Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2009

We landed in Japan scarcely a year ago with naught but the highly controversial Michelin Guide as our compass. A belly echoing from hunger spurned us onwards to sample the great and the good in Tokyo.

Three-hundred-sixty-five days and 1,095 or so square meals later, we’ve thoroughly slaked our every craving on l’aventure gastronomique. In that time, we’ve seen an awful lot of oh-so-tastefully drizzled plate art, physics-defying culinary balancing acts, and enough nuanced foams to fill a bathtub. All of this achingly fine food has left us with a new desire: something simple, unfussy, comforting and familiar.
Can the lowly cheeseburger ever compete on the same playing field as the innumerable restaurants in Tokyo creaking under the weight of their Michelin stars and starry-eyed patrons? The answer, of course, is no—but there are plenty of burger bars striving for excellence in their own way. One prime example is the always wonderful Catooya in Kokubunji.

Burgers are deceptively simple to make, yet it never fails to disappoint us how many are bland, flaccid and under-seasoned, or habitually disintegrate into a dripping, greasy handful. In Catooya, the burgers are large, proud, firm, juicy, tasty and handcrafted with a precision and eye for detail that would make Mr. McDonald blush. The smallish restaurant is bright and airy with a small deck out front and room for maybe 30 inside. It’s decked out in bright, bold colors with the occasional objet placed strategically to draw the eye.

The menu, like the interior, is simple: burgers start at ¥800, and toppings like bacon, avocado, pineapple, chili, etc., can push it up to ¥1,080. Add an extra ¥200 for chunky cut chips or crispy fried onion rings or, if you’re feeling particularly carnivorous, you can add on an extra 160 grams of ground beef for a measly ¥400. There are also some yoshoku staples like pasta, rice dishes and curries in the ¥800-¥1,050 range. Side dishes of Serano ham, spareribs, avocado ham rolls, and salads bulk out the menu.

Why does Catooya stand out among the legions of other burger places in Tokyo? Simple: it sticks to a couple of elemental rules. One, the burgers taste really, really good (dare we say the “best in Tokyo”?)—the high-quality beef is seasoned perfectly, grilled well and generously sized. Two, they use fresh trimmings, like thick-cut beef tomato, a simple ring of white onion, a large lettuce leaf and a sliced gherkin. There’s no burger Jenga necessary here. Three, the bun is an appropriate size, texture and consistency to bear the patty and any condiments one might wish to add. In a nice flourish, Catooya also scorch-brands the bun. Burgers are not sophisticated, they are not haute cuisine, they do not often inspire critique—but good lord, when they are done as well as they are in Catooya, it’s enough to make one forget about Monsieur Michelin.