This is Yoon, the store manager.
Thank you very much for always patronizing our store “Jan” and for paying attention to this blog article. We warmly welcome both regular customers who visit our store on a daily basis and those who are considering visiting for the first time.
It’s the season where we miss the pleasant breeze, the aromatic smell of grilling meat, and the stamina. How are you all doing? Today, I would like to talk about the charm of Otsuka, the wonderful town where our restaurant is located, and why our restaurant, “Jan,” is able to proudly continue to deliver Yakiniku that can be said to be the best value for money.
Please join us until the end.
[The unknown deep charm of Otsuka, a town next to Ikebukuro, and Jan’s history]
What image do you have of the city of Otsuka?
Although it is in an extremely convenient location, only one station away from Ikebukuro on the Yamanote Line, once you get off the train, you will notice that the overwhelming hustle and bustle of Ikebukuro is completely different from that of a nostalgic, relaxing, and peaceful time.
As you walk through the city, you can hear the Toden Arakawa Line, which is rare in Tokyo, making a pleasant rattling sound, and it is a truly attractive area where long-established stores that retain the atmosphere of the good old Showa era intersect with new, modern, and sophisticated shops in a perfect balance.
I, Yun, decided to open “Jan” in Otsuka because I was deeply attracted to the “warmth” and “humanity” of this town as a whole. On the way home from a fun day in Ikebukuro, or after a hard day’s work in Shinjuku or Shibuya, try stretching your legs a little and getting off at Otsuka. There is a special space where you can relax and enjoy delicious food while relaxing. In this place called Otsuka, which is like a “hidden place only known to those in the know,” we want you to eat the highest quality meat to your heart’s content without being pretentious or worrying about your wallet. I want them to leave with a smile on their face and say, “Let’s do our best again tomorrow!” This has been my greatest wish and the concept of the store since I started “Jan”.
[Be prepared for a deficit! ? The secret behind Jan’s overwhelming cost performance]
Well, as the title of today’s blog says, our store “Jan” is proud of having the “best value for money.” However, don’t get me wrong, what we are aiming for is not “just cheap” Yakiniku. We believe that our greatest mission at Jan is to provide our customers with pleasant surprises and deep impressions that leave them wondering, “Wow, you can eat this level of high-quality meat at this price!?”
If you look at our official information, it will be obvious, but our most recommended menu item and one that has an overwhelmingly high repeat rate from our customers is the Wagyu Beef Enjoyment Course (7,000 yen). With an overwhelming volume of 16 dishes in total, it is a dream-like course where you can fully enjoy the charm of our restaurant “Jan”, from the highest quality A5 grade Wagyu beef to the freshest offal.
. Let me give you a brief overview of the courses and the commitment we put into each menu.
■Special appetizers and exquisite sashimi of freshness■
First, we prepare our stomachs for the meat parade that is about to begin with our homemade “Assorted Kimchi” and our special “Salad (Munchu Salad)”. And because we source fresh ingredients, we can serve our senmai sashimi with confidence. This product has undergone thorough and careful preparation, and there is no odor peculiar to hormones. The crunchy and pleasant texture is perfectly intertwined with the carefully calculated thin salt sauce, making it a masterpiece that will make your drink go faster and faster. In addition, the “Seared Wagyu Beef Nigiri” is not only a dish that is rich in fat, but also has the strong flavor of Wagyu beef and a pleasant texture.
■Supreme pottery/salt section■
The starting point for grilling is a 3-point platter of salt. Among them, the “wrapped green onion top tongue” is a must-try dish that many customers who have tasted it have expressed their admiration for. The juicy flavor of the beef tongue, made only from the luxurious tongue base, and the refreshing sweetness of the green onions wrapped inside create a perfect harmony in your mouth. In fact, in order for you to enjoy the most delicious and perfect food, our staff will sometimes help you grill it at your table with all their heart. Then there’s the Iberian pork loin, which has no pork odor, just the right amount of elasticity, and elegant fat, and the hearty salt, which is thick yet refreshing, and the deliciousness continues.
■Royal grilled food/sauce section and blissful sirloin■
Next up is the “Three-Sauce Assortment”, which includes the “Jōkalbi”, which has high-quality fat that melts in your mouth the moment you put it in your mouth, and the “Jō Harami”, which has an irresistible mellow aroma and softness unique to skirt steak. It is seasoned with a special sauce that is not available to the public, so it goes perfectly with white rice and alcohol.
The climax of this course is the Wagyu Sirloin & Special Rice! The exquisite softness that is unique to A5 rank, and the sweetness of the rich fat. This is then quickly grilled on a wire rack to just the right degree of rareness, then thoroughly coated with sweet sauce, placed on top of steaming rice, and topped with a Yamagata brand egg. Once you take a bite, it’s truly a moment of bliss. Every time I hear a happy squeal from a customer, saying, “It was so delicious, it was a waste, it was gone in an instant…” I secretly do a fist pump in the back of the kitchen.
