Miyagi Prefecture is the home of “Sendai Gyū” (Sendai Beef), well-known amongst Japanese cuisine gourmands for its perfect balance of fat and muscle.
In Sendai City, restaurants serving yakiniku near Sendai Station not only offer the local cuts of Sendai Beef, but other varieties as well. It's here that you can enjoy different types of top-quality beef for reasonable prices.
We’ll also be covering some of the best yakiniku shops near Sendai Station that also have measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in place too.
1. Yakiniku Gyūjin Ichibanchō: Taste aged beef in a Japanese-style space
Vlandome Ichibancho, which is frequented by many shoppers
About two minutes away from JR Sendai station via the subway Nanboku line, alight at Hirose-dōri station and get out at exit 4 to arrive at Vlandome Ichibancho, where Yakiniku Gyūjin Ichibanchō is located.
As you pass through the noren curtains at the entrance, climb the steps to the restaurant's chicly decorated entrance, where a display of "Sendai Tansu," a type of traditional handicraft from Sendai, is on display.
A private room which can accommodate up to ten people
All seats are in private rooms. The Japanese-style design uses many types of wood and wooden-textures, allowing you to enjoy your meal leisurely. During our visit, our room used wooden building materials from an old residence.
One part of the floor is in the "hori-gotatsu" style of seats, which has a rectangle of floor dug-out under the table, allowing you to sit on the floor without kneeling in seiza. Regular table seats are available as well, and those who prefer those seats can check with the staff when making their reservations on the day itself.
“Jukusei Atsugiri-tan”
Grilling the thickly-cut beef tongue thoroughly
The shop's specialty is its 35-day-old aged Sendai Beef and other types of high-quality beef, which is aged using tightly controlled temperature, humidity, and air circulation conditions. As the Sendai Beef is purchased by the shop whole, rare parts and cuts are available as well.
In Sendai, beef tongue is grilled over a charcoal flame, and there is even a famous street called "Gyūtan-yaki". We started out by ordering the "Jukusei Atsugiri-tan," which costs 1,680 yen. The thickly cut beef tongue is marinated in rock salt for four days, and is one of the restaurant's recommendations.
Once it's grilled, cut the meat using scissors
After the flames on the charcoal have subsided a little, place the 1.5-centimeter-thick beef tongue on the grill. When both sides have been grilled to a nice brown, use the scissors to cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Enjoy it while it's piping hot
The thickly cut beef tongue has the charcoal's fragrance, with a crisp exterior and juicy interior. The meat itself h…
