Go to a beloved Yakiniku restaurant in Otsuka! Manager Yoon talks about his commitment to meat
This is Yoon, the store manager.“I want to eat really delicious Yakiniku in Otsuka” “I’m looking for a restaurant where I can spend a wonderful time with my loved ones”I think there are many people who are looking for a store like that. Otsuka is known as a competitive area for Yakiniku, with many famous restaurants crowded together. Under such circumstances, we strive every day to provide customers who choose “Jan” with the finest Yakiniku experience that they will never regret.
This time, I would like to talk in detail about how I started a yakiniku restaurant with no experience at all, my extraordinary commitment to meat and sauce, and what kind of restaurant I am aiming for in the city of Otsuka. After reading this article, the next time you visit Jan, you will be able to enjoy the deeper and more delicious meat flavor.
Started with no experience, unable to even hold a knife.
Nowadays, I work with large pieces of meat every day at my restaurant and serve them in the best condition to my customers, but I actually jumped into the world of yakiniku when I was invited by a friend. At that time, I was a complete amateur, having hardly ever even held a knife.
From there, my harsh but fulfilling days of training began. I was sent to work at a meat wholesaler through a friend’s introduction, and spent every day cutting meat from morning until evening. I learned firsthand the way the fibers of meat run, the firmness and fat content of each cut, and the fact that the flavor can change dramatically just by the way you insert your knife. At night, he trained at a famous restaurant in Tokyo that was difficult to get reservations for, and spent about five years learning the know-how of serving customers and running a restaurant as a yakiniku restaurant.
The “meat connoisseur” I developed during that period of training is still my greatest weapon. At our restaurant, we mainly purchase Sendai beef, and sometimes Matsusaka beef for short ribs and tomobara. However, not just any branded beef is good. We check the quality of the meat so rigorously that if we touch it and find it to be soggy that we are not satisfied with it, we will simply return it to the supplier. All I want is really high quality meat that is firm when I touch it with my fingers.
Passion for “fillet” and “red meat” that compete in Otsuka’s Yakiniku battleground
As I mentioned earlier, Otsuka is a city with many Yakiniku restaurants. There are many great restaurants out there, but in order for “Jan” to continue to be chosen by customers, we are very conscious that we must use meat that is far better than other restaurants.
I personally love fillet and red meat, so we pay particular attention to the quality of these meats at our restaurant. It seems like more and more Yakiniku restaurants are not serving fillet these days, perhaps due to the rising prices. That’s why we believe that our main point of differentiation is that we offer quality and prices that are unbeatable by other restaurants, such as chateaubriand and wagyu fillet on our secret menu. We are proud to serve meat that allows you to enjoy not only the sweetness of the fat, but also the strong flavor of the meat itself.
No chemical seasonings used! Special handmade sauce made from fruits
The lifeblood of yakiniku is the sauce, which brings out the flavor of the meat. All of the sauces we serve at our restaurant are completely original and handmade by me.
The base soy sauce sauce is made with a variety of fruits and is slowly simmered for about 5 hours. What I’m most particular about here is that I don’t use any chemical seasonings (umami seasonings). In fact, ever since I was a child, my mother hated chemical seasonings, and I grew up cooking with home-cooked food that valued natural flavors. Her mother’s teachings and love are still reflected in the flavor creation at the restaurant today.
It is not easy to create a strong flavor and richness without using chemical seasonings. However, by bringing out the natural sweetness and sourness of the fruit and the aroma of the soy sauce, we have created a delicious sauce with surprising depth that blends perfectly with the fat of the high-quality meat. Also, no chemical seasonings are used in the miso sauce. Using carefully selected koji miso as a base, we blend several types of miso with a unique golden ratio, and add squeezed ginger juice as a secret ingredient to create a refreshing yet punchy flavor. The moment you dip your cheeks into the meat with white rice, slathered in this special sauce is truly a moment of bliss.
Popular specialty menu items born from a sudden inspiration
Many of Jan’s menus are born out of ideas that come to mind while dealing with meat every day, such as, “If you eat it this way, it will definitely be delicious!” When I come up with an idea, my style is to immediately go into the kitchen and make prototypes.
For example, the “large-sized sirloin” is currently the restaurant’s signature menu item and has received rave reviews from many customers. This was actually an idea that suddenly popped into my head one night when I was thinking about it in a store. “What if we cut the finest sirloin into large slices, lightly roasted them, and mixed them with a special egg yolk?” I thought, and immediately created a prototype. The result was far more delicious than I imagined, and it has now become a very popular menu item that everyone orders.
In addition, “Otokojo Kalbi” has the highest cost rate at the restaurant, and is served without regard to profit. Although we are prepared to make a loss with this menu, which is made by grilling thickly cut chunks of meat, we serve our customers with the single-minded desire to “eat your fill of delicious meat and be happy.” Furthermore, you can’t miss the “specialty! Wrapped green onion top tongue” which has the highest repeat rate. This masterpiece is made with specially selected green onions wrapped in carefully selected tongue.The moment you bite into it, the meat juices and the aroma of green onions fill your mouth, and once you try it, you’ll definitely be addicted.
For those who want to enjoy all of these special menu items at once,“Wagyu Beef Enjoyment Course”is highly recommended. Only in Otsuka could we achieve this: the prices are downtown, but the taste is high-end.“Real Wagyu Beef”Please experience the course once.
A warm and friendly restaurant where you can feel free to talk to us.
What I want to achieve through “Jan” is more than just a place that serves delicious Yakiniku. We hope to be a heartwarming and friendly restaurant that feels like an extension of everyday life for people who live in Otsuka and those who make the effort to visit.
We aim to create a space full of energy and warmth, where customers can smile naturally over delicious meat and feel free to talk to each other and our staff. Even if you are visiting us for the first time, please feel free to relax and enjoy your meal. If you have any questions about how the meat is done, recommended cuts, or even my hobbies in alcohol (actually, I love whisky, and we offer Yamazaki and Hakushu for 800 yen per glass for online reservations only!), please feel free to ask me, the manager, Yun.
If you want to eat Yakiniku in Otsuka, please come to “Jan”
It took me five years to pick up a knife and learn everything about meat, even though I had no experience. And a homemade sauce that has its roots in my mother’s taste without using chemical seasonings. We believe that what we offer is not just yakiniku, but a “work” that incorporates all of our experience, passion, and gratitude to our customers.
When you want to enjoy truly delicious Kuroge Wagyu beef to your heart’s content without straining yourself. When you want to spend a special time with your precious family, friends, or lover. Please leave it to Otsuka’s Yakiniku Stadium “Jan”. All of our staff members look forward to your visit with the best smiles and the finest meat.
Click here for store information and reservations
- Store name:Kuroge Wagyu Beef Specialty Yakiniku Stadium Jan Otsuka Main Branch
- address:1F SK Building, 2-11-1 Kitaotsuka, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
- telephone number:03-3910-9065
- Click here to make a reservation:https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1323/A132302/13168261/
Comment