Burgers @Stamina Honpo Kaya, Sasebo, Nagasaki

 

This is probably the most effort I have made to get a burger! Although I do question whether it was wise to do a cross-country trip just for this, it was rather delicious in fact. And being in Sasebo, you know the burgers will be good. For the uninitiated, the Sasebo area's claim to fame is the Sasebo burger. It may look like your regular beef patty burger. However, there is something different about it. There is a specific taste that makes it distinctly a Sasebo burger. And Stamina Honpo Kaya is one of those local legends worth reckoning. 

So hot!

Stamina Honpo Kaya is a simple burger shack located in the suburbs of Sasebo. Far away from the military bases and the business district, it can be a bit difficult to get here. however, I was fortunate that a friend had a car at the time. So getting here was much easier. Despite being located in such an unassuming area, there was a line waiting for burgers despite the intense summer heat beating down on that day. Then again, we are already here and it was too late to turn back now. So might as well keep on trucking. 

What prices!

In terms of the menu, it has its standard base burger and you can choose a variety of additional ingredients. As I was extremely hungry I got myself the heftiest of the lot, the Special Burger, which has egg, cheese, and bacon. And it stood for only 630 yen! What a bargain! And to round the meal off, a side of fries at 250 yen. Ronald McDonald would flip if he sees this. 

The order for my group of four. 

And not too long, our food arrived and we were surprised by the size of the food that came. The burger was a literal beast! It was so big that it fits the width of both hands when I was holding it. The height was nothing to snuff about too. It only has one patty, but perhaps due to the other ingredients, there were various layers that made this burger pretty substantial. In addition to the aforementioned additional items under the Special burger, the place was pretty generous with the lettuce and tomatoes. 

This one is mine, all mine!

Despite that, we gobbled everything down with relative ease. The patty was grainy and you can feel every chunk of meat in it. The outer crust of the patty had a nice bite to it and the beef was very fresh. On top of that, the additional flavours and textures from the cheese, bacon, and egg really made this pretty incredible. There were so many savoury flavours in this, that it made it a bit overwhelming. No wonder this place is so popular. 

So hefty. 

There is also some form of special sauce inside which I cannot identify. Is it the Big Mac special sauce? A home made recipe? I have no clue. But it was tangy, sweet, salty and just way too good. I need to know the recipe! The fries were in fact home cut wedges and you can taste the freshness. 

Here comes the spuds!

They were golden brown, crunchy on the outside and light on the inside. Everything was just spot on. However, as the burger was already a gigantic beast to contend with, I was unable to finish the fries. Still, a great compliment to the meal. And speaking of compliments, you would need to get your drink from the neighbouring vending machine. Well, that is just a small matter. 

Another shot of the premises. 

It should be noted that this is a burger shack in the end. However, there are picnic tables for patrons who want to dine in. Luckily, it was well-shaded. Still, the summer heat was a force to reckon with. But despite that, I have to admit this lunch was seriously enjoyable. Definitely one of the more memorable burgers I have had in a long time. So if somehow you are on this side of Nagasaki, why not give it a go? The trip may be long, but it will be worth it. The address to Kaya is as follows:

113 Yamatocho, Sasebo, Nagasaki 857-1165