You can now try rougamo, otherwise also known affectionately as the Chinese hamburger, in Shimokitazawa. While the classic street food usually contains pork, the flaky pie-like buns at Qinfay Rougamo comes with beef, chicken, lamb, squid and veggie fillings, too.
The rougamo dates back to over 1,300 years and is now commonly found at street vendors across China. The founder of this Shimokitazawa restaurant, Yura Honda, spent her childhood in Xi’an and opened this eatery in hopes of sharing this delectable traditional Chinese comfort food with the locals in this hip neighbourhood.
You can’t go wrong with any of the rougamo options, but first-timers should go for the classic pork filling (¥748), which has been simmered with over 16 herbs and spices to give it an umami punch. While the burger itself can be filling, the restaurant recommends enjoying a pork rouogamo with spicy skin noodles (¥858) and a Fanta orange.
The rougamo menu will expand in the near future to include new and inventive fillings like shrimp mayo and lobster cheese. There will also be dessert versions of the Chinese burger for the summer.