Wagyu Lunch @ Teppan Rikaen, Hakata, Fukuoka

 

It has been a long while since I had the legendary wagyu. With the buttery aroma, the juicy texture, and overall decadence, it is no wonder that it is so revered in Japan and elsewhere. If you are a fan of beef you should try it at least once. But then again, it is quite costly. Well fortunately for me, I was able to get some amazing beef during a work lunch. And not only that, it was pretty affordable too.

This looks like its about to be good

Teppan Rikaen is located not too far from the heart of the city, Hakata Station. As the name suggests, this is a teppanyaki restaurant. Serving prime cuts of beef, wagyu, and from elsewhere, it has somewhat of a reputation around here. Also, it has been a while since I sat down for a proper teppanyaki meal. I did have okonomiyaki meals in the past, but technically they could be seen as a separate thing entirely. Well, I digress, so how was it? Really good in fact.

What speed!

As this was lunchtime, it would only make sense to order the lunch set. Which was only 1500 yen. Now that is a serious steal! Once the waiter takes your order, the chef starts to do his magic. With beef searing on a hot metal plate, you can hear the sizzle just right in front of you. Initially, I was quite hesitant as I thought my office clothes would come out smelling like grease. But it all turned out ok, probably due to the strong ventilation fans. As the chef masterly flips and turns the beef, you cannot help but just look and wait, hoping that your meal will arrive soon. 

Decadence

Not long after, you are served with a handsome serving of wagyu, alongside some stir-fried veggies, pickles, miso soup, and a bowl of rice. A pretty standard lunch rice set if you ask me. But do not judge a book by its cover.

A beefy close-up. Various sauces are not too far away.

Despite its simplicity, this was absolutely amazing. The beef was very tender and had such a great bite to it. It was cooked medium rare, the way I liked it. It can be a little greasy as it is, and as such eating it with rice helped to take everything down much easier. The veggies were actually pretty good too. Although its merely cabbage and bean sprouts, they were cooked with the beefy fat the wagyu let out. As such, it had a more meaty and striking aroma. Just too good. 

Such great colour

But that was not all. Accompanying all of this were condiments to add more edge to your meal. With various types of soy sauce, marinades, and even mountain wasabi, every bite can be customized to make each walloping different. My favourite was the mountain wasabi. Unfortunately, I made the rookie mistake of finishing it all before I could take a photo of it. So you would have to trust me it was good. 

Front of the house. 

What can I say, this was a beefy good time. It was simple but extremely decadent at the same time. Not to mention pretty affordable. Will I come again, probably yes! It was very enjoyable, and I might come here for dinner in the future to try out their more extensive menu, which may be more expensive too. Wagyu is generally costly, but being this good, I can only assume it could only get better from there. So if you fancy a go, the address is as follows. 

2 Chome-7-27 Hakata eki higashi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 812-0013