Charming Kurayoshi ... 4 Weeks After 6.6 Earthquake

This was one of my favorite photos from our 16-day trip through West Japan, taken at possibly the most unknown destination on our list, merely four weeks after a devastating 6.6 magnitude earthquake.



Most non-Japanese readers may not have heard of Kurayoshi, an obscure but beautifully preserved feudal town in the wooded foothills of Western Honshu's mountain ranges, in a region so heavily shaded that it became known as San'in, or Mountain's Shadow. In other words, we're in the Black Forest of Japan.



Like Germany's Black Forest, Japan's San'in also hosts some of its country's most charming historic towns, several of which have been crowned UNESCO World Heritage Sites in recent years. In an age when Hagi and Iwami Ginzan are slowly gaining attention from international travelers, Kurayoshi has somehow managed to remain largely anonymous.



That mystery of the unknown was exactly why we picked Kurayoshi for a day-trip from our convenient homebase of Matsue, a worthwhile destination on its own. While we did consider the popular sand dunes of Tottori or the eccentric Anime/Manga town of Sakaiminato, little Kurayoshi was simply too quaint and exotic to pass up.



Thanks to the ridiculously cheap San'in Okayama Area Pass (4500 yen for 4 days!), Kurayoshi was merely an hour away from Matsue on JR's Express trains. As we hopped on the local bus from the modern train station, the scenery slowly shifted from 21st Century to the 1950s and beyond as we followed the locals into their centuries-old town centre.



Just weeks ago on a Friday afternoon, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck the entire San'in Coast devastating hundreds of buildings and displacing dozens of families. The city closest to the epicentre was -- you guessed it -- historic Kurayoshi. With news of damages as far away as the Matsue Castle 60km to the west, we arrived half-expecting collapsed roofs and uninhabited buildings. But Kurayoshi proved so much stronger.



One must admire the resilience of the townspeople at their most difficult hour, amid damaged houses, cancelled hotel bookings and subsequently significant drops to visitor numbers. But repairs soon started and had been carried out at an astonishing pace for such a major earthquake. The Great Hanshin Earthquake was 6.9 magnitude in comparison with toppled buildings, collapsed bridges and a death toll of 4000. Miraculously in Kurayoshi no one died, and life essentially resumed within days.



When we arrived on week four, some of the minor damages had already been repaired and the town was fully welcoming visitors once again. One of most severely damaged heritage buildings, the 110-year-old bathhouse of Taisha-yu, amazingly reopened its doors in just 6 days. And to anyone visiting the pictured Benten Sando and its aisles of little lanterns leading to the Dairenji temple, the earthquake hardly left any mark.



In fact the town's star attraction, the 250-year-old merchant residence of Yodoya, was so marvellously well-engineered that it survived with nearly no damage. Models of its ingenious construction has always been part of the permanent exhibits, alongside feudal era cash registers (great props for selfies!) and some spectacular Fusuma screen doors.



Just around the corner was my personal favorite, the 120-year-old Toyota Residence with its arching wooden bridge and stone pagoda, framed inside the most exquisite garden courtyard for its pint-size. For 500 yen the host would personally guide you around the mansion and adjust the screen doors to give you the best possible viewpoint for that memorable shot.



Crossing the wooden bridge would lead you into a living quarter of ornate Tatami rooms, featuring walls decorated with gold leaves and some of the finest and most intricate window lattices. Touring these immaculately preserved houses one would not have known that a magnitude 6 earthquake had just hit, less than a month ago.



One of the shops that suffered significant losses was the revered Gensui Sake Brewery, frequent award winners for its Daiginjo and the pride of Kurayoshi since late Edo Period. No sense crying over spilled Sake, and the brewery was essentially back in business the next day.



For inquisitive travelers looking to explore beyond Kurayoshi's classic medieval storehouses perched upon its narrow canals, a simple stroll through town would transport you unexpectedly back into the Showa Era, decades ago when this 1940s advertisement for Morinaga Caramel must have signified a favorite after-school meeting spot for local kids.



