Ishiyama

• Tsuru Kikyo

  

  t the foot of the Seta Karahashi Bridge stands a renowned restaurant that has long drawn gourmets from across Japan. Set within a beautifully restored Taisho-era storehouse, the restaurant specializes in charcoal-grilled cuisine. Game meats and lake fish such as hon-moroko—personally recommended by Megumi Nishizawa, a licensed hunter—often take center stage, while OMI-BEEF sourced from the renowned aged-meat specialist Sakaeya can also be enjoyed with advance request. The kainomi (flap meat) cut, prized for its deep umami, is served with funazushi-style rice and a fragrant shiso-leaf paste.

• Restaurant Matsukiya

  

  With roots in cattle raising in Ryuoh-cho, this long-established business has helped spread the appeal of OMI-BEEF through its butcher shop and restaurant. Opened in the Meiji era, Ginza Matsukiya is also known as the birthplace of sukiyaki culture. “We use iron pots to preserve the tradition of gyunabe. Start by searing the meat on one side first,” says head chef Ryusuke Ito. The expertly grilled kurashita cut reveals well-balanced fat and a rich, concentrated lean flavor. The restaurant offers numerous private rooms, and across the street, the butcher shop is also home to a specialty hamburger steak restaurant.