Heijoen (new photos 2024!)

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We stumbled upon this yakiniku over a decade ago and haven’t stopped returning.  We’ve been to  a couple of places in Ueno and Misono in Shinjuku, got lucky with some random street food, but this is our favourite spot, for balance of price and quality (and therefore we order a great quantity)! Delicious fatty wagyu beef, with A5 grade and others, plus excellent side dishes such as stone baked garlic rice, seafood, ramen and korean dishes.

The first time we saw the front, there was a golden dog atop a golden cow.

2018

Fast forward to 2023, and the dog has scarpered with the gold, but now there are three cows, in artistic paint jobs.  Who knows if it keeps changing, but if you compare the two photos, you will notice how they pay attention to the presentation, which is also reflected in the dishes.

2023

Reviewed here is the Asakusa Branch: Yubinbango111-0034 Taito-ku, Tokyo Kaminarimon 1-15-10

Opposite the cow you will see a window that shows the type of meat they have on offer, almost white, fully marbled beef.  Prepare your arteries.

The Asakusa branch has several floors, the ground floor with western seating, while the upper floors with seating that is set beneath the floor, or just cushions in traditional Japanese rooms – this can be painful for those not used to sitting on the floor, so do ask.  You should book in advance, especially on the weekends.  They seem to be tourist and child friendly, as we’ve  discovered, sometimes to our dismay (lol).

Usually if you’re been put on the ground floor, you get a booth to yourself so it’s great.  One time, a tourist casually walked in and asked for a table for seven people.  Heijoen may look huge, but it’s often busy.  He was turned away, in shock, I might add, so yes, booking in advance is specially recommended.

If Kobe beef is too expensive but you’d like to have that classy Yakiniku experience, this is a great choice.   The most expensive item is probably the chateaubriand at nearly 7000yen (50 USD/Euro) for probably 150g.  Compare that to the nearby Kobe beef restaurant’s chateaubriand at 38000yen for 110g…  It’s great to try everything but if you want to fill your belly then I cannot recommend any other yakiniku in the Tokyo area.

The presentation is very elegant and they give you some fat to grease down the grill.

Now we undress the sirloin… the quality is unmistakable.

And it’s time to cook!!!

SO GOOD!

We found in 2023, the charcoal grills had been replaced with gas.  Unlike some other restaurants, these are as hot as charcoal and there is no issue.

Grill that meat at the highest setting and let the fat drizzle off so you can enjoy crisp yet succulent strips of high quality beef.  Mushrooms and baby sweet corn on the cob shouldn’t taste this good, bbq’d and dipped into soy sauce.The Korean pancakes are also excellent!

Stone baked rice

Before I forget, the stone baked korean rice is an absolute must.  Make sure you have plenty of space in your stomach for the feast!

Now for the video…

The assorted 6 type (from the menu below), a great choice for a variety of flavours.

Get yourself a platter to try all types! Marinated, tender and always well presented.

Overall a great time- Wagyu has to be experienced!

There is a platter for four people, with a variety of premium cuts.  At the other end, prices are expensive for a single wagyu dish, beer and sides being separate.  There are lean cuts available too… My personal reccomendation is the sirloin, which has the best balance between fat and meat.  The kalbi (shortrib) is delectable and the harami (tongue) is fantastic too.

During my trip in 2024, I decided to try their ramen, which of course has premium beef, and I nearly died.  A very hearty and tasty meal, but to be frank, I would share this with your party, because you’re in a yakiniku place and it’s better to experience the grilled meat, rather than ramen, and this ramen is very filling!

2024, I think that was short rib, my god, with the other sides and main grill, I was about to explode!

Resist the temptation to kick down the doors and interrupt a meeting like in the Yakuza series and then run up to the rooftop and jump on a helicopter.

If your guests don’t like beef, there is seafood and even some chicken dishes, plus a range of drinks that you may not find so easily in other places.

This soy sour is a very acquired taste! Literally a salty and sour taste.  Not sure I should recommend it, but it’s certainly special.

A more traditional ume-shu (plum sour).  The beer served here is draft and wonderfully chilled.

Decor and Menu pics

Menu photos taken in 2023, so prices and content may change.

Here’s an old photo from way back when there was still charcoal! We could say portions were bigger back then… as with everything… better get stuck in before even more shrinkflation occurs

…Location

Inside room photo courtesy of Heijoen website

Speaking of Heijoen’s website, be careful with the spelling. If you visit this URL, it tells you it’s under maintenance, but that’s actually not the real site.  The real site is here, albeit that spelling is not expected… anyway the site has an English option and you can find several branches in Japan and one in Singapore.

The meat gives me power! Love it here!

  • Other yakiniku places that I can tell you about: (check back later for links)
    Misono
    Matsusaka Beef
    G Diner
    and more

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