■Extremely fresh and rich hormones and a perfect ending■
Just before you can enjoy the aftertaste of the meat, the “Miso Hormone 3 Piece Assortment (Kopchan, etc.)” will appear. The plump, exquisite texture and the rich special miso sauce are powerfully intertwined, and the flavor of the offal that overflows with every bite has a punch suitable for the second half of Yakiniku. Finally, the perfect end to your meal is cold noodles that wash away the fat from the meat, or spicy jangmyeon, and today’s dessert that refreshes your palate.
The fact that we can offer a full course of overwhelming quality and quantity at the unbeatable price of 7,000 yen is possible because we are located in Otsuka, one station away from Ikebukuro, which is a little calmer. Above all, we do not allow any compromise when it comes to purchasing meat, and this is the true essence of “Jan”, which can only be achieved through our unique purchasing routes that we have cultivated over many years and our highly discerning craftsmen.
[Manager Yoon’s extraordinary passion and commitment to meat]
I myself stand in the kitchen every day, carefully examining the face of each piece of meat that I have purchased that day, and fine-tuning the thickness of the cuts and the way the hidden knife is inserted down to the millimeter, depending on the condition. Even within the same category of Wagyu beef, the way to cut it to bring out its best performance is completely different depending on the day or part of the beef. It is no exaggeration to say that freshness and careful preparation determine everything, especially when it comes to hormone products. We do not cut any corners from the preparation stage so that our customers can truly feel the deliciousness of our food the moment it enters their mouth. From removing a single line of meat to mixing the sauce, we do everything to make you smile.
In the past, a famous martial artist came to our shop “Jan” completely incognito. At that time, we did not treat them special just because they were famous, and as always, we served the best meat to all our customers using the best procedures. When I left, he strongly held my hand and said, “It was so delicious. I can’t believe there was a restaurant like this in Otsuka. I’ll definitely come again.” The warmth he felt at that time remains a great motivation for me, and continues to inspire me in my daily preparations.
[Jan’s heartwarming stories created by customers]
Having been in business for a long time, I have had many heartwarming stories with customers. I believe this is also an asset unique to the city of Otsuka and Jan.
One day, a group of students attending a university in Ikebukuro visited our store. “When I was looking for cheap and delicious yakiniku around Ikebukuro, a senior member of my circle enthusiastically told me, “Even if you just walk one station, go to Jan in Otsuka! You won’t regret it!” Even though he was concerned about the contents of his wallet, his face lit up the moment he tasted the wagyu beef, and he got excited and exclaimed, “This is crazy! This is the best value for money! It’s just like my senior said!” After that, they started using our store every time they had a club launch or a celebration for a dear friend. Nowadays, I’m a full-fledged member of society, but every once in a while someone stops by in a crisp suit and says to me, “It’s been a while, Mr. Yoon! I’m here again to eat the best meat!” and that makes me really happy.
Also, once a cute couple chose our restaurant for their first date. As the two of them were a little nervous and didn’t talk much, the staff casually helped them with how to grill the meat and gave them recommendations on how to eat it.The power of the delicious meat eased their tension, and they naturally burst into smiles, and I watched with a smile from behind the counter as they started a lively conversation. A few years later, when he came to tell me, “Since that yakiniku date at Jan, we’ve been friends forever and now we’re getting married!” My staff and I were so moved that we were so happy that we cried.
We at “Jan” are more than just a restaurant where you can grill meat on a grill. A place where you can enjoy delicious meat and share smiling moments with your loved ones. A place where you can heal the fatigue of work and nourish your vitality for tomorrow. We sincerely hope that we can be a stage that brightens up such wonderful moments in our customers’ lives.
[Give you the ultimate Yakiniku experience in Otsuka]
“Today, I want to be a bit more luxurious and eat some really delicious meat.” “But I’d like to go to a restaurant that’s easy on the wallet and will satisfy my heart.” If you’re thinking like that right now, please try getting off at Otsuka Station, just one stop from Ikebukuro. Just a short walk from the station, you’ll find “Jan”, a yakiniku restaurant that warmly welcomes you.
Our spacious, clean, and calm interior offers table seats where you can relax and tatami mats where you can stretch your legs and relax. Enjoyable drinking parties with friends, peaceful gatherings with family, romantic dates with loved ones, and of course, “rewarding yakiniku for yourself” on your own are all welcome. No matter what situation you come to our store in, I, Yun and Jan, will welcome you with the best hospitality and heartfelt hospitality.
For those of you who haven’t experienced “Jan” yet. Just one stop away from Ikebukuro may completely change your perception of Yakiniku. We have absolute confidence in the quality, taste, and price of our meat. Please come and see for yourself that the words “best in cost performance” are not a lie.
Tonight, why not enjoy the most delicious Japanese beef to your heart’s content at “Jan” in Otsuka? All of our staff are looking forward to seeing your best smiles!
■Store information/reservation information■ We look forward to your visit. Seats tend to fill up quickly on weekends and dinner times, so we highly recommend making reservations online in advance!
・Japanese black beef specialty Yakiniku Stadium Jan Otsuka main store
・Address: 1F SK Building, 2-11-1 Kita-Otsuka, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
・Telephone number: 03-3910-9065
・Click here to make a reservation:https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1323/A132302/13168261/
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