Tsukiji Satou

The big-hit Tsukiji Satou got its start as a small butcher shop in Tokyo before it expanded to five locations across the metropolis, including delis and butcher shops. Its Tsukiji location, which is set back from the streets and takes diners along a lantern-lit stoned path, offers the primp-and-proper fit-out of a fine diner. The space has tall leather upholstered chairs and a sharp, dark wood counter with a glowing, atmospheric ambiance. The private room, on the other side, pairs white-linen-clad tables with moody lighting, much to the delight of its well-heeled clientele. This teppanyaki-powered restaurant brings steaks into even sharper focus than before. The gleaming iron griddle occupies a chunk of space of the floorplan, giving diners front-row seats to the shows of chefs flipping marbled, butter-tender fillets and serving them straight from the teppan grill. They take beef seriously, so much so that they developed their own original brand of wagyu called "Inishie Wagyu" in collaboration with farmers. They serve premium, ultra-tender cuts that constitute only 3% of the meat obtained from a single cow, with surprisingly minimal marbling. From the griddle, the chef prepares kuroge wagyu, teppanyaki-grilled vegetables, roast beef and garlic rice. The service is precise yet discreet — exactly what one would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. Tsukiji Satou is recognized as the third best steakhouse in the world in the French documentary "Steak Revolution.”