A note on the words: gyu-mabushi is a beef rice dish served in the style of hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice), where you enjoy the bowl in three stages — first on its own, then with yakumi condiments (here scallions, wasabi and nori seaweed), and finally with dashi poured over. Hamburg steak, called hambagu in Japan, is a seasoned ground-meat patty served on a plate rather than in a bun. Kuroge wagyu refers to Japanese Black cattle prized for fine marbling, while Matsusaka beef is one of Japan’s most famous wagyu brands.
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Oniku no Senmonten Sugimoto Toukyou middotaun ten on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. There is a supermarket called Precce inside Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi. I dropped by to pick up a few things, and since it was lunchtime I thought about grabbing lunch in Midtown. Looking over the list of restaurants there were still a few I had not visited, and one of them was “Oniku no Senmonten Sugimoto Toukyou middotaun ten”. It happens to be right in front of Precce, so it is very easy to get to, ha. If anything, it is basically a butcher shop, but with an eat-in counter attached — something along those lines.
It goes by Sugimoto, but the main operation behind it is probably Kyurunonchue, I suppose, ha.
Even though it is listed as Sugimoto on Tabelog.
Matsusaka beef suki-nabe — 3,780 yen
Hamburg steak set made with Matsusaka beef — 1,800 yen
Kuroge wagyu hamburg steak set — 1,250 yen
Roast beef over rice in a lacquered box — 1,500 yen
Domestic beef gyu-mabushi — 1,800 yen
Matsusaka beef gyu-mabushi — 3,780 yen
The prices change quite noticeably depending on the grade of beef, ha.
It seems to go something like domestic beef < kuroge wagyu < aged beef < Matsusaka beef, maybe!
That said, Matsusaka beef is not something you can casually order on an ordinary day, so I chose the domestic beef gyu-mabushi.
The eating instructions were written out, so I studied up beforehand.
That said,
- First, as it is
- With yakumi
- Finally, with dashi
which is the same style as what you do with hitsumabushi.
And then, the gyu-mabushi arrived.
I see, the portion is fairly modest!
Plenty of sesame seeds. First just as it is, as directed: taking a bite, the beef is a little on the firm side.
Well, it is domestic beef, so that is understandable, ha. The sweet sauce is quite rich and pairs very well with the rice.
The yakumi are scallions, wasabi and nori. Wasabi and beef really do go well together. The refreshing sharpness of the wasabi against the rich sauce is lovely.
Finally, pouring the dashi in with a splash thins the rich sauce just enough for a clean, light finish.
Yes, it is certainly tasty. From there, it is all about the balance between price, portion size and beef quality!
And here is the kuroge wagyu hamburg steak.
The plump hamburg steak looked delicious!
I had a bite: a tender patty full of meat juices, and very good.
If anything, I would probably recommend the hamburg steak over the gyu-mabushi! It is cheaper, it looks more appetizing, ha, and best of all it is delicious. The gyu-mabushi is fine too, of course, but in that case I get the feeling you would be more satisfied choosing the better cuts of beef!
Oniku no Senmonten Sugimoto Toukyou middotaun ten (Sukiyaki / Roppongi Station, Nogizaka Station, Roppongi Itchome Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.2
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
