Burger King Asakusabashi Higashiguchi Ekimae

(Dined 10÷14÷14 TU @ 4:00pm): My love for the King of burgers knew no boundaries, and I trekked here specifically (kind of, anyway) for the Kuro Diamond Burger
!
Like a unicorn, I once heard and read about this mythical «black» burger the folks in Japan were making, but I had to see and taste it for myself before I was a believer. So while my friend I hiked back from the far reaches of the city, I used the trusty Unilocal app which led us to this Buger King next to the Asakusabashi Station in Tokyo. The «squid ink» burger was about to be exposed
!:
Kuro Diamond Burger (approx. ¥690 JPY/​$ 6.90 USD) — Squid was a food staple growing up, so I was used to having the ink in many dishes and I especially loved it on my steamed white rice… but on the bun, cheese and sauce?! Bamboo charcoal was also added into the mix and you had quite an alarming appearance! This was a Whopper with an acquired taste with its saltiness and slight chalkiness left on your palate. The black-​pepper patty offered all sorts of flavors with every moist bite, the cheese needed to be melted more, the fresh lettuce, tomatoes and onions where crisp and juicy, while the toasted black buns just freaked me out!
[ONION RINGS/​STRAWS/​STRINGS ALERT — 3 OF 5 STARS]
Onion Rings (approx. ¥350 JPY/​$ 3.50 USD) — Available in only one size, I had to order one of my favorite fried foods. A decent portion size with large rings, they were nicely golden brown with a flaky crunch but didn’t have the slightly burnt batter nugget extensions I favored. Also, each broke apart after you bit into it so you were left with a stringy onion ring between your fingers and the shell on the tray.
Small Fountain Drink (approx. ¥250 JPY/​$ 2.50 USD) — Meh… it was soda which I tried not to drink but nothing else interested me. Unfortunately, no refills.
Service — Greeted by a cute young female who spoke some English (yes!), she was cool and patient while I read the menu (no one else was in line). Once I ordered, the food came out in about five minutes which I picked up at the counter, found a table, and grubbed down. The service was pretty hands-​off as I threw my trash away and returned my tray. Easy peasy.
Parking (n/​a) — Aside from the street, I didn’t see any lots as was the case in most instances around the area. Rather, most people took the trains and walked it like we did.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience — You climbed a narrow flight of stairs to a 2^nd level with some dining views of the city as well as what seemed to be a separate area for smokers (I think)
. The dining area was what you expected at any Burger King with an assortment of booths and tables. The parquet flooring was an impressive touch, the walls were painted a vibrant orange-​red with one specific wall dedicated to old pictures of Japan
. The order counter was directly in front of you with its outstretched menu
. Although some natural lighting came through the small windows, extremely bright electric lighting lit this place up like a Roman candle! A shout-​out to the very clean yet tiny bathroom
. There were no TVs or background music.
Attire — Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-​shirt, boardshorts, and flip-​flops.
Overall, this Burger King close to the Asakusabashi Station forever held a special place in my eating and traveling heart for my first experience with this chain in Japan and of course its «black» burger. In comparison, there was truly nothing different — although I was fascinated by the soup menu which I’ve never seen before but looked enticing
. Prices seemed a tad high, but whatever, I was traveling and the pictures and associated stories were worth it. I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (total paid experience was around $ 13.00 USD before tip). Cash only, which meant they didn’t accept credit cards especially mine of choice… AMEX! 4.0 STARS

Stateside, I usually don’t frequent this burger chain because of the abundance of In N Out’s where I live & work. Based on feedback from locals, apparently Burger King is more highly revered than McDonald’s (at least in Tokyo, from my small sample size). Based on this info., decided to see for myself & discovered the Kuro Diamond burger (aka the squid ink burger). Yes, it’s really black; and despite its odd appearance was surprisingly good!

Well normally I wouldn’t eat American fast food in another country, but I was a little bit hungry and I wanted to try the black burger. I ordered the Kuro Diamond, which was Y690 without fries, but with a drink.
As, Samuel L Jackson would say, mmm, that’s a tasty burger. I washed it down with some Coke Zero. I think the blackness in the burger comes from squid ink, and it definitely adds a nice flavor to the hamburger. It was quite juicy.
Also, my understanding is that in Japan, the Burger King is better than McDonald’s. Because of that, I ate here rather than the McDonald’s down the street.