Yakiniku is a popular gourmet dish offered in various formats, from standard to high-end restaurants, and even bar-style venues. One reason for its popularity is that it suits a variety of occasions, from casual gatherings with family and friends to special events like anniversaries and business dinners. We'll introduce you to the different cuts of meat, some you may already know and some you may not, as well as the latest Yakiniku restaurants.
Galbi, meaning rib in Korean, refers to beef belly in Japan. It’s rich in flavor and has fine marbling, which makes the meat feel softer than it actually is. When the meat juices rise to the surface, flip it over, and once it gets a nice sear, it's ready to eat.
Skirt steak is part of the muscle in the diaphragm and is classified as visceral meat, but its appearance and texture resemble red meat. It’s popular due to its soft texture, moderate fat content, and rich flavor, while also being lower in calories than short ribs. For the best taste, cook it thoroughly to bring out its savory aroma.
Horumon refers to internal organs like the stomach, intestines, liver, and heart. These cuts, such as heart (hatsu), tripe (mino), hachinosu, and senmai, are popular for their crunchy and juicy texture. Start grilling from the skin side, flip it over as soon as it browns, and cook it thoroughly until it stops shrinking to bring out its full flavor.
Rare cuts, which are obtained in small quantities from a single cow, are highly sought after. Chateaubriand, a famous high-end steak cut, is lean yet has the tenderness and flavor of marbled meat, and is best enjoyed grilled to medium-rare. Zabuton, known as the "fatty tuna of beef," should be lightly seared to perfection.
The order in which you eat yakiniku is very important. Start with lighter-tasting and less fatty cuts first. If you eat the stronger-flavored cuts first, your palate will adjust to the stronger taste, making it harder to appreciate the delicate flavors of the lighter cuts. It’s also a good idea to start with lean cuts like red meat to prepare your stomach before moving on to the fattier cuts. For a recommended starter, try the lightly seasoned salted tongue. Of course, there are no strict rules, so feel free to find the best order that suits your taste.
Galbi, meaning rib in Korean, refers to beef belly in Japan. It’s rich in flavor and has fine marbling, which makes the meat feel softer than it actually is. When the meat juices rise to the surface, flip it over, and once it gets a nice sear, it's ready to eat.
Skirt steak is part of the muscle in the diaphragm and is classified as visceral meat, but its appearance and texture resemble red meat. It’s popular due to its soft texture, moderate fat content, and rich flavor, while also being lower in calories than short ribs. For the best taste, cook it thoroughly to bring out its savory aroma.
Horumon refers to internal organs like the stomach, intestines, liver, and heart. These cuts, such as heart (hatsu), tripe (mino), hachinosu, and senmai, are popular for their crunchy and juicy texture. Start grilling from the skin side, flip it over as soon as it browns, and cook it thoroughly until it stops shrinking to bring out its full flavor.
Rare cuts, which are obtained in small quantities from a single cow, are highly sought after. Chateaubriand, a famous high-end steak cut, is lean yet has the tenderness and flavor of marbled meat, and is best enjoyed grilled to medium-rare. Zabuton, known as the "fatty tuna of beef," should be lightly seared to perfection.
The order in which you eat yakiniku is very important. Start with lighter-tasting and less fatty cuts first. If you eat the stronger-flavored cuts first, your palate will adjust to the stronger taste, making it harder to appreciate the delicate flavors of the lighter cuts. It’s also a good idea to start with lean cuts like red meat to prepare your stomach before moving on to the fattier cuts. For a recommended starter, try the lightly seasoned salted tongue. Of course, there are no strict rules, so feel free to find the best order that suits your taste.
For special occasions like dates or business dinners, indulge in premium yakiniku. High-end yakiniku restaurants offer the finest meats, including rare cuts like chateaubriand, branded beef such as Kobe beef, Matsusaka beef, and Yonezawa beef, as well as A5 and A4 grade Japanese black beef and popular aged beef, all cooked to perfection. Some famous restaurants allow you to compare various cuts in a course meal, and many have smokeless grills, so you don't have to worry about the smell of smoke lingering on your clothes.