As we toured the historic quarter we picked up breakfast in the form of a Kani Manju, a Chinese-influenced steamed dumpling akin to Chashaobao but stuffed with snow crab meat from the local fishing port of Yonago. At 450 yen it didn't sound cheap, but the crab was definitely real and the warm from the steamer was much welcome on a cold November morning.



We also picked up a soya milk smoothie from the popular Kudamonoya, always made fresh with seasonal offerings such as strawberries in January or this cup of Saijo persimmons, one of the most representative fruits of West Japan, in November. After rummaging around town for a few hours, we took the bus back to the train station to sample one of the region's original culinary inventions.


Food Review: GOTTSUO RAMEN (Kurayoshi)
Address: Ageicho 1-Chome 370, Kurayoshi-shi, Tottori Prefecture
Hours: Lunch Tue-Sun 11:30-14:00; Dinner daily 18:00-02:00 or whenever the soup is sold out
Map: from Google Maps
Directions: Starting from the train station, walk straight down the main road for 350m. Gottsuo Ramen is on your left.


Aside from the highly recommended Menya Hibari in Matsue, this was the other Ramen joint in the San'in region that we've been raving about, both featuring their own unmistakeable local specialties. At Matsue's lakefront it was a savory broth of Flying Fish, and in the case of landlocked Kurayoshi, a rich, fatty broth extracted from the soup bones of local Wagyu cattle.



Simmering behind the counter was a large steel vat that held Gottsuo's prized Beef Bone soupbase, limited to just 100 bowls per day. A cheap 650 yen (CAD$7.6) would buy you a bowl of classic Beef Bone Ramen, 850 for a bowl with extra Chashu meat, and 950 yen (CAD$11.2) for top-of-the-line Aburi Chashu Ramen with pan-seared pork belly.



Pictured was my Aburi Chashu Ramen with an overindulgence of Nitamago, the soy-marinated, soft-boiled egg for an extra 100 yen. Accompanying five evil slices of seared pork belly were slivers of wood ear mushrooms and some classic marinated bamboo shoots, all floating on top of a slick oily soupbase. I wouldn't want my doctor to ever see this photo for the cholesterol intake, but this was more tempting than you can imagine.



How good was this? So good that I had completely forgotten to take a close up aside from this blurry pic from my wife's cellphone! While the soupbase was exactly as oily as it looked, the unconventional combination of Wagyu beef bones and roasted snapper heads gave the broth an intense Umami flavor with a long aftertaste from the beef fat. To all Ramen enthusiasts, this is a definite must-try if you're traveling to the San'in Coast. Gottsuo has branches in Kurayoshi, Yonago and Matsue as of 2017.

Bill for Two Persons

Aburi Chashu Gottsuo Ramen x 2	1900 yen
Nitamago x 2	200 yen
TOTAL	2100 yen (CAD$24.7)

Besides the outstanding Ramen, we also came across this delectable Wagashi dessert known as Nashika Mochi, a pillowy soft cake of glutinous rice flour with a filling of Tottori Prefecture's most successful export, the famous 20th Century Nashi Pears. This box of 12 Mochi was bought for about 700 yen at the train station's adjacent Omiyage shop.


Noticeably sweeter than our favorite Wagashi at the two previous stops (Matsue's Yuzugomoro and Bitchu-Takahashi's Yubeshi), this Nashika Mochi would be best complemented by a strong tea, in our case a simple bottle of Itoen's Koicha from the vending machine. This was our afternoon snack on the express train towards our next destination.



Our five hours in Kurayoshi was strangely comforting despite the various signs of damage that we witnessed. There was no doubt in my mind that the locals would recover just fine, perhaps even within a few more weeks, thanks to their own diligence and dedication to preserving their architectural heritage. While we did enjoy the authenticity of seeing no other foreigner in town, I really hope that more independent travelers would discover this hidden gem in one of the least visited regions of Japan. Besides, the townsfolk can really benefit from more tourism yen right now.

Matsue Restaurants - Part 2: Reservations-Only Seafood Izakaya

Three nights at the seafood capital of Matsue, and we managed to sample two of the city's oldest Izakaya, or Japanese gastropubs, including one of the most anticipated eateries of our entire 16-day trip. Not cheap, but definitely worthwhile. The first restaurant is essentially by reservation only, as it is well-known to be fully booked most nights of the year.

