Wagyu Yakiniku Kakunoshin Roppongi

Chiba Masuo is a man who is loyal to his roots. He was born and raised in Iwate Prefecture, and fell in love with wagyu growing up. When he heard the news that his elementary school was closing down, he offered to take over. His hamburger production facility and meat school now reside in the same building; the converted structure has been brought to life in a culminating effort to define — and redefine— the potential of wagyu. It's no surprise that Wagyu Yakiniku Kakunoshin Roppongi, one of his ventures, is serious about its meat. Chiba selects female Japanese kuroge wagyu that weighs 400 kilograms and has been fattened for 30 months — with millet in their final months for a sweeter flavor. Aged in-store inside the climate-controlled storage on the first floor of the restaurant, the meat is hung, then sectioned into thick chunks and grilled tableside on an iron mesh, greased only with wagyu fat, using his research-backed “Water Balloon Method” without seasoning. It’s ridiculously good, hitting all the right robust, tender spots. It’s also a snapshot of Kakunoshin’s love for wagyu. Other items on the menu are just as spectacular. In place of seaweed, thick-sliced wagyu wraps around the sushi rice gunkan-style and gets topped with uni and Hokkaido crab. The chilled chawanmushi is made with eggs and shiitake mushrooms from Iwate, chopped so fine the custardy dish feels delightfully grainy. And then there is the oriental take of America’s surf and turf: a ginormous pocket of wagyu, stuffed with scallops. Drinks do justice to the food, too. Toda Akiko, his head manager, was jubilant as she explained the philosophy behind their sake selection — chilled chawanmushi goes well with warm sake, for example, to evoke the feeling of being “in an onsen.” These days, you can still find Chiba sharing his latest wagyu R&D and meat activities online. It’s no wonder he’s called the “Niku Ojisan” — the “Meat Uncle.” ※ Please note that dining will be on the third floor of the Kakunoshin building in Roppongi.