Hey, usually the criteria for choosing a restaurant are the ratings and reviews on Tabelog, right? Well, that's the right way to go. But you know, when a place has a rating below 3.5, it kind of throws you off track from wanting to go there, right? However, the restaurant I stumbled upon today was a total hit for me. The meat was fresh, sweet, and every cut was insanely delicious. It was so good that I fell in love with it. Definitely a must-visit place for me again.

I used it for lunch. The restaurant I wanted to go to was full, so I used this one instead. It was labeled as A5 rank, but it was just too small and limited... I couldn't get the taste of A5 rank. Well, maybe that's just how it is for lunch.笑

Ikebukuro, Yakiniku, Upper Tan Salt, Wasabi Tan, Ichibo, Lamp, Sagari, Kainomi, Tomosankaku, Frank, Triangle Belly, Hormone 4 types platter, Small rice, Yukkejang soup, Heart sashimi, Namul, Spinach, Draft beer, Ozume, Barley shochu, Water split, Fresh lemon sour, Black Oolong High, Hoppy White.

A shop that really opens exactly at 17:00 and won't open until then. Even though the shutters were closed, there were people waiting. This time, I made a reservation for the birthday meat plate course. It was good at first, but the dishes just wouldn't come. It didn't come for 30 minutes either. I thought maybe at least the soup would come quickly, but we entered at 17:00 for the 3-hour course until 20:00. I understand that it's crowded and popular, but waiting too long is a bit much. The taste is delicious, but if you don't mind waiting and feeling awkward, it might be worth a visit with the right company.

Aburu-san. The name of the restaurant... catches your attention when you pass by multiple times. I visited for lunch! Lately, I've been talking a lot with my friend about the hit-or-miss of pork... haha aside from that, I enjoyed a drink with my lunch set and added a little extra to my order. The meat was delicious overall! I'd like to visit again for dinner if I have the chance! Thank you for the meal.

This is a real A5 rank wagyu yakiniku restaurant. It was located a little off the main road aiming for the west exit of Ikebukuro Don Quijote, in front of the police station. The interior of the restaurant is small in size, but it wasn't crowded even on a Sunday. I ordered the Special Harami Set for 1590 yen (limited quantity) with an additional meat portion (+300 yen). I felt a bit unsatisfied with only 5 thickly sliced pieces of Harami meat. The meat itself was delicious, with a high quality tenderness and elasticity. Despite ordering a large portion of rice, it felt insufficient. Moreover, the rice seemed dry and tasteless, almost like leftover rice from the previous day, and it wasn't tasty. It was disappointing that the grill was not charcoal but a roaster.

It was my first time at this restaurant at night! I ordered cold noodles, kalbi, sirloin, turtle meat, and shinsin, as well as some rare cuts of meat (can't remember which ones!). The kalbi was sweet and delicious! Each slice of kalbi was relatively small but the meat was of good quality! I quickly polished off my rice with it. I can't remember what the rare cuts were like... However, even though the conditions were not ideal, I appreciate that the menu clearly indicated the level of lean meat and fat content for unfamiliar cuts, making it easier to try new things! This is very helpful! But, for those who might be bothered by the following situations, be cautious: The staff recommended various dishes multiple times, making it hard to decline. There was a sense of pressure like "Order this!" or "Have a drink." My companion and I, a man and a woman, do not drink alcohol, and one of us has a small appetite. We couldn't spend as much money as the other customers around us... Feeling embarrassed about that, we decided to leave the restaurant early. Despite there being only a few groups of customers in the restaurant, the staff seemed to only provide good service to certain female customers, which slightly bothered my companion who noticed it... (Well, there are quite a few restaurants like that). We arrived around 7:30 pm, and it seemed very busy, so taking orders and serving took quite a long time. However, the meat was delicious, and there was a sense of satisfaction after finishing the meal.

Ikebukuro North Exit location is great. I visited for lunch. I had kalbi, harami, rosu, shimacho, liver with rice, soup, small side dishes like namul, kimchi, and Korean seaweed. The quality of the kalbi meat was excellent. The price is 1280 yen, which is great value. I would like to try a different menu next time.

The course seemed to have been booked as a premium course. Kimchi, Namul assortment, and salad were served first, followed by the appearance of tongue. Then, kalbi, loin, harami, and other meats were served, all with just the right amount of fat and good quality. A steak-like meat came at the end of the course. All of them were high-quality meats and I was impressed. Finally, a stomach-friendly sized ice cream arrived to conclude the course. I was very satisfied.

The meat at Aburunoomi was delicious and consistent. I had it rare and dipped it in their special soy sauce because I don't like wasabi, and it was incredibly tender. Despite its appearance, they had private rooms. It was delicious and I had a great time.

The adult kalbi at this restaurant is really delicious. It's a small place with 5 or 6 table seats. We had items like tan salt, adult kalbi, tripe, comtan soup, and bibimbap. The adult kalbi was especially delicious.

There is a restaurant called Aburusan located not far from Ikebukuro Station West Exit, heading towards Akabane along the railway tracks. They open at 11:30, and when you arrive a bit late and inform them of your reservation, they cheerfully welcome you to a table for two. They offer a lunch menu, and provide a complimentary glass of Oolong tea in a beer mug. The meat portion can be upgraded for just 300 yen! I ordered the Kalbi set with extra meat. The meat, which seemed to be high-quality Wagyu, was served after a short wait. It looked delicious. The set included a small block of tofu, Korean seaweed, kimchi, rice, and miso soup with seaweed. You grill the meat yourself on a roaster. Lately, whenever I go to a restaurant for lunch with delicious Wagyu, I always end up overcooking it on the roaster. I guess charcoal grilling is the best after all. Nonetheless, the meat was tender and flavorful. The rice was also tasty, and the balance with the kimchi was good. The salad was fresh, and the sauce was light and didn't overpower the meat's sweetness. They offer various cuts of meat, and the lunch menu includes options like Harami, Harami & Kalbi, Hormone, All-Star, and Bibimbap. At 890 yen for the Kalbi set with this quality of meat, it's a great deal. Thank you for the meal. Lunch menu prices are exclusive of tax. Kalbi set: 890 yen, Extra meat: 300 yen. Other sets, Bibimbap, and takeout options are available.

