Samの英語チャンネル

Their delicious eggs and delightful sandwich concoctions impressed Mr. Sato.

If you’ve been to Los Angeles or Las Vegas you’ve probably heard of Eggslut, the breakfast sandwich shop that has been rapidly gaining popularity in the U.S. and U.K. With refreshing new arrangements of eco-friendly ingredients, Eggslut’s sandwiches are full of delicious flavor that bring out the tastiness of their main fare: eggs.

The fervor has now spread to Japan, where the first Eggslut branch opened in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on September 13. To Japanese people, a restaurant that specializes in egg sandwiches is a bit of an oddity–after all, breakfast in Japan is usually lighter fare like grilled fish, rice, and miso soup, or perhaps just toast. That’s why our resident foodie reporter Mr. Sato just had to go check it out. For journalism, of course.

It was sort of a spur-of-the-moment decision. Without taking much time to look up anything about restaurant, Mr. Sato decided he’d go around 10:15, thinking they’d open at around eleven, but that turned out to be a bad idea because when he arrived, there was already a massive line out the door!

It turns out that the shop opens at 7:30 a.m., so Mr. Sato had really missed the mark. Considering he waited three days in line to be one of the first to get his hands on the latest iPhone, he doesn’t mess around when it comes to trying things new to Japan, so he felt a little ashamed to have botched it this time.

Nevertheless, the line at Eggslut was a measly one hour long–which was nothing to Mr. Sato–so he happily took his place at the back. A staff member soon handed him a menu, which he perused while he waited. He was pleased to see that the egg sandwiches were almost like burgers; they were served on a brioche bun with various ingredients sandwiched inside. There was also the option to add orange juice as part of a drink set.

It did take about an hour to get inside, probably because the shop itself is not very big, with only 22 seats and some standing tables inside. The order counter is semi-automated; you tell the attendant behind the counter your order, and then pay on your own using the machine in front of you. The staff never touches any money or cards, which is pretty hygienic.

Mr. Sato, ever the hungry man, ordered two sandwiches: the Route 20, made into a set with an orange juice (1,580 yen/US$14.76), and the Gaucho (1,580 yen). Since his order was over 3,000 yen, he got a special commemorative shopping bag with the Eggslut logo on it, which was a nice bonus.

After his order was completed and paid for, he received an order number, and sat down to wait. 10 minutes later, his number was called. The first thing that drew his eye when he went to pick up his food was not the sandwiches, but the tray and everything that came with it. The tray was metal, and the plates and forks were made from paper products. Even the packaging that the sandwiches came in were made of a light paper, and not cardboard or Styrofoam. Mr. Sato was impressed with how much effort the restaurant made to be green.

Now, on to the topic at hand: the sandwiches. The Route 20 burger is a Japan-exclusive menu item. It has scrambled eggs, an over-medium fried egg, a thick slice of cheddar cheese, and a hamburger patty, all on a brioche bun.

The Gaucho has a wagyu tri-trip steak, arugula, red onion, and an over-medium egg. Since it has very high quality meat on it, they only make a limited number of these every day, so Mr. Sato was lucky to get one.

While he was taking pictures, the yolk on the Route 20 sandwich broke and began to leak onto the tray; Mr. Sato had almost begun to panic when a staff member came and helped him rearrange the sandwich so that the yolk wouldn’t leak out. That’s when he noticed the warning on the bottom of the wrapper: “Caution: Flying Yolk”. That’s definitely something that should be on the top of the wrapper!

With the crisis averted, without further ado Mr. Sato tucked into his sandwiches. He was pleasantly surprised to find that, even though each sandwich had a considerable amount of additional ingredients, the real MVPs of both sandwiches were the eggs. For example, in an ordinary hamburger, the ingredients are carefully selected to complement the flavors of the beef, but in the cause of the Route 20 sandwich, the beef patty, with its mild spices, is given a supporting role, and the egg’s flavor comes to the forefront. Wrapping everything nicely together is the brioche bun, a perfect complement to the flavors inside.

Plus, even though hamburgers are often considered junk food, Mr. Sato didn’t get that impression at all from the Route 20 sandwich. It was a substantial sandwich, full of high-quality ingredients. However, he did find the Gaucho sandwich a little difficult to eat because the steak was very large, and the arugula came in big pieces. In both cases, though, he was very satisfied with his meal.

Unfortunately, after eating, Mr. Sato realized that he had made a grave mistake; he’d forgotten to order Eggslut’s signature dish, the Slut (850 yen), a coddled egg over a potato puree! How could he forget? Clearly he was not on top of his game that day. Perhaps he ought to have drunk another giant tapioca tea to clear his brain before heading over?

If you visit Eggslut for the first time, don’t be like Mr. Sato and forget to give their signature dish a try. On the other hand, though, if you’re going to wait in line, make sure you pick up something to curb your hunger while you wait…or else face weird consequences.

Restaurant Information
Eggslut Shinjuku Southern Terrace Shop
Address: Tokyo-to Shibuya-ku Yoyogi 2-2-1 Shinjuku Southern Terrace
東京都渋谷区代々木2-2-1 新宿サザンテラス内
Opening hours: 7:30 to 22:00 daily
Website

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Source: SORA NEWS24