Food Review: KAWAKYO (Matsue)
Address: Suetsugu-Honmachi 65, Matsue-shi, Shimane Prefecture
Hours: 18:00-22:30, Monday to Saturday
Map: from Google Maps
Directions: From the train station, walk west for two blocks and turn north, crossing the Shin-Ohashi bridge. After the bridge, turn left at the traffic light (2nd block). Kawakyo is about 300m down the street, on the left hand side.


This was one of the toughest reservations to make for our 16-day West Japan trip. I had to call from Canada, in my broken Japanese, two weeks ahead of departure. And sure enough every available seat was booked on the night of our visit, exactly as I had been warned by Japanese websites.

With empty beer crates and buckets haphazardly stashed at its scruffy storefront, this inconspicuous Izakaya has been a Matsue institution for nearly 50 years, serving Japanese celebrities and local foodies alike. Aside from the paper lantern and stacks of menu sheets, a permanent fixture at the door is a sign that states "Reserved Guests Only" in Japanese.



"Yoyaku no Gaikokujin desu." We're the foreigners who made reservation, I proclaimed as we took the last two spots at this cramped L-shaped counter with only 10 seats to be realistic, or perhaps 12 if everyone gets cozy. Between a couple of friendly Obasan to our left, two half-drunk salarymen at the opposite end and a live baseball game on TV, it doesn't get much more authentic than this.



We barely sat down when the chef's Okusan presented this curious plate of starters: roasted Firefly Squids (Hotaru Ika) from the nearby coastline, Edamame beans with Katsuobushi shavings, and roasted Wakame seaweed from the secluded Oki Islands, 80km to the north in the middle of the ocean. Definitely much more exotic than your typical Izakaya fare in Tokyo or Osaka!



We took the hint from the locals and ordered the so-called B Course, which turned out to be an extraordinary feast of Matsue's regional seafood in the chef's own interpretation, starting with this plate of Unagi-no-Tataki. These freshwater eels were steamed, hand-minced and combined with green scallions and a generous helping of Tonburi caviar that lent its caper-like sharpness to an unconventional and delicious dish.



This was just 10 days into the annual Matsuba-gani Crab season, and our chef had generously allocated a half crab for every two diners in this lavish plate of appetizers. Snow crab season is always a major event anywhere along the Sea of Japan coast, and when paired beside these alluring crab legs and crab caviar (Kanimiso), the gigantic Baigai conch almost became an afterthought.



Goose barnacles, known locally as Kame-no-Te or turtle hands, is one of those extremely rare delicacies that we had never seen elsewhere in Japan. Nothing more than a little Sashimi soy sauce was needed to bring the mild sweetness out of its chewy, Hokkigai-like texture.



Adding to the eccentricity of the tiny Izakaya, once in a while the chef would come out from behind the counter, megaphone in hand, to welcome every guest and introduce the local ingredients behind his dishes. Unfortunately I took no photos as my fingers were all sticky from peeling the sweet, firm flesh out of our Matsuba-gani crab.



Arriving next was arguably the Matsue's best known dish, local Shijimi clams harvested from Lake Shinji, steamed in a thick broth and served as a traditional hangover cure. Said to be rich in taurine, these clams are treasured by the Japanese for fortification of liver functions and are often concentrated into health supplement pills. The taste? Slightly underwhelming for such a highly anticipated dish to be honest.



My favorite dish of the night was this exceptional Sashimi plate of local catches: Sazae conch, my first taste of the Aji-like Shiira (mahi-mahi), Hiramasa (kingfish) and generous cuts of Hagatsuo (bonito) topped with the spiciest Yuzukosho paste I've ever had. That's a combination of rare regional fishes that one simply won't find in Tokyo, at first-rate freshness coming straight from the fishing boats.