Located about 2 minutes from Ikebukuro North Exit. I was lured in by the delicious smell. When I entered a little after 12 o'clock, there were many people having lunch drinks. It seems that you can eat A5 rank black wagyu beef for under 1000 yen, which is great. But this time, I went for lunch. I ordered the All-Star Lunch with extra meat (300 yen). It came with kalbi, loin, and horumon. Also included were namul, kimchi, Korean seaweed and sesame dressing salad, wakame soup, and rice. The thick, fatty kalbi spread its umami and fat in my mouth as soon as I chewed it. The chewy and tender mino, and the fatty, melting toro were delicious. I finished with devil soup. It's a spicy soup with plenty of shiitake mushrooms, daikon, and fluffy egg. It's not just spicy, you can taste the umami. Thank you for the meal.

Check out our bill: ¥980 per person. Today's lunch was at a yakiniku restaurant in Ikebukuro! We visited "Yakiniku Aburu." First of all, the sign is interesting. It's not flashy, but it catches your attention with "Meat, grill?" written on it. We arrived close to 2 pm, and the place was quite busy. If we had come a bit later, we might have had to wait to get in. That's because this place is cheap! You can have a yakiniku lunch for less than 1,000 yen including tax. They also use carefully selected "Saga Imari beef." For dinner, they are currently offering a promotion of a free 'Chutoro nigiri sushi 2 pieces' for Instagram followers. It's a great place to go when you want to eat yakiniku without spending a lot of money!

There was a planned restaurant to go to, but we decided to change our destination on a whim because it looked good! We ordered the Kalbi & Rib lunch set (¥980) which came with meat, rice, salad, egg soup, and a side dish. The salad vegetables didn't seem to be of high quality, but the dressing was delicious! We grilled the meat ourselves and ate it with a special sauce. It was tender and tasty! The sweet sauce was a perfect match. I felt so happy. I wish I could take that sauce home with me. You can have extra rice and soup, so I had another bowl of soup. I feel like I found a hidden gem where you can enjoy a delicious yakiniku lunch for under 1,000 yen. I am satisfied and happy.

After the center exam, on the way back, I took a walk in Ikebukuro with my friend and stumbled upon a place called "Niku. Aburu?" for some reason, the name cracked us up. Finally, I visited this place that had been on my mind! I ordered the Kalbi lunch (I think it was around 1000 yen at the time). The Kalbi was mostly tender and deliciously sweet, although some parts were a bit tough. The presentation was beautiful, and the portion size was just right. I was so impressed! A great lunch option. I visited again in December 2019 and ordered the same menu. It was still just as good! Great lunch option.

Before I knew it, February was already past the middle... I see the words "year-end sale" popping up around town. Some people must be busy with the year-end approaching. Thanks to that, I've been busy with work... When I'm tired, I always go for this. This time, I went to have yakiniku. I visited "Aburu." in Ikebukuro this time. A somewhat mysterious name, but the sign clearly states that they use A5 rank black wagyu beef. I entered the restaurant. The interior was a typical yakiniku restaurant, with old-fashioned square gas stoves for grilling. I ordered a beer first and then carefully selected from the menu. This time, we had appetizers, tongue sashimi for 980 yen, garlic grilled for 380 yen, premium tongue with salt for 1580 yen, stone-grilled bibimbap for 780 yen, beef intestine soup for 580 yen, shinshin and tomosankaku for 980 yen each. The tongue sashimi with egg yolk on top was delicious. If the tongue sashimi is delicious, there's no way the premium tongue with salt isn't... it was the best. Shinshin and tomosankaku, we enjoyed even the rare cuts. Overall, it was great. It was better than expected. Thank you for the meal.

I used to believe in the popularity of Retty's flagship restaurant, but after visiting on a weekday, I was disappointed. The owner seemed to be dining in the customer area while giving instructions to the staff. It felt uncomfortable being the only customers, and the meat didn't offer good value for the price.

I walked to the west exit of Ikebukuro Station and had a yakiniku lunch. It was lunchtime, so the restaurant was almost full, but I was able to get in without waiting. I ordered the Kalbi & Rib lunch set. The price is under 990 yen and you can enjoy yakiniku lunch for 1000 yen or less. You can get a free extra serving of rice, and for an additional 300 yen, you can get more meat. I also got a free large glass of oolong tea. The lunch set not only included meat but also salad, two types of namul, Korean seaweed, Korean tofu, and soup, making it a very filling meal. It was really worth it, so I want to go back again.

I arrived at around 5 o'clock and ordered a course meal! In the second half, I ordered individual dishes and ate a variety of delicious meats until I was full and satisfied! Overall, all the meats I ordered were delicious and satisfying! However, the portions were a bit small and the wait time from ordering was somewhat long, which made me, a meat lover who wants to eat a lot, a little impatient and disappointed.

The meat quality is very good. It is always popular, so I think it's better to make a reservation in advance. The beef bone ramen was also delicious and made luxuriously.