Mie
Enjoy the Tradition and Authentic Taste Founded in 1902
Gyugin Flagship Store is located about a 13 - minute walk from Matsusaka Station on the JR and Kinki Nippon Railway lines, blending in with the old townscape. At a time when eating meat was not customary, the founder trained in Tokyo to gain knowledge about beef. Later, he popularized "Matsuzaka Beef" with the hope that "the common people could easily eat meat." We carry rare meat that has been carefully raised for over 900 days in the Matsusaka beef production area and is considered a "special product." After the meat is butchered, it is left to age for about a week to ensure it is even more delicious. Enjoy the deliciousness of authentic Matsusaka beef along with top - notch service in a tastefully appointed tatami room.
Osaka
Savor the Chef’s Best Wagyu Creations in a Thoughtfully Curated Course
This yakiniku specialty restaurant offers a wide variety of carefully selected wagyu beef, delivered directly from trusted producers. A standout recommendation is the "Gokujo Yakiniku Seto Course," which features six cuts of premium wagyu grilled over charcoal and four cuts marinated in sauce—all at excellent value. The à la carte menu is equally appealing, with dishes like "Aburi (Seared) Wagyu Yukhoe", lightly grilled and topped with a rich egg yolk, and "Omasum Sashimi (beef tripe)". The interior blends traditional Japanese design with a modern touch, offering a relaxed dining atmosphere. Choose from counter seats with a sense of live grilling action, or private rooms ideal for couples and group gatherings. "GokujoYakiniku Seto Course" includes a two-hour all-you-can-drink option, available between 6:00 P.M. and 11:00 P.M. Reservations must be made by 7:00 P.M. on the same day. The restaurant stays open until 5:00 A.M., making it a great choice for a late-night meal.
Nara
A Luxurious Time Spent in a Quaint Space
Located in a quiet residential area near the Gakuenmae area in Nara City, "Itamae Yakiniku 1" boasts a modern Japanese exterior and a unique style where meat is cut only after an order is placed. The restaurant purchases entire cows, allowing diners to enjoy rare cuts such as chateaubriand, making it a hot topic among meat lovers.
Tokyo
Kuroge Wagyu Beef Carefully Hand-Cut by the Owner's Skill
Located near Asakusa's Kaminarimon in Tokyo, this yakiniku restaurant serves premium black wagyu from across Japan. The meat is seasoned with "Awayuki Salt," a special salt with a delicate texture that enhances flavor. The menu includes carefully curated accompaniments such as freeze-dried soy sauce, lemon, and Korean seaweed. The rice, selected by a certified rice master, is of the highest quality, making it a perfect match for the flavorful grilled meats. The warm, traditional interior provides a relaxing setting for a memorable meal.
Search for Restaurants Where You Can Eat High-Quality Yakiniku by Area
Yakiniku is something you want to enjoy with friends and family in a lively setting. In addition to popular cuts like short ribs, loin, skirt steak, and tongue, you can also enjoy vegetable sets grilled BBQ-style, and side dishes like stone-grilled bibimbap or cold noodles. Set menus or all-you-can-eat plans offer great value for money. Many of these restaurants are casual and family-friendly, so you can comfortably enjoy yakiniku even with children.
Iwate
Enjoy Iwate Prefecture's Finest Beef, Maesawa Beef
A store specializing in "Maesawa Beef" located along the Maesawa Bypass in Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture. Maesawa Beef, which has won numerous awards at events such as the National Beef Beef Carcass Exhibition and the National Beef Cattle Carcass Exhibition, is truly a work of art. It is highly praised nationwide for its top quality meat, and is known for its flavor and bright marbling. You can enjoy Maesawa beef, which is carefully fattened in the naturally blessed Maesawa area, in steaks, shabu - shabu, and other dishes. The location is approximately 10 minutes by car to Chuson - ji Temple, a world heritage site in Hiraizumi Town, and approximately 30 minutes by car to Esashi Fujiwara no Sato, a tourist destination in Oshu City, so it is said to be visited by many locals as well as tourists.
