manimani
I was greatly impressed by the meat expert at the Ginza branch the other day. This time, I visited the Shinjuku main store. It is located a 5-minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station East Exit, right in front of Seibu Shinjuku Station, so it's easy to find. The entrance is decorated like a garden, creating a luxurious atmosphere inside the restaurant. All seats are private rooms, so you can eat slowly without worrying about the surroundings. We had the "Takumi" course for 10,000 yen (tax included) + all-you-can-drink for 2,000 yen.
- Seafood Yukhoe
A combination of beef yukhoe with sweet shrimp, scallops, and sea urchin, chilled and solidified with consomme jelly. The owner has connections to Tsukiji Market, so they can source fresh seafood. It's surprising to be able to enjoy this quality of seafood as an appetizer at a yakiniku restaurant.
- Pickles
- Two types of premium tongue
Thinly sliced tongue shabu-shabu style and thick-cut tongue grilled with a nice sear. The manager himself grilled them to perfection. Enjoy the harmony of meat juice and the sweetness of the salt on a chunk of rock salt, a characteristic of the meat expert.
- Wagyu Harami
Rare wagyu harami, which is rarely available, is a delight for harami lovers like me.
- Farm Salad
Crisp vegetables with a sweet dressing that complements the meat. It's a perfect palate cleanser at this point.
- Assorted rare wagyu cuts
A platter of four cuts: misuji, sinew, shoulder triangle, and tomo triangle. A well-balanced mix of lean and marbled cuts, even the cuts that are usually eaten with sauce were refreshing with rock salt and wasabi.
- Zabuton yakiniku
The only marinated and grilled meat of the day. While we prefer salt, it's nice to satisfy the craving for a bit of sauce.
- Potato salad + corned beef
Bruschetta-style on a baguette, a delightful snack for those of us who want to enjoy a leisurely drink in the second half.
- Wagyu nigiri
Available at the Shinjuku branch, unlike the Ginza branch where it was a choice between potato salad & cheese and wagyu nigiri.
- Cold noodles
When I saw the course menu, I wondered if we would make it to the cold noodles, but we did!
- Handmade dessert
The Italian cassata is a nice touch. Not just matcha ice cream, but a high-quality dessert.
The high-quality meat, as well as seafood, salad, snacks, two desserts, all cooked by professionals, in this course for 10,000 yen including tax, I think it's amazing value. Even at a local yakiniku restaurant, if you order a bit of better meat, side dishes, and drink a lot, it would easily add up to that amount, so you would be much more satisfied here. Also, at yakiniku restaurants where they cook for you, I have experienced feeling awkward at times, but the manager and staff here maintained a good distance, explaining the dishes and engaging in light conversation, making the experience enjoyable. A friend who wanted to go after seeing my Instagram post about the Ginza branch was extremely happy and I'm glad we went together.