I especially enjoyed the Sazae's deep, concentrated Umami flavor and crunchy bite, though my wife found the texture to be a too tough for her preference. But there's no disagreement on how perfectly it went with a sip of the local brew, a homemade Umeshu (plum wine) in my wife's case and a glass of Junmai Ginjo sake (a rare Oki Homare from the offshore islands) in mine.



In addition to the abundance of Matsuba-gani crabs and other catches from the Sea of Japan, what makes Matsue special to seafood lovers is the so-called Seven Delicacies of Lake Shinji, harvested from the shallow waters of Japan's largest brackish lake. At this point we already had the Unagi and the Shijimi clams, and a third traditional delicacy would arrive inside this fascinating package.



Gently roast-steamed inside an wrapping of Washi paper was another of Matsue's signature dishes, the centuries-old recipe of Suzuki Hoshoyaki or Sea Bass Roasted in Hosho Paper. While the flaky mild flesh went well with the conventional dipping of Momiji-oroshi and green scallions, I couldn't help detecting that slight "muddy flavor" in the meat. While this was likely the most prestigious dish aside from the Matsuba-gani, it was ironically the only dish that I didn't thoroughly appreciate.



Much more memorable to my tastebuds was another of the Seven Delicacies, flavorsome Kawaebi shrimps deep-fried to a delectable crisp to be consumed whole. Served with the freshwater shrimps was a surprisingly spicy version of local Kamaboko fish cake known as Akaten, designed to pair perfectly with some smooth Jizake wine. We actually had more than our own share as the neighboring gracious Obasan shared with us some of her own. Arigatou gozaimashita!



Remember the Shijimi clams from earlier? The remaining juices from the clams were added to the soupbase in this filling rice porridge, served with homemade Tsukemono pickles as a conclusion to this authentic feast of local seafood ... in a city famous within Japan for its local seafood! After 46 years this family-run Izakaya had become a minor legend in Matsue, and with good reason.



After dinner we stayed behind and chatted with the friendly chef and his daughter -- her in broken English and myself in broken Japanese -- who were intrigued to learn how two Canadians managed to find their phone number on the Japanese side of the Internet. To our surprise she started pouring us two small glasses of sweet local Doburoku on the house. For the first time ever my wife actually enjoyed unfiltered Sake, in this case a local brew curiously named Okuizumo D-269, as it went down somewhat like a cloudy Margarita, only sweeter and richer in flavor.


As we walked out the chef's daughter gave us these two seasonal persimmons as a parting souvenir, and at the same time I tried to thank them for one of our best dinners anywhere in Japan. The initial confusion and difficulties of calling from overseas for reservation turned out absolutely worthwhile for the parade of unforgettable dishes, including the half Matsuba-gani crab, the superb Sashimi platter and the Unagi-no-Tataki, for 4230 yen per person. Aside from the butcher shop / Wagyu beef restaurant of Kitagaki, this is my other recommendation for dinner in beautiful Matsue. Gochisosama Sonoyama-san!.

Bill for Two Persons

"B" Course	4230 yen
"B" Course	4230 yen
Oki Homaru (Glass)	650 yen
Homemade Umeshu (Glass)	500 yen
Tax	768 yen
TOTAL	10378 yen (CAD$122)

Two nights later we visited another long-standing Izakaya in Matsue. Reservation was not required and the food wasn't quite as meticulously prepared, but it did serve the one seasonal ingredient we craved, at very reasonable prices.


Food Review: HAKATA (Matsue)
Address: Isemiya-cho 517, Matsue-shi, Shimane Prefecture
Hours: 11:30-14:00 and 17:00-23:00, Daily
Map: from Google Maps
Directions: From the train station, walk west along the main road for one block then turn right at the San'in Godo Bank. Turn left after two small blocks into a rowdy little alley with neon signs overhead (and ladies in little clothing standing on the sidelines). Don't be deterred -- Hakata is on the left after about 50m.


Positioned in the midst of night clubs and hostess bars at the heart of Matsue's infamous pleasure district, Hakata is yet another 40-year-old fixture in Matsue's surprisingly competitive dining scene. Customers must first navigate past the distracting ladies along the alley, the kitschy music at the front door and a whole wall of haphazardly plastered menus, before entering a restaurant that turns out amazingly normal and sterile.



