Japanese Hamburg Arrives in NYC! -In The Kitchen

One of my favorite meals while in Japan was Hikiniku to Come which serves one thing, and one thing only, Japanese Hamburg. This delicious beef patty feels somewhere between a burger and meatloaf! I was thrilled when I heard that 50 Norman, a vibrant hub of unique Japanese restaurants and shops, was opening Café O’te, a spot dedicated exclusively to Japanese Hamburg, just like Hikiniku! After getting a taste, I was able to chat with Chef Yuji Yani through email to learn more about the concept.

Photo Credit: Liz Clayman

Tell us a little about Cafe O’te? Cafe O’teについて少し教えてください。

Although the name includes “café,” it’s more like a casual eatery that specializes in Japanese Hamburg steak.

Of course, we put great care into our hamburg and side dishes, but what we’re really focused on is offering a real taste of food culture in today’s Japan, especially what you might find in Tokyo right now.

For someone unfamiliar with Japanese Hamburg, can you tell us what it is? 「ハンバーグ」をあまり知らない方のために、どんな料理か教えてもらえますか？

There are many styles of Hamburg in Japan, but in general, it’s a juicy, steak-like patty you eat with chopsticks rather than a knife and fork. It’s usually made by mixing onions, breadcrumbs and eggs into the ground meat to lock in moisture, but at Café O’te, we use 100% beef (American and Japanese Wagyu) and knead it by hand, using fat itself to bind the patty and keep the juices inside.

Why did you end up focusing on just that one dish? なぜハンバーグに絞ることにしたのですか？

As 50 Norman as a whole aims to represent the current food culture of Japan, especially Tokyo, we felt it was important to offer a meat dish to complement the high-quality seafood (the grilled fish teishoku) already available on-site by the Dashi Okume team. Hamburg is one of the most popular and beloved everyday meat dishes in Japan, so it felt like the natural choice. We also plan to expand the menu with more Hamburg-inspired items over time.

What do you think most Americans misunderstand about Japanese cuisine? アメリカでは、日本食についてどんな誤解が多いと思いますか？

In New York, I don’t feel there are many major misconceptions about Japanese food. That said, I do think there’s still room to better express the natural flavor of the ingredients, especially when it comes to seasoning. Also, Japan has a wide variety of vegetables and seafood that change with the seasons, that sense of seasonality is something I think many Americans haven’t yet experienced fully.

Any other Japanese dishes or concepts you'd be excited to bring into 50 Norman next? 今後50 Normanで取り入れてみたい、日本の料理やコンセプトはありますか？

There are still so many styles of Japanese food I’d love to introduce! Please stay tuned for what’s next.