Brasserie Café ONZE – the locally famous French bistro in Kyoto City – opened its first hamburger joint, BURGER ELEVEN.
Do you remember One Direction? I do. One Direction is the British boy band of 5 allegedly heterosexual men who have been inactive since 2016. As of 2022, The members are all in their late twenties (except for the oldest 30 yo). They are probably the wealthiest twenties in the world.
The members of One Direction speaking French.
Sometimes I wonder how they would look in real life as non-celebrities. They might as well wear suits (if they were suit-and-tie workers), look decent but not exquisite, and have lunch at lunchtime like ordinary people would eat lunch. Can you imagine 5 of them in suits finishing their hamburgers at a local hamburger joint and heading back to their office? I can.
Because it was just like them: my imaginary One Direction in their late twenties, that walked out of BURGER ELEVEN chatting in (non-British) English to each other. They were seemingly satisfied with their meals and walking in one direction: toward me. I was like, OK. Just another big lunch in Kyoto City, I guess.
The exterior of BURGER ELEVEN.
BURGER ELEVEN is a French Japanese hamburger joint. It can be a hamburger bistro given the history of its company that operates the locally famous French bistro, Brasserie Café ONZE. “Onze” in French means 11, hence BURGER ELEVEN. The name resembles 7-Eleven, which might sound like a random joke to somebody unacquainted with the word “onze.” The restaurant seems to know how to handle the “joke” with an esprit (check its Instagram account linked at the bottom of the article if interested).
The interior of BURGER ELEVEN.
“Walk this way!!,” I could’ve shouted as I walked in BURGER ELEVEN. But instead, it was executed professionally by RUN DMC and Aerosmith through the audio system at the restaurant. It sounded all right (and American) since hamburgers are considered American food in Japan. The smell at the restaurant was also all right. It was updated and different from the well-known chain with a Scottish name familiar to the Japanese as the American hamburger restaurant.
The interior looked contemporary: the silver-painted counter like an American diner overlooking the shiny kitchen and the crisp and glossy white walls of tiles with the large rectangular clean-cut mirrors framed in black. It was sophisticated because it didn’t make me think I was in a bathroom (btw, the restaurant’s bathroom was as pristinely clean as the dining room).
The food menu.
The drink menu.
I loved (to read) BURGER ELEVEN’s menu. In general, I appreciate a pair-down menu, in other words, a well-curated document, because it provides my brain with a placebo effect that makes me feel I’m smart at reading. BURGER ELEVEN’s menu was straightforward, and it was easy for me to grasp what was going on. The food menu: hamburgers, side dishes (french fries, carottes râpées, etc.), desserts, and its signature steak frites. The drink menu: beers, wines, and craft non-alcoholic drinks.
Sangria Sans Alcohol (non-alcoholic sangria).
Sangria Sans Alcohol was such a party crasher. Let me explain.
In Japan, some restaurants implement a rule called “one-drink system/order” that obliges a customer to order the minimum of one drink – which I call a party crasher. BURGER ELEVEN had the system. I involuntarily picked one. But the drink turned out to be a live wire, which made me regret not inviting it to my table in the first place. Frankly, it was good. So good that it enlightened me on a better aspect of the system.
It was essentially the dense-yet-smooth grape juice with a notable aroma of cinnamon. It stayed robust and delicious until the last sip. Maybe I should admit that a party crasher can be super-fun at times.
Burger Eleven with Carottes Râpées (grated carrot salad).
Burger Eleven – the restaurant’s signature hamburger – consists of a 100% beef patty, lettuce, tomatoes, condiments with minced pickles and shallots, and the restaurant’s original Onion Spice Sauce.
The dish looked like a plate of chunky hamburger skewers (or an ultimately modern kebab hamburger in some countries). Regardless of the restaurant’s intention, “kebab hamburger” made sense to me since the hamburger tasted of discreet spices of black peppers and cumin that reminded me of hamburgers and beef kebabs I ate in the Middle East.
Burger Eleven held the French identity in the sauce and the condiments. Onion Spice Sauce was sweet ever so slightly and comfortably, which I only assume BURGER ELEVEN cleverly outsourced from its sister restaurant, Brasserie Café ONZE. The minced condiments of pickles and shallots blended well in my mouth, especially with the mayonnaise. They functioned as an interchangeable remoulade providing sensuous bitterness. Beautiful teamwork.
The medium-rare hamburger patty with the coarsely ground beef tasted rich and flavourful. I appreciated that my waiter didn’t ask about the doneness of the meat. I solemnly accept everything as a whole. And the bun was great too.
The signature Eleven Burger was rich in dimension and range: a hint of the Middle East (or the Asian continent) and French gastronomic techniques. Yet it was served as a universally authentic hamburger.
Carottes Râpées as the side dish.
Carottes râpées (grated carrot salad) is a famous French salad and one of 3 choices as a side dish at the restaurant. The salad was flawless: fresh in texture, straightforward but not monotonous in flavor; salt, sourness from a lemon (I guess), vegetal bitterness from the freshly grated carrots, and rich but discreet nuttiness from walnuts. “Can I get carrots instead of fries?” was a sheer joke until BURGER ELEVEN. Here, a side dish of carrots is not a compromising option but an inspirational destination.
The french fries were notably salty and crispy and awesome though the price of ¥660/$5 was a bit too avant-garde for me. ¥330/$2.50 for a half potion might do (in that case, I would’ve ordered another round anyhow). To sum up, it was awesome.
The view from my seat overlooking Kyoto City’s main street, Kawaramachi Dori. On the door says “POUSSEZ” (“push” in French).
BURGER ELEVEN updated my limited experience with a French hamburger (the first and last one I ate overseas came with a grilled and abused foie gras). French cuisine is not all about foie gras. Here in Kyoto City, BURGER ELEVEN is no cliché. What I love about the restaurant is that it doesn’t kiss up to anybody and is not standoffish either, and most importantly, the foods taste just remarkably fine. Oh là là.
BURGER ELEVEN | 284-1 Shimizucho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 〒600-8025, Japan
Sangria Sans Alchohol: ¥660 / $5 / £4.10 / €4.70
Burger Eleven: ¥1320 / $10 / £8.20 / €9.40
Pommes Frites: ¥660 / $5 / £4.10 / €4.70
Instagram
BURGER ELEVEN | 284-1 Shimizucho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 〒600-8025, Japan
