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Yakiniku at Ijobang in Shirokane-Takanawa

Yakiniku is always delicious. The only shame is that it’s too pricey to go often. This time a get-together came up out of the blue, and after mulling over where to go, I settled on this place, which I remembered visiting before. But I got the feeling the kitchen staff had changed. The service felt a bit different, and the food didn’t seem quite as good as it used to be..

It’s the season for draft beer.

ijoban at shirokanetakanawa

I took this after drinking about half, but whatever.. draft beer is so ordinary now that I can’t even be bothered to photograph it.

Salad

ijoban at shirokanetakanawa

Wouldn’t you say a 1:2 ratio of meat to vegetables is about right? But at a yakiniku place you just have to give up on a balanced meal.

Tan shio (salted beef tongue).

ijoban at shirokanetakanawa

Way too much pepper on it. The taste is fine, though.

Tokujo rosu (premium loin)

ijoban at shirokanetakanawa

… Need I say more?

Yukhoe

ijoban at shirokanetakanawa

Yukhoe is always at least decent wherever you go. Maybe it was the sesame oil, but I couldn’t pick out anything special about it.

Jijimi

ijoban at shirokanetakanawa

The jijimi here is popular because it comes out especially thick. Eating nothing but grilled meat at a yakiniku place gets a bit lonely. Ordering a few other dishes alongside is what makes the meat taste even better.

They said it’s from the lower part of the rib; I remember it being called kirinomi or something.

ijoban at shirokanetakanawa

It’s pricey (sob), but it really does taste good. The meat was consistently a cut above, and the mood was really nice too.

Unusually for a Japanese restaurant, they cut it with scissors for you.

ijoban at shirokanetakanawa

Nom nom nom

I think this was the jo rosu (upper-grade loin)..

ijoban at shirokanetakanawa

Probably kalbi

ijoban at shirokanetakanawa

After eating well like this, we finished with gopchang jeongol (beef intestine hot pot). The food is good but prices are a bit on the high side, that’s this place’s character. On the other hand, for a special get-together, a place like this is nice because it’s quiet and not crowded. I used to think cheap and tasty was all that mattered, but as life goes on, you find that’s not everything.

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