Wagyu Hambagu @ Gyusha Steakhouse, Doi Doori Avenue, Fukuoka

 

   

This is probably the most indulgent hambagu dinner I ever had. Considering that it is made of real wagyu mince, I should not be surprised. So without further ado, lets drop by to Gyusha Steakhouse for something really special. 

Rustic!

Entering into the premises feels like a time capsule into a place where days gone by. Or the Showa era at the very least. It is not surprising since this place has been operating since 1973. It has that very cozy rustic feel with all the old fashioned trinkets and classic wooden interior. It is a stark contrast to the outside, especially when we are so close to the Nakasu red light district. But no sir, this is a proper and refined establishment and it shows. As the name suggests, Gyusha Steakhouse, or Gyusha for short, treats their beef seriously and as such, getting some steak is in order. However, the menu was a bit steep for a simple Friday post work grub. I was at one point tempted in getting one of the nicer cuts but they look like birthdays or anniversary type of arrangement. Contrary to popular belief, we lawyers do not swim in dollar bills, or rather yen notes..... very heavily depreciated yen notes.... anyway! 

Soothing

After some mulling I opted for the hambagu which seems to be a bit of a lighter commitment. Standing at 3630 yen, this is probably the heftiest hambagu meal I have ever had in my life! Still, I came with an open mind and lets see what this dinner brings us. The first thing that came to my table was a starter salad and some soup. The salad was pretty typical but the dressing was zesty and slightly sweet which I liked. The soup was some form of beef consommé which I really enjoyed. I liked that it had a strong aroma. Despite the heavy flavour, it was rather light. There were also hints of dried herbs like rosemary and thyme at the back of the overall package which made this soup interesting, despite looking like it carries just one note.  

Turn up the temperature!

Not long after my hambagu arrived and it came with a lot of pomp and circumstances as it arrived on a sizzling plate just popping away! I remember the saying that you should sell the sizzle not the steak. Well, when the steak, or hambagu in this case sizzles like the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, you cannot help but feel intrigued. And feeling the minor beef fat splatter around. Well just be careful and you will be fine. After the eruption died down, I decided to carve out my first helping. The meat despite being soft and grainy like you would with anything made of mince, was able to hold together rather well. And the flavours were astounding. The freshness of the beef was very obvious and you can taste that deep oaky aroma you get from very high quality beef. The fat from the wagyu was also somehow quite pleasant and does not feel like an oil slick. I guess because being made into mince form, it allowed the fat to render down onto the pan while being a lubricant during the cooking process. Science!

Look at how dense the meat is packed!

The killer was the sauce that came with it. It tasted like an onion, garlic and ginger relish soaked with soy sauce and some dashi. I can clearly taste and feel the ginger but all the other flavour profiles wea bit hard to detect. In any event this made into an amazing companion to the grilled beef mince. The extra dimensions from the sauce and the fat form the beef can be a bit overwhelming so, having some rice to absorb all of that intensity was a great call. 

Night cap

To finish it all off, a cup of coffee was served to symbolise the the end of the meal. It was not incredible coffee, but it was a nice gesture. Also, it help wash everything down before I head home and lie down from all that wagyu fat that I just consumed.  But what is incredible was actually the restaurant itself and the people behind it. It is a family run establishment after all, and you will surely feel that warmth when you enter.  One important thing to note is that payment is cash only. So please put your cards away and be sure to bring enough cash with you.

Front of the house. Thank you for the hospitality. 

Final verdict? Well based on what you can see above, the place has coloured me impressed. And now I am intrigued on what their other offerings taste like. But let me wait for my year end bonus before I come on over, now that would be worth celebrating! Fancy a go? The address is as follows:

14-30 Kamikawabatamachi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 812-0026