Matsusaka Wagyu📍Yakiniku Isshobin Mie Prefecture 松坂 一升びん 本店 ☎️ +81 59 826 4457

One of the objectives I set for this trip to Japan was to learn about wagyu or Japanese beef at first hand.

Our first stop was Matsusaka town 松阪市 in Mie Prefecture in the Kansai region of Honshu, Japan’s main island.

We are going to Matsusaka town for Matsusaka beef 松阪牛 renowned for its high fat-to-meat ratio.

Matsusaka beef is one of the Big Three of Japanese beef or Sandai Wagyū. The other two are Kobe beef and Omi beef.

Matsusaka wagyu is from the Tajima pedigree, one of the topmost of 黒毛和種 Japanese Black (Kuroge Washu) breed.

Heading towards 松阪市街 main street Central Matsusaka.

We drove here from Nagoya, the journey should take around 1.5 hours direct by car.

But, we stopped over a while at Sobue Ginnan Park first.

We couldn't not go see the autumn gold gingko trees in their full glory 🤭 (Will write a separate story on Sobue Ginnan Park.)

If you are not driving, Matsusaka is actually easily accessible by train or high speed rail from Nagoya. But, you will need taxi or Uber to get around Matsusaka town itself.

Matsusaka is a typical Japanese small town. Laid back and sans the crowds and glitz of Tokyo, Osaka and other megapolis. I like the restful quiet atmosphere of small towns.

Of course, Matsusaka town has many beef places. We picked Isshobin Yakiniku 一升びん (本店) as our buddy suggested it - he had a good experience here.

Isshobin Yakiniku 一升びん (本店) is about 15 minutes walk from Matsusaka train station, so it is completely feasible to come here from Nagoya by train.

It's a quiet November afternoon, the lull after lunch hour.

Rustic, casual yakiniku joint with booths, benches, and private spaces. When traveling, I prefer this kind of everyday, no frills, local places than trendy hype joints (which locals only come on special occasions or normally don't patronise).

The Japanese menu pasted on the walls around the restaurant.

The English menu made ordering easy for non-Japanese speakers.

Customers cook their own food over table top charcoal grill.

We started with a serving of beef tongue. Like all the other cuts, the beef comes unseasoned and we just give it a dash of sea salt before putting it over the charcoal grill.

Just a one or two minutes over the heat. My kind friend did all the grilling, so I just focused on what I am eating 🤭 The wagyu was unseasoned but buddy is a well seasoned cook 🙏

The tongue was soft tender spongy chewy juicy (texture like well blanched thick cut pork liver) with a pleasant sweet beefy taste. A very good start!

来都来了 Come all the way here already, we indulged in several top grade A-5 cuts of Matsusaka wagyu.

The beef are from 30 - 40 month old maiden cows.

A piece of Matsusaka wagyu in the mouth is just like a piece of good butter.

I mean it literally melts in the mouth, as the melting point of Matsusaka wagyu fat (around 15°C) is lower than the warmth inside our mouth 😲

And, don't worry as Matsusaka beef fat is rich in unsaturated fatty oleic acid which help flush our blood vessels of bad cholesterol. I need more 🤭

The wagyu's warm juices tasted milky sweet which blended together with gentle beefiness from luscious soft tender meat for an indulgently delicious experience, especially for beef lovers.

It's mind blowing.

You have to experience it for yourself to know.

Matsusaka wagyu is a treat for all our senses. The marbling captivates with its beautiful pink floral patterns, the soft juicy texture delights with every bite, the sweet beefiness make our tastebuds rejoice in rapture, the signature sweet smell in our nasal passages seduces us as we chew, the ~~moans~~ contagious noises of pleasure your kaki kaki (buddies) make fill the atmosphere with shared joy 🤭

If you are already in Nagoya 来都来了, it just takes just a little bit of extra effort to make the day trip to wagyu heaven, Matsusaka town. So, for beef lovers, there is no good reason to miss the trip to taste one of the Big Three of Wagyu, right there in their home ground.

Next time I am back, I would like to try Matsusaka beef shabu shabu and sukiyaki.