kuroda
As a terminal building at JR Tennoji Station, "Tennoji Mio" is bustling with many customers. A yakiniku restaurant opened on March 29, 2022, on the 2nd floor of the Plaza building called "Mio Ekitchen." This restaurant, with its Showa retro-style appearance, has already expanded to four locations in Umeda and Nishinomiya, and has now opened in Tennoji to coincide with the minor change in "Mio Ekitchen." I visited for the first time this time. The restaurant has a total of 70 seats, including counter seats surrounding the open kitchen and table seats behind them. While exuding a Showa retro feel, it is still new, bright, and clean. Each counter seat and table seat are equipped with roasters, and strong ducts are installed. The abundance of counter seats is convenient for solo diners. The menu includes various cuts of yakiniku such as kalbi, loin, and rare cuts of horumon, as well as side dishes such as simmered dishes, tempura, and ramen, offering over 50 varieties to enjoy. As it was my first visit, I couldn't grasp the volume, so I ordered the "Nami Tan (with garlic butter)" (748 yen) advertised as a specialty and the recommended "Mino Sand" (638 yen), and also requested a "Lemon Sour" (large - 407 yen). The "Nami Tan" plate came with an aluminum cup containing butter and sliced garlic. First, I try grilling the tan. I place the aluminum cup on the grill to melt the garlic butter, lightly sear the thick-sliced tan until it changes color, and let it soak in the garlic butter. While tan is typically enjoyed with lemon and salt for a light taste, this is the opposite. It is incredibly rich, with a strong umami flavor hitting you. It's a forbidden taste far from healthy, but it's addictive. The Mino Sand is the thick part of the first stomach of a cow, known for its high fat content. After grilling it carefully to remove excess fat, you can enjoy the unique crunchy texture and the sweetness of the fat. Although it is fatty, it is easy to eat because it is not too strong. It is well-seasoned with the marinade, bringing out plenty of umami. Having a sense of the volume, I added the "Upper Harami" (968 yen) at this point. It was brought promptly, with unexpectedly large pieces of meat on the plate. The large size makes you want to cut it with scissors, but when you put a large piece in your mouth, it easily tears apart with tenderness. It has a moderate amount of fat, spreading umami and sweetness in your mouth. It is also free from any unpleasant smell. I thought the price was high for harami, but with this quality, it's worth it. In front of the counter seats, you can see the chefs cutting the meat in the kitchen, and all the meats look beautiful and high-quality. It's reassuring to see this, creating a sense of trust. This time, I only had three dishes of horumon, but they were enough to fill me up. It's easy to use for solo diners, so this is definitely a restaurant I would want to revisit.