Burgers built on a 100% wagyu patty are winning over Tokyo fast, as a new form of expression for wagyu culture. A handful of inventive restaurants have taken the burger far beyond fast food and turned it into something closer to a tasting menu.
atami (Akasaka-mitsuke, Tokyo) is a wood-fired burger specialist. It is the newest concept from the Suetomi group, the team behind Makitori Shinkobe and Suzuta Shiki, and it is famously hard to get into - the wait for a table is said to run to a year. Eight counter seats, and a wood-fired 100% wagyu patty served as part of a full course.
atami's real innovation is serving the burger as a course. Clam chowder, then carpaccio of octopus, then strawberries with burrata, all building towards the wood-fired 100% wagyu burger as the climax - the idea alone was enough to shake up the industry.
TEDDY BROWN (Hiroo) is another name that comes up whenever wagyu burgers are discussed. A 100% wagyu patty and carefully chosen buns add up to something a world away from fast food.
What makes a wagyu burger work is the patty, the bun and the sauce reading as one thing. The natural richness of wagyu, plus the aroma of wood or charcoal, creates something you will not find anywhere else. One bite is enough to tell you this is not an ordinary burger.
Reservations at atami come only through OMAKASE and cancellation slots announced on the restaurant's official Instagram stories. There is effectively no standard booking window, so checking both frequently is the only way in.
The wagyu burger is a genre with real room to grow as a new expression of wagyu culture. JAPAN’S BEST WAGYU now includes restaurants selected specifically in the burger category.