Located in Ginza, Gyu-an is a hole-in-the-wall steak restaurant in Tokyo which is known for affordable Kobe beef, with their set lunches starting from ¥1,000.

Gyu-an is a humble restaurant with traditional Japanese-style decor and it specialises in Kobe beef. While most of the staff are elderly aunties who do not speak much English, they are very friendly and welcoming.

The restaurant offers a variety of beef dishes to choose from, including steak, sukiyaki, shabu-shabu or Hamburg steak. Prices range from ¥1,000 to ¥2,000 for the set lunches, while you can also get premium Kobe Beef Fillet Steak at ¥16,200.

We had the Kobe Lean Beef Steak (¥5,900 for 200g) and while the beef was good, it was a tad too lean for our liking.

Served on a hot plate, the sukiyaki-style beef (¥1,300) was excellent value for the quality and portion of the meat, especially for a restaurant in Ginza. We’d highly recommend this dish.

Do note that they only accept walk-ins during lunch while you can make a reservation for dinner. Gyu-an is a place where you can have a great meal and enjoy Kobe beef without breaking the bank.

Gyu-an
6 Chome-13-6 Ginza, Chuo City
Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

Crowned as the best steakhouse in New York City by Zagat Survey for 30 years in a row, Peter Luger Steakhouse has earned itself a Michelin Star and it is perhaps one of the most famous steakhouses in New York City.

Established in Brooklyn (New York City) in 1887,  Peter Luger Steakhouse opened a second outlet in Long Island (New York City) in 1960.

Peter Luger Steakhouse is planning to open its first ever international outpost in 2020 in Tokyo, where they will bring their renowned dry-aged steak outside of New York for the first time.

Japan is known for their premium Wagyu beef, especially their Wagyu Katsu Sandwiches which took the internet by storm. While there is no doubt that one can turn to Japanese wagyu or Kobe beef to indulge in an extravagant meal, Peter Luger Steakhouse does not intend to use those meats in their Steakhouse.

Fourth-generation co-owner David Turtel says that Peter Luger’s identity is tied to USDA prime beef, which often represents less than 2% of graded beef cattle.

As such, you can expect to find the same USDA Prime beef used in the first 2 outlets in Tokyo’s branch, although they may incorporate the use of wagyu and Kobe beef in side dishes to cater to local palates.

Besides plans to ship the same USDA Prime used in the two NYC restaurants, the team also plans to have a dry-ageing room in Peter Luger Steakhouse Tokyo as like the other two branches.