Osaka
Enjoy All-You-Can-Eat A5-Rank Japanese Beef to Your Heart's Content
This yakiniku restaurant is approximately a 5-minute walk from Namba Station on the Osaka Metro Line.Located near Ebisu Bridge and lined with lanterns at the entrance, the restaurant's menu is designed with the owner's wish that customers enjoy a wide variety of Japanese black beef, including misuji and rib roast, served with a homemade light sauce.The yukaye (yukke), the "beef tongue platter" popular among women, and the "wagyu beef cutlet," which is rare among yakiniku restaurants, are also very popular.The drink menu includes draft beer, sake and shochu carefully selected by the owner.The restaurant is easily accessible from the station, so be sure to stop by for a "quick drink" on your way home from work or while sightseeing.
Saitama
Enjoy Yakiniku in a Clean and Modern Japanese Space
A popular yakiniku restaurant located about 5 minutes by car from JR Minami - Urawa Station. The spacious interior has a homely atmosphere and is often frequented by families, making it easy to get together for celebratory dinners. The Kawaguchi store has a history as the first Yakiniku Senara store, which has been in business for over 50 years, and continues to offer delicious food made with carefully selected ingredients. It can accommodate a variety of styles, from gatherings of friends to banquets that can seat up to 50 people.
Osaka
A Yakiniku Restaurant Directly Managed by a Meat Wholesaler That Focuses on Homemade Quality
This yakiniku restaurant is approximately a 2-minute walk from Osaka Metro Shinsaibashi Station.Despite its convenient location near the Nishi-Shinsaibashi district (commonly known as Amerika-mura) in Chuo-ku, Osaka City, the restaurant is directly managed by a meat wholesaler and is popular for its high quality grilled meat at a good cost performance.All of the sauces, soups, kimchi, etc. are homemade.The restaurant uses Japanese binchotan charcoal and grills meat over a traditional shichirin (a charcoal griddle) to bring out the best flavor of the meat.The restaurant's interior is partitioned off with a bamboo screen, allowing diners to dine in a private, semi-private room, making it ideal for date nights or banquets where you want to enjoy grilled meat.
Search for Restaurants Where You Can Enjoy Classic Yakiniku by Area
Crunchy, chewy, and irresistibly juicy, horumon (offal) offers a unique texture and flavor. You can easily enjoy stamina-boosting cuts such as tongue, liver, heart, mino, and senmai. At a specialty store, the horumon is carefully prepared and served fresh from the day’s purchase, ensuring top-quality freshness, flavor, and texture. The distinctive taste of horumon might even win over those who are not typically fond of it, making it easy to eat and enjoy.
Kyoto
High-quality Yakiniku Served by a "Meat Master" in Pontocho
Located in Pontocho, one of Kyoto's most famous entertainment districts, this restaurant opened in August 2021. You can enjoy A4 to A5 grade beef yakiniku sourced from all over the country. Known for its high-quality meat at an affordable price, it has many repeat customers. In addition to yakiniku, sukiyaki and shabu-shabu are available by reservation. The restaurant, designed in the style of a Kyoto machiya townhouse, blends seamlessly into the townscape, with a curtain adorned with wagyu beef serving as a landmark. Featuring a Japanese-modern interior with a stylish atmosphere, it is ideal for concluding your Kyoto sightseeing trip and dates and anniversaries. Indulge in high-quality brand beef in a casual setting that highlights the full flavor of the ingredients.
