A Local Favorite – Matsusaka’s Downtown Yakiniku Barbeque

Photo with customers at yakiniku restaurant

Born and bred in Matsusaka.

Exterior photo of yakiniku shop

Our cuisine isn’t that famous Matsusaka beef,
its grilled chicken!

the restaurant’s menu board

interior of restaurant

Downtown dining culture.

Interior of restaurant

As the sun sets, folks gather at a place that feels like home. The fragrant smoke, the sound of the TV, and the warmth of the hearth soothe body and spirit.

Eating!

Ahhhh, this…this
is the flavor!

Chicken yakiniku

Bursting with flavor bite after bite, it’s a taste you can’t quit. The firm white meat has its share of fans as well.

Grilled Horumon Photo 1

Horumon (fatty intestine) snaps and pops over the flames. It isn’t chicken, but it’s a yakiniku staple.

Horumon Photo 2

The rich juices mingle with the miso-based sauce and make an excellent complement to rice and sake.

Eating at a table

No worries, let’s have a little more!


At the next shop, we are greeted with a beaming smile.

Exterior of the second shop

Staff Photo 1

“I’m home!”
Seems the right thing to say here.
Bright smiles and cheerful voices make the best seasonings!

Staff Photo 2

Ah, this is a moment of joy. Laughing and eating, what could be better? Warmth flows from the bottom of our hearts.

Staff Photo 3

Eating Kimchee

Delicious, almost nostalgic, but it never gets old.


Of course, its beef.
Forgive the boast, but this beef is the pride of Matsusaka.

Exterior of the third shop

What awaits behind the noren curtain?

Matsusaka beef 1

Matsusaka beef!

Matsusaka beef 2

Salt and wasabi bring out the flavor of the meat.

Matsusaka beef 3

Matsusaka beef 4

Looking on, the waiting is excruciating!

Matsusaka beef 5

The texture is not one of chewing so much as unravelling the meat with one’s teeth.

Matsusaka beef 6

The savory umami of the meat and the sweetness of the fat strike an exquisite balance.

Horumon

Matsusaka beef horumon is only distributed locally.
“Ahhh, it’s so juicy…” I sigh.
The feeling is one of being enveloped in total satisfaction. I take up my rice bowl to finish off the meal.

Steamed rice and kimchee

I enjoy some kimchee while my meat is grilling.

Matsusaka beef 7

The flames lick hungrily at the meat.

Exterior of Restaurant

This is downtown.
Greetings given with a smile are heartily returned.

Photo with customers at yakiniku restaurant

Idle chatter…
“So, where ya from?”
“ round here?”
“From Matsusaka, huh?”
In a small town roots run deep.
Warmth.
Food brings people together.
Cuisine and culture comes from the people.


(October 23, 2016)
Produced for Web Magazine OTONAMIE by Hashimoto Nana

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