Behind the Counter at a local Japanese Hamburger Shop

Behind the Counter at a local Japanese Hamburger Shop

The other day I made a video about
a Japanese burger shop and I messed up! It’s one of my favorite burger spots in Tokyo, but I completely failed to mention some very important things. I haven’t been able
to get it out of my mind for months! I need to fix it. So, I’m going back to Shibuya
to go behind the counter at Chillmatic. So, what you already know is
a Japanese craft burger shop located in the Oku-Shibu area, offering a one-of-a-kind burger
using aged beef with deep umami topped with an irresistible homemade pastrami. There’s nothing like it! But there’s a story that you don’t know. First, it starts in the morning. [Music] Good morning! That’s owner and head chef, Shioda-san. So, the shop originally opened 3 years ago
on the first floor of Mustard Hotel in Shibuya. This is when I first discovered it
and fell in love with their burgers! Unfortunately, the hotel had to close down just after a year which forced them to move out
and set up pop-up shops for an entire year until finally settling at this location. You’ve got a lot of bling! Right. I like this stuff. Are they made in Japan? Right. Some are from my friends’ brands,
and others were made for me. That’s dope! [Laugh] [Music] The first thing he does is prepare the kitchen
and clean the whole entire place. So, here’s one of the many things
that I failed to share the first time. Shioda-san was originally from Tokyo
and his father was a French chef, while his grandmother’s family
ran a high-end “ryoutei” restaurant in Kyoto. Naturally drawn to cooking from a young age, he dove straight into the world of French cuisine
just after high school, spending the next 11 years
honing his skills to master the cuisine. [Music] Hey, I don’t see many chefs in Japan with tattoos! That may be true. Have you had them for a while? I avoided getting tattoos during my training
since I thought I’d get in trouble. When I started working for myself, I got my first tattoo. This was me first tattoo. Oh, that’s cool! Apparently, tiger and dragon tattoos
are often drawn together in Japan. Do you have tattoos all over your body? Nah, nah. Just on my stomach, chest and arms. Oh, can I see them? I’m kinda embarrassed to show this area. Yeah, no worries! By the way, do you have a family? I’m divorced and my kids are big now. Oh, how old? My son is 18 and my daughter is 15. My son is preparing for college entrance exams,
so he’s studying hard. Oh, I hope he does well! [Music] Now he slices the buns, preferring a brioche
with a good amount of sweetness and texture to balance out the strong umami from their meat. Hey Shioda-san, do you live nearby? I live pretty close by, less than a 10 minutes walk from here. I hang out around here and I almost
never get out of Shibuya. Apparently, his friends own bars in Shibuya so he often visits them for drinks. So, what do you drink? I drink Shochu with tea.
But I drink pretty much anything. Do you like beer? I do… like craft beers. This is our original craft beer
we made for our anniversary. Wow, they’re super cool! They make a pale ale in tangerine in collaboration with an orange juice maker in Ehime and Camosi Brewery in Itoshima. He says that being in the food industry
while also living in Shibuya has allowed him to also develop 
many connections in the fashion industry, leading to various collaborations which he enjoys! Do you like spicy food? I love spicy. Really? Hold on! Here you go.
Six years in the ma- [Crash] Argh! [Shioda-san laughs] I’m so sorry! I dropped it!!! Is it broken? It’s ok. Sorry! I’ll get you a new one! Good morning! [Music] Now he prepares the meat
for their handcrafted pastrami, used in their iconic burger! [Music] [Music] He discovered a new passion for meat when he moved on from French cuisine to work at The Burn – a New York-style grill in Aoyama,
known for their aged meat and pastrami. Here he also developed a deep appreciation
for American food culture, which would eventually inspire him
to create his own high quality-style food, but in a more casual and relaxed restaurant atmosphere. [Music] Morning. Nice!
Another worker is here. Morning. So, what do you do when you’re not working? On my days off? I’m usually not at home.
