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Japanese Joe Biden tries the Biden Burger in Japan

Oona McGee Nov 18, 2020
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The sweet taste of democracy in a burger that tips its hat to some Pennsylvania favourites.

Back in 2016, our Japanese-language reporter Mr Sato suffered a bout of U.S. Presidential fever that saw him transform into Donald Trump for a period of time. However, just as hairstyles come and go, so too do U.S. presidents, and so this year, Mr Sato once again found himself back at the salon, getting the look du jour and turning himself into 77-year-old President-elect, Joe Biden.

▼ 2016 Sato

▼ 2020 Sato

Our Japanese Joe Biden doesn’t just want to look like the next U.S. president, though — he wants to walk in his shoes as well. So last week, Sato Biden, as we’ve taken to calling him, went out to enjoy ice cream — one of Joe Biden’s favourite indulgences — at a Tokyo store that specialises in cones filled with towering layers of soft serve cream.

This week, however, Sato Biden found out that a Biden Burger existed in Tokyo’s neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture, so he immediately set out to pay the store a presidential visit.

The burger joint paying homage to Biden is called Tsunami and it’s located in Yokosuka, the port city where Matthew Perry’s “black ships” famously arrived in Japan from America in 1853 to open up the country to trade after years of isolation.

Today, the area retains a cosmopolitan feel that makes it the perfect place for a Biden burger to appear. And the locals are fans of burgers too, because when Sato Biden arrived there was already a line of people waiting for their takeout orders.

Sato Biden couldn’t see anything about the Biden Burger from a distance, but he could see a statuette of blue robot Tetsujin 28-go (“Iron Man No 28“) from the 1956 manga of the same name, and a flag advertising a “Yokosuka Navy Burger“, as an homage to the U.S. navy base located in the area.

As he got closer, though, Sato Biden saw Tsunami had burgers dedicated to past U.S. presidents Obama, Trump, and George Washington, as well as a couple of varieties dedicated to the U.S. navy.

▼ And then he saw it…the Biden Burger!

That was all the encouragement he needed to swagger in, holding his signboard across his chest just in case nobody inside recognised him.

He placed his order and waited. This was no McDonald’s, where burgers come out immediately after ordering. At Tsunami, the burgers are made-to-order, ensuring freshness and quality befitting a president.

Still, the wait wasn’t that long, and when he met his namesake burger, it proved to be well worth the wait, as it brought a big, presidential smile to Sato Biden’s face.

▼ OMG just look at all that deliciousness!

Sato Biden nodded in approval at the look of the burger, but was curious to know what it contained that made it worthy of the Biden name. According to staff, the burger contains a famous specialty from Biden’s home state of Pennsylvania: Philly Cheesesteak.

▼ The soft buns glistened coyly as a 600-gram (21-ounce) beef patty and a flood of Philly Cheesesteak spilled out from between them.

The burger also tips its hat to the fact that Pennsylvania is famous for potatoes, with a handful of thick-cut potatoes included in its filling as well.

Holding the beautiful burger up in front of him, Sato Biden began to feel the power of the American spirit rise from within.

▼ “This burger is a victory for the American, er, Japanese, people.”

This meeting between burger and president-elect was a heavenly trifecta, as we had Sato BIDEN…

▼ …The BIDEN burger…

▼ And the BIDEN watch all at play inside this humble burger joint not far from the U.S. navy base.

So what’s the verdict, Sato Biden?

He took a huge bite of the burger and sat back to ruminate on his findings.

It was a juicy burger, and the taste of meat sang out above all the other flavours. It was the first time for Sato Biden to taste such a delicious patty, and the cheesesteak was fantastic, packed with the flavour of cheese and tender meat morsels. He licked his lips, put his hand out, and with his thumb slightly extended over his clenched fist he pounded out the words, “Meat, meat, meat!”

▼ He followed up with another bite before saying, through a mouthful of meat, “This is a time for healing”.

There was nobody but Iron Man No 28 to hear Sato Biden’s enthusiastic proclamations, but had there been a crowd of supporters present, this moment would’ve elicited a thunderous round of applause and the fervent waving of flags.

Sato Biden gives the Biden Burger a big presidential thumbs-up, and although it might seem a little pricey at 1,800 yen (US$17.15) plus tax, he says it’s worth every yen for such top-quality meat and well-rounded, harmonious flavours.

If harmony is what Biden wishes to prioritise during his time as president, then this burger certainly satisfies. Sato Biden was glad to get a taste of harmony, and he highly recommends President-elect Biden try it next time he visits Japan, perhaps with Japanese mayor Jo Baiden at the table for company.

Cafe Information
Tsunami
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Yokosuka-shi, Honcho, 2-1-9 飯田ビル
神奈川県横須賀市本町2-1-9 飯田ビル1F
Hours: 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. (last order 9:00 p.m.)
Website

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