We’re participating in BURGER MONTH at Lil Woody’s locations around Seattle!

“Hambagu refers to the style and seasoning of the patty itself, most akin to a Japanese-style meatloaf typically served sans bun. Hanbaga is the Japanese loanword for hamburger. It is phonetically like the English word, but it functions as an independent, fully established term in Japanese.

The inspiration for this burger comes from the Hambagu Meatloaf that we serve at Saint Bread's sister establishment, The Wayland Mill, our restaurant group's newest venue. It is a simple and savory mixture of ground beef, ground cabbage, and onion, and a whisper of nutmeg for a touch of both comfort and intrigue. We have moved the cabbage and onion outside of the patty itself, their coolness and crunch taking the forefront under a cloak of Bulldog mayo, a rich combination of the classic ketchup-y tonkatsu sauce and eggy, decadent Kewpie mayonnaise, also originating in Japan. The Saint Bread milk bun is the perfect vessel for the burger - it is also what we use for the cheeseburger we serve there. Slightly sweet, buttery but not heavy, delicious as its own product but even better as a canvas for a thoughtfully composed sandwich. The Hambagu Hanbaga captures all the flavors of a classic Americana fast-food burger, gently skewed off-center in a way that is both delightful and surprising.”  

Before establishing The Jensen Marina Project and its component venues, Yasuaki Saito was an operating partner in The London Plane in Seattle's Pioneer Square. He has also overseen restaurants in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland, OR. Saint Bread is a bakery and community space on the Portage Bay waterfront near the University of Washington. His team includes chef Jim McGurk, who honed his skills in New York City before settling in Seattle, where he cooked and led kitchens at Tivoli, Lupo, Delancey, and Little Uncle, and pastry chef Brian Randall, who began his culinary journey in Madison, Wisconsin, before committing to a pastry career on the West Coast.