A beefy burger from an unusual restaurant offers a host of surprises.
Vanguard village It is a popular Japanese store chain known for selling novelty items such as Lucky Bags and Pokéfuta accessories. However, it also contains a small chain of restaurants, known as Vanguard Village dinnerthe 10th branch that was recently opened on August 1 in Fuji-Q Highlanda park located at the foot of Mount Fuji Yamanashi Prefecture.
In keeping with its Western brand image, Village Vanguard Diner serves authentic hamburgers made with carefully selected ingredients. Established in 2003, The Diner was named one of Japan’s “100 Famous Restaurants” on restaurant review site Tabelog, so our correspondent Masanuki Sunakuma had high hopes for it when he visited the new Fuji-Q Highland branch.
Unlike a lot of theme parks, entry to Fuji-Q Highland is free, with visitors paying for the rides separately or with a pass, so if you’re not a thrill-seeker and want to Go down the Fujiyama slideYou can simply visit for the food and atmosphere. Those coming to eat will want to head straight to the restaurant, which sells a wide range of drinks, burgers, side dishes and set meals, which can be ordered via a ticket vending machine (pictured below).
The Diner is located right in front of the “King of Coasters”. Fujiyamathat The eighth tallest roller coaster in the worldAt an altitude of 79 meters (259 ft), although it was The tallest In the world When the park opened in 1968.
▼ This branch of Diner has two exclusive, limited-edition burgers that you can’t get anywhere else – Wagyu zukon And the Big Mount Fuji.
These are huge burgers, both in size and price, with the Zokkon costing 2,590 yen ($17.61 USD) and the Big Mt Fuji costing 3,090 yen. While the Mount Fuji burger looked incredibly delicious, with four patties of beef, three slices of cheese and bacon, it was advertised with the following question: “Can you eat it all?”
Masanuki was eating alone and not on an empty stomach, so he wasn’t ravenous enough to face the big Mount Fuji, and opted for Wagyu Zokkon and ginger ale instead.
▼ Wagyu Zucon Burger (top), Ginger Ale (bottom)
He handed his tickets to the staff behind the counter, and it didn’t take long for Masanuki’s meal to be ready.
According to Diner, this burger is made with carefully selected ingredients, features a special rice flour bun and a 100% Wagyu beef patty that is 1.5 times the size of regular patties. When Masanuki bites into it, he can taste the work that went into making it, as the delicious Japanese wagyu flavor descends on his taste buds, creating an irresistible flavor and texture. Despite being undercooked, the patty retained its juiciness and plump texture, and when the richness of the cheese rose to the fore soon after, Masanuki fell in love with the perfect combination.
The sauce, an authentic blend of sweet and salty tamari soy sauce and mayonnaise, was wonderfully rich and flavorful, and contrasted well with the lightness of the rice flour cakes and the crunch of fresh vegetables, creating an exciting mix of textures and flavors in every bite.
As he listened to the screams of the riders emanating from Fujiyama, he wished he could make room for the great Mount Fuji, but alas, it was not meant to be. At least he tried out Zokkon, which, if you’re wondering, is named after a new cycling game that launched in July.
Masanuki may not have been on this ride, but his taste buds certainly enjoyed an exciting adventure with Zukon. I highly recommend trying it if you can, perhaps after spending a night in a nearby hotel room with a train in it!
Restaurant information:
Vanguard Village Restaurant / Vanguard Village Restaurant
Address: Yamanashi-ken, Fujiyoshida, Shinchihara 5-6-1
5-6-1 Shin Nishihara, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture
website
Photos © Sora News24
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(Read in Japanese)