Food blogger Hidenori Sato agrees that the attraction of
dekamori goes beyond a full stomach. “Food in any form
is appealing, but I feel like dekamori raises it to the level
of art.” Sato should know: as part of an ongoing series of
culinary challenges for Asian news site RocketNews24,
he’s tackled such ridiculous meals as aWhopper with 1,050
strips of bacon and one that involved the entire menu at
Wendy’s Japan. Surely
that
qualifies as performance art.
No matter what your poison, you can probably find it
in bowel-endangering quantities somewhere in the Tokyo
area. At the Minatoan soba restaurants in Yokohama,
you can order the Mount Fuji Soba, a heaped-up pile of
buckwheat noodles stacked 25cm high – equivalent to
about three typical servings – for just ¥500. Then there’s
Kagurazakahanten, where you can get a bowl of ramen
that’s three times the usual size, or a gigantic 2.5kg gyoza
dumpling. That will cost you ¥9,600, but if you can finish
it in an hour, it’s free. For hamburgers, Monster Cafe in
Shinjuku is the place to go. Try the Tower Burger, available
with four to six different types of burgers, all stacked on a
skewer that practically touches the ceiling.
Unlike most dekamori places, Monster Cafe’s clientele
is made up primarily of young women. Manager Akira
Takubo suggests the retro diner setting and pink walls
are responsible for attracting the ladies, but it’s likely that
the lenient attitude to sharing also draws them in – this is
something usually frowned upon in the dekamori world.
Whether you are in it for the challenge of finishing an eye-
popping meal on your own, or you just want something fun
to share with friends, Sato has some advice for novices. “Of
course, it’s food and the end goal is to eat it,” he says. “But
first, take a moment and let the visual impact sink in. From
the staff’s perspective as well, they’ve worked hard, so I’m
sure they will be pleased if they get a big reaction.” More
importantly, he adds, “Don’t push yourself too hard.”
S OOT
C
43
(
tokyo’ s b i gges t b i t es
)
Scoot off to Tokyo.
Book your flights at
MONSTER
CAFE
The burger joint
to end all burger
joints, they have
dekamori options
by size and
quantity. Be sure
to bring a friend.
Yoshioka Bldg B1,
3-10-1
Shinjuku,
Shinjuku-ku; +81
(3) 3341 9989,
monstercafe
OUTSIDE
THE CITY
MINATOAN
(
KANNAI
BRANCH)
See Mount
Fuji, then eat
the buckwheat
noodle version
at this chain of
noodle shops.
2-5-5
Ogimachi,
Chuo-ku,
Yokohama; tel:
+81 (45) 662
6899,
minatoan.com
