kuishinbou33
Fresh live oysters and thick iron steak were delicious!! I went to a meat bistro located just a 3-minute walk from Yushima Station on the Chiyoda Line. NIKU BISTRO KOUZO is right across from Yushima Tenjin, and I visited this restaurant to enjoy my favorite oysters, meat, and pasta all at once. The spacious interior with wooden floors and comfortable table spaces. The background music was 80s American pop, creating a nostalgic atmosphere. I made a reservation for 6:00 pm on a Saturday, and the place was quite empty at first, but customers started to arrive gradually. There were groups of women, couples, families with children, and a diverse range of customers.
We started with a toast of Bianca Vigna Spumante Seco from Italy, followed by a tasting of fresh live oysters. The oysters were from Karatsu, Saga Prefecture (small and round with a crispy and sweet taste), Murotsu, Hyogo Prefecture (fresh, refreshing, and creamy), and Hirota Bay, Iwate Prefecture (the largest with a crispy and rich taste). The freshness of the oysters was outstanding, and they paired well with the chilled Spumante.
We then had seared wagyu carpaccio, quiche with sea urchin and colorful vegetables, and a 1-pound Angus beef ribeye steak. The steak was a specialty of the day, and it was seared on a hot plate right in front of us. The meat was juicy and flavorful, and we could choose our preferred level of doneness. It was served with various sauces and condiments, and the accompanying fries were also delicious.
For pasta, we had oyster and sun-dried tomato oil pasta, which was made with large oysters from Hiroshima Prefecture and Awaji Island-produced fresh pasta. The dish had a rich oyster flavor with a hint of spiciness and was simply delicious.
Overall, the experience at NIKU BISTRO KOUZO was excellent, and I found out that the manager is a certified sake sommelier. I wish I had known earlier so I could have tried pairing the oysters with sake.