The first store in Japan of "Honey Baked Ham", where you can enjoy a menu that generously uses the ham of the popular American ham brand "Honey Baked Ham", will open in Toranomon, Tokyo on August 6th. It is a super famous brand with almost 90% recognition (!) In the United States, and it is also offered at the White House, and Hollywood actor George Clooney is also a fan of ham here.


Speaking of ham, the image of familiar ingredients that you can easily buy at convenience stores and supermarkets. Even if it becomes a side menu or a snack of sake, it may be thought that it will not be the leading role. However, once you taste the Honey Baked Ham menu, the image will surely be overturned!


Honey-baked ham is made by carefully aging carefully selected pork thighs using traditional methods and smoking them with "secret" wood chips for over 20 hours. In addition, the surface of the meat is finished with "Honey Baked Glazing," a process in which honey and seasonings containing various spices are melted in a flame and coated by hand. By doing this, a mellow and deep taste is completed.


The first store in Japan, which opened in Toranomon, sells sandwiches made with luxuriously glazing ham all day long, as well as a variety of dishes such as hearty ham steak. We also have a lineup of beer and wine that go well with ham dishes.


Among the sandwich menus that can be taken out, the one I liked the most was "Ham Classic Sandwich" (780 yen). Honey baked ham is layered with romaine lettuce, tomatoes and cheese, seasoned with honey mustard sauce and sandwiched with butter rolls. It's the most popular sandwich in America.


Morimori and a large amount of ham are sandwiched on top of each other, so when you stretch it, the umami and texture of the ham will give off its presence in your mouth, as well as the plump and thick bread.

Is it sweet because it's called "honey"? I imagined it to be honey-baked ham, but when I tried it, it had an exquisite taste with a hint of sweetness chasing after the delicious taste of the salty meat. While it has a moist and soft texture, it also has a chewy texture that is unique to meat. Even though each one is thick, it doesn't fluff in the mouth and is moderately juicy. You can eat this as much as you want without joking .


The recommended dinner menu is "Paul's grilled ham with mashed potatoes and spinach cream sauce" (2,590 yen). Served on a plate of lightly grilled honey-baked ham with spinach cream sauce and smooth mashed potatoes.


Ham that is packed with umami is more like ham or another food. The saltiness, sweetness and fragrance spread in the mouth in order, and the more you chew, the deeper the taste becomes. Excellent compatibility with rich sauces and mashed potatoes. Wouldn't it be the best mariage if you add wine to this?


Ham that can be the protagonist of cooking, not the compliment. It's no wonder that Americans line up for this during the holiday season.

In addition, ham for To go is also sold at the store. If you like it, why not buy it and make it your own luxury sandwich?

The store is located on the 1st floor of Metro City Kamiyacho, 5-1-5 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Take Exit 4b of Tokyo Metro Kamiyacho Station and turn left. Business hours are from 11:00 to 23:00. Closed on Sundays and public holidays.