1ランク上の焼肉屋。 : Wagyuuya Shinise Seiniku Oroku Donya Chokuei Odawara Ten

I used this restaurant for dinner. Located in Sakae-machi, Odawara, the yakiniku restaurant "Wagyuya" is about a 100-meter walk from the south exit of Odawara Station, across the shopping street and a traffic signal. It's quite a hidden gem. I went out for a meal with a long-time friend for the first time in a while. We usually go to the same local yakiniku spot, but I felt it was time for a change, so we chose this place. The interior features a rich atmosphere based on black and red, with staff dressed neatly in chef's uniforms. There are semi-private rooms separated by bamboo blinds and counter seating available. Since we always arrive around 5 PM, there was only one other group in the restaurant. It seemed like the staff hadn’t fully hit their stride yet, as it took about 10 minutes to place our drink orders. The menu suggested it was a place meant for leisurely dining. For our first round, we ordered beef tongue, ribeye, and outside skirt. Since it’s backed by a meat shop, they had various rare cuts of meat listed on the menu that day, though I wasn't familiar with them. Strangely, there was no kalbi (beef short rib) on the menu—where did it go? This restaurant seems to attract those wanting to try cuts that you can't find in more casual spots. The beef tongue that arrived wasn’t the usual round shape but rather small triangles. I thought, "Is this really worth JPY 1700?!" but once I tasted it, I was blown away by the flavor! It had a crunchy texture reminiscent of chicken gizzards. I remember hearing that Sendai's beef tongue is often imported, making the domestic variety quite rare. The ribeye was basically steak, rather than traditional yakiniku! I enjoyed it with wasabi soy sauce. I can't recall much about the outside skirt... For our second round, we ordered zabuton (chuck flap), king outside skirt, green onion beef tongue, and grilled beef. The zabuton was delicious, but I preferred the ribeye. The difference in flavor likely came from the rich fat content. The green onion beef tongue was cut in an unusual rectangular shape. Rolling it without dropping the green onion on one side proved quite challenging, as it tends to curl inward. I suggest removing the green onion, grilling it separately, and then putting it back on top afterward. The grilled beef was a dish where the staff torched thinly sliced meat laid out on the plate, which we enjoyed with ponzu sauce. It was another highlight of the day. It had a lightness similar to tataki (lightly seared fish), making it refreshing even towards the end when we were quite full. Lastly, we had the king outside skirt. It was a recommended dish from the restaurant, but the preparation was a bit complicated. It had to be grilled on a net, then transferred to a plate, cut with scissors, grilled again on the cut sides, and finally plated once more. Wouldn’t it be simpler to just serve it in the final state? Or perhaps let the customers do the cutting, like at Gyukaku? Maybe it’s a hygiene issue, or perhaps it’s all part of the dining performance. The flavor was excellent, with a nice rare interior. In total, it was about JPY 18,000 for three people (none of us ordered drinks). At this point, I can't really speak to the cost-performance. Personally, I was extremely satisfied! I definitely recommend trying the ribeye and grilled beef if you plan to visit. That's all!