Yakiniku, is a Japanese term that refers to grilled meat. To us, it means Japanese barbeque! In Japan, Japanese barbeque is done by grilling thin slices of meat (usually beef and pork) over charcoal.

When you visit a yakiniku restaurant, a variety of ingredients are available for you to choose from. There are usually many different parts of beef, pork and chicken that are available. Some typical and popular option are beef heart, beef tongue, pork intestines and of course the usual pork loins, beef short ribs and many more. To go with the meat, there is usually a sauce called “tare” that you can dip your meat in before enjoying!

Of course, there are also other things that you can grill such as grilled vegetables, which commonly include onion, cabbage, and pumpkin.

I am sure many people have heard of Wagyu Beef, which is a top grade Japanese beef that has intense marbling and melts in your mouth. This time, we visited Mikakuen (“味覚園“), which is a Yakiniku restaurant chain. They offer a large variety of meat including the popular Wagyu Beef. We had a taste, and I still can’t get the taste out of my mind.

Therefore, I am going to share some useful Yakiniku tips for when you decide to visit a Yakiniku restaurant in Japan!

Tip 1: The meat slices are usually cut thinly. Hence, you need to keep an eye on the meat all the time in order to keep it from burning. Also, turn it over from time to time so that it will be grilled evenly. Place the meat slightly apart from each other and, do not overcrowd the grill!

Tip 2 (This is an important tip to take note of!): ICE! A bowl of ice will usually be given by the staff at the beginning of your meal. Aside from the locals, many people would be wondering, what exactly is the ice for? The answer, it is used to save your meat from the fire that blazes due to the fats from the meat.

Those are the 2 important tips for when you visit a Yakiniku restaurant in Japan. If you happen to be in Japan, be sure to have an amazing Yakiniku experience!

*Fun Fact: August 29 was deemed as the official “Yakiniku Day”, as the date 8月29 can be (roughly) read as ya-(tsu)ki-ni-ku (8 = ya, 2 = ni, 9 = ku). (use this as the opener to your blog?)

Mikakuen (味覚園　南３条店)

Address: Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo, Minami 3 Jonishi, 3 Chome−6, 深井ビル 1F・2F

Opening Hours: 5PM to 12AM

Tel: 011-252-5555

Website: http://www.life-v.co.jp/SU_Concept.html

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Trippino HOKKAIDO

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