Japan: Nikuya-no Daidokoro
We arrived in Tokyo a bit after noon. One of the things Jiejie wanted to do in Japan was to go up the Tokyo Skytree. So after figuring out the bus situation and checking into our Airbnb, we set out to help her check it off her list.
For the person whose idea it was to buy tickets for the Skytree in the first place, Jiejie spent very little time actually looking at the exhibits there. Her goal seemed to be to speedwalk through it all to get to the gift shop and then to chill at the cafe up top. We were too slow to score a spot at a window with a vantage point of the sunset, but all the same, we got to watch the city lights come alive as night fell.
Then it was off to dinner. Jiejie's other request for our Japan trip was yakiniku buffet. She had one in mind and made reservations for us at Nikuya-no Daidokoro. There are multiple branches in Tokyo, but we went to the Ueno one:
We took the elevator up to the seventh floor and emerged to find a space designed for meat lovers in groups. There were long tables with bench seating and grills on each tabletop:
There was a soup and salad bar:
As well as a drink bar with all you can drink alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.
Nikuya-no Daidokoro offers three different all you can eat packages. The standard course is 3500 yen ($33.22) and gives you 90 minutes to choose from 60 dishes. The butcher course is 4500 yen ($42.71), allows you 120 minutes, and most importantly, includes wagyu. Then there's the premium course, which costs 5500 yen ($52.21). The only addition seemed to be a thick cut beef tongue. We were fine with missing out on that, so we opted for the butcher course.
One of the things you can request when you make a reservation (only for the butcher and the premium courses) is a "meat cake". Jiejie was most excited about this. Since my birthday was coming up, Jiejie thought it would be very fitting. Alas, I was in the restroom when the "meat cake" (more like a meat parfait) was brought out, sparkler and all:
By the time I returned to the table, the sparkler had burned out and along with it, all the excitement. I did get to enjoy it secondhand through the videos CK and Jiejie took though.
It was just as well. My true birthday gift was the unlimited meat that came afterwards.
The menu was entirely in Japanese:
There was a whole other page with vegetable, pork, and chicken offerings, but we acted like it didn't exist. We knew the kanji for "wagyu" and in the interest of getting our money's worth, we focused our attention on those six options.
The only exceptions we made were for the beef tongue:
And the intestine:
Other than that, it was wagyu, wagyu, wagyu:
You could get wagyu with sauce:
You could get it sliced sukiyaki style with an egg for dipping on the side:
Behold that marbling!:
Just remembering the sizzling of that grill is making my mouth water:
Unfortunately, neither CK nor Jiejie have very large appetites. It felt as if we'd barely warmed up when they suddenly proclaimed that they were full. I totally didn't get to eat to my full potential. Sigh. If only Abby had been there with me. We could've done some major damage.
At over $40, Nikuya-no Daidokoro is by no means cheap. But if you think about how much it typically costs to get wagyu, it's a steal. And it's all you can eat!
肉屋の台所
東京都台東区上野6-14-7 ベリタス岡埜栄泉ビル 7F
050-7586-2214
https://nikuyanodaidokoro-ueno.com/
For the person whose idea it was to buy tickets for the Skytree in the first place, Jiejie spent very little time actually looking at the exhibits there. Her goal seemed to be to speedwalk through it all to get to the gift shop and then to chill at the cafe up top. We were too slow to score a spot at a window with a vantage point of the sunset, but all the same, we got to watch the city lights come alive as night fell.
Then it was off to dinner. Jiejie's other request for our Japan trip was yakiniku buffet. She had one in mind and made reservations for us at Nikuya-no Daidokoro. There are multiple branches in Tokyo, but we went to the Ueno one:
We took the elevator up to the seventh floor and emerged to find a space designed for meat lovers in groups. There were long tables with bench seating and grills on each tabletop:
There was a soup and salad bar:
As well as a drink bar with all you can drink alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.
Nikuya-no Daidokoro offers three different all you can eat packages. The standard course is 3500 yen ($33.22) and gives you 90 minutes to choose from 60 dishes. The butcher course is 4500 yen ($42.71), allows you 120 minutes, and most importantly, includes wagyu. Then there's the premium course, which costs 5500 yen ($52.21). The only addition seemed to be a thick cut beef tongue. We were fine with missing out on that, so we opted for the butcher course.
One of the things you can request when you make a reservation (only for the butcher and the premium courses) is a "meat cake". Jiejie was most excited about this. Since my birthday was coming up, Jiejie thought it would be very fitting. Alas, I was in the restroom when the "meat cake" (more like a meat parfait) was brought out, sparkler and all:
By the time I returned to the table, the sparkler had burned out and along with it, all the excitement. I did get to enjoy it secondhand through the videos CK and Jiejie took though.
It was just as well. My true birthday gift was the unlimited meat that came afterwards.
The menu was entirely in Japanese:
There was a whole other page with vegetable, pork, and chicken offerings, but we acted like it didn't exist. We knew the kanji for "wagyu" and in the interest of getting our money's worth, we focused our attention on those six options.
The only exceptions we made were for the beef tongue:
And the intestine:
Other than that, it was wagyu, wagyu, wagyu:
You could get wagyu with sauce:
Behold that marbling!:
Just remembering the sizzling of that grill is making my mouth water:
Unfortunately, neither CK nor Jiejie have very large appetites. It felt as if we'd barely warmed up when they suddenly proclaimed that they were full. I totally didn't get to eat to my full potential. Sigh. If only Abby had been there with me. We could've done some major damage.
At over $40, Nikuya-no Daidokoro is by no means cheap. But if you think about how much it typically costs to get wagyu, it's a steal. And it's all you can eat!
肉屋の台所
東京都台東区上野6-14-7 ベリタス岡埜栄泉ビル 7F
050-7586-2214
https://nikuyanodaidokoro-ueno.com/
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