Burger Update #4: Smile Burger

Tucked away at the bottom of a hill, below the most famous temple in the most historic city in Japan, and around the corner from the dwellings of dozens of geisha, there is a small-time, one-of-a-kind hamburger shop. Always spic and span, the nine available seats inside prove to be just enough, as the two cooks behind the counter can only make so many burgers at once. Not that there is ever a line out the door, as this place seems to rely on a steady flow of customers throughout the day. Their hours are 11 a.m. until they are sold out, which can be as early as 5:30 in the evening, to the disappointment of many who venture all the way through Gion. It's even more disappointing when you arrive hungry for lunch on a Tuesday, only to find it is the one day of the week they are closed. You have no choice but to look up at the big red and white sign above you and come back the next day. Come back to the one and only Smile Burger.



It's safe to say Smile Burger was a beginning for me. I would by no means call myself a hamburger connoisseur, but it wasn't until Smile Burger that I really started giving hamburgers any extra thought. In the past year, I have tried a few dozen different hamburgers, and the fact of the matter is only a few come close to Smile Burger. What's even more impressive is that Smile Burger is so ahead of the game while only using standard ingredients. Quite a few places will add different toppings: egg, chili, guacomole, onion rings, spinach, etc. As Smile Burger became a measuring stick from the start, I felt the need to try a place's burger with both basic toppings and their special toppings. With Smile Burger as a 10 on my scale, only a few places made it to 8, and even if they got a 9, there was a lot of distance between a 9 and a 10.
What stands out on the first bite is the patty, which I have found to be uncontested in its field. Supporting the patty is also the best bun I've had on a burger, a soft and doughy sourdough you can squish to fit your mouth around, but doesn't start breaking apart until it's in your mouth. The bun is the most surprising factor, as one doesn't usually look to a bun to play an important role. When a bun is this good, it can't avoid being a factor, which must be why they feel the need to stamp "SMILE" on it. The other ingredients in the burger are spot on. The ketchup, deli mustard, and secret sauce are a reliable to trio to support the fresh lettuce and tomatoes. The two slices of cheese aren't by any means necessary to make this the best burger I've ever had, but I prefer them to be there. All of the ingredients are a cohesive starting line up, with the bun being Scottie Pippen to the patty's Michael Jordan. The 1-2 punch coupled with a great supporting cast is destined to impress anyone who likes a hamburger. The actual eating of a Smile Burger is definitely the highlight of the visit, but the experience doesn't end there.



One other thing the separates Smile Burger from a lot of other burger places is that they don't serve fries. Instead, they serve potato chips, a lighter, simpler choice. Where they really come into play is that they don't fill you up. The main part of the meal is big enough to fill you up, so serving potato chips prevents you from walking away with any kind of bloated feeling. In addition, you'll notice the only oil stains in the aftermath of a Smile Burger come from the potato chips. Thanks to a Smile Burger not being greasy, you can walk away from the shop with a little more pep in your step, ready to make it back through Gion for a nice walk along the river. Unlike a lot of places, it's a very honest meal, with no added grease disguised as taste.



Are you hungry? They dare ask, though it seems quite rhetorical. Not only am I full, but also incredibly satisfied. The question I always ask myself before I take my first bite is "How do I even start on this thing?" It can be quite intimidating for a first timer, stacked high and wide. Here's my advice: grab it with two hands, and dive right in!