Racco903
Fukushima, where people line up at various shops, may be a hidden gourmet town when viewed from Tokyo. On this day, we went to a popular yakiniku restaurant with multiple locations in Osaka for a summer gathering. The restaurant is located about a 4-minute walk from Fukushima Station, right across from another extremely popular bakery. Following the lead of our local guide, we decided to drop in without a reservation since we arrived early. As we passed through the three rows of lines outside the bakery and opened the door, we were surprised by the chic interior. I had expected a more smoky yakiniku restaurant. We were seated at a spacious counter and given hot towels right away, which was very pleasant. We started with the appetizer (250 yen, excluding tax) which included cabbage and vegetables to snack on. Of course, we also ordered a draft beer and the roast beef yukke-style appetizer (1280 yen). The roast beef was made with eggs from the "Ruby Eyes" brand, which not only had a deep color but also had a rich flavor thanks to the flavorful yolk. It was cooked at a low temperature, resulting in a rare texture that was not raw but rather rare, which was great. We then moved on to the grilled items. The set sauce provided was a mixture of soy sauce, lemon, and a slightly sweet homemade fruit-based sauce. We started with the premium thick-cut tongue (1880 yen), sirloin (2180 yen), and chateaubriand (1980 yen), which are the luxurious cuts. The tongue had a good texture and flavor, the sirloin melted in the mouth, and the chateaubriand was a superb fillet. We also tried the lean cuts: hichu (1380 yen), outer skirt (1080 yen), knuckle (1280 yen), and ribeye cap (1380 yen). The hichu had a good amount of marbling and a rich flavor, which paired well with the wasabi soy sauce. The outer skirt had a nice meaty aroma, the knuckle had a slightly sweet homemade sauce that complemented it well, and the ribeye cap was refreshing with the wasabi soy sauce. This restaurant is welcoming to solo diners, and being a solo diner here makes you feel special. The restaurant changed its name two years ago, but the sourcing remains the same, with the aim of providing delicious meat at a reasonable price. They source the best beef from around the country, such as black wagyu, Kagoshima beef for the belly cuts, Saga beef for the sirloin, and Furano beef occasionally. The friendly service from the staff, including the kitchen staff explaining the dishes, reflects the concept of "Itamae Yakiniku" (chef-driven yakiniku). It would be nice to have a similar dedicated restaurant for solo diners in the local area, and those who can visit this place regularly may be a bit envious.