What is Sukiyaki: Recipe, Ingredients & Where To Try in Japan

During the cold winter months, there’s nothing better than a warming bowl of hot pot. Thankfully, Japanese cuisine has a few options when it comes to nabe (the Japanese word for hot pot), with sukiyaki and shabu-shabu being the two favorites. 

We’ll tell you all you need to know about sukiyaki, including how to make it and the best sukiyaki restaurants in Japan. So, if you’re hungry, keep reading!

For the uninitiated, sukiyaki is a Japanese hot pot made with thin slices of beef as the main ingredient. These beef slices are seared and left to simmer in a sukiyaki sauce composed of soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sake. 

Once the meat is prepared, tofu, mushrooms, cabbage and other ingredients are added to the pot until everything is cooked.

Eating sukiyaki is a communal experience. The hot pot is shared with everyone, with each person serving themselves a bowl or picking out their favorite ingredients, sometimes to pair with rice. 

What adds the most flavor, however, is the practice of dipping each bite into a bowl of beaten raw egg (no need to worry about salmonella, though — the disease has been eradicated in Japan, so there is no risk in eating raw eggs).

Find out more: Why Can You Eat Raw Eggs in Japan?

Besides the egg dipping, there are a few key differences between sukiyaki and shabu-shabu. Shabu-shabu, like yakiniku, is eaten bite by bite as each piece of meat is individually swished about and cooked in the pot. With sukiyaki, however, all ingredients are cooked together from the beginning. 

Additionally, the broth used in shabu-shabu is much lighter, and the flavor comes in afterward with the choice of dipping sauces, typically sesame and ponzu. For this reason, it’s said that shabu-shabu is the healthier option of the two.

If you are halal, vegetarian or otherwise enjoy cooking, sukiyaki is easy to make and customize at home. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Broth: Kombu dashi (dried kelp and water).

• Sauce: Sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce.

• Meat: Thinly sliced beef (ribeye or chuck, replace with tofu or seitan if vegetarian) and oil for cooking.

• Hot pot: Napa cabbage, chrysanthemum greens, green onion, burdock root, onion, enoki mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, carrot and shirataki noodles.

• For serving: Eggs for dipping (but make sure they can be served raw).

Optional: Udon noodles to cook in the leftover broth for a shime finishing course.

1. Make the kombu dashi: Add two cups of water and one piece of dried kelp in a measuring cup or pitcher and set aside to steep for at least 30 minutes.
   
   

2. Make the sukiyaki sauce: Combine ½ cup of sake and ½ cup of mirin in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer until the alcohol evaporates. Add three tbsp of sugar and ½ cup of soy sauce and mix. Bring it back to a boil and once the sugar is dissolved, set it aside.

3. Chop the veggies and prepare the meat

4. Soak the burdock root in water for five minutes, changing the water often

5. Boil the shirataki noodles for two minutes, drain and set aside

6. Cook the meat, set aside

7. Simmer the sukiyaki (with the meat)

8. Beat the eggs (and plate the rice)

9. Serve

10. Optional: shime noodle course

For more details, follow Namiko Hirasawa-Chen’s sukiyaki recipe on Just One Cookbook, a fantastic resource for finding Japanese recipes in English.

When there’s a chill in the air, what could be better sukiyaki and wagyu beef? Starting out as a beef wholesaler, Kanda-based Sukiyaki Sasaki knows how to handle their meat. In fact, all the high-quality kuroge black wagyu and sirloin cuts that pass through this place are chilled, not frozen, ensuring that they retain their succulent flavor and texture. 

Tucked in an alleyway, Sukiyaki Sasaki offers privacy in which you can fully enjoy your sukiyaki — in part due to the hidden location and the bamboo blinds separating the table dining area. So even if the private rooms aren’t available, your experience will feel just as luxurious. 

At Difaya, Chef Osagawa Hideki makes sure Muslim diners aren’t excluded from the sukiyaki experience. Although yakiniku and sushi are popular halal alternatives, Chef Osagawa set out to make a halal sukiyaki that was just as delicious as the original. Thus, Difaya was born. 

Serving sukiyaki made with Shiretoko wagyu beef, Ibaraki-grown vegetables, and halal-certified miso before wrapping it up with a cup of matcha tea, even those who do not eat a halal diet will be beyond satisfied. 

Find out more: Best Halal Wagyu and Yakiniku Restaurants in Tokyo

Run by Iron Chef and Michelin-starred trailblazer Masaharu Morimoto, XEX ATAGO GREEN HILLS is a top contender for any dish you might be craving. Supplied by maguro tuna wholesaler Hicho and sourcing its seafood from Toyosu Fish Market, the seafood is undeniably incredible, but the sukiyaki deserves a special mention. 

As a bonus, you’ll get to devour your hot pot with a sublime view of Tokyo’s evening skyline.

As Tokyo’s oldest sukiyaki restaurant, Iseju’s 150-year legacy speaks for itself. From the traditional iron-kettle dish the sukiyaki is served in to the beautifully marbled A5 wagyu beef that’s still cut by hand to the charcoal grill, it’s easy to feel as if you’ve stepped back in time with each spoonful of sukiyaki. 

Our tip: Reserve the room with a sunken kotatsu for peak coziness. 

At Iinoji, diners are invited to slow down and eat some soul food amidst the hustle and bustle of Nihonbashi. With a slew of seasonal appetizers and side dishes like tempura and katsuo tataki (seared bonito fish) served prior to the main sukiyaki action, you can truly feel your cares melt away with each plate. 

The meal reaches new heights with the main course: sukiyaki made with Omi beef from Shiga Prefecture. Toast the occasion with a selection of 43 drinks on the menu, including 14 different brands of sake.

