Yoyogi, Damansara Uptown

I first took notice of Yoyogi back in 2023 and I thought the menu looked rather interesting. Burger patties served on rice. Hmmm....

This little restaurant is located along the shophouses facing UOB Bank.

I googled the word "Hikiniku" and found out that it means "minced meat".

And "Hikiniku To Kome" means "minced meat and rice". Then I was curious what was "Binchotan-infused special patty" and it turns out that Binchotan is a type of charcoal. So I learnt a few things that day.

It was time I satisfied my curiosity. 

The space is small and cosy, nice for small groups or the lone diner like me. The lighting is dim, so not conducive to take nice photos.

Ordering is via QR code. Let's take a glimpse into some of the items on the menu. There are so many, so I can't post all of them here.

I was most attracted to the Avocado Coffee but the price is a bit steep. So I decided to abstain. Kedekut pulak.

This is what I came for - the Hamburg on Japanese Comfort Pear Rice (I opted for two patties).

They also serve rice bowls.

Yakitori with rice.

And beverages. There are lots more on the menu and you will be spoilt for choice.

There you go, my Hamburg on Japanese Comfort Pearl Rice. I opted for two patties (of course, right?), the Classic Binchotan.

There are another four options - Savory Yuzu, Umami Mentaiko, Creamy Curry, Crispy Mentai Katsu and Smokey Black Pepper. I chose the most basic flavor to taste the beef (which was not such a good idea as I found out later).

As for the egg, I chose Onsen Tamago (other choices - raw egg [a bit risky this] or fried egg). In fact you can even choose the meat - beef, lamb, chicken or vegetarian. There are also add ons but I did not want to spend extra money.

That's my two (hefty) beef patties served atop Japanese Pearl Rice. The patties are 100g each and I could eat three patties if I did not eat the rice. Maybe next time, no rice.

The patties were very smokey and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. The beefy aroma was quite strong. Perhaps I would like it much better if I chose the other options which will mute the strong beefiness.

The radish pickles were very nice and helped to cut through the strong beefiness of the patties.

The mixed vegetables consisted of beansprouts, mushroom, broccoli and ladies fingers. You will notice that there is a small cast iron pan next to the bowl. I was wondering what it was there for and why it was empty (did they forget to give me something?)

Then it occurred to me that it was there so that I could place my patties on the pan in order to eat the rice and the patties properly.

The clear soup was very strong in beef taste and I'm afraid I did not like it. I just had a few sips and that's it.

Finally, the Onsen Tamago. I just poured the egg on the rice and broke it.

As I was enjoying my meal, a member of staff came to ask if I would like to refill my pickles. Oh! Yes, please. He also brought another serving of the mixed vegetable which I declined as I was pretty full (due to the starchy rice).

Besides, there was a lot of taugeh which reminded me of how I hated beansprouts I was a child hah..hah.. If I am not wrong, you can also refill rice (or ramen) but that would be too much carbs for me. My partner would probably do that.

Well, that was a very filling meal and although I found the beef a bit too strong, I won't mind coming back for other beef variations or the savory rice bowls. Maybe the Avocado Coffee too, eh?