mugichoconeko
I found a great new restaurant in Nishi-Shinjuku that serves A5 rank black wagyu beef directly from Shibaura, offering fantastic value for a meat-lover's feast. I made a reservation with a friend and decided to walk from Shinjuku, as it’s easily accessible. The stylish, glass-enclosed interior was lively, filled with groups of women and perfect for dates or girls' nights out.
Here’s what we enjoyed (prices include tax):
- **Goku! Wagyu Shokudo Waigaya Course** at 10,300 yen, which includes a 2-hour drink plan. This meat course features grilled black wagyu with options like filet, sirloin, and tongue. The drink plan can be extended for an additional 500 yen to include sparkling wine and homemade sangria, which I highly recommend.
We started with a toast over beer and sparkling wine.
- **Seasonal Vegetable Appetizer**: Pickled onions, water eggplant, and okra served with a sauce of olive oil, homemade miso, and tomato. The pickled onions were a refreshing start, preparing our palate for the meat courses.
- **Wagyu Carpaccio**: Thinly sliced black wagyu from the inner thigh, prepared in two styles: a Western version with arugula, parmesan cheese, and balsamic sauce; and a Japanese version with sliced onions, green onions, and ponzu jelly. Both were richly flavored and absolutely delicious!
- **Wagyu Tartare**: Two types — one seasoned with white miso for a Japanese flair and the other with shallots and mayonnaise for a Western touch. Served on crispy toasted bread, they were addictively good!
- **Wagyu Menchi Katsu**: This crispy, juicy meat patty was heavenly and served with tomato sauce. By this point, even a light eater would feel full, but the main course was still to come!
- **Selectable Main Dish — Grilled Black Wagyu**: You can pick from eight types of meat including filet, sirloin, ribeye, and more. Since there were two of us, we chose three — filet (100g), ichibo (120g), and rump (120g). Cooked over applewood, the grilling was perfect, and the meat was soft and aromatic. We enjoyed it with wasabi, yuzu pepper, and rock salt. Each cut was exceptional, and I recommend this combination if you prefer lean meat.
- **Selectable Ending Dish**: You have the option of wagyu bolognese, curry, or garlic rice, all of which you can reorder. We went for the wagyu bolognese, which was hearty with tender chunks of wagyu. Although we were offered the chance to reorder curry or garlic rice, we were already stuffed!
The homemade sangria was particularly delicious, and the bottle was elegantly styled, making it a great choice. The staff kindly checked in with us just before our drinks ran out, which led me to indulge a bit more than planned. The service was excellent, the portions generous, and everything we tasted was truly delightful. I think it would be a lot of fun to visit with a group of four or so hungry friends. I definitely want to go back someday!