Yakiniku Manno Shinsaibashi

This all-star wagyu specialty restaurant is as stylish as it gets for a place with “yakiniku” in its name. The dramatic vaulted ceiling strings up golden lanterns, while traditional wooden plaques panel the backdrop of the open-concept kitchen, where each of the 17 seats is fitted with its own sunken grill. A chalkboard lists the special beef cuts of the day. The whole thing is stunning in its rustic environment. It’s no surprise that this is the work of the legendary wagyu wholesaler, Mannoya, who also operates a string of equally formidable grill and horumon eateries across Osaka. The company knows so much about the cow that it can break the animal down into over 80 different cuts for its customers. Some are familiar, like the beef tongue or shoulder. But the sankaku cut? Or misuji? Those are the chuck rib and brisket. The route from pasture to the plate at Yakiniku Manno Shinsaibashi is well-traveled. Through its long-standing relationships with farmers across Japan, the restaurant has formulated precise criteria before deeming any meat as its “Premium Queen’s Beef.” For one thing, the animal must be fattened for over 30 months, and as soon as the butchers prepare the meat, it arrives sizzling on the iron mesh within 10 days—an outlier in an industry that often ages beef for months. For another thing, the restaurant doesn’t rely solely on A5 grades; it also examines the meat’s fat content, melting point and marbling, all of which affect how the cuts will be handled. Here, you’ll find marbled lean steak, meat sushi, and rare beef steak, which can be enjoyed in three ways. And then there’s the morning-fresh horumon, or offal, which tastes sweet. Dare we say that a visit to Osaka is not complete without a reservation at Yakiniku Manno Shinsaibashi?