Burge King Japan created the five-patty Baby Body Burger in collaboration with the Japan Sumo Association. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
During a recent stop at Burger near Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, I noticed a new, but puzzling, option.
A Baby Body Burger?
At first glance, I wasn’t sure I read it correctly, but there it was, a five-patty creation with a peculiar name made in collaboration with the Japan Sumo Association.
How Burger King Japan came up with the name Baby Body is left unexplained, but the sandwich is not for a weak appetite or faint heart. Its 1,876 calories meet nearly all your recommended daily needs.
It debuted July 11, a couple of days before the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament began July 13. The tournament concluded July 27.
This “yokozuna-class,” or sumo grand champion, burger consists of Burger King’s signature all-beef patties, four slices each of cheese and bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles with ketchup, mayonnaise and a rich and tangy “special aurora sauce.”
The sandwich alone costs 2,590 yen, or about $18. The meal set comes with small fries and a medium drink for 2,890 yen. I went with the combo for the full experience.
Online reviews were mostly impressed with the size of this creation, although one Reddit user called it the “meal of misfortune.”
A food reviewer for the Guardian newspaper weighed in with: “The denseness and thickness of the five industrial patties, unfortunately, overwhelm the cheddar and sauces beyond the edges.”
Other than that, he appeared to relish the towering assignment.
Along with the burger, you get a unique 6-inch black, circular Baby Body Burger sticker with Japan Sumo Association written in kanji, and bearing the braided belt insignia of the yokozuna, the highest rank of sumo wrestler. The set is available until supplies last.
Did I beat the challenge? I could have downed it all, but chose instead to savor it and save a quarter of it for lunch the following day.
Challenge yourself to this oddly named burger at a Burger King Japan location near you before it’s gone.
Burge King Japan created the five-patty Baby Body Burger in collaboration with the Japan Sumo Association. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
BK Baby Body Burger
Location: Burger King restaurants throughout Japan.
Hours: Vary by location; promotion is available while supplies last.
Prices: The sandwich alone costs 2,590 yen, or about $18. A meal set with small fries and a medium drink is 2,890 yen.
Dress: Casual
Information: burgerking.co.jp
AloJapan.com