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Japanese fast food chain serves up burgers with Camembert “buns”

Oona McGee Dec 23, 2021
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We try the Camembert burger that’s on everyone’s lips right now.

After a two-year-long absence from the menu, and our hearts, the Marugoto Camembert Burger from local fast food chain Dom Dom has finally returned to brighten the culinary landscape in Japan.

The burger’s name translates to “Whole Camembert Burger“, which is exactly what it contains – an entire round of Camembert. When it first appeared as part of a “Dead Menu Restaurant” TV segment showcasing unusual concept items that never made it to production, people around the nation screamed out for it, and Dom Dom kindly obliged, adding it to the menu in July 2018.

▼ Dom Dom

It was only available for a limited time, though, disappearing from menus in 2019, so when our burger-obsessed reporter Seiji Nakazawa heard news of its long-awaited return, he immediately headed out to reunite himself with his long-lost love, keen to see if they could rekindle their romance.

▼ This love affair costs a mere 990 yen (US$8.71).

Speaking to staff, Seiji learned that the burger’s return was all thanks to customers, who voted it as the top offering they’d like to see back on the menu in a recent questionnaire. Feeling proud of his fellow Dom Dom diners for resurrecting the burger, Seiji made his purchase and nestled it gently in his bag so they could enjoy some quiet time together at home.

▼ With its “カマンベール” (“Camembert”) sticker and plain packaging, the burger looked like a simple mound of camembert from the outside.

After gently unfurling the wrapping, however, it was clear to see there was a lot more than just Camembert inside. Sandwiched in between the whole round of cheese were two beef patties, sauce, onions, tomatoes, and a slice of cheddar cheese.

▼ Because you can never have too much cheese.

Popping the naked burger on the plate, Seiji wondered if it would be difficult to eat with his hands. However, upon picking it up, he found that the dry surface of the Camembert prevented the cheese from sticking to his fingers, and it actually didn’t feel that different to a regular hamburger bun.

He took a tentative first bite, and felt the cold and crumbly texture of Camembert flit its way across his tongue. Interestingly, the cheddar cheese stood out in the mix, providing a delicious mellowness to the white mould cheese.

Camembert is actually a terrific alternative to hamburger buns as they’re not too dissimilar, in the sense that they both have no strong flavour or aroma, and a great, chewy mouthfeel.

Seiji’s passion for the Camembert burger grew with every delicious bite, and as he reached its centre, he found there was a delectable sweetness in the sauce that he couldn’t quite identify.

▼ Peering closer, he saw that alongside the tomato sauce there was…honey!

The natural sweetness from the honey melded perfectly with the other ingredients, highlighting not just the cheese, but also the taste of the meat and tomatoes. It was a pretty rare thing to find honey in a burger, but it worked beautifully to bring everything together, and it had Seiji wondering if this is what a cheese platter would taste like in burger form.

Either way, Seiji fell head over heels for the burger, and though he knows it’s a romance that won’t last, given that it’s only available for a limited time, he’s happy to enjoy it while he can. Much like his previous fling with the Big Mouth Burgers from Burger King.

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[ Read in Japanese ]