Yakiniku Kokonomi

Yakiniku Kokonomi’s name in Japanese means “only here”: in reference to the fact that the restaurant serves beef that is so rare, it can only be eaten there. The beef in question is Takenotani-tsuru beef, a purebred Japanese breed that is raised in Niimi City in Okayama Prefecture. Only a few heads of cattle are slaughtered each year for sale on the market. While “wagyu beef” is commonly associated with purity of bloodline, due to the name only being conferred on beef sourced from Japanese Black cattle, Kokonomi claims that the wagyu sold on the market is no longer purebred, due to the industry’s unhealthy focus on marbling leading to hundreds of years of cross-breeding. Takenotani-tsuru beef, on the other hand, has had its bloodline preserved since the Edo period, spanning almost 200 years; Kokonomi claims that it is the oldest purebred Japanese breed in Japan. The first bite already sets the beef apart: in sharp contrast to the finely marbled, fatty beef from the modern Japanese Black cattle, Takenotani-tsuru beef has little marbling, and has a much stronger meaty taste. Yet, the meat is neither chewy or tough, and lets diners enjoy what Kokonomi calls the “true flavor” of wagyu beef. This flavor is further augmented by three different sauces given to each guest when they take their seat: soy sauce and green pepper sauce, to be eaten with fattier cuts, while truffle-infused sauce augments the red meat. And for beverage pairings, the restaurant proudly offers the Californian-Japanese Kenzo Estate wine, as well as a wide selection of fine sake.