01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
One diner who came for the thick-cut tongue base said Nikuyakushi’s beef tongue was just to their taste, and noted that it had been freshly sliced. They also enjoyed skirt steak and kainomi, a cut prized for its balance of fat and lean meat. The tongue menu includes thick-cut tongue base, premium salted tongue and tongue tip with spring onion and salt. Platters are listed in medium 200g and large 400g sizes, giving you the choice of sharing a selection or ordering a particular cut.
For a taste of how the cuts differ, look out for the day’s recommendations. The menu includes inside skirt, described as revealing its savoury flavour with every chew; sasami, where the sweetness of the fat meets the flavour of the lean meat; and misuji, noted for its deep flavour, refreshing fat and tenderness. Another diner singled out sasami, a cut they were trying for the first time, describing it as light and mentioning it alongside kainomi. Ordering one unfamiliar cut along with familiar kalbi or loin makes for an enjoyable way to compare their individual qualities.
Between rounds on the grill, try beef-tongue miso with crisp green peppers, or a selection of namul. Rice dishes include Koshihikari rice from Niigata, supplied by a contracted grower in Uonuma, as well as beef-tongue bibimbap rice and the house barley-noodle cold noodles. There are options for a hearty yakiniku meal or for finishing with something different. Drinks include the bar’s lemon sour, described as unsweetened with a pronounced lemon flavour, and extra-large highballs, around 2 times the regular size. Choosing a familiar drink or a larger one to sip over the meal is another way to shape the evening.
Nikuyakushi offers both dine-in and takeaway, with table service and reservations available. One diner also mentioned waiting for the meat they ordered, so if you want to eat it with rice or sangchu, it may help to decide what you would like first and order it together.
