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Japanese chain Bikkuri Donkey’s enormous salad almost beats Mr. Sato, but not because of its size

Katie Pask Nov 2, 2022
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Casual restaurant chain’s giant salad causes unexpected problems for Mr. Sato.

In Japan, there is a famous phrase “shokuyoku no aki“, which when literally translated means autumn appetite, but refers to the abundance of seasonal foods like sweet potato and chestnut that reach the peak of their deliciousness during the fall months. In other words, autumn is the season for eating.

And someone who knows all about eating is Mr. Sato, a man who has sampled many delicious meals during his tenure as a gourmet writer here at SoraNews24. So when casual restaurant chain Bikkuri Donkey announced they would once again be serving their popular Gulliver menu this autumn too, he headed to his nearest branch right away.

Much like the man in the story that the menu is presumably named after, the Gulliver menu contains food that is much larger in proportions than the regular menu. For example, the Gulliver Hamburger Steak is a whopping 400 grams (15.8 ounces), compared to the regular Bikkuri Donkey Hamburger Steak that’s only 150 grams.

▼ The Gulliver Hamburger Steak, as seen on the menu.

But while the Gulliver Hamburger Steak looked mighty tempting, Mr. Sato is all too familiar with eating large portions of meat in one sitting, and was actually visiting the Minami Ikebukuro branch of Bikkuri Donkey to try some other Gulliver menu items. There was a 20-centimetre (7.8-inche) tall ice cream using cream from Hokkaido, and a 25-centimetre (9.8-inche) tall strawberry milk drink.

There was also some Gulliver sized rice — at 600 grams (21 ounces), it was three times the normal weight. However, the Gulliver Rice is only available with the Gulliver Hamburger Steak, and cannot be ordered separately.

But while all of that was pretty enticing, there was one menu item that really caught Mr. Sato’s attention.

▼ The Gulliver Salad (715 yen [US$4.89])

Towering at 25 centimetres tall, the Gulliver Salad was served in a goblet. Mr. Sato decided to order it with a side salad for comparison.

▼ Here’s a normal sized side salad next to the Gulliver Salad.

That photo doesn’t really show how big the Gulliver Salad is, so here’s another comparison photo next to Mr. Sato’s head.

Mr. Sato decided to start his Gulliver adventure by eating the smaller side salad. As with all Bikkuri Donkey salads, the dressing was tasty and refreshing.

Once the side salad had been polished off, Mr. Sato turned his attention to the giant salad that he’d ordered. It seemed impractical to eat it from the goblet, so he emptied it out bit by bit onto a plate to eat.

Just before he got tucked in though, a bowl of miso soup was brought to the table — part of his salad side set that he’d bought to go with his Gulliver Salad. It was a welcome arrival, as the salty taste of the soup would be crucial if Mr. Sato was to make his way through a giant goblet of salad.

Mr. Sato’s attack on the Gulliver Salad began with the uppermost level, which was exactly the same as the smaller side salad — a daikon (white radish) salad with lettuce and carrots, and dressing and cherry tomatoes on the top.

As he made his way down to the middle layer of the salad, Mr. Sato was met with some crunchy dry noodles. Each layer had a slightly different texture and taste, so Mr. Sato never got tired of eating the same thing.

Further down into the giant salad were layers of shredded red cabbage that seemed to have been pickled in vinegar, giving it a slight sour taste. Again, it was a welcome change in flavour and texture, and it prevented Mr. Sato from getting too bored with his salad.

The final level proved to be the most challenging though, but not because Mr. Sato was full — after all, this kind of stuff is mere child’s play to the average SoraNews24 reporter — but for another reason.

Waiting for Mr. Sato at the very bottom of the goblet were some diced tomatoes…

… which were incredibly difficult to pick up using chopsticks!!

The tomatoes kept sliding around and Mr. Sato had a tough time getting a solid grip on them, and found himself longing for a long spoon to scoop them out. In the end, Mr. Sato managed to muster the last of his chopstick strength to scoop out the tomatoes from the bottom of the goblet and finished his salad, but he was a little surprised. He hadn’t been expecting such a devious trick at the very last hurdle!

The Gulliver menu is available until November 24th, so if you’re keen to satiate your autumn appetite, head to your nearest branch of Bikkuri Donkey. Make sure you bring an empty stomach, and maybe a spoon to scoop out the tomatoes.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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