Nakahara Yakiniku, Tokyo

  

16/20

  9.5 |  3.5 |  2 |  1

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Thumbs up

• Some of the best wagyu beef in the world
• Kentaro Nakahara’s knowledge and obsession with beef is second to none

Thumbs down

• While interior feels modern, it loses a bit of warmth that you would expect from a Japanese restaurant
• You may crave some carbs during the wagyu omakase

Recommended dish(es)

• Wagyu Sirloin
• Wagyu Oyster Blade
• Legendary Wagyu Tongue

TL;DR – Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara (Yakiniku Nakahara) is not only one of the best yakiniku restaurants in the world, but you’ll also find some of the best wagyu beef in the world here as well.

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Kentaro Nakahara in action.
Photo credit – Palatism

I love Japan. I love the people, the culture, the food – everything. You may not like Japanese food, but I’m adamant that you simply cannot be a foodie if you don’t love Japan. Japanese food culture means that you will not find anywhere else in the world with greater respect for food, the seasons and their craft. If food perfection exists, it exists somewhere in Japan.

This pursuit of perfection, or Kaizen as it is referred to in Japan, lies at the very heart of the culture of this incredible country. It is a guiding life principle, one that I live by (as the name of this blog suggests). Kaizen, as taught by Taiichi Ohno, is about learning and using experience to strive for perfection through continuously improving process.

This philosophy is ingrained in Japanese culture, from CEOs down to janitors, from chefs to waiters. The most famous example is Jiro Ono, from Jiro Dreams of Sushi, but the story of Jiro is just one of many across Japan. One of these stories is Kentaro Nakahara, who takes Kaizen to another level, from dedication to obsession; Nakahara dreams of wagyu.

Nakahara san says that a miniscule 0.2mm difference in thickness or a slight change in knife angle can cause a complete transformation in texture and taste. This is the mark of a true perfectionist. It’s the reason he hand slices all the meat, but only after he “carefully observes the meat’s texture and appearance, touches it, and listens for its voice telling him to cut this way”. Each cut must be better than the last, each meal must be better than the one before.

Even in Japan, not many people at the mere age of 40 have such passion and obsession to be and serve the very best. Combined with the philosophy of Kaizen, Nakahara will only get better with age, much like the meat that he so painstakingly slices.

Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara (炭火焼肉なかはら)
GEMS Ichigaya 9F, 4-3 Rokubancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (map)
+81 3 6261-2987
Reservations essential, book a few weeks in advance.

From July 2017, Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara will be omakase only. Quality will be as high as ever.

The cuts we had for our Omakase were Nikusome, Sirloin, Outside Skirt, Brisket, Oyster Blade, Knuckle, Hip (Culotte) and Bolar Blade.

I won’t go through a detailed description of every cut of meat we had (I’m not writing a thesis here). Needless to say, the cuts below are the ones we enjoyed the most and got seconds, thirds and fourths.

Legendary Wagyu Tongue (9/10)

Nakahara’s exclusive Wagyu Tongue has very often been described as “legendary”. Despite being one of the most sceptical people you will ever know, I would have to agree; it was easily the most tender tongue I’ve had in my life. It was so tender and unlike any other tongue I’ve had before, that it didn’t even feel like the same meat. For those who don’t normally eat tongue, this could be a life changing moment. 

I kissed a cow and I liked it.

Tender as it may be though, tongue is still not up there in terms of my favourite cuts; it has nothing on the more specialty cuts such as Sirloin and Oyster Blade. However, it is one of the best Wagyu Tongues in Tokyo (the other contender being at Yakiniku Shimizu).

Hire Katsu 
Photo credit – Palatism

One of the most popular items is the Hire Katsu which also comes in the form of a Hire Katsu Sando (Sandwich). This is only available in the Special Course.

Deep frying one of my favourite foods? Yes please!
Photo credit – Palatism

Wagyu Sirloin (9.75/10)

F*ck me.

I don’t always get rendered speechless and turn into a babbling idiot, but when I do I’ve just had some of the best beef in the world.

The moment when your life changes forever.

Simply put, this is the best piece of beef I’ve ever had. It’s sliced precisely and thinly, resulting in a cut that literally melts in your mouth. I took 3 bites and the meat was already disintegrating down my throat.

Wagyu Oyster Blade (9.5/10)

You would think after the epicness of the Sirloin, it’ll be hard to be impressed, let alone rendered speechless once again.

How wrong I was.

This was nothing like Oyster Blade at Rengaya. It was much more marbled, dare I say even more marbled than the Sirloin. So much so that the meat was almost sweet, in the best way possible. But because it was so fatty, I preferred the Sirloin.

Wagyu Omakase

The first shot of a meal that was legen – wait for it – dary.

Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara (炭火焼肉なかはら)
GEMS Ichigaya 9F, 4-3 Rokubancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (map)
+81 3 6261-2987
Reservations essential, book a few weeks in advance.

So fellow foodies, what’s your favourite Yakiniku joint in Tokyo?