I had never been to Gyu-Kaku before, so I wanted to try it out. I bought a Gyu-Kaku Walker book which came with a lot of ¥1000 coupons, so I decided to use one. The restaurant uses charcoal grills for BBQ, and you order by scanning a QR code on your own smartphone. It was a bit inconvenient as the screen was small. I chose the middle course out of the three available, but it was a bit disappointing. Maybe the top course would have been better? However, if I wasn't satisfied with that, it would have been quite expensive, so I hesitated to order it. Today, I am here with my family of four, but I think I'll come back alone next time to try it out properly. If I'm going to spend this much money and time, maybe ordering a la carte and enjoying good meat with some drinks is the way to go.

On this day, I felt like eating meat and decided to go to this restaurant that I used to visit often before the pandemic. I didn't make a reservation, but luckily I was seated at the counter. Before I knew it, the place was fully packed. It's definitely popular. One of the good things about this place is that they use charcoal for grilling. I was excited to be back after a while. They had changed to a system where you scan a QR code with your phone to place orders. I wonder what elderly people who are not good with smartphones do. I ordered the Assorted 5 kinds (Beef Kalbi, Harami, Ribeye, Chuck Flap Tail, and Paitoro, 2 pieces each) for 1,078 yen, Black Wagyu Kalbi (6 pieces) for 979 yen, Addictive Salted Cabbage for 319 yen, Beef Kimchi for 319 yen, Beef Cold Noodles for 759 yen, and Large Rice for 385 yen. The Assorted 5 kinds were all delicious with little to no odor and surprisingly tender. The Black Wagyu Kalbi had a slightly different taste, with a delicious sweetness. The Cold Noodles came with char siu, boiled egg, Beef Kimchi, shredded cabbage, and finely sliced cucumber, with smooth and refreshing noodles. Overall, it was quite delicious to visit after a long time. However, it seems like they no longer offer the manga-sized rice. It's convenient for me as it's only a 10-minute drive away. I plan to visit again. 3.3

On this day, my son and his wife treated us to yakiniku at their favorite restaurant. They mentioned that there was a special menu they wanted to try. We went with my son, his wife, and another person, and ordered Kalbi 4 kinds big for 2,280 yen, Negi Tongue Salt for 490 yen x 3 servings, Gyukaku Kalbi for 590 yen x 2 servings, Salted Roast for 590 yen, Beef Tongue Cut Off with Salted Sauce for 550 yen, Napa Cabbage Kimchi for 290 yen x 2 servings, Addictive Cabbage for 290 yen, Gyukaku Cold Noodles Half for 450 yen, and for dessert, Blueberry Yogurt Ice Cream for 250 yen x 2 servings. Also, my son wanted to try the Rice Super-sized for 500 yen and Rice Extra-large for 390 yen (excluding tax). My son, who frequents this place, was surprised when he saw the Zhao Cheng ordered at the next table last time, so he ordered two large rice dishes out of curiosity. When the rice dishes finally arrived, we laughed. We thought there was no way the four of us could finish them. The garlic-flavored salt sauce was quite delicious and served as a driving force for eating the rice. We managed to finish the rice dishes, although it was quite challenging towards the end. Yakiniku goes well with rice after all. I think Gyukaku Kalbi is the best choice here. The price is reasonable, the meat is relatively tender, and the taste is decent. Next time, I might try ordering something more premium. Charcoal grilling is the best, indeed.

