After a long week in Tokyo and all the hard work the team put in for the events and meetings, I took them to go enjoy some famous wagyu beef from Kobe.
Ajitetsu Akasaka has been a leading name in serving Kobe Black Wagyu for over 75 years. You can get all three ways of enjoying this melt-in-your-mouth meat in this one location – grilled on a teppan, sukiyaki, and shabu-shabu.
The decor is spartan, they decided for the beef to present itself. The service staff is made up of a mix of different nationality, and some of the staff speak English.
Japanese Black Beef is unrivaled in the world. Among them, Kobe Beef (Tajima) is considered the top of the three major Japanese Wagyu beefs, and its consistent deliciousness is loved by many people around the world. The finest Kobe Market Japanese Black Beef, produced by the production techniques of Japanese masters, is aged according to the characteristics of each cut.
They meticulously select whole pedigree Black Wagyu cattle from renowned Kobe auctions, where the esteemed cattle and skilled artisans meet. The meat undergoes natural aging over an extended period to achieve unparalleled quality. Then from these beef they offer rare and exceptional cuts.
The cows that came before had their registrations hung on the wall. Their pedigree, weight and dimensions were all meticulously recorded down. Even their hoof markings were imprinted for us grateful diners.
Grill and Sukiyaki Kobe Beef Dinner
選べる本日の薬味 ~Today’s condiments & spices ~
- 味鉄ダレ（口）Original soy bean sauce (in the saucer)
- プラックペッパー粗挽き Coarsely ground black pepper
- 瀬戸内海の焼き塩 Seto salt made by burning sea water
- おろしゆずポン酢 Grated radish & Vinegar soy sauce
- 溜まり醤油 Core sweet soy sauce
おろし生姜、山葵＆おろしにんにく Grated Ginger, Wasabi & Garlic
先付 Appetizer
Customary salad that came with a Japanese wafu dressing kicked off the night’s set course.
神戸和牛のタタキ焼きと炙り刺し Kobe Wagyu Tataki-yaki and Aburi-sashi
The appetisers consisted of the salad, and two typed of beefy small bites.
熟成黒毛和牛/神戸牛のステーキと素焼きの盛り合わせ Assorted aged Kuroge Wagyu / Kobe beef steak
The set course came with both grilled Kobe beef and sukiyaki, starting with a selection of cuts for the grilled beef.
ヒレ・シャトーブリアン Hire・Chateaubriand
Chateaubriand or Hire is found at the tip of the cow’s buttocks. Only a small amount can be acquired from each head of cattle, making it a valuable rare cut. It is the preferred cut of connoisseurs, as it combines the sweetness of marbled fat with the umami flavour of lean meat. There is a fair amount of chew to this cut, so there’s a really enjoyable amount of meaty texture.
The unique teppan grill at Ajitetsu features a gentle curve that enhances the flavours of Kobe Black Wagyu, ensuring perfect results whether it’s steak, yakiniku, shabu-shabu, or sukiyaki.
サーロイン Sirloin
This cut stretches from the rib-rosu to the cow’s thigh. Sirloin has a slight sweetness to it, and it’s characterised by its abundant juicy marbling.
Supposedly this cut got its name because it was so delicious that they wanted to give it the title of “sir.”
ロース Chuck Eye Roll/Chuck Roll
Chuck roll is one of the largest cuts of beef used for yakiniku. It has moderate marbling and a deep umami flavour, so it’s the optimal cut to slice thinly for use in yakiniku and sukiyaki.
The disadvantage of the stainless pan became obvious at the end of the first course of meat. The centre had turned black and a pool of beef fats that rendered during the cooking ponded at the bottom. The top was not hot enough to complete the cooking.
Misuji ミスジ Top Blade Muscle
Top blade muscle or Misuji ミスジ comes in a small, leaf-like shape, and it’s beautifully marbled. Only around 2kg of this rare cut can be gotten from each head of cattle.
Such high quality beef with superb marbling does not need much time on the sizzling hot plate. I suggest that you remove them once the pinkness is gone for medium rare,
You can thoroughly enjoy the sweetness and flavour of the Kobe beef in each mouthful that simply disintegrates without much chewing.
旬の国産こだわり焼き野菜 Grilled Seasonal domestic vegetables
In addition to premium beef, the meal included seasonal vegetables sourced from across Japan, showcasing the artistry of Japanese agriculture.
The vegetables included yellow onions from Awaji, neighbouring Kobe, that produce super-sweet onions; umeboshi (Plums) made from “Minami-Takoume” from Kishu Prefecture ; tomato from Tochigi; anno-imo, a branded sweet potato from Satsuma, among others.
I was surprised that grilled umeboshi can taste so good and cut the greasiness of the wagyu beef.
味鉄特製旨味すき焼き Ajitetsu Special Sukiyaki
Next part of the Kobe beef gastronomy journey brings us to the sukiyaki part of the meal. Three cuts are provided – Hiragarashi ヒラがらし, Tomo トモ and Toromi Tan とろみタン.
And the textbook way to enjoy sukiyaki is to dip the delicious beef cooked in the tare (sauce) into the beaten raw egg. The residual heat from the beef will be coated with a light, creamy egg wash, while the egg will bring down the temperature of the beef to stop the cooking and ready to be put in your mouth. Yummilicious.
And accompanying the sukiyaki is an assortment of vegetables, tofu and glass noodles. There’s Chinese chives called ニラ Nira from Kochi; Maitake mushroom from Fukuoka; beansprouts from Hyogo hidden under the tokoroten 心太 noodles.
Everyone gets only one piece of each, but we couldn’t resist but order another round for everybody.
本日のデザート Today’s dessert
As usual, the dessert in these yakiniku/sukiyaki places is not fancy. There different kinds of ice cream available and these two (strawberry and milk on the left, and vanilla on the right) were quite delicious.
The beef was excellent, extremely tender and melt-in-your-mouth in every bite, and the service was fantastic. This place is not cheap given the environment was spartan, but the pedigree Kobe beef is well worth it as they were quite generous in their portions.
Kobe Kuroge Wagyu Ajitetsu Akasaka 神戸黒毛和牛味鉄赤坂店
3-14-9 Shimizu Bldg. B1F, Akasaka, Minato 107-0052 Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
〒107-0052 東京都港区赤坂3-14-9 清水ビルＢ１Ｆ
Tel : +81 3-3588-1651 (Reservations)
Visited Mar 2025
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