Osaka
High Quality and Fresh Hormone by Professional Connoisseurs
"Hormone Yamato Kujo" is located in the bustling town of Kujo, Nishi-ku, Osaka City. The restaurant offers high quality hormone (horumon) grilled over charcoal at reasonable prices. Once fresh hormone is purchased, it is quickly and carefully prepped to remove the tastiness and keep it in a delicious state. The hormone is served with homemade sauce after the customer's order is placed, so that the customers can fully enjoy the texture of the hormone, which is the characteristic flavor of the hormone. The restaurant is also equipped with private rooms for up to five people, which can be used for large gatherings of family and friends.
Osaka
A Yakiniku Restaurant Directly Managed by a Meat Wholesaler That Focuses on Homemade Quality
This yakiniku restaurant is approximately a 2-minute walk from Osaka Metro Shinsaibashi Station.Despite its convenient location near the Nishi-Shinsaibashi district (commonly known as Amerika-mura) in Chuo-ku, Osaka City, the restaurant is directly managed by a meat wholesaler and is popular for its high quality grilled meat at a good cost performance.All of the sauces, soups, kimchi, etc. are homemade.The restaurant uses Japanese binchotan charcoal and grills meat over a traditional shichirin (a charcoal griddle) to bring out the best flavor of the meat.The restaurant's interior is partitioned off with a bamboo screen, allowing diners to dine in a private, semi-private room, making it ideal for date nights or banquets where you want to enjoy grilled meat.
Osaka
Authentic Charcoal-Grilled Meat by the Owner Who Trained at a Famous Restaurant
An authentic charcoal-grilled yakiniku restaurant approximately a 5-minute walk from JR Fukushima Station.The owner, who trained at a famous restaurant in Osaka, serves A4 and A5 grade Wagyu beef with a professional eye for freshness and quality, without sticking to brand-name beef under the motto of "delicious.The beef is grilled over charcoal to lock in the flavor, allowing diners to enjoy the aroma and juicy taste of the beef, and also to remove excess fat.The restaurant's specialties are the "KOMBU KAMI HALAMI" and "GOKUMI" GENSHI KARUBI (salted), which are grilled in large chunks, and the HORUMON (hormone), which is pre-processed to enhance the texture and flavor of the ingredients, is also excellent.The restaurant's chic and sophisticated atmosphere is recommended for date nights and family dinners.
Search for Restaurants Where You Can Eat Hormone Yakiniku by Area
Bar-style yakiniku restaurants have been increasing in recent years. Here, you can enjoy the pairing of wine and other beverages with yakiniku, as well as savor popular aged meats. What stands out is the bright, stylish atmosphere, unlike traditional yakiniku restaurants. Some places also serve Italian, French, Spanish, or creative small plates, adding a unique twist. The casual yet sophisticated setting makes it perfect for dates or girls’ nights out. It’s also a great place to enjoy yakiniku on your own, offering a welcoming environment for solo diners.
Osaka
Casual Yakiniku Specializing in Kagoshima Wagyu
Opened in September 2024 in Nishinakajima, a fierce battleground for yakiniku in Osaka, this yakiniku restaurant offers casual enjoyment of charcoal-grilled "shichirin yakiniku" (grilled meat over a charcoal grill).By purchasing a whole cow of female Kagoshima black wagyu beef from a producer, the restaurant offers high-quality A5-ranked meat at a reasonable price.The "10 rare cuts of beef" is especially popular.The Kagoshima-style miso sauce has a refreshing taste that goes well with red meat, and the sweet sauce with a hint of garlic gives the meat a thick texture.The casual atmosphere makes it a good place for a girls' night out.
Aichi
Enjoying Good Times with Friends in Tokoname
Located approximately a 3-minute walk from Nagoya Railroad Tokoname Station, this steakhouse is easily recognizable by its large parasol, red container, and the bold white letters spelling "STEAKS AND CHOPS" on a black wall. It offers satisfying course meals centered around meat dishes, ideal for a girls' night out or a casual gathering with friends. The extensive menu also includes a wide variety of a la carte options and drinks.The highlights here are the juicy meat dishes, grilled to perfection, and a curated selection of craft beers from across Japan. For those new to craft beer, "3-Glass Tasting Set" offers an easy and fun way to explore different flavors and find your favorite.