Continuing from last weekend, we had another round of yakiniku... Recently, it has become easier to find reasonably priced and delicious yakiniku, which is great. This time, I visited with my son's family and daughter, making it a group of five. It had been a while since I last visited, about 15 years ago. I used to go there often, but there was a time when I didn't like chain restaurants, so I stayed away. However, I have been reconsidering chain restaurants lately, so I decided to give this place another try after last weekend. Yakiniku restaurants are usually crowded on weekends, so we arrived a little after 5 pm, right after they opened. We didn't have a reservation and I thought we might be turned away, but we managed to get a table by going early. We had to wait a bit for a table to be prepared, but we were seated smoothly. The restaurant has been renovated and improved quite a bit from the cramped seating it used to have. I was hoping the taste had changed as well. Since my son's family often visits this place, I left the ordering to him. Our order for the day included: Popular 5 kinds of meat platter for 1,980 yen (including premium kalbi, loin, harami, pettoro, basil chicken, totaling about 330g) Kalbi 4 kinds of meat platter BIG for 2,200 yen (including premium kalbi, kalbi steak, thick-cut kalbi, kalbi) Tongue salt for 390 yen (2 servings), Green onion tongue salt for 490 yen, Chorogi salad for 590 yen, Addictive salt cabbage for 290 yen, Kimchi assortment for 490 yen, Rice for 260 yen (4 servings) and 190 yen (1 serving), Additional premium harami for 690 yen, New gyu-kaku kalbi for 590 yen. The total bill came to 9,410 yen (excluding tax). It was about 2,000 yen per person. There were two types of sauce and salt, as well as lemon, on the table. (There was also gochujang). Charcoal grills were brought to us as soon as we placed our order. Now, let's try the food... The salad came out first. The Chorogi salad was... a bit salty... There was less sesame oil, but quite a lot of seaweed. The salt cabbage was not as tasty as before, a bit bland... The tongue salt was quite delicious for the price. (But I prefer beef...) In terms of meat, I thought the taste was better than the restaurant I visited last weekend. Especially the premium kalbi in the 5 kinds of meat platter was quite delicious. The meat was quite thick and juicy. However, the harami was too small and had a slightly rubbery texture. The premium harami was a bit better, but the portion was still small... The new gyu-kaku kalbi was the most recommended in terms of quality, quantity, and price. It was nice to have a generous portion. The kimchi was average. Neither good nor bad... However, the quality of the premium kalbi in the kalbi 4 kinds platter and the 5 kinds platter was clearly different, which was a bit confusing. I have no complaints about the premium kalbi in the 5 kinds platter, but... Overall, I think this place is more suitable for couples or smaller groups. The meat quality has improved compared to before, but I still prefer the sauce from the restaurant I visited last weekend. However, when going with just one other person, this place is a good choice for charcoal grilling... I would choose this restaurant... 3.2

The meat is tough. The freshness is low. The hormone had a strong smell and was inedible.

The yakiniku was delicious, but the ventilation was too good, making it too cold to enjoy the meal. Disappointing.

Near my house, there is a Yakiniku restaurant called Hiro Mototen that I sometimes visit for special occasions. I love eating the delicious meat at this chain restaurant. The first time I tried it was when I was in college and a friend took me to the store in Sanjo. I was amazed to discover such tasty meat at a chain restaurant! I still love indulging in rich meat dishes, and I especially enjoy grilling and savoring each bite. I also love ordering the egg soup and mixing it with rice for a delicious combination. And of course, I can't resist ordering some cold noodles to finish off the meal. When I'm not feeling too hungry, I appreciate that they offer a half-size option. Unfortunately, my family can't enjoy it because there's no Gyu-Kaku in our area. I hope they open one soon! It doesn't matter where it's from (laughs).

It has been a while since I visited, so I wanted to record my experience. As always, it's packed on weekends. It feels like a fair period, with discounted Premium Malt beer! That alone made me happy (laughs). The menu is varied, with more options other than just meat. There were delicious dishes like kimchi tofu, salads, and namul at reasonable prices. We enjoyed grilling the meat on the shichirin. The quality of the meat is average for the price, but the sauce is smooth and tasty. The staff is energetic, efficient, and provides pleasant service. The unique staff introduction notebook on the table was also interesting to read. Being young is wonderful!

This is a chain restaurant, but the Gyukaku Ebisaka branch here has a minimum wait time of one hour in the evenings. There are many students around because there is a university nearby, but there are also many families, so you really have to wait. However, you don't need to stay inside the store while waiting. They will call your phone when a table is available, which is convenient. The staff are mostly young and energetic, probably because of the nearby university, and the service is pleasant. The prices for all the meats are reasonable, so it's a casual place where families and couples can easily go.

It's a place called Gyu-Kaku, so I don't need to introduce it in detail, but the atmosphere feels young, maybe because the university is nearby. The customers and staff are mostly students, and it can be a bit too lively for my taste. The menu and posters recommending items are plastered all over the place, giving off a vibe like "We're having so much fun here!! Love our restaurant!". It's a bit overwhelming for me. The service is not bad, but when I'm feeling mentally tired, I can't go there (laughs). The taste is typical of Gyu-Kaku. I want to give it more stars because I'm a regular customer, but the alcohol is ridiculously weak. It's like drinking the last centimeter of melted ice in a glass. Not good. It's better not to drink it at all. Every time I order a sour drink, it's always too weak, and despite writing it in the feedback surveys, there's no sign of improvement. Well, it's close by so I'll probably go back again (laughs). If you go around 9 pm, you won't have to wait too long to be seated.