Thanks. I should have thought to just Google it. Very informative answer though.
Really, really, really upscale, maybe.
“Probably about 99 percent of wasabi is fake in the North America.” That holds just about everywhere else, too. Even, though some might not realize it, in Japan. “I’d say about 95 percent is fake in Japan,” he added.
There’s only one place in all of North America that grows it.
Let me correct myself; only one way to write it in Kanji. (The Japanese pictographic written language.) There are many ways to write it in Japanese if you are using Hiragana or Katakana characters (which are Japan’s phonetic writing systems).
Sorry to continue the tangent, but I just realized my explanation was imprecise and not totally accurate. 
I mean, it was grated in front of me here in Chicago. And it wasnt that upscale. It was definitely nice though.
ETA: when I went there, the wasabi was from Oregon. I guess that place must have gone out of business. Would have been around 2008/2009.
Where was that?
(It’s not that I don’t believe you, I do, I’m just honestly curious. In case I’m in Chicago. That sounds pretty cool.)
It was in the South Loop. I’ll see if I can find it. May not even exist anymore for all I know.
Feel free to PM me, this thread is about the questionable Arby’s product, not high end shaved root vegetables. 
(Despite my own hijacking.)
Wait. This can I bought at WalMart isn’t real?
[W]hen unicorns reach the end of their lifespan, they are drawn to County Meath, Ireland. The Sisters at Radiant Farms have dedicated their lives to nursing these elegant creatures through their final days. Taking a cue from the Kobe beef industry, they massage each unicorn’s coat with Guinness daily and fatten them on a diet comprised entirely of candy corn. As the unicorn ages, its meat becomes fatty and marbled and the living bone in the horn loses density in a process much like osteoporosis. The horn’s outer layer of keratin begins to develop a flavor very similar to candied almonds. Blending the crushed unicorn horn into the meat adds delightful, crispy flavor notes in each bite. We are confident you will find a world of bewilderment in every mouthful of scrumptious unicorn meat.
Actually
The bottom comes off to reveal a dismembered plush unicorn.
I’ve seen it for sale retail at a Japanese grocery (Mitsuwa Marketplace). I wish I could remember the cost but it was really expensive per pound. However, the individual pieces being sold were something like $20ish, a fairly affordable treat.
Checking online, it seems to run about $200 a pound, sometimes more. (This is for the root that you grate to make the sauce, the actual paste only keeps its flavor for minutes so you can’t sell real paste to people.) In other words, it’s comparable in cost to genuine A5 graded Wagyu beef.
Back on topic, Takeout gives it an A-:
One of the commentators mentions that apparently the burger is deep fried to crisp the outside.
In the back of my mind, I was thinking $150/lb so that was probably about right at the time, ten years ago or so. It was kind of funny seeing a tiny bit of root (kind of like green turmeric) wrapped in a 4 x 6 inch produce tray with such a hefty pricetag.
I will probably grab one this weekend, I’ll see if it’s any good.
Getting a burger at Arby’s is just going to feel weird.
ETA: Well, I found a second Arby’s I won’t be eating at.
That one is actually in my state, so I just won’t get a milkshake when I travel south.
Or… Maybe that’s the one Arby’s that’s safe, because I’m sure they’ve been careful to clean that machine recently.
Have you looked at saffron jars lately? Going rate is about $12 a gram with Penzey’s going for double that. Largest amount they sell is 1/4 oz. for $108
I stumbled on this thread a couple of days ago, just before stepping out for lunch. The power of suggestion: I went to Arby’s for the first time in years. The burger wasn’t bad, and dare I say it was decently good. I did not sense any crisp to it (if it is indeed fried), but I did not inspect it that closely. The fried post came afterwards. I’d give it an A- / B+.
I’m on a low sodium diet so I hardly ever go out to restaurants or eat burgers if I do. But I was told I can cheat if I do so rarely. Yesterday, the wild game burger of the day at the Blu Wolf Bistro was elk. Elk is delicious so my wife and I got takeout, sharing a juicy elk burger almost two inches thick on a brioche bun with caramelized onions and roasted red peppers, along with thick curly fries that were magnificent. The cost was similar to two Arby’s Wagyu burgers with fries and surely ten times as good.
Fast food has its place. A very small place, but a place. If Arby’s wants to offer a really good version of a fast food burger, isn’t that better than most places’ really bad version of fast food burgers? If you’re still a snob about it, find a great local casual restaurant and eat there.
Blu Wolf Bistro. Found it on the map. Next time I’m in Rochester I’ll have to try that elk burger.
Call ahead first. The meat changes every day, although we’ve tried other meats and they’ve all been good.
Buffalo’s Colter Bay in Allentown has elk burger on the menu all the time. Very good but not as exceptional. Haven’t been there since before COVID, tbh though.
It probably won’t be for a few years. I live near San Francisco and I don’t have any plans for Rochester area. But, thanks.
More: I mark my mark with interesting places to go. Hardly any eateries on it, but there are some. Including the Blu Wolf Bistro.
It’s a crowded map.