Osaka
A bar Where You Can Enjoy Japanese Black Beef and Wine with All Your Senses
A bar in Takatsuki, Osaka, where you can enjoy red meat of Japanese black beef and wine.For the red meat, we stick to female Kuroge Wagyu beef raised with care, and enjoy handmade dishes made with carefully selected ingredients such as cheeses from various countries and seasonal vegetables along with drinks.
Search for Restaurants Where You Can Eat Bar-Style Yakiniku by Area
If you want to enjoy yakiniku in a private setting, a restaurant with private rooms is recommended. You can savor your meal without worrying about your surroundings, making it perfect for dates or celebrations. Some restaurants even offer a dedicated "roast chef" in the private room and serve high-end meat like rare cuts or branded beef, making them ideal for special occasions. Locations with high-floor views or luxurious course meals also enhance the atmosphere, making them great for anniversaries. Since you can enjoy privacy, it's also perfect for moms' gatherings with small children.
Kyoto
High-quality Yakiniku Served by a "Meat Master" in Pontocho
Located in Pontocho, one of Kyoto's most famous entertainment districts, this restaurant opened in August 2021. You can enjoy A4 to A5 grade beef yakiniku sourced from all over the country. Known for its high-quality meat at an affordable price, it has many repeat customers. In addition to yakiniku, sukiyaki and shabu-shabu are available by reservation. The restaurant, designed in the style of a Kyoto machiya townhouse, blends seamlessly into the townscape, with a curtain adorned with wagyu beef serving as a landmark. Featuring a Japanese-modern interior with a stylish atmosphere, it is ideal for concluding your Kyoto sightseeing trip and dates and anniversaries. Indulge in high-quality brand beef in a casual setting that highlights the full flavor of the ingredients.
Saga
Lava Plate Grilled Meat That Locks in the Flavor of Meat
This yakiniku restaurant is located in the downtown area of Takeo City, Saga Prefecture, about a 5 - minute walk from JR Takeo Onsen Station. Run by an owner with sumo wrestling experience, you can enjoy grilled meat such as Saga Beef, a brand of beef that Saga Prefecture is proud of. By using a lava plate so that you can enjoy delicious grilled meat, the far infrared rays ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked to the inside, but still stays juicy without becoming dry. The meat juices are concentrated and you can fully enjoy the flavor. The lava plate absorbs excess oil, making it a great way to enjoy meat in a healthy way. Enjoy it with our original handmade sauce made without additives.
Kyoto
Yakiniku Restaurant Delivering the Deliciousness of Wagyu Beef From Kyoto
"Wagyu Yakiniku Toku" is about a 5 - minute walk from Gion - Shijo Station on the Keihan Electric Railway, and serves high - quality grilled meat in a calm space overlooking the Kamogawa River, which has the atmosphere of Kyoto. We carefully select and purchase Shinshu Premium Beef, a branded beef that meets Nagano Prefecture's unique standards, as well as Kuroge Wagyu beef that is in the best condition that day from all over the country. The lunch menu, available only on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, offers "Nikumabushi" and "Yakinikuju," each piece of meat carefully grilled over charcoal. In addition to a la carte dishes, course meals are also available for dinner. We have private rooms to suit the number of people, so feel free to use them for a variety of occasions such as entertaining, dinner parties, and anniversaries.
Nara
A Luxurious Time Spent in a Quaint Space
Located in a quiet residential area near the Gakuenmae area in Nara City, "Itamae Yakiniku 1" boasts a modern Japanese exterior and a unique style where meat is cut only after an order is placed. The restaurant purchases entire cows, allowing diners to enjoy rare cuts such as chateaubriand, making it a hot topic among meat lovers.
Search for Restaurants Where You Can Eat Yakiniku in a Private Room by Area
