Iberico Pork Ondoru-yaki Urashibuya

East meets (or should that be “meats”?) West here in this backstreet just off of the Shibuya district, where some of the best pork in the world is served. True to its name, Iberico Pork Ondoru-yaki Urashibuya specializes in grilled Iberico pork, colloquially known as the wagyu beef of pork. Ondoru-yaki Urashibuya’s owner travels every year to Spain to personally select the best possible pork from his circle of Iberico pork producers. But even of the few Black Iberian pigs available to him, he chooses only those that are qualified to be certified Iberico de Bellota — free-ranging pigs fed exclusively on a diet of acorns, and widely called Spain’s best-kept culinary secret. Through a traditional Korean process called “ondol” (transliterated into Japanese as “ondoru-yaki”), the pork is grilled to perfection on stones from Jeju Island in South Korea. These stones are carefully placed in such a way that excess fat from the grilling pork drains away, giving it all of the flavor while cutting the grease. The far infra-red ray-emitting properties of the stones give the cooked meat a uniquely fluffy texture. The meat is then served with all-natural handmade Kusamba sea salt from Bali, and sauce made with additive-free black garlic from Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture. To really spoil guests for choice, 5 different cuts of Iberico pork are served each day, letting diners compare which cut they like the best — and then order seconds (or thirds).