Charcoal Cuisine Kobe Beef Ikuta Review: Great value-for-money beef set in Tokyo!

I, for one, am a huge meat lover and can never go a day without any meat in my meals. So when this shop popped up during my research for my Tokyo food adventures, I knew this was not something I could pass up on. While this shop specializes in grilling Kobe beef over charcoal fire, they were only available for dinner and not lunch time. As I went during lunchtime, the menu only offered selections that ranged from sukiyaki, donburi to beef set. I ordered the beef set where a rump cut was served.

The beef was served a medium-rare to medium doneness, a pinkish and firm center evident. It came with a good sear, locking up all the juices and flavors in it. However, the beef was too tough for my liking and especially so for a medium doneness. The beef was also under seasoned and lacked a wow factor. However, it came together with a brown sauce which was savoury and had a sour note to it- a good combination to the beef. Although I was a tad bit disappointed with the beef, the sides were amazing!

Priced at only 1000 yen (~$12SGD), one wouldn't have expected an array of sides to come along high-quality beef. The miso soup came along with seaweed and fishcake that was salty and had an umami flavour and was possibly one of the best miso soup I had before. Besides that, a salad, bamboo shoots, and freshly roasted greens were also served. Last but not least, a serving of coffee jelly provided a refreshing yet robust flavour to end of the meal.

Ambience at Charcoal Cuisine Kobe Beef Ikuta: 

                                                                             (source: google)

The restaurant was dimly lit that gave off a quaint and cozy ambience and the service was excellent. I was given a private room (tatami-style) for 6 individuals and it was one of the best dining experience I had for such an affordable meal. The staffs were also very friendly, even though language barrier was evident. As the restaurant is quite small, be sure to avoid the peak periods or make a reservation as the seats fill up quite quickly!

Although the beef set I got was not mind-blowing and not one of the best I had before, the price point and dining experience were great and I could definitely see myself coming back again to try the Kobe Beef instead. Situated less than 1km away from Meiji Jingu Shrine, this is definitely a spot to visit when on a holiday in Tokyo.

Address: 1-31-15 Yoyogi | No.2 Takarayama Bldg.1F, Shibuya, Tokyo Prefecture

Tel: +81 3-5304-7240

Lunch: 11:30-14:00 (only on weekdays)

Dinner: 17:30-23:00