The All-time Places to Try Wagyu in Tokyo in 2021

Wagyu, literally significant "Japanese beef," is one of the nearly popular luxury foods that visitors look for when they visit Nihon. There is no other beef quite every bit juicy, rich, and flavorful as wagyu due to its unique fatty marbling and texture.  But where can yous find the all-time wagyu in Tokyo? You may accept heard the term Kobe beefiness from pop culture or loftier finish steakhouse menus, as it is the almost famous make of wagyu, but you may not take known that there are also plenty of other brands offering delicious wagyu beefiness at varying cost points! Whatever your budget or preference, at that place are plenty of unlike options to choose from, and we want to show you where to find the best wagyu in Tokyo.

Wagyu Beef Sashimi in Tokyo

What is WAGYU?

When looking to endeavour great quality Japanese wagyu, there are a few things to proceed in heed. Wagyu beefiness specifically refers to iv singled-out breeds of Japanese cattle, including Japanese Black cattle (Kuroge), Japanese Brown cattle (Akage), Japanese Shorthorn (Nihon Tankaku), and Japanese Polled (Mukaku). In Nippon, cross-breeding wagyu cattle with other breeds of cattle is prohibited, and then beefiness can merely be considered wagyu if information technology belongs to one of these four breeds and if the cattle are Japan-raised.

Within wagyu, the main criteria for defining quality are grade and brand. The "Yield Grade" refers to how much loftier-quality meat one cow tin produce, not counting internal organs and other offal. The grades range from A to C with the highest yield grade beingness A. The letter of the alphabet is always followed by a number from i to 5 which signifies the "Quality Form," with 5 existence the highest grade. The quality grade is determined based on the amount of marbling, meat colour and brightness, compactness and texture, and the luster and quality of the fat itself. The total class is the yield and quality combined, meaning that the highest class wagyu you tin can buy is A5 wagyu beef.

Japanese Wagyu Steak Marbling

Branding is also of import when it comes to determining wagyu quality. The brand indicates where the cattle is from, meaning Kobe brand beef, for case, is from Kobe in Hyogo prefecture. Kobe is one of the top three nearly famous brands of wagyu, along with Omi beef (from Shiga prefecture) and Matsusaka beefiness (from Mie prefecture). Aside from these top three, in that location are plenty of other famous brands that produce top-quality A5 course wagyu, including: Miyazaki, Iwate, Hida, Yonezawa, Hitachi, Ishigaki, and Kumamoto. If you come across any of these brands boasted on a menu, particularly along with a loftier grade rating, you'll know that the beef is top quality!

At present that you lot know what makes wagyu special, allow'due south get into how you can try it! There are many unlike styles of specialty wagyu cuisine, and each one offers a unique culinary feel. We've included recommendations the best wagyu restaurants and experiences in Tokyo for each, and so you can pick your favorite or just try them all!

The BEST Way to Try Wagyu in Tokyo

Wagyu and Sake Pairing in Shinjuku

It would exist a error not to kickoff off past mentioning our own Wagyu and Sake Tasting experience! This comprehensive dining experience serves premium wagyu cuts prepared 4+ unlike ways. Most restaurants tend to focus on only one style of cooking, so yous'd accept to attempt many unlike restaurants to get the aforementioned experience. With us, y'all'll exist able to try many different wagyu dishes in the same meal (more bang for your buck)!

The meal includes 8+ courses, each course paired with a drinking glass of select craft sake or a sake cocktail. People often think of steak and wine pairing well together, but the latest tendency in Tokyo is actually pairing wagyu with sake. In this experience, yous'll learn how the delicate palate of sake perfectly complements the rich, fatty flavor of wagyu beef.  Click here for more data and to book your experience today.

Info: https://www.ninjafoodtours.com/wagyu-tasting-tokyo/

Wagyu Steak & Teppanyaki

As one of the most luxurious styles of dining in Nippon, Teppanyaki is what comes to mind for most people when they call up of wagyu beefiness. Teppanyaki is a style of cooking where the chef grills on a flat fe grill called a "teppan." Seats are usually placed along a long counter directly in front the teppan grill, then that guests can watch as the chef grills their nutrient to perfection. Chefs use large spatulas to expertly cook meat, fish, and seasonal vegetables, offer a fun viewing experience along with the excellent food. Teppanyaki restaurants can serve many kinds of food, but they often focus on high quality wagyu sirloin and tenderloin steaks. These restaurants tend to be pocket-sized with limited seating, so reservations are usually required, and they often have fix course menus where the unabridged meal is decided by the chef. Meals can range in price from ¥5000 to upwards of ¥35,000 per person depending on the quality of the wagyu they serve, so let's wait at some fantastic wagyu Teppanyaki options in different cost ranges.

