Taste Exquisite Tankaku Wagyu Beef At Iwate's Best Restaurants
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Everybody loves Japanese beef, but have you ever heard of the very rare Tankaku Wagyu, a specialty of northern Japan? This beef is low-fat, healthy, and full of flavor. Learn about the best restaurants in Iwate Prefecture where you can enjoy this delicacy
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Tokyo, Japan
All About Tankaku Wagyu, a Rare and Delicious Japanese Beef
Picture courtesy of NBAFA
Tankaku Wagyu is a type of Japanese beef that is popular with both residents of and visitors to Japan. Due to its limited production, it is very rare and therefore is often referred to as "phantom wagyu."
What makes it different from the marbled Wagyu familiar to consumers is that it is low-fat red meat. This strong-flavored meat is low in calories and rich in protein, which makes it healthier compared to other types.
Tankaku Wagyu is also prepared differently than other beef. Japanese Black beef, a popular variety, is usually sliced into thin strips, and then prepared as sukiyaki or shabu-shabu. On the other hand, the delicious flavor of Tankaku Wagyu is brought out best with steaks, grilling (yakiniku), or in hamburgers.
Tankaku Wagyu is produced mainly in northern Japan: Hokkaido, Aomori Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, and Akita Prefecture.
However, as this type of beef is uncommon, we advise checking first to see whether or not a restaurant serves it before dining out.
Iwate’s Best Tankaku Wagyu Restaurants
Below are several places where you can enjoy this delicacy in Iwate Prefecture, one of the major production areas for Tankaku Wagyu.
1. Steak and Teppan Restaurant Wakana - Morioka Main Branch and Kitakami Branch
Picture courtesy of Steak and Teppan Restaurant Wakana
This is a famous and popular teppan restaurant that serves Tankaku Wagyu steak. Its main location is in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture.
You can indulge in delicious dishes and watch a show. The mouth-watering, Iwate-raised Tankaku Wagyu is prepared and grilled right in front of your eyes.
Picture courtesy of Steak and Teppan Restaurant Wakana
One glance is all you need to imagine how delicious the vivid red meat is. You can choose from several cuts of the meat at the restaurant, such as the sirloin steak (6,500 yen before tax per 150 g), and the tenderloin (6,500 yen before tax per 100 g).
You can also visit this restaurant in Kitakami, another city in Iwate Prefecture and incorporate it into your trip itinerary.
2. Neuf du Pape
Picture courtesy of Neuf du Pape
At Neuf du Pape, choose from a variety of dishes made with Iwate Prefecture-ingredients at this restaurant in the heart of Morioka City. The large, open interior allows guests to relax and enjoy their food and drinks.
Picture courtesy of Neuf du Pape
At this restaurant, you can savor a Tankaku Wagyu with steak. However, the cuts prepared and offered change daily. The price vary depending on the type of the meat, but cuts usually cost upwards of 3,000 yen.
What makes this restaurant stands out is its unique menu. In addition to steak, you can try stir-fried Tankaku Wagyu offals.
3. Morioka Tsunagi Onsen Shikitei
Picture courtesy of Morioka Tsunagi Onsen Shikitei
Shikitei is a well-known Japanese inn located outside Morioka, in a hot springs area. As it is a lodging facility, only guests can dine at the restaurant but the meals here are ideal for lunch or dinner after relaxing in the baths here.
Picture courtesy of Morioka Tsunagi Onsen Shikitei
The dishes here vary by the month and by what the restaurant has stocked, so Tankaku Wagyu will be offered at times. However, Tankaku Wagyu isn’t a regular menu item. If you want to try this type of beef, check beforehand with the restaurant.
4. Usagi Botanica
Picture courtesy of Usagi Botanica
Usagi Botanica is one of Morioka’s gems, serving healthy macrobiotic food. As this is a vegetable-focused restaurant, they don’t usually serve meat, but they do comply with customers’ requests and will prepare shorthorn dishes.
Their normal menu contains grain and vegetable dishes, but for their customers looking for something more filling can indulge in shorthorn meat. This restaurant is a great choice if you’re visiting with a vegetarian friend, as both of you can enjoy something delicious. Many of their dishes are seasoned lightly and not heavy on the stomach.
5. L'aureole Tanohata
Picture courtesy of L'aureole Tanohata
L'aureole Tanohata is a French cuisine restaurant located in a village near the sea, far from the central Iwate Prefecture. The owner’s opened the restaurant to help spread the word about the delicious food produced in Iwate. In addition to sharing the food culture, they also wanted to put to use natural resources of that area, which is why it is distanced from the central part of the prefecture.
Picture courtesy of L'aureole Tanohata
The menu depends on what ingredients are in the kitchen, so you can savor Tankaku Wagyu dishes only sometimes. Still, all the dishes are sure to satisfy your taste buds as they are prepared with the best ingredients Iwate Prefecture has to offer.
Keep in mind that you have to make a reservation two days prior to your visit, so you can inquire about the shorthorn menu then.
Tankaku Wagyu - A Must-Try Gourmet Food in Iwate!
Iwate Prefecture is filled with sightseeing, like Morioka Castle ruins, with its high and mighty stone walls, and 900-year old Tsunagi Onsen. Morioka Castle ruins is close to the main branch of Wakana Morioka, so you can treat yourself to tasty Tankaku Wagyu beef and exploring the area.
If you are visiting the Tohoku Region or Iwate Prefecture, be sure to include Tankaku Wagyu delicacies in your travel plans.
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Tokyo, Japan
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