Meat cuisine in Japan

You’ll find lots of delicious meat cuisine in Japan. Beef, pork, and chicken are used and cooked differently to enjoy various menus. I’ll introduce most popular meat dishes in Japan at this page. Let’s check out what you would like to try!

Variety of Meat cuisine

Yakiniku

Yakiniku or Korean barbecue in Japan is a dish of grilled beef, pork, or chicken with sauce and salt. Yakiniku is loved by many Japanese from young to old and downtowns have lots of Yakiniku restaurants. At Yakiniku restaurants open to the general public, you can order Tabehodai (all you can eat) at about JPY 3,000. However, it would cost more to eat rare meat parts. Steaks are made of large portion of meat but Yakiniku is sliced to small pieces so you can order lots of different menus. It is very fun to try various parts and types of meat with different sauces.

Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki or Japanese beef hot pot is a dish of simmered beef and various vegetables with sugar and soy sauce. Generally, we simmer beef, Japanese leek, Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushroom, and noodles made from konjac. These are simmered in sauce so it is strongly flavored. We dip these into the egg and make it mild taste to eat.

Shabushabu

Shabu Shabu is one type of Japanese hot pot that you dip a slice of pork or beef and vegetables into the boiled Japanese soup stock. After ingredients are cooked, we dip these into the flavored sauce and eat. It is similar to sukiyaki but the soup stock for Shabu Shabu is not flavored strongly so it is said that Shabu Shabu is light and healthy. Mainly Chinese cabbage, Japanese leek, carrot and shiitake mushroom are cooked. Main sauce is sesame sauce and ponzu sauce. We can also put chopped leek in the sauce to enjoy the difference of the tastes.

Yakitori

Yakitori or Japanese style skewered chicken is a dish of barbecued chicken on a stick. Sauce and salt flavored chicken are main. Chicken parts are very precise that the number of menus becomes a lot at restaurants specializing for Yakitori. It is very attractive that we can easily eat Yakitori at Izakayas, food stands at festivals or restaurants.

Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu or Japanese pork cutlet is a thick pork cutlet breaded with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, and then deeply fried in oil. Generally, pork tenderloin or chuck is used. With sauce and salt, you can enjoy the juicy taste of Tonkatsu. Many restaurants offer with a set of rice and miso soup which is tabehodai (all you can eat).

Kushikatsu

Kushikatsu (deep fried skewers) is also popular. At Kushikatsu restaurant, you can enjoy dishes of various fried skewers too. Not only meat but vegetables are recommendable too!

Gyudon

Gyudon or beef bowl is a bowl of rice topped with grilled beef. Gyudon restaurant is loved by many Japanese as it is cheap, fast and very delicious. You will find lots of Gyudon restaurants in Japan and most popular ones are Yoshino-ya, Matsu-ya, and Suki-ya where we can eat Gyudon at about JPY 300. It may be fun to figure out differences of taste and toppings among three restaurants.

Summary

Other than above dishes, you can enjoy variety of delicious meat cuisine in Japan. Have fun eating various meat dishes made from wonderful culture through Japan!