Wagyu Steak Teppanyaki in Tokyo

Roku in Kagurazaka ($$)

A nifty option in a good neighborhood with very reasonable prices. They just have 16 seats, so be certain to reserve in advance. Yous can cull your course from a couple of dissimilar options, ranging in price from ¥half-dozen,000 to about ¥eight,000 per person, merely yous can besides social club a la carte if you prefer. They serve skillful quality wagyu forth with seasonal vegetables, grilled seafood, and okonomiyaki (a teppanyaki-fashion savory pancake).
Address: 2F 長谷部ビル 3Chome – two Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Info: https://jpneazy.com/restaurant/restinfo.html?id=6016447

Miyachi in Ginza ($$$)

Miyachi specializes in dry-anile beef, a process that makes the wagyu extra-tender and flavorful. They have a few dissimilar course meals that range between ¥x,000 and ¥30,000 per person, but if you get for luncheon you lot can get a fantastic teppanyaki form set for near ¥v,000.
 Address: 6F 塚本不動産ビル five Chome−five−11 Ginza, Chuo Metropolis, Tokyo
 Website: http://ginza-miyachi.com/store/ginza/

Onodera in Ginza ($$$)

If y'all're looking for a truly high-stop dining experience, Onodera has got you covered. You lot can choose between a few different course menus with prices ranging from ¥15,000 to ¥lxxx,000, all of which focus on Japanese wagyu beef. They likewise let you to order wagyu sirloin steaks a la menu. They focus a few of their courses effectually Kobe beef specifically, and there is fifty-fifty a specialty form that Simply serves Kobe beefiness cuts… which will cost you ¥fifty,000 per person.
 Address: 7F アクトビル 4 Chome−6−18 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo
 Website: https://onodera-group.com/teppanyaki-ginza/

Wagyu Yakiniku

Wagyu Beef Tongue Yakiniku

Yakiniku is a Japanese style of charcoal-broil where yous grill your ain meat over a small charcoal grill on your tabular array. Usually meat is ordered by the plate, which typically has five-6 pieces of raw meat in the cut of your choice. You can frequently choose betwixt rib, flank, skirt, loin, tongue, and many more, along with your choice of seasoning. Most yakiniku restaurants also offer all-you-tin can-consume options called "tabehodai," which usually come up in different cost ranges depending on whether you want to stick to imported beefiness, which tends to be cheaper, or domestic wagyu beefiness.  This style of dining is mostly more coincidental, and there is more diversity in both the price and meat quality, only luckily we've compiled a list of the best wagyu yakiniku restaurants in Tokyo.

Jiromaru in Shinjuku ($)

A standing bar/eating house serving good quality wagyu meat. If you exercise non heed waiting for a bit and standing while eating, this is the place to get. Reasonably priced, simply wearing apparel casually because of the smoke from the grill. It is correct in the heart of Kabukicho, ane of Tokyo's primary nightlife districts. On Friday nights expect to wait, depending on the timing.
 Address: i-26-3 Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo
 Info: http://tokyo.com/guide/taste/jiromaru

Motoyama in Shinjuku ($$)

They serve great quality Kobe beef and other wagyu beef brands at a reasonable price, mainly focusing on A5 quality Kuroge blackness beefiness. Courses start at ¥4,000 per person, and they offer a la carte options as well as rare cuts of meat that you might non find at other restaurants.
 Accost: 2F ダイハンビルデンス 7 Chome−x−12 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo
 Website: http://yakiniku-motoyama.com/

Hanamonya in Shinjuku ($$$)

This eating place buys a whole wagyu beef to serve meat to the customers so that they can carry all kinds of unlike meat cuts. Fairly high-end dining, but with a relaxed and quiet atmosphere. Reasonable drink prices, with courses ranging from ¥5,000 to ¥xv,000 per person.
 Address: 6F 新宿ユースビルＰＡＸ 4-ane-9 Shinjuku Shinjuku Tokyo
 Website: http://www.totalwell.co.jp/hanamonya/

Ushi Benkei ($$) in Shimbashi

Lastly, I wanted to include an option that covers a niggling bit of everything. At Ushi Benkei, you can have the wagyu prepared in many dissimilar ways, from steak, to yakiniku, to hotpot, and even meat sushi! If yous want a reasonably priced eatery that has a bit of everything, we highly recommend trying some wagyu hither.
 Address: iii Chome-18-7 Shinbashi, Minato