I like going out. Like recently I went to check out the Ukiyoe museum. I also like the zoo. Oh, really?
What’s your favorite animal? Hippo. Nice! Hey, do you travel at all? I love it. Where’s your go-to spot? It’s hard to say but I do like Nikko. I love the Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine and their sculptures. I go there and I’m amazed every time. Damn, you love your art! Hi. How long have you been working here? It’s only been like 2 or 3 months. Oh, what did you do before this? I’ve always been in the food industry. I started in French, same as Shioda-san. He says that he worked at a cafe bar in 
Harajuku for 7 years and he was in between jobs looking for real estate to start 
his own restaurant when he was offered to work here. How do you like it here? I’m enjoying it. And what’s it like working at a burger shop? Ah, I actually never worked at a burger joint before. The pastrami he’s preparing right now is different
from French fod and he has his own twist to it. I’m learning a lot now. That’s cool. So what kind of 
restaurant were you going to open? I’m thinking of a casual bistro with an upbeat vibe. Awesome!
I’ll have to check it out! Please do. Now, he seasons the beef with his own original rub blended with 9 different spices
to help bring out the meat’s natural flavors, marinating it for a total of about 7 days! When it’s ready he slowly cooks the meat to lock in the moisture, producing a pastrami like no other! By the way, your father was a chef in Tokyo, right? Yes, actually in Shibuya. Wow! Is he still around? Right now, he’s running a French-style inn with my mom
in minami Onuma, Niigata. Oh, that’s cool. He says at one point
his father brought a group of his French chef friends to dine at his restaurant. He prepared a special course for them. But for him, it wasn’t about earning the praise from the chefs. What truly mattered was the fact that his father had
chosen to bring them there in the first place. In that moment, he realized he was already good enough for the man he’s always looked up to the most: his father. What are you going to do with the edges? I’ll make bacon and pastrami jam. We cook it with root beer and red wine
and use it in our burgers. That sounds delicious! I love how nothing goes to waste in this kitchen. Have you been doing this for a long time? Yeah quite a long time in the food industry. I opened this store with him. Oh, really? I was working at a bar back then… He says that he and Shioda-san
became friends at the bar he worked at and at the time he was thinking about quitting, Shioda-san was also thinking about starting this shop. So he decided to work
together with him to start the business. Hey, wait! You have no tattoos! For me, I like it clean. So before we continue on, I want to give 
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go to squarespace.com/paolofromtokyo and get 10% off your first domain or website. Now, the shop is officially open for business, 
and the first customer is already here! In just a few minutes, the shop is filled with 
customers and the kitchen starts to pick up. The sizzle of the grill can be heard
throughout the shop as the patties cook. A unique blend of 4 different parts of the beef,
each aged for at least 90 days. And as the fat melts from the patty onto the grill, the smoke created envelops the meat, infusing it with a deep, smoky aroma. [Music] Look at that crispy brioche bun! It’s coated with clarified butter
blended with grape seed oil, which helps keep it light while also 
preserving the butter’s natural flavor. For Shioda-san, crafting each burger is 
a form of art. From toasting the buns to melting the cheese
to just the right texture, every step is deliberate. A final touch that brings his vision
of the ultimate burger to life. It’s a culmination of years spent perfecting his craft, shaped even by his early years in French cuisine. And what brings Shioda-san the greatest joy
is seeing customers enjoy every bite of his burger. Savoring not only the flavor he crafted,
but the experience he’s thoughtfully created. Excuse me!
Do you come here often? I come here A LOT. How’d you find this place? My friend who cuts my hair took me to this place. Oh, that’s cool. What’s your go-to here? I recommend the Quarto Cheese Maple burger
with the Pastrami topping. It’s got Maple Syrup. It’s sweet and I think it’s got 4 kinds of cheese. That sounds phenomenal. Can you order anything else here? I do eat other stuff but I order this the most. Even when I come with 8 friends
we all order this one. Okay, thanks. Hello.
