kinako-anko
On August 27, 2020, despite trying to avoid eating out to get back in shape after the impact of COVID-19, I succumbed to temptation when a friend told me they had made a reservation at the grill restaurant "Kitashinchi Fukutatei," where you can enjoy steak and high-quality wine. This was my second visit since I celebrated my 700th review with a "Hamburger Lunch" five years ago. We had an 18:00 reservation, but my friend arrived early at Kitashinchi Station on the JR Tozai Line, so we headed down to the basement floor of Kitashinchi Star Building 20 minutes ahead of time. The restaurant had 6 counter seats facing the kitchen, with a large oven for grilling meat in the middle. There were also 2 private rooms with sofa and table seating in the back left, but due to social distancing measures, only 4 counter seats were available with acrylic partitions in between. We had the place to ourselves for a while. My friend had reserved the "Carefully Selected Oven-baked Course" for ¥15,000 (excluding tax and service charge), which included various dishes such as homemade mini beef buns, assorted appetizers, consommé soup, seasonal organic vegetable salad, Fukutatei's carefully selected oven-baked steaks (fillet, lamp, ribeye), European-style curry rice with black wagyu beef, homemade pickles, and peach and coconut gelato for dessert. We were shown 3 types of A5-grade black wagyu meat cuts, and we toasted with beer and champagne. The meal started with a dish of homemade mini beef buns made with black wagyu fillet, followed by a beautifully presented assortment of appetizers featuring seasonal ingredients and luxury items like caviar, sea urchin, and black truffle. We also enjoyed butter rolls and focaccia with red wine. The rich black wagyu beef consommé soup was followed by a refreshing organic vegetable salad. The highlight of the meal was the carefully grilled steaks, each offering a different taste and texture. We finished with the luxurious black wagyu beef curry rice, where the meat's umami flavor stood out. It was a truly indulgent dining experience.