Fillin’ up at Fuji’s Famous Burgers

John Volo

Fuji’s Famous Burgers? If they were indeed famous, how come I had

never heard of them? What makes them famous?

That’s what I was thinking when my buddy Tony suggested we go

there for lunch.

I came to find out Fuji’s has been in business for 32 years, the

last 23 in Huntington Beach. Fuji’s is not only dishing out terrific

teriyaki burgers, it’s also serving up rice bowls, Japanese dishes

and even tacos.

While I might not have known about Fuji’s, others certainly did.

Out of 11 tables, Tony and I were lucky to snag the last empty one.

We ordered at the counter, and then waited eagerly for our number to

be called.

I was way hungry, so I ordered a burger, a combination plate and a

cup of soup. Tony got a teriyaki platter.

I went with Fuji’s signature burger: the double avocado teriyaki

burger. Sandwiched between a soft, mayonnaise-coated sesame seed bun,

a couple of thin teriyaki-basted patties (each one-sixth of a pound)

pressed the lettuce and tomatoes onto a floor of avocado.

I timidly took my first bite, unsure if this mixture of teriyaki,

avocado and mayo would gel. It did. The taste matched the hype.

My combination plate had teriyaki beef and charsui (barbecue pork)

on top of Japanese sticky rice. Off to the side were one fried shrimp

and three fried chicken nuggets with a small container of sweet and

sour sauce.

Both the pork and the beef were thinly sliced and amply covered

with Fuji’s tasty house-made teriyaki sauce. The fried chicken, in a

batter that resembled a really heavy tempura batter, was good even

without the sauce. The almost four-inch-long panko fried shrimp was

disappointing. It was roughly 90% batter. Other than the one piece of

batter (I mean shrimp), this plate was great.

The homemade chicken vegetable soup was fantastic, not to mention

a welcome antidote to the wet, cold weather we were experiencing. The

slightly peppery, thick tomato-based broth was shoved aside by all

the chicken, potatoes, carrots and celery. This soup was so stocked,

it made Campbell’s Chunky look like a consomme.

Tony’s platter varied from mine in that he got grilled chicken, a

mound of potato salad and a small salad. The grilled chicken was all

white meat (this is the way to go), and the salad came with sesame

dressing.

The next day, Tony’s wife Rachelle scolded me for not sampling her

favorite, the teriyaki beef sandwich on a French roll. Armenian bread

is another option for sandwiches.

Teriyaki and avocado rule the menu, which works well whether you

get a burger, sandwich, rice bowl or platter. Even the soft tacos and

burritos come with teriyaki-coated fillings, which doesn’t work for

me. I’m more of a traditionalist when it comes to tacos.

The only other thing not working for me was having to pay for soda

refills. This is just a personal pet peeve of mine.

Tomi, half of the ownership couple, was cooking behind the grill

when I visited, just as she has been for 32 years. She told me it’s

the customers’ appreciation of what her and her husband do that keeps

this duo going.

As for the issue of being famous -- fame is relative. I mean,

Paris Hilton’s boorish behavior has made her famous. Heck, my

8-year-old thinks I’m famous. So yeah, Fuji’s burgers are famous, and

darn tasty to boot.