Yakiniku Gyu-Bei (Sakae Honten)

At Yakiniku Gyu-Bei, meat is no laughing matter. The Nagoya wagyu beef specialist takes its meat very seriously. There is beef, and then there is wagyu beef — domestic finely-marbled beef that has come to be the gold standard in Japan. Wagyu beef itself is graded on the level of marbling, brightness and texture of the meat, ranging from A1 to A5, with A5-grade wagyu being the highest. It is A5-grade wagyu that is used exclusively in Yakiniku Gyu-Bei. But even within A5-grade wagyu, the quality can still vary depending on the season and the type of cut, which affects the fat and fiber content of each part. To ensure the greatest level of marbling for optimum mouthfeel, Gyu-Bei’s owner even takes note of the degree at which the meat is sliced, and even measures the thickness of each cut down to the millimeter. His longstanding ties with his network of butchers ensures that he gets only the most prime cuts from each. Even the sauce, which Gyu-Bei says is the “lifeblood of every yakiniku restaurant”, does not escape scrutiny. Both of the restaurant’s sauce recipes are closely-guarded secrets that have been passed down over multiple generations, whether it’s the all-purpose yakiniku sauce, or the salt-based sauce that is specially mixed with green onions and sesame oil for an entirely different experience. Guests are encouraged to try them both out in equal measure to decide which is their favorite. (Most remain undecided by the end of the meal — it’s difficult to take a side.) Situated in the middle of Nagoya’s bustling entertainment and shopping district Sakae, Yakiniku Gyu-Bei sees no small flow of visitors: both curious first-timers looking to try some of the best wagyu in Nagoya, as well as from seasoned veterans who know that the quality is simply unmatched anywhere else in the city.