Among numerous seafood Izakaya in the same block -- the respected Teresuko being one of them -- we chose Hakata for one simple reason: cheap Matsuba-gani crabs hauled in daily from the nearby fishing port of Sakaiminato during harvest season. Prices ranged from 2800 yen for smaller crabs to a cool 15800 yen for ginormous ones, with the choice of Sashimi, Boiled, Yaki-gani (barbequed) or Kani-nabe (hotpot).



We might never revisit the San'in Coast during Matsuba-gani crab season again, we reasoned, and decided to splurge on two(!) crabs, one for Sashimi and one for Kani-nabe, at the cheapest price of 2800 yen each. And to take our crab feast to the max, we even started with several crab-themed starters such as this Chawan-mushi topped with crab leg.



Cholesterol intake notwithstanding, one of my usual indulgences is the Kanimiso, a luscious mixture of crab caviar and meat that typically accompanies Sake in Japan and incorporated into soup dumplings (i.e. XLB dumplings) in Eastern China. While these mild-tasting snow crab roes would never quite compare to the sweet, gelatinous mouthfeel of the golden-and-white caviar in mitten crabs (see our visit to a crab farm at Yangcheng Lake), at a cheap 430 yen (CAD$5) this was satisfying enough.



After a cheap (280 yen) but underwhelming Cream Croquette with Crab Filling, our waitress appeared again with the first of our two Matsuba-gani crabs ...



... half unshelled in Sashimi form. This was less than two weeks since the start of the annual Matsuba-gani season which runs from early November until mid March. Purposely unremoved from one of the legs was a little tag that certified the crab's fishing port of origin -- this one did hail from Sakaiminato, 20km northeast of Matsue and well-known as the snow crabs capital of Japan.



My first taste of Matsuba-gani Sashimi wasn't quite as sweet as, and much slimier than, I had imagined. While the mild Umami flavor still went well with my glass of fruity Junmai Ginjo, I probably would have spent my 2800 yen on a barbecued crab in retrospect.



Aside from Matsuba-gani crabs we ordered two more daily catches from the fishing boats of Sakaiminato, starting with this Aji Tsukuri served with the standard condiment of grated ginger, for 680 yen (CAD$8).



And a whole Shiro-ika squid at the same price. Despite Hakata's claim of daily deliveries from the fishing port, the freshness of their Sashimi was certainly a notch below Kawakyo from two nights ago.



Just before the arrival of our second crab, the waitress showed up with the kitchen's choice of Tempura Mori. Apparently our chef was confident enough to skip the Tentsuyu sauce and provided nothing but dipping salt and Oroshi radish. This was indeed better than the earlier Crab Croquette, and set the stage for ...



Our Kani-nabe hotpot with our second Matsuba-gani crab: claws, legs, roes and all, served with the typical assortment of cabbages, tofu, harusame noodles, bunashimeji and enoki mushrooms.



And it was worth the wait for what turned out to be the best dish of the night, by far! While the Umami flavor of the broth was tempting enough on its own, it was the distinctive aroma of the Yuzu citrus in the Ponzu that really accentuated the sweetness in any fresh crab. To be honest this was probably the only dish worthwhile of recommendation that evening. Oh well, better late than never.

Bill for Two Persons

Matsuba-gani Crab (Kani-nabe)	2800 yen
Matsuba-gani Crab (Sashimi)	2800 yen
Crab Chawan-mushi x 2	760 yen
Crab Cream Croquette x 2	560 yen
Crab Caviar	430 yen
Whole Squid (Tsukuri)	680 yen
Whole Aji (Tsukuri)	680 yen
Tempura Mori	880 yen
Junmai Ginjo (1-Go)	650 yen
Umeshu (Glass)	500 yen
TOTAL	10740 yen (CAD$126)

There you have it, contrasting reviews of the two most expensive meals on our 16-day trip, at nearly 5500 yen per person including drinks. One was my favorite restaurant in Matsue and was worth every single yen; the other I wouldn't recommend outside of snow crab season. You know which one was which.

