tokyo food file: tex-mex

Martiniburger...

It is — as I say in my Japan Times column today — a great name. But it only works because it actually does have the look to go with it. And because the burgers are more than good.

Here are a few more images to whet your appetite and imagination on your way over to the unfashionable, unheralded slope known as Watanabezaka (it's just a short stroll from Kagurazaka subway station)...

If you arrive in the evening, as we did, you see it gleaming like a beacon, as if it had been beamed down into this modest, traditional neighborhood not from another part of town but all the way from the hippest heart of New York City.

The chicken quesadillas kept us happy while we browsed the list of main dishes and specials.

The meat loaf: two very hefty slices of melt-in-the-mouth meat moistened with a savory mushroom gravy, and salad and good mash on the side. It was some of the best American-style comfort food we've been served in a long time — and a proper plateful too.

As for the burgers: Each of the elements — patty, sauce (we second Bergman's recommendation of blue cheese), tomato and pickle — is laid out separately on the plate. You assemble them yourself; that way the buns don't get too soggy.

The exterior of the patty (200 grams, all Aussie beef) is beautifully browned and seared. But inside it's a lovely shade of rare red and dripping with juices... Go ahead and devour it with your hands. That's what the napkins are for. You'll need at least three.

In the column, the only burger I mention is the eponymous Martiniburger. And that's definitely the place to start. But there are also half a dozen variations on the theme, each named after a different neighbourhood of NYC (well, five of them anyway).

Apart from the beef patty, each features a different combination of sauces, toppings and buns. As you can see in the photos above, the Martiniburger comes on an English Muffin. Others come variously on burger buns or even French bread.

The odd one out is the one named The Hamptons — and not only because the said district is way out of the city. This features a grilled chicken fillet and comes with avocado.

A similar fillet of chicken was the star of the show on this"special" version of the salad that Chef Jason put together the other day...

Jason really seems to have the city's DNA in his cooking... If you need any more convincing, just finish up your meal with one of his dense, lingering chocolate brownies, or better yet a slice of his cheesecake, which is moist and substantial in true Yankee style.