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Located in Hakata Kuuten, a long-established sukiyaki restaurant "Ningyocho Imahan" specializes in black wagyu beef and was founded in Meiji 28. When you choose the set menu, the grilled meat will be served, but if you choose the sukiyaki set, the waitress will grill the meat in front of you, which is the unique feature of this restaurant. I chose to have the sukiyaki (priced at 5400 yen) grilled in front of me. The price increases based on the rank of the meat. For drinks, I chose a rich plum wine, which had a whole plum with pulp inside! It was truly a rich plum wine.
Appetizers included yuzu-flavored tofu with yuba, boiled watercress, and amberjack sashimi. The yuzu-flavored tofu had an elegant taste. The sukiyaki vegetable assortment included leeks, as well as seasonal vegetables like sweet potatoes, turnips, garland chrysanthemum, and Japanese yam. The sweet potatoes were intricately cut, and the grilled wheat gluten had the "Imahan" brand stamped on it, adding to the visual appeal. The meat that day was Saga beef. Each serving was 120g, divided into 60g, 30g, and 30g pieces. The waitress grilled the meat starting with the 60g piece, which was substantial and tender, truly exquisite.
After grilling the vegetables and tofu, the waitress would serve them in the dish once we finished eating. The tofu and wheat gluten absorbed the flavorful broth, and the waitress would serve them at the perfect moment, allowing us to enjoy the best parts! The waitress would frequently change the egg to ensure the flavor remained fresh, so I ended up eating about 3-4 eggs that day. Finally, we poured the sauce over rice, added the half-cooked egg, and sprinkled some sansho pepper on top. It was delicious, but I wished there was more meat and egg.
For dessert, we had sweet potato yokan, kiwi, and pear. The sticky texture and sweetness of the sweet potato yokan were delightful! Overall, having the waitress cook for you allows you to enjoy the food at its best, but it may make conversation a bit difficult. If you enjoy chatting with the person you're dining with, opting for the set menu might be better.