Yakiniku or “grilled meat” is the simplest way to enjoy beef in Japan. Small bites or thin slices of various parts of beef (and sometimes pork) are grilled on a griddle over woodfire or gas. The job of grilling is usually done by guests themselves, so the experience can be fun too. Even if the origins of yakiniku in Japan are debatable, it is considered as Korean dining. Such Korean staple foods as kimchi will most likely accompany your meal.
Jumbo yakiniku has been topping Tabelog.com best yakiniku in Tokyo lists since a while now. I believe, there are 4 Jumbo locations in Tokyo. I went to the one in a quite residential Shirokane area. Jumbo Shirokane pride themselves in using only A5 grade Japanese black beef. One superior cut (marinated in their signature pepper sauce) was extremely striking. It was so fatty that you needed just few seconds to grill it on each side. Fatty yakiniku tip: roll it into a green salad, so the fat doesn’t drip, and, well, you feel less guilty eating it.