Matsue Restaurants - Part 1: Ramen in Flying Fish Broth, Discount Wagyu Beef from Butcher

In Matsue we had the best Wagyu Beef dinner of our trip as well as one of our favorite bowls of Ramen, all based on recommendations from local residents. Out of the four restaurants we tried, three were outstanding including the two reviewed in this article.

Food Review: MENYA HIBARI (Matsue)
Address: Kitahoricho 189, Matsue-shi, Shimane Prefecture
Hours: 11:30-15:00 Daily; 17:00-21:00 only on Fri to Sun
Map: from Google Maps
Directions: Starting from the castle, make your way northeast and cross the moat. Cross the north-south bridge just northeast of the Matsue History Museum, and continue on the same street for half a block into the residential district. Menya Hibari is on your right.


Despite its easy-to-miss storefront, this place is known as one of the best Ramen-ya not only in Matsue but along the entire San'in Coast. Ignore the closed door and just slide it open during business hours. You'll thank me for this.

Well-hidden within a residential district and yet conveniently walkable from the castle, Menya Hibari is one of those rare gems that has remained largely undiscovered by tourists crowds. At the time of our visit we seemed to be the only non-locals -- let alone foreigners -- as the clientele were mostly students in school uniforms. With only 14 seats crammed inside the little shop, it would be wise to arrive early before noon hour.



What exactly defines Matsue-style Ramen? Fukuoka has its internationally-famous Tonkotsu (pork bone), Sapporo has its Miso-butter and Tokushima has its chicken broth. Here on the seafood-rich coastline of San'in, Matsue's Ramen-ya have developed their distinctive style based on a variety of fish and shellfish. Menya Hibari's claim to fame is a secret recipe Ago-dashi, derived from shavings of dried Flying Fish, sardines and Kombu kelp, and topped with a generous ball of chunky Kara-Miso designed to dissolve slowly into the soup. While the menu does include an assortment of soupbases such as Smoked Salt Tonkotsu and Sichuanese Dandan, the star attraction is the Ago-dashi Ramen starting at 780 yen (CAD$9.2).



Then there were various add-ons according to your own tastebuds: extra Chashuu for 200 yen, a soft boiled egg for 120, extra noodles for 150, extra green scallions or sesame oil for 100 each and so on. Pictured is my extra large Ago-dashi Ramen with added Chashuu and egg, for 1250 yen.



One sip of the Flying Fish broth and we knew ... this place was legit!

This was my first ever taste of Ago-dashi and its alluring Umami flavor, similar to conventional Katuso-dashi but slightly smoky and much, much deeper. That said, I was quite sure that the Ago-dashi was blended with a pork bone soupbase for that extra complexity in flavor and milky white colour -- dried fish shavings generally produce clear broths, as any Japanese housewife would know. As you can see I was busy analyzing that soupbase ... this was simply impossible to reproduce at home!



As I finished my bowl to the last drop, we chatted briefly with the Okusan who was quite amused that two Canadians had somehow found their way into this residential area of Matsue. I forgot to tell her that they're already quite famous on the Japanese side of the Internet, and with this first ever review in English, perhaps more foreigners would hit this authentically local but hard-to-find Ramen-ya.

Bill for Two Persons

Ago-dashi Ramen x 2	1560 yen
Extra Chashuu x 2	400 yen
Soft Boiled Egg x 2	240 yen
Extra Noodles x 1	150 yen
TOTAL	2350 yen (CAD$27.6)

My fond memories of Matsue had a lot to do with its exceptional restaurants at every price range. After a cheap lunch of local Ramen, we went for dinner at one of Matsue's top Yakiniku restaurants for some high end Wagyu Beef ... at a serious discount!


Food Review: YAKINIKU KITAGAKI (Matsue)
Address: Nishicha-machi 58, Matsue-shi, Shimane Prefecture
Hours: 11:30-14:00, 17:00-21:30 Daily
Map: from Google Maps
Directions: Starting from the castle, walk south to the Prefecture Hall on the main road. Keep walking south for a couple blocks, crossing the small canal then one more block south. Kitagaki's meat shop and Yakiniku restaurant are both on the left side.


