I went to Steak House Hama, a teppan steak specialist that’s famous even in Tokyo. It turns out it’s inside a place in Meguro called Gajoen, so while I was there I had a look around Gajoen too.
The name Gajoen makes it sound like some kind of garden, but it’s actually a wedding venue. And a very beautifully done one at that. It had the feel of a place for an utterly ordinary Japanese-style wedding, the exact opposite of Disney.
Hina dolls. I’m told you rarely get to see a set this proper these days.
The paintings covering the walls are practically fine art. Just stunning.
Guess where this is.
It’s the restroom.
A bridge inside the restroom, of all things.
This is the inside of a toilet stall.
You could practically use it as a study.
Hama is tucked away at the very back.
The table setting.
Very refined. Being one of the best restaurants in Tokyo in every sense -_- it doesn’t show up in your average restaurant guidebook. That’s how it always goes.
They apparently have branches in Tokyo, Roppongi, Meguro and Sapporo.
Today I ordered the 6,300-yen wagyu fillet steak lunch. Honestly, the set one step down would probably have been plenty.
The starter.
It looks like an ordinary dish, but it’s tasty. A Japanese kind of flavor.
A glass of wine.
Pricey, but not great -_-;
The salad.
It was pretty good.
Foie gras sauté topped with figs.
The flavor was exquisite, but foie gras is best eaten at a French place. No real reason to have it at a steak house.
A little side dish that would go well with beer.
I really should have ordered a beer.
Today’s main: wagyu cooked on the teppan.
The chef’s grilling skills were a work of art. I watched closely so I can try it at home. ^_^;
This is how the full set comes out.
There are two sauces. In the back they’re stir-frying bean sprouts as a side.
A little later the bean sprouts came out too.
The seared, smoky flavor of the teppan was really there, but with all the photo-taking and chatting I only got to eat it after it had gone cold, which was a shame.
For the price, the meat wasn’t all that well marbled. They were also running a Matsusaka beef fair, at 12,000 yen per 100 grams.
At a place with this much skill, that’s the kind of meat you really ought to have. Sigh. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll get another chance someday.
For dessert you move to seats further inside.
It felt just like a cafe. The desserts tasted ordinary, but the service was excellent, just as you’d expect from a top-class restaurant.
After the meal I took a look around Gajoen’s ceremony halls, to experience Japanese wedding culture.
Usually the ceremony takes about 30 minutes in a place like this, and then everyone moves straight on to the reception hall.
They seemed happy to welcome anyone who comes to look around at any time.
The courtesy seemed second nature to them.
A Japanese-style ceremony hall.
Apparently only relatives can attend a Japanese-style wedding ceremony. The format is the same either way, though, and friends can join the reception.
Gajoen seems to have a few other well-known restaurants besides Hama, like an all-you-can-eat crab buffet for 3,000 yen. It’s a place that makes me want to go back. Oh, though of course, if I were getting married, I think the Disney route would be more fun than here.