hamburgers are like American rice balls, with a bun and a patty, and the basics are tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and pickles. They also include seasonings such as sauce and mayonnaise.

That means it's a food that is delicious on its own, and the greatest meaning is in mixing and tasting those elements in one bite with gabacho. It's about tasting hot and cold together. In other words, I'm trying to say that a hamburger that is so big you can't fit it in your mouth without breaking it down is a form of self-denial.

Of course, even if you add bacon, cheese, avocado, or mushrooms to that basic shape, it still needs to fit in your mouth in one bite, in my opinion.

I tried the store's recommended "Real Balan"

Let's try it. I tried the "Real Balan" which is the shop's top recommendation. It is made with teriyaki sauce, egg, roasted onion, and cheddar cheese. It comes with corn slaw and French fries.

When the burger is done, they bring out the corn slaw, which makes you want to complain, "It's small." It's a type of shredded cabbage with a little bacon in it, and it tastes pretty good. I would like to eat about twice as much, though. The only drawback is that it's shredded, so it's easy to spill out of the container and difficult to eat. Next, the freshly fried French fries are covered in a crispy batter and are piping hot and very delicious. They also have onion rings, Minotaur potatoes, and potato mochi camembert as single items.

As for the burger itself, first of all, it looks perfect. No, it's impressive. The bun is crispy around the edges like fried bread. The soft-boiled fried egg and cheese are drizzling on top. I bite into it in one bite.

The flavor hits you so hard you mutter to yourself, "What on earth is this?" The wagyu beef patty is cooked until crispy on the outside and medium rare and slightly pink on the inside.

The meat must have been prepared in-house. It was cut quite roughly, so it was very meaty and had a lot of fat. There was also a faint taste of cumin. The sweetness of the roasted caramelized onions was a great addition. It added depth to the flavor. The teriyaki sauce was not too sweet, which was perfect.

The way the bun, Wagyu beef patty, egg, roasted onion, and cheddar cheese all come together in your mouth is so amazing that you can't help but groan. The cheese is softly mixed in and the flavor is not too strong. It's so perfect that you could call it a dish in itself. This is the kind of masterpiece that everyone should try at least once in their life. It's easy to see why it's rated as the best in Japan.

The barley tea served to wash it down has a mysterious grape flavor. It leaves your mouth feeling refreshed.

The second one is "Simple (salt and pepper)". You might think it's light, but it's quite heavy!

I want to try other things. Aldebaran is known for its cheese-based menu, but when it reopened, they came up with a cheese-free burger.

Since it was my second one, I wanted to order something light, so I ordered the "Simple (salt and pepper)" version. It was a simple arrangement of lettuce, tomato, relish, and chopped raw onion. But it wasn't very light (lol). It was so thick that I couldn't put it in the wrapping paper by myself. Then, a kind lady grabbed it and put it in the sheet where I was waiting.

As for the taste, it was a little lacking compared to the perfection of the "Real Balan". The quality of the patty probably determines a large part of what makes a burger, but perhaps the crispy, roughly cut patty backfired? Wouldn't minced meat be better? Maybe the taste of just pepper and cumin was not good enough?

On the other hand, the teriyaki sauce, which is not used as a binder, is incredibly delicious. The lettuce and tomato don't go well with the patty. In other words, it's not packed well as a whole food.

After all, it's best to eat a burger that the restaurant confidently recommends. Next time, I'd like to try the Real Balan BBQ sauce.

On my way out, I noticed that the floor was oily and sticky and a little slippery, which bothered me a little.

Author profile

Bassey is a foodie who has been eating around for over 40 years. In addition to Japan, he regularly goes to Hong Kong to eat Chinese food at his own expense, and also travels to Taiwan, Singapore, Bangkok, and Seoul for delicious food. During his time as the editor-in-chief of a travel magazine, he visited many Michelin-rated restaurants around the world, especially in Europe, and later on in the World's Best 50 restaurants. We want everyone who loves food to try ``Crab Miso Bean Paste Noodles'' from ``Tenkorou'' (Hong Kong). Actually, I like the Chinese food at this restaurant the best in the world. Another example of the best Western food is "El Seger de Can Roca" from Girona, Spain, which was ranked number one on the World's Best 50 list. Ah, I want to go there again.