World’s Best Smash Burger

But where can you actually find the best smash burger in the world? That was the question recently explored by the London-based lifestyle magazine Time Out. Surprisingly, the top spot did not go to a burger from London, New York, or Sydney, but to one from Tokyo.

The winner, a Triple Bacon Cheeseburger, is made with bacon, onions, American Cheddar, and Thousand Island sauce (a mayonnaise-and-ketchup-based sauce, usually with pickle relish and seasonings). What makes it particularly exceptional, however, is the patty: it is made from 100 percent Japanese Wagyu beef.

“Wagyu literally means ‘Japanese cattle’ and is distinguished by the high fat content of the meat. This makes it particularly ‘flavorful and exclusive,’” explains Gerhard Bernhauer, Executive Chef at the Japanese  restaurant Shiki in Vienna.