Gyukatsu Motomura

Gyukatsu Motomura

I've never heard of gyukatsu (deep fried beef cutlets) before moving to Japan. I've only heard of tonkatsu (deep fried pork cutlets) or chicken katsu that are completely battered and cooked. However, the gyukatsu at Gyukatsu Motomura is partially cooked and you grill the rest to your liking on a mini stone grill. There are many locations of Gyukatsu Motomura all across Japan. This location is about a 4 minute walk from Shinjuku station and I there is also another location in Kabukicho and Nishi-Shinjuku, which I have also visited. Most gyukatsu restaurants that I've visited, have all been located down a narrow staircase down into the basement. There are mainly counter seats with a few tables. My larger group of 5 was split 2 and 3. The wait time can average about 30-mins, unless going at on off-time. You can expect a long line from up the staircase and on the street level. The menu is pretty basic, the cheapest gyukatsu set (130g) with one side dish is priced at ¥1500. For each additional side dish is ¥100 more. If you want a little more, then you can get the gyukatsu at 260g, which is pretty much two pieces starting around ¥2200 I believe. At this location in particular, was the first time you can choose your side dish. There were four different options (sadly I only remember two) - mentaiko (pollock roe) and warabi mochi. When first trying gyukatsu, they recommend you taste it with wasabi and soy sauce. Rock salt is also recommended. I think I favor wasabi with their horseradish and onion sauce instead though. When I have friends visiting, I always recommend them to try gyukatsu, because the beef is so tender and cooking it yourself on the mini stone grill is a fun experience that they may not have back at home. It is definitely worth the wait for first-timers!