Hamburger vs. Hamburg

First, there's the lovely "American hamburger" - bottom bun, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, onion, avocado (yum!), top bun, with fries & pickles on the side.

This special 'treat' makes me smile so big in Japan!! Especially since I got to eat it outdoors overlooking a river & mountains, with great friends & cute servers ;)
Next, lovely in its own way (and that's after 2 years of letting the idea grow), there's the "Japanese hamburg" - mine, on bottom - is called the "Japanese 2." A 150 gram chunk of meat with onions & the fixin's inside (think meatloaf), topped with a slightly cooked egg, with green beans, potatoes, and 2 slices of carrots on the side. The bowl of brown sauce (goma / sesame) and shredded daikon / white radish is also mine--you can dip any part of the meal into the sauce for a little spice.
My friend's - on top - is a chunk of meat in demi-glace sauce with vegetables, and of course, because I ate with a Japanese friend, a side of rice :)

Both meals were fun experiences, mostly due to the company; and eaten only 24 hours apart, I found the contrast of "burgers" noteworthy.