Do you come here often? I come here once or twice a week. Oh, what’s your favorite here? This one, their cheese burger. Chillmatic burger is good too
but I’m really into their patty. Always the same thing? I always order this one. Why is that? I love the sweetness of their bun as well as their mustard. I can’t get enough of this aged beef patty. Awesome! Thanks. By the way, what do 
you do when you’re not working here? When I’m off? I go out and eat with friends. Nice. Do you play any sports? I did Judo for a long time. From 3 yrs old til the end of high school. Wow, that’s why you have cauliflower ear! Yes that’s why my ear are like this. By the way, what weight did you compete at? 55kg (121lbs) and 60kg (132lbs). Dope! Over the last few years,
Shioda-san’s built a strong team around him. Drawing on his experience as head chef for 3 years
at a burger and pastrami specialty restaurant just before starting his own shop. He learned firsthand how to balance his creativity in the kitchen with the practical demands of running a business. Knowledge he’s carried over into this shop, as well as his other 2 restaurants:
Lil’matic, a chicken over rice shop, and Cafe Paro Paro. As the shop continues to work, he shifts his focus to preparing the mustard sauce
used in the signature Chillmatic burger. What’s that? This is salt and sugar. So, why did you name it Chillmatic? Because of Nas. I really liked his album. I created the name by adding ‘chill’ to it. He says that he wanted the restaurant
to be more than just a place to eat, but a super chill space with the food, service,
and even the atmosphere have a crafted vibe. For him, Chilmatic isn’t just a name. It’s his commitment to give his absolute best
in everything that he creates. Guys, his apple vinegar mixture is being added
to the dry mustard seeds, which helps soften it, and then stirred over the next 4 days. Then the seeds are placed into a mixture to be gently crushed, releasing its rich aroma and natural sticky texture. It’s then made to sit for another 2 days
to help mellow out its slight bitterness. It’s a process that Shioda-san
has developed and perfected over time, an approach designed to draw out
the full depth of flavor in his signature mustard sauce. He applies that same artistry
to every ingredient he touches. And it’s this dedication that’s earned him
a loyal and growing community of customers. And this is a story that I needed to tell about a Japanese man who, from a young age, 
already knew exactly where he wanted to go in his life and found a way to nurture that passion
into everything he did. Each experience building to what he is today and what he crafts. It’s a story that kept me up at night
because I didn’t get it right the first time, but now you know! And I can finally put this one in the books! Like always, if you want to visit this place for yourself, 
I’ll be sure to leave a link in the description.

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Behind the counter at local Japanese Hamburger and Pastrami shop. Hidden in Shibuya, Chillmatic is redefining Japanese craft burgers with aged beef and homemade pastrami that take flavor to another level a Japanese craft burger shop known for serving one-of-a-kind burgers made with aged beef and topped with irresistible homemade pastrami. This isn’t fast food, it’s the art of burger making elevated to a fine dining experience. Chillmatic first opened three years ago on the first floor of the Mustard Hotel in Shibuya. That’s where I first discovered it and became hooked on their unforgettable burgers. But when the hotel closed after just one year, the shop was forced to move from pop-up to pop-up for an entire year before finally finding a new permanent home in its current location. Behind the grill is Chef Shioda-san, a Tokyo native whose roots run deep in Japan’s culinary world. At Chillmatic, the beef is seasoned with an original blend of nine spices and marinated for seven days to deepen the umami flavor. Once ready, it’s slow-cooked to preserve its juiciness and transformed into pastrami unlike anything else in Japan. Each patty combines four cuts of beef, all aged for at least 90 days, creating a flavor profile that’s rich, smoky, and full of depth. Shioda-san toasts the buns, melts the cheese to the ideal consistency, and finishes with their house-made sauce, a final touch that ties everything together. It’s not just a burger; it’s the result of years of dedication, technique, and an unwavering commitment to craft.

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