Wagyu Hot Pot

Hotpot Wagyu Shabu-Shabu

Ane of the most traditional ways to enjoy wagyu is in Japanese hotpot! There are two main styles of hotpot dining: shabu shabu and sukiyaki. Shabu shabu involves dipping raw meat into boiling water to cook, and then dipping into different sauces. Sukiyaki, on the other hand, involves dipping the meat into a flavored broth and then dipping the cooked meat into raw egg. Both are absolutely delicious and flavorful, and tin be cooked using either pork or beefiness with enough of seasonal vegetables, only hotpot is almost delicious when information technology includes wagyu beef! Most shabu shabu and sukiyaki restaurants will offering both cooking manner options likewise as multiple meat quality options for yous to choose from.

Nabezo ($)

For a upkeep-friendly option, attempt one of the many Nabezo locations throughout Tokyo. They offer all-y'all-tin can-swallow courses of 100 minutes at different price-points, but of grade their more expensive courses include succulent Japanese wagyu, which nosotros highly recommend.
 Address in Shinjuku: 8F 新宿高野第二ビル 3-chōme−30-eleven Shinjuku, Tokyo
 Website: http://nabe-zo.com/

Zakuro in Nihonbashi ($$)

Zakuro offers splendid meat quality and attention to detail in a relaxed and traditional atmosphere. If you've always wanted to exist served traditional Japanese wagyu by waiters in kimono, this is the dinner for yous! Courses range from ¥two,000-iii,000 at lunchtime to virtually ¥eight,000-10,000 at dinnertime.
 Address: 4F コレド室町 ii Chome−2−i Nihonbashimuromachi, Chuo Urban center, Tokyo
 Info: https://gurunavi.com/en/gahs615/rst/

Imafuku in Shirogane ($$$)

This two-star Michelin acclaimed restaurant serves some of the best quality wagyu beef in its shabu-shabu and sukiyaki courses. Their menu is seasonal, so you can expect super fresh vegetables and ingredients, as well every bit new courses, every time you go. They are particular nigh make and quality, so they can tell you what role of the country each cut of meat is from before you lot order. Expect to pay most ¥x,000 per person.
 Address: 1-12-xix Shirogane, Minato, Tokyo
 Website: http://kuroge-wagyu.com/if/top_e.html

Wagyu Beef Hotpot Shabu-Shabu in Tokyo

Wagyu Sandwiches

Henry's Burger in Daikanyama ($)

Of class nosotros had to include a wagyu burger! A Japanese twist on a western classic, wagyu burgers are getting more and more pop in Japan as a college quality alternative to fast nutrient and diners. At Henry'south Burger, they only use footing Kuroge wagyu (blackness beef) and focus on the meat quality above all else. This creates a burger that is more than juicy, tender, and flavorful than your typical Angus beef burger. A unmarried hamburger philharmonic costs about 1200 yen, but you have the pick of calculation toppings to customize your burger.
 Address: 1 Chome-36-half dozen Ebisunishi, Shibuya City, Tokyo
 Website: http://henrysburger.com/

WAGYUMAFIA: THE CUTLET SANDWICH in Nakameguro ($$-$$$)

If you desire to try something with a modern twist, then you might be interested in trying a "wagyu katsu sando"! This sandwich consists of a juicy wagyu steak covered in panko chaff and deep fried, then placed between two soft slices of bread. Wagyumafia is the king of wagyu katsu sandwiches! There are a few different options on the menu, with prices starting from ¥5,000 and going all the way upwards to ¥35,000 for the Kobe dry-anile beef sandwich. Do non underestimate the quality of this beef— even though information technology's in a sandwich, it'due south some of the highest quality wagyu you can detect (with the price tag to match)! Delicately simple, only packed with flavor and texture, this will speedily go your favorite sandwich ever.
 Address: ane Chome-26-i-108 Kamimeguro, Meguro City, Tokyo
 Website: https://world wide web.wagyumafia.com/

Wagyu Katsu Sandwich in Tokyo

As y'all can see, there is no shortage of means to enjoy delicious wagyu beef in Tokyo. You'll exist amazed at how many options yous have and how drastically unlike great wagyu is from other types of beef. All you need to exercise is decide which you want to endeavor first out of all these fantastic wagyu eatery options! Whether y'all endeavour merely i or all of them, you surely won't be disappointed.