A Pop Fly In Flavor

Greetings, Readers.

Look, I love baseball.

If you didn't know that before from previous stadium related posts, now you know. I am admitting that I may have a problem with my love of baseball. I just can't get enough of it.

Some of it is the sport itself, the action, the fun, the skill.

Another part is the stadium food. Enjoying a hot dog in the warm sun during a three hour game. There really is something about the whole experience.

So of course while I was in Japan, I not only took in a Giants baseball game at Tokyo Dome, but I had to try some of the stadium food.

The Japanese love (seriously LOVE) baseball, so the stadium had to have excellent food to enjoy with this most beloved of sports, right?

After attending a sumo match the previous day and enjoying Yakitori, I thought that a Teriyaki chicken sandwich would be the way to go for this sandwich outing.

Boy, could I not have been more wrong.

Between innings I decided to go with this Chicken Teriyaki sandwich over some of the other overtly questionable choices. The chicken patty was glazed with Teriyaki sauce but really provided no flavor at all. In fact, the entire sandwich was fairly bland.

Oh and then there was the gristle.

Yep. Gristle.

Imagine eating a sandwich while enjoying a game at Tokyo Dome and all of a sudden you have a very noticeably chewy nugget in the middle of your sandwich.

Also imagine how hard it is to dispose of that piece of gristle without insulting or disgusting Japanese patrons next to you. It's not exactly easy, but it had to be done.

This was the only regrettable moment of my trip to Tokyo, and luckily was overshadowed by enjoying a Giants game at Tokyo Dome.

So, Readers, while I do suggest you take in a game if you happen to visit Tokyo (the fans alone are fun to watch), I'd definitely suggest you stay away from the Chicken Teriyaki sandwich. Seriously.

Until next week, Readers...


Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich
* Star
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo, Japan

I Love You, Tokyo

Ohaiyou Gozaimasu, Readers!

I have returned from my 8 day journey to the wonderful capital city of Tokyo, Japan.

Granted, I didn't eat many sandwiches there as the numerous options of delicious sushi and various types of noodles took precedence while there, but I did happen upon a sandwich dealer while walking through the neighborhood of Ginza.

Tucked beneath the tracks for the local JR Yamanote train line, The Beat Diner can be hard to find if you're not looking for it.

Also being tucked beneath a subway, every so often during your meal the entire place rattles as the train passes overhead. It definitely adds to the atmosphere of the place.

And speaking of atmosphere, the place has it in handfuls. A rugged brick interior with walls adorned by classic American rock records, it's a tribute to 60s and 70s America, right down to the classic american food: The Hamburger.

Every burger is listed in two different sizes, essentially 1/3lb and 1/4 lb options, and for this time out I decided to go with the straight up 1/4lb Cheeseburger.

While not expecting much out of sandwiches in Tokyo, and having had so many great ones recently in Burbank, I was blown away by how delicious this sandwich was.

After being given a small paper bag to wrap the burger in (a la West Coast style) I dove right in and was hit with a delicious beef flavor and a well rounded, melted cheddar flavor. A little bit of crisp lettuce tops of the burger added a freshness as well as textural crunch.

The fries were also excellent, and I wish there had been more. Very flavorful, lightly salted, and with a bit of crispiness on the outside.

This was really a fantastic burger, not just for Tokyo, but for any burger love in general.

As I've found with many sandwiches over this journey, sometimes the best ones appear to us through accident. Here we were, hungry and looking for lunch after touring the Imperial Palace grounds and we happen to pass by a local restaurant that mostly neighborhood locals would know of. We didn't expect much, and were absolutely blown away by this find.

If you're ever in Tokyo, and you should definitely make sure you are at one point in your life, you should absolutely try to find this for a break from the country's delicious sushi and udon offerings. You will be thoroughly rewarded for doing so.

Until next week, Readers...


1/4lb Cheeseburger
**** Stars
The Beat Diner
Tokyo, Japan