I'm a big big fan of The Great Burger's Chili Burger but never visited their Sister shop California House until today... was a nice cool day so the outdoor seating pulled me in.
...but I was seated at the counter facing the Burger Chef... we were literally facing each other within hang shake distance. This shop is very very cozy in terms of space. Looks like they have Monthly Burgers.
Lunch comes with a drink of your choice, fries or salad (can ask for Oomori - extra size) and a burger.
There it was. The waitress recognized me from my frequent visits to The Great Burger and started to chat me up a bit... then the chef Fumi-san joined in. Its a very small narrow shop and so much more friendly and relaxing vs the other.
Veeeery juicy beef and of course one of Tokyo's best chili's.
Went for the Oomori french fries for free
I was alone this day thus the counter seating but if you want a view of the chef at work then it sure is a great spot to watch all the action vs keeping busy on the iPhone.
What dazzled me was this picture of this Avocado Guacamole hamburger on my favorite foodie ranking website. Just had to go...
The Lunch menu was an absolute maze... the cashier had to let me know which direction all the way thru the entire process... must have been loonie artist in the family that decided to do this. I ended up with a burger, avocado topping, fries and ice tea. Oh you have a selection of Ketchup, Teriyaki Sauce or Jamaican Sauce.
There are 6 counter seats facing the window and one tiny table for 2.
Fries reminded me of McD's... nothing special here.
Sat in the only table for 2.
There it is.. 1,200yen Avocado Burger with Jamaican dressing. Jamaican Jamaican this sounded unique and I was sooo looking forward to the flavor... could it be like Jerk Chicken? One bite... hmm... two... hmm... this was simply spicy Teriyaki sauce. The sauce was so overbearing that I couldn't taste the beef. Could have gone for McD's 100yen Teriyaki McPork for this flavor.
The beef was on the medium rare side which I don't usually see in Tokyo.
This was a nice touch... small sink on the 2nd floor for sticky fingers.
Overall the burger is not worth going for a second time but hands down there was one silver lining at East Village... the service. The cashier was super friendly and all smiles when she brought up the burger to the 2nd floor sitting area.
Walk between KFC and JTB Travel and you won't miss the shop. I guess if you are craving home made burgers in Ikebukuro then you should give this place a shot. But... I won't be back for a 2nd time. Oh its steps from Sunshine City.
Italian/Japanese fan of food and photography. Camera's I use for the Blog: Pentax K-m, K-x, K-01, K-30, Sony NEX-C3, Canon s100, s110. s120, G7x, Sony RX100, RX100M3, Panasonic LX5, iPhone Xs, iPhone 12 Mini
