Do you care about the order of food or taste when you eat?
For example, at a sushi restaurant, it is said to be “common” to eat in the following order:
Lightly flavored food → fatty food → rolled sushi.
So, what is the recommended way to eat at a yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurant (our restaurant, in this case)?
Although it is a matter of personal preference, it is different from etiquette.
This is the recommended eating order from a yakiniku restaurant (our restaurant), so please use it as a reference…
First, the classic salted beef tongue is a must-try!
First and foremost, we highly recommend indulging in our classic salted beef tongue without overthinking it.
First, gently place it on the heat source and wait until the edges of the meat are slightly cooked before flipping it over. Depending on the thickness of the meat, it should be ready in about 10 seconds or so.
Enjoy the natural taste of the tender and succulent beef tongue, which has a light and refreshing flavor.
Next up is the lean cuts of chicken thighs, such as momo, shintama, and lamp, seasoned with salt.
After warming up, we recommend savoring the red meat. Assuming it is of high quality, we recommend the salted loin series, which can be eaten raw.
Lightly cook one side until the color changes like with the tongue, then flip it over. Depending on the thickness of the meat and if it is reliable, it should be ready in about 10 seconds!
The red meat with a dripping blood-like appearance actually has blood in it. If it is fresh and the blood has been drained properly, it should have a pale purple color.
And next up is the premium cuts, salted (generally the fattier cuts like prime rib, ribeye, etc.).
At this point, you should be fully prepared and your appetite center should be receiving direct wagyu beef extract. Now, it’s time to savor the fatty top-grade cuts with some more salt! You may also want to bring out the umami and refreshing flavors with some lemon. Don’t forget the wasabi either! The tingly sensation of wasabi will create the ultimate harmony with the sublime marbled fat of the wagyu beef.
Basically, it’s recommended to grill the fatty meats a bit more vigorously to let the fat drip off a little.
At fourth place, we have the marinated Kalbi (short ribs), Kaenomi (outside skirt steak), Frank (beef rib finger), Harami (skirt steak), and others.
At this point, your body should be craving for some sauce-marinated meat, and for those who believe that “sauce is the essence of yakiniku,” I recommend starting with salted meat up until this point to increase your desire for sauce, and then unleash your craving for it!
You should be able to experience the full power of the sauce.
And lastly, it’s the miso and offal organ meats (such as tetchan, marchou, hatsu, and geara).
In the previous step (around step 4.5), you can enjoy the meat with any flavor you like, but for the final touch, I recommend trying the organ meats with miso flavor!
It’s a combination of sweetness and smoky aroma that’s different from the salt and sauce flavors you’ve had so far, and I want you to finish with it.
Here, let me give you one example of how to raise the king of organ meats, the “teppanyaki” style small intestines. First, grill the mucous membrane side until it’s slightly browned, then flip it over to the fatty side and cook until the flames rise up. This is a feat that can only be done with fresh organ meats, but it’s sure to be the best!
Summary & Reflection
So far, we’ve recommended how to grill meat (in our restaurant), but in a survey at a certain famous yakiniku restaurant, it was found that many customers disliked the restaurant because of their order of grilling meat, grilling method, and way of eating.
Does this also apply to our restaurant?
As a conclusion, we recommend eating meat in this way, but should we take a position of “why don’t you try it out?” rather than being stubborn and inflexible, and try to make customers believe in our recommendations without being pushy?
There is no clear answer to this.