A note on the words: yoshoku refers to Western-influenced Japanese diner cooking that evolved uniquely over the past century. Hamburg steak, called hambagu in Japan, is a seasoned minced-meat patty served on a plate rather than between buns. Harami is outside skirt steak, treasured for its deep flavor and tender bite, and potage is a velvety smooth soup, here prepared with sweet corn.
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Maeda Shokudo on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. Thinking about hamburg steak (a Japanese-style minced-meat patty, served without a bun), I remembered Maeda Shokudo, newly opened near Akasaka-mitsuke and billed as serving the best hamburg of your life. I had been curious about it for a while but never quite made it over. Stepping inside, it is a relatively small counter-only shop with a pleasantly stylish feel. Right before my eyes was a grilling area — an oven, perhaps? — giving off the wonderful aroma of hamburg sizzling away.
The plain hamburg — 1,480 yen
The egg hamburg — 1,620 yen
The cheese hamburg — 1,800 yen
The double hamburg — 2,480 yen
Hamburg and harami (outside skirt) steak — 2,580 yen
Holding back my strong urge to go for the double hamburg, I opted for the cheese hamburg instead. While wondering which sauce to pick, I suddenly recalled the hamburg I had recently eaten at a place called Will, and went with the mustard cream. That sauce had been so good. When I placed my order, they asked, “Which cheese would you like?” Caught off guard, I froze for a moment, ha, but there it was right on the menu: you can choose between cheddar and mozzarella. This time, I went with mozzarella.
The first thing served was corn potage soup.
The one at Will was served cold, but here it is a warm soup. I wonder why corn potage seems to show up so often at hamburg specialty shops?
The warm soup is delicious too, with a mellow sweetness and crunchy croutons. A comforting soup.
Salad! The dressing choices were basil or beets, I think they said?
Basil sounded tastier to me, so I picked that one. There was also a jar of fried onions on the table, and they mentioned you could sprinkle those on as well. The basil dressing is delicious, with a tart touch of lemon and the refreshing fragrance of basil.
Whoa! This looks incredible.
A plump, substantial hamburg steak served sizzling on a hot iron skillet, generously coated in delicious-looking mustard cream sauce.
Taking a bite, it is piping hot and delicious! The mustard cream sauce is not heavy in the slightest, pairing perfectly with the hamburg. With its juicy meat juices combined with real heft and substance, the hamburg is simply delightful.
Beneath the mustard cream sauce lies a generous layer of cheese! And just look at the juices glistening along the cut!
After eating for a bit, they suggested that mixing the hamburg, rice, and soft-cooked fried egg together tastes delicious. Having eaten about half of it, I tossed everything in and stirred it together. Taking a bite…
Delicious!
This hamburg-risotto style is wonderful! Having it like this right from the start might be great too, ha.
So, the phrase “best hamburg of your life” is definitely not just an empty claim. I might really like this kind of iron-skillet hamburg designed to be eaten with rice. Before leaving, they mentioned that in the evening they operate like a bistro with all sorts of offerings, so I thought I might come back for dinner with someone next time.
When a place serves a delicious lunch, you can certainly keep your hopes up for dinner!
Maeda Shokudo (Yoshoku / Akasaka-mitsuke Station, Nagatacho Station, Akasaka Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