If you love the luscious, melt-in-your-mouth texture of Kobe Beef but hate the inflated price tags, this place is for you.

But first a disclaimer ... this technically isn't Kobe Beef but the local equivalence of Shimane Wagyu, a competing brand of Japanese cattle raised in the rugged mountains of West Japan. While Shimane isn't as internationally famous as Kobe or Matsuzaka, prices are significantly cheaper for the similar grades of beef. And on top of that ... we managed to find a Yakiniku restaurant operated directly by a butcher shop!



Welcome to Yakiniku Kitagaki, located right next to Meat Shop Kitagaki just south of the castle. For decades the butcher shop has established its reputation as Matsue's premier outlet for everything from certified A5-grade Shimane Wagyu to handmade Beef Croquettes. For readers who have visited the excellent meatshop / restaurant of Steak House Satou at Tokyo's Kichijoji district, this is the West Japan equivalence.



As expected the menu featured a mesmerizing selection of everything beef: Premium Karubi at 870 yen (CAD$10), Beef Tongue (Tan Shio) at 970, Extra Premium Karubi at 1580, and top-of-the-line Extra Premium Rib Eye (Tokujo Shimane Rosu) at 2780 yen (CAD$33). In other words, 30% to 50% discounts compared with most Kobe Beef restaurants in Kobe!



So we splurged and ordered the most expensive item on the menu. This Extra Premium Rib Eye turned out as highly marbled as any A4-plus Kobe or Matsuzaka steak, though the fat content was a little high for my preference. It had been 8 years since our last visit to a steakhouse in Kobe and we had almost forgotten how impossibly succulent a properly charred Wagyu steak can get.



This was my favorite dish of the meal, and possibly of our three days in Matsue. Blessed with gorgeous, even marbling, these Premium Karubi short ribs turned out just as heavenly tender and juicy as the above Rib Eye but with a less oily mouthfeel. While the portion was smaller than the Rib Eye, we certainly appreciated the cheaper price of 1580 yen (CAD$18.6).



An even better deal was the daily Kiri Otoshi, literally odds and ends from their meat shop next door. On this day we lucked out with a large plate of tenderloin chunks, half of which had already been devoured in the above photo, for an impossible price of 880 yen (CAD$10.4). We're talking quality, branded Wagyu Beef at fastfood chain (i.e. PepperLunch) prices!



While examining the menu I grew curious about an unfamiliar item named Daki Chimaki, labelled here as an extremely rare cut with only 700g produced from each 500 kg cattle. For a cheap 680 yen (CAD$8) we took a chance on this mystery meat, which turned out to be ...



... Wagyu Beef Shank! These tendon-rich slices of bicep muscles combined the soft succulence of Wagyu with the crunch of beef tendons and, despite the dirt cheap price, turned out to be my second favorite after the short ribs.



The seductive aroma of charred meat and grease completely filled our tiny private enclosure. What we loved the most was the steel mesh grille, which didn't stick to the meat as much as the dome grilles used in many Yakiniku restaurants.



Aside from beef we also ordered a plate of scallops and this ginormous Omakase Salad. Our friendly server warned that this might be too large for the two of us to finish, but it turned out to be the perfect palate cleanser after a greasy mouthful of Wagyu.



At last, the final bill. Two plates of premium A4-plus ranked Wagyu Beef, some Wagyu Beef Shanks and Tenderloin, four scallops, a large salad plus two medium bottles of Kirin, and it came to 8090 yen (CAD$95) including tax. Wagyu is never cheap, but I suspect that we would have paid upwards of 12000 yen if we were in Kobe. For any reader contemplating a visit to Matsue, these two restaurants would top my list of recommendations for their price-to-quality ratio.

Bill for Two Persons

Extra Premium Rib Eye	2780 yen
Extra Premium Karubi	1580 yen
Daki Chimaki (Beef Shank)	680 yen
Kiri Otoshi	880 yen
Scallops Plate	410 yen
Omakase Salad	680 yen
Kirin Medium Bottles x 2	1080 yen
TOTAL	8090 yen (CAD$95)