Tokyo Station Food Guide: 10 Must-Try Yakiniku Restaurants

Speaking of Sendai’s soul food, how can we not mention “Aji no Gyutan Kisuke”? This branch sits at Tokyo Station’s Yaesu North Entrance, and one bite will teleport you straight to the tasty world of Tohoku. Kisuke opened in 1975 and has been around for nearly 50 years, bringing its charcoal-grilled beef tongue from Sendai to the whole country. The Tokyo Station shop is a convenient, delicious representative of that history. It’s located inside the station’s Kitchen Street, so whether you just hopped off a new train or you’re rushing to work, popping in for a big plate of gyutan is easy and satisfying.

These beef-tongue plates aren’t slapped together at random — each slice is carefully selected by skilled staff. They use a traditional hand-rub and charcoal-grill method, then patiently cook to bring out that rich, savory beef flavor. Order the signature “charcoal-grilled gyutan set” and you’ll get three thick slices of gyutan on a white plate, served with grated daikon, pickles, and a bowl of barley rice topped with a dab of steaming beef-tail soup. Bite in and you’ll get a crisp outer char, juicy interior, and umami that makes you want to shout: “This is dangerously good!”