The Experience: Have you heard? Chef Masaharu Morimoto, of Iron Chef fame, has opened an Asian bistro in Tribeca. When the news reached me, I decided that I would knock a couple of items off of my bucket list at once: I would eat at a Morimoto restaurant for the first time, and I would eat my first Japanese inspired burger (Burger Weekly has covered Yakuza Lounge, but I haven’t personally gotten my hands on a Japanese burger yet). I very much enjoyed the Thai burgers I had at Ngam and Rhong Tiam, so I had high hopes for the Wagyu burger at Bisutoro.
Burger Devoured: The Wagyu Burger
The Taste: The Wagyu Burger consists of a patty made of its namesake beef, lettuce, tomato, and wasabi aioli. While the burger came medium rare as per my order, the patty itself wasn’t particularly juicy. However, there isn’t a person on earth that could call this burger dry, as the wasabi aioli dripped all over everything, creating a puddle on my plate that made it difficult to put my burger back down after I’d lifted it for my first bite. That very same puddle served as a nice dipping platter for my burger. The bun was also soft and delicious, and shockingly held up through this messy affair (though it was a close call).
Now those might seem like complaints, but they are not. The burger tastes magnificent, and is seasoned beautifully. The bites with the most wasabi flavor were the ones that will remain in my memory for a long time to come. But my one complaint is that there is too much Rabbit Food on this burger; too much lettuce and far too much tomato. Once I knocked the tomato to my plate I became a much happier Burgermeister.
I also tried the Mushroom Onion Soup Dumplings (amazing), the Spicy Tuna (amazing), and the Sashimi Caesar (out of this world). The one dish I wish I had a chance to sample was the Tonkatsu berkshire pork chop, but alas my stomach (and wallet) can only take so much.
The Verdict: This is an interesting take on a hamburger. It doesn’t stray too far away from the traditional hamburger tropes that make all burgers fantastic, but adds just enough wasabi flavor to make it stand out from the pack.
Bisutoro is located at 313 Church Street in Manhattan, New York.