Starting out as a tiny shop in Osaka in 1963, Ganko Food Service has since expanded to include some of the most renowned restaurants in Japan, particularly in the Kansai region. 

Its oyashiki line invites diners into restaurants that take the shape of grand historical mansions, serving excellent Japanese cuisine in the meantime. One such location is Ganko’s Takasegawa Nijoen, sitting on the banks of the Takase River. 

Here, you can enjoy top-quality sukiyaki made with Kobe beef while taking in the postcard-like scenery. 

Go back to where it all started in the Sanjo district, home to Ganko’s main Kyoto location. Sitting beside the Kamo River, this branch has 400 seats, English-speaking staff and affordable prices — something that can be difficult to find in Kyoto. 

And if you’re simultaneously craving sukiyaki and sushi, have no fear: both the Kiwami and Matoi sukiyaki course offer a Kobe beef sukiyaki hot pot and a delectable sushi spread. 

Find out more: Best Kobe Beef Restaurants in Kobe

It could be said that Ganko’s Rakurakusou location in Kameoka is the grandest of the entire oyashiki line. Designed by Ogawa Jihei VII, a renowned Japanese architect, and bestowed status as one of Japan’s Tangible Cultural Properties, the Kobe beef sukiyaki courses are best accompanied by a pre or post-meal still in the kaiyu-style garden.

Whether you’re finishing up a long day at the office or departing Kyoto soon, Ganko’s most convenient location is undoubtedly its branch at Kyoto Station. 

Step out of the modern surroundings and into the Edo Period thanks to Ganko’s ambient lighting and wooden interiors, feeling more and more relaxed with each comforting bite of Ganko’s Kobe beef sukiyaki.

Serving sukiyaki in the competitive Osaka area for over 100 years, Sukiyaki Harijyu Dotonbori knows what it's doing. To prove it, this joint exclusively uses kuroge wagyu beef from female Japanese Black cows, which is said to be softer and more finely grained than bulls or steers. 

But attention isn’t just paid to the beloved wagyu beef hot pots. The stylish Showa-era kimono and traditional Japanese interior are just as inviting.

Boasting picturesque views of Osaka’s skyline and the inclusion of A5-grade kuroge wagyu beef from Kobe and Matsusaka in its hot pots, Umeda’s Sukiyaki Shabu Shabu Tsukada KITTE is a top choice for a night out in Osaka. 

What makes this eatery stand out, however, is the personal sukiyaki option for solo diners. Complementing the top-shelf beef are the fresh vegetables sourced from northern Akita, ensuring that each bite is equally flavorful. 

Located in the Herbis Plaza near Nishi-Umeda Station, Sukiyaki Shabu Shabu Kobe Beef Ishida is just as convenient to access as it is luxurious. Using only kuroge wagyu beef from Hyogo Prefecture, its sukiyaki will surely be the highlight of your travels in Osaka. 

Meet the best of both worlds: Sukiyaki Kushikatsu Haruna Honmachi. In its hot pot is Japanese wild boar from Wakayama, and served alongside sukiyaki is Osaka’s signature kushikatsu skewers. 

Known as Ibu Biton pork in Japanese, this Susami-raised meat is fed grain with plum vinegar extract mixed in, which replaces the usual gamey aftertaste with a sweetness. Simmered in the rich sukiyaki broth, the addition of kushikatsu and an all-you-can-drink menu will have you in culinary heaven!

Find out more: Best Kushikatsu Restaurants & Tours in Osaka

Known for its historic castles and temples, it’s no surprise that you can also find one of Japan’s most iconic dishes in the streets of Nara. Despite the historic surroundings, though, Sukiyaki Kappo Kitsune isn’t afraid to do things differently. 

First, there’s a choice of three different egg dips, including an “odorless” egg dip, an egg dip with shichimi seven spice mix, and the restaurant’s original egg dip with seasonal ingredients. The beef itself is Yamato Ushi, Nara’s brand of wagyu beef, and locally made rice syrup adds a sweet touch to the broth. 

Find out more: Michelin Guide Restaurants in Nara

Partake in the time-honored tradition of riverside dining at this sukiyaki restaurant with a twist. Hakone’s Gyunabe Ukon’s famous hotpot still has the traditional kuroge wagyu beef, but differentiates itself with the addition of fragrant mountain yam.

Our recommendation? Coming here during fall to see the leaves change colors. 

Find out more: 2-Day Hakone Itinerary for First-Time Visitors

Whether you’re planning on hitting the slopes or just want to enjoy Karuizawa’s beautiful nature, Sofu offers a warming meal amidst the snowy Nagano weather. 

Sample premium Shinshu wagyu beef and more by booking your meal today!

Want a more hands-on culinary experience? Prepare a decadent sukiyaki meal with the family of a local farmer, complete with vegetables hand-picked by you, Matsusaka wagyu beef and an overnight stay at a farmer’s inn in Taikicho, Mie. 

Home cooking and kaiseki cuisine come together in this seven-course cooking class focused on Japan’s most famous dishes, including wagyu beef sukiyaki. Book this Tokyo cooking class for you and your family or friends today and make memories on your Japan trip!

Want to learn how to make sukiyaki on your own? 

Pass through Ninomiya — on the way from Mt. Fuji, Odawara, Hakone or Izu — for this wagyu beef sukiyaki cooking class and take home more than just unique KitKat flavors. 

For more of Japan’s broth-based dishes, explore Japanese nabe and hot pot, read our guide to traditional Japanese foods and browse our full selection of sukiyaki restaurants in Japan.