Bashi Burger Chance: Ikebukuro
First Glance
One of my friends and I decided to go try out some burgers in Ikebukuro. Bashi Burger Chance was the name. The entry to the doorway pretty sweet. The handle is made from a repurposed skateboard truck and wheels. How cool is that? Why not right?
As you walk in, you get a 1950s Californian diner feel. The store is decorated with memorabilia from Mc Donalds characters and action figures. They have booth seating and they play indy music. It was funny because they had some sort of survivalist show in the background, but it was muted to make way for the music. This place is very hipster in the best way possible. The staff is super friendly and when I asked them if I could film and take pictures, they were super nice. They asked us where we were from and they were surprised to find out we were from Los Angeles and Brazil. Their reactions were pretty cute.
The Grub
Looking around I noticed that their kitchen has their name displayed on mosaic tile. BBC. The first thing that popped into my mind was not the British Broadcasting Corporation. Ok well now that we’ve got that joke out of the way, these burgers are anything but a joke. They are delicious!
Their menu is very well organized. It offers options ranging from beef, chicken, fish, and side dishes. I was happy to hear that they had some craft beer as well. I ended up going for their Mexican burger because it comes with jalapeños. Sometimes those are hard to find in Tokyo, especially unsweetened ones. I ordered their Hop On Or Die: Day of the Dead Beer. It was a 7% IPA, but what held this meal together was the burger. I was completely satisfied with the food. I am a slow eater, but I enjoyed every part of down to the last piece of bun smeared in the excess sauce that was left over.
Delivery Apps: The Future Is Here!
I have come to realize that delivery apps are becoming more popular in Asia. When I left the U.S. in 2015, these types of services, especially western food rating sites such as yelp or grub hub were not as accessible, but in recent years they have expanded their operations. BBC allows delivery through Uber Eats, Fine Dine, and Delivery Hall. These apps are only available for their Ikebukuro, but could change in the future. I live too far away to take advantage of these benefits, but that shouldn’t stop you! Imagine having a burger being delivered to your hotel or apartment if you were staying around Shibuya? Sounds good to me.
In short, these burgers rock. I was very happy with the service and I will definitely be back. I heard that their Kawaguchi store is much more friendly to skating and BMX aficionados since they over a skate park and lessons for people of all ages. I’m curious about this and I’ll be checking it out in the near future.
How To Get There:
Higashi-Ikebukuro Station (Brownish/Greenish [Y] Yurkucho Line)
Ikebukuro Station (Green [JY] Yamanote Line, Red [M] Marunouchi Line,
Toden-Zoshigaya Station (Pink [SA] Tokyo Sakura Tram)/(Dark Green Toden Arakawa Line)
Toden-Zoshigaya is definitely the closest at 2 minutes walking distance from the restaurant, but for most of us who are coming from different parts of Tokyo, we will most likely be taking the Marunouchi or Yamanote Line. The walk from Ikebukuro Station will be about 12 minutes vs. a 5 minute walk from Higashi-Ikebukuro Station. Depending on how full or adamant you are about burning off those burger buns, either option is fine. Stay hungry peeps!
-Talks Eats Jams
