We taste seafood and defeat.

Every once in a while, our writers like to escape the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and head out to some of the other beautiful and culturally rich cities Japan has to offer. This time, it was our reporter Ikuna Kamezawa who traveled to Numazu Port in Shizuoka Prefecture, home of Numazu Burger.

Numazu Burger is a restaurant that obviously specializes in hamburgers but also has a very wide range of fish burgers and other seafood-related items. Two of their more eye-catching offerings are the Deep Sea Fish Burgers and Shark Burgers so Ikuna decided to do an impromptu taste test of each.

She found that Numazu Burger was a pretty happening place and there were no seats available during the lunchtime rush. This didn’t dissuade her in the least, however, because she was just steps away from the gorgeous seaside where she could eat her to-go seafood and really become one with it.

There were a lot of interesting menu items, such as the Tuna Burger and Numazu Ground Mackerel Burger. There was also a Deep Sea Fish Burger for 870 yen (US$5.60), but when Ikuna was there she found a recently added Japanese-style Premium Deep Sea Burger for a whopping 1,400 yen ($9).

Of course, she had to get the premium burger and also picked up a Shark Burger for 870 yen, some Monkfish Nuggets for 600 yen, and Squid & Cod Nuggets for 480 yen. Everything was fresh out of the fryer and looked delicious.

After finding a nice spot by the water to eat, she decided to open with the Shark Burger before moving on to the premium main event.

This was the first time Ikuna had even eaten shark and she was surprised by how good it was. It had a mellow taste and a texture slightly different from normal whitefish like cod, but close enough to make it familiar and delicious.

The mustard, sauce, and cheese toppings complimented the meat well and the fluffy bun helped to bring out its texture. Even the gentle sea breeze caressing it all seemed to bring out the full shark-eating experience.

It was the perfect lead-in to the Japanese-style Premium Deep Sea Fish Burger.

The fish in question here is the skilfish, a dweller of depths around 200 meters (656 feet) beneath the ocean and capable of growing up to 1.8 meters long.

This was not only Ikuna’s first time eating skilfish but at 1,400 yen it was possibly also the most expensive burger she’s ever—

Bystander: “Look out!!!”
SHHHHWOOOOP!
Ikuna: “GYAHHHHHH!”

The attack was sudden and jarring to say the least. It all happened so fast our reporter wasn’t sure if the bystander was trying to warn her before the strike or tell her to take cover after it.

Several people were nearby and they all gathered around Ikuna, asking if she was all right. Still, in a daze, our reporter checked herself and found she was unharmed. As her senses gradually came back to her, she could see traces of her Japanese-style Premium Deep Sea Fish Burger on the concrete retaining wall.

▼ Arrows pointing to what was left of the Japanese-style Premium Deep Sea Fish Burger

One moment she was holding her freshly fried burger and the next it completely vanished from her hand as if by magic, just as she was raising it to put into her mouth. The precision of the strike was staggeringly high. This was the work of a raptor known as a black kite.

Perhaps the kite underestimated the structural integrity of the burger because the impact of its strike sent the various components hurtling towards the water. Moments later it came in straight for the luxurious skilfish patty. This bird clearly had standards.

▼ “And it seemed to me… ♫”

▼ “You lived your life… ♪”

▼ “Like a Japanese-style Premium Deep Sea Fish Burger in the wind… ♫”

▼ “Never knowing who to cling to… ♪”

▼ “When the kite sets in… ♫”

When it was done, a group of smaller kites descended on the buns and other toppings, no doubt reveling in the decedent sauces and fresh vegetables within.

The crowd, which once was concerned for Ikuna’s well-being, now watched this spectacle of nature in awe. She too could only stand and watch her expensive burger return to nature. Thoughts of “Why didn’t I eat that first?” and “At least I still have my fingers,” ran through her head.

One of the people told her that incidents like this were not uncommon around those parts and everyone is warned not to wave food around outside. Our writer quickly gathered her remaining food and took it into the sanctity of her car.

Next, she tried the Monkfish Nuggets. Ikuna had tried monkfish in hotpots but never fried like this and was surprised by its firmness that ranked somewhere between chicken and whitefish. It also had a tasty curry seasoning.

The Squid & Cod Nuggets had an interesting texture created by blending the two ground meats.

The thick, crispy batter and spicy seasoning of these nuggets were also quite tasty.

Unfortunately, Ikuna cannot report on the taste of the Japanese-style Premium Deep Sea Fish Burger and the large black kite was unavailable for comment. However, Numazu Burger does occasionally hold pop-up shops in places like Tokyo, so maybe she’ll get another chance someday without having to worry about birds of prey.

Restaurant information
Numazu Burger / 沼津バーガー
Shizuoka-ken, Numazu-shi, Senbonminatocho 83-1
静岡県沼津市千本港町83-1
Open 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. (7 p.m. on weekends)

Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]