4 Must-Try Premium Meat Spots in Tokyo

1. Torien Shinbashi Karasumori Branch

This restaurant serves yakitori (chicken skewers) of Higo red chicken from Kumamoto, which are moderately chewy and have a rich flavor. The plump and umami-rich yakitori (from 180 JPY (incl. tax) each) are carefully skewered one by one so that they\'re cooked evenly. To become a yakitori master, at least 3 years of skewering practice is required. The skillful chef quickly grills them on high-quality Kishu binchotan (a top-rate charcoal) to condense the umami inside. You can enjoy the authentic flavor of the meat with plain salt or dip the yakitori into their 38-year-old original sauce. Each cut of meat has its own most suitable seasoning, so try asking the staff!

2. TOKU Ikebukuro Ekimae branch

At TOKU, you can enjoy bistro-style dry-aged meat dishes made with marbled Angus beef. Their beef and pork are aged respectively for 35 and 20 days in a thoroughly controlled environment. Grilled for 40 minutes so that the juice is trapped inside, their dry-aged beef is affordable and excellent in terms of its umami, tenderness, and aroma. Their Black Angus Beef from USA Assortment (2,280 JPY (incl. tax)) allows you to fully savor the umami of lean meats. Don\'t miss this chance to stuff your mouth with charcoal-grilled dry-aged beef!

3. BAL ChaCha Shinbashi Ekimae Branch

This Spanish-style bar boasts of its fantastic, juicy spare ribs. Order the huge Spare Rib (whole for 1,680 JPY (incl. tax)) that easily cuts open with a knife and is so tender that it comes loose with just a fork. In fact, it is recommended to pick the bones with your hands and bite into the meat! As for the sauce, you can choose from three options: homemade tomato, BBQ, and Chaliapin sauce (from 120 JPY (incl. tax) each). Another simple dish that brings out the umami of meat is their unmissable specialty, the Honjitsu no Gensen Jidori Grilled Chicken Half (980 JPY (incl. tax)).

4. BASHUNRO

This restaurant specializes in dishes made with horse meat directly delivered all the way from Kumamoto. Because of its color, horse meat is also called “sakura meat” and it\'s extremely appreciated by gourmands. It\'s also considered incredibly nutritious and good for beauty, thanks to its low fat and cholesterol, as well as its high protein, low calorie content, and large amount of minerals. Have a taste with their Tokusen Basashi Moriawase - Ume (2 - 3 servings) (4,200 JPY (excl. tax)), which is a super fresh sashimi platter of melt-in-the-mouth horse meat. If you\'re not that into raw meat, you can enjoy it in various other ways, such as steak, shabu-shabu (parboiled with vegetables), sukiyaki (hot pot stew), and on a hot stone plate.

Meat is always delicious, regardless of whether you consume it through long-beloved regional dishes or as dry-aged beef. If you’re in the mood for some meat, one of these restaurants will definitely satisfy you, so give them a visit!