Japan is a country with so many culinary highlights that it can often be overwhelming for the visitor to know where to begin! From the delicious street food dishes like takoyaki and yakisoba right up to the premium, high-end restaurants offering kaiseki cuisine, Japanese food is always tasty and high-quality.
However, nothing in Japanese cuisine says luxury like the world-famous Japanese beef, wagyu. For many people, their first experience with wagyu beef may have been the world-famous Kobe beef, which hails from the city of the same name.
"Wagyu" is a blanket term that covers all Japanese beef. Four of the most famous types of regional beef in Japan (namely Kobe, Mishima, Yonezawa and Matsusaka) are all famed for their marbled fat effect, incredibly rich and creamy taste, melt-in-the-mouth texture, and — rather less fortunately — high price!
This blog post will cover the ranking of wagyu beef, introduce Matsusaka beef, and provide a list of places to try it in both Mie Prefecture and Tokyo!
How is Wagyu beef ranked?
The important aspects of Japanese beef are evaluated during the wagyu ranking process.
The Japanese Beef Association ranks each cut of beef according to its marbling and yield grade, with the lowest grade of beef being C1 and the highest grade of beef being A5. Only A3- to A5-ranked beef can be sold in Japan as certified wagyu. Be aware that the price of an A5 beef steak, depending on the size and weight, can easily top ¥30,000.
While Kobe beef may have achieved international fame, the other wagyu beef options are just tasty and luxurious. In fact, many Japanese consider some of the other brands to be tastier options. Today, we would like to introduce the beef that is, in fact, considered the best of Japan’s wagyu, a well-kept secret: Matsusaka beef.
What is Matsusaka beef?
Matsusaka is a small, rural region and city of the same name in the prefecture of Mie (about halfway between the cities of Osaka and Nagoya). Matsusaka city and its surrounding countryside are home to the famous beef dish, with people traveling from all across Japan to this quiet corner of the country just for the opportunity to taste the dish that has put the city on the map.
Originally, cattle in this area, as with the rest of Japan, were bred for farm labor, and the cows were small and muscular. This changed upon the arrival of Europeans, who introduced the Japanese to eating beef. Since then, the area of Matsusaka has been at the forefront of premium wagyu.
Matsusaka beef is highly regarded because of its flavor, richness, and distinctive marbled texture. In order for the beef to be considered Matsusaka beef, it must first meet a strict standard. The cows are specially selected and take three years to mature. The beef can also only be distributed by a select number of farms in the area, and the cows are even given their own individual 10-digit ID numbers so they can be tracked and verified!
The beef itself can be eaten either as a Matsusaka beef steak at one of the many teppanyaki restaurants that can be found in the city or cooked in a more traditional method as shabu-shabu, where thin slices of beef are briefly boiled in a hot pot and eaten, or sukiyaki where thin slices of cooked beef are eaten dipped into raw, beaten egg.
Where to try Matsusaka beef in Mie Prefecture
Here are a couple of great places to start your Matsusaka beef journey right at the source.
- Farmer's Inn in Mie for a Farm-to-Table Matsusaka Sukiyaki Experience
- Dream Ocean Restaurant in Matsusaka
1. Farmer's Inn in Mie for a Farm-to-Table Matsusaka Beef Sukiyaki Experience
Experience the delicacy in the heart of Mie Prefecture itself during this farm-to-table experience with a local family in Mie.
Everything from the water to the vegetables (and the Matsusaka beef) is from the surrounding area. You'll harvest the produce from a local vegetable patch, stop by a mushroom shed to collect some fungi, and fetch liters of the local "miracle water" that's supposedly the secret behind the locals' longevity. But the melt-in-the-mouth wagyu beef is the star of the sukiyaki hot pot, impossibly tender and juicy.
Book the Farm-to-Table Matsusaka Beef Sukiyaki Experience.
2. Dream Ocean Restaurant in Matsusaka
There are several good options when it comes to where you can try Matsusaka beef. These are mainly located in Japan’s major cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo etc). However, in Matsusaka city itself, there are many excellent options where you can try both Matsusaka beef steak and the traditional shabu-shabu and sukiyaki.
One of the most famous and well-known establishments for trying beef in the city is the Dream Ocean Restaurant, which offers a wide variety of different options, including both wagyu steak and sukiyaki. Reservations are essential for this restaurant as it tends to be booked out in advance. Thankfully, you can easily book Dream Ocean Restaurant on byFood. The restaurant offers English-language menus for your convenience.
Where to try Matsusaka beef in Tokyo
For many travelers, it may be something of a challenge to make it to Matsusaka city during their stay in Japan. However, there are also several excellent Matsusaka beef restaurants in Tokyo that are easily accessible to most foreign visitors to Japan.
Here are some of the best places to enjoy this coveted wagyu beef in Tokyo.
- Rokkasen
- Toyoken
- Shabu Gen
1. Rokkasen
At Rokkasen, customers can experience a fantastic all-you-can-eat Matsusaka beef experience. The restaurant is located only a short walk from Shinjuku Station, one of the main arteries for traveling around the city.
2. Toyoken
Another great option for Matsusaka beef in Tokyo and perhaps the most well-established place to try this special brand of wagyu outside of Mie prefecture is Toyoken. Established in 1889, this fantastic fusion restaurant offers customers the chance to sample Matsusaka beef in a number of different and inventive creations, such as their signature black curry and beef hashed rice, as well as their A5-ranked steak option.
3. Shabu Gen
Why not try Matsusaka beef in a pork shabu-shabu, right where the hot-pot dish originated? After simmering in a complex broth for just a few seconds, the beef is cooked to perfection, and its fatty marbling will make every piece deliciously melt in your mouth.
Matsusaka beef is certainly not something that most people can afford to eat every day as it is something of a rare treat, but meat-eating visitors to Japan should certainly go for a once-in-a-lifetime splurge and sample this truly delicious wagyu. Many foods that are considered a luxury experience can sometimes be over-hyped, but this one certainly is not. Your wallet may regret it, but your tastebuds certainly will not!
Check out this video where Shizuka tries an A5 wagyu menchi katsu! Or, browse wagyu beef dining experiences in Japan and try Japanese domestic beef for yourself.
