Ushido — Restaurant in Berlin

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting the Ushido Yakiniku Grill restaurant for the first time. Yes, the meat was good, as one would expect given the high prices. It is definitely an expensive pleasure. However, the experience was unfortunately far from what I know from Japan, where I have dined across various price ranges.

The fact that guests have to be instructed to make sure the meat does not fall between the bars of the grill is simply unacceptable. It is explicitly mentioned that if the meat falls, it is lost and will not be replaced – and that is exactly what happened to us. In Japan, mesh grids are used to prevent this. Given the prices at Ushido, one would expect the same here.

The service was friendly and explained everything thoroughly. However, it was also made clear that despite having a reservation, there is a limited time one can stay. The server asking for a "last order" for side dishes and such in the middle of the meal, before the dessert, is something I have never experienced before. The service is very "Berlin-style," perhaps even too much so. Considering the high prices, an approach closer to what one experiences in Japan would be desirable – starting with a warm, wet towel for the hands before the meal, which is standard in Japan but missing here.

The restaurant's ambiance is not particularly sophisticated and feels typically Berlin – a bit worn and unremarkable. It could be any restaurant among many, without any distinguishing features.

Given the high prices for meat and drinks, a small bowl of rice should be included and not cost an additional €4.5. The dessert was also very simple: a scoop of ice cream, either matcha or sesame, and, in my opinion, a store-bought, industrially produced Dorayaki. A small greeting from the kitchen or something to create a wow effect was completely missing – especially when celebrating a birthday there.

Conclusion: Yes, the food is good, but not so good that it becomes an unforgettable experience. Naturally, it is hardly possible to compete with Japan, as the self-evident hospitality and pursuit of perfection there are not compatible with Germany – not to mention Berlin. I think this will remain a one-time experience for me.

Small details and attentiveness can often make a significant difference in the experience one has. While it is clear that most local establishments are struggling to survive and this country does not make it easy for restaurateurs, choosing this path means accepting the challenges and still striving to provide guests with a unique and positive experience, especially when the bill at the end can run into several...

A special experience

One of those experiences you should try at least once in your life. While I have traveled quite a lot and tried countless type of restaurants, Wagyu beef, the real one, was something I never eat before. Ushido is for sure the right place where to do it.

The place: the restaurant itself is nice and well designed. Unfortunately the atmosphere was a bit lacking. A bit cold in its lighting and table disposition. We were given the table right at the entrance and it was for sure not the best one.

The service: very nice service. Staff is nice, attentive, friendly and professional. Dishes are explained with details and with what seems to be real passion for what they serve. Useful suggestions were also given. Also, I requested additional meat after the closing of the kitchen and the waitress managed to get if for me. Perfect service.

The food: the food is outstanding. The meat is really good. Unfortunately only the menu with US beef was available but we added some A5 grade Wagyu for the experience. The only note is the absence of choice among sets. Only one was possible. The quality is there. The whole process of grilling your meat is fun and nice. Unfortunately in Germany it is not legally possible to have a charcoal barbecue that would have made the food experience perfect.

The price: menu of prime US beef and one portion of Wagyu (plus some drinks) set us up to 100 euro per person. While not cheap, it is in line with what you get and no complains can be raised.

While the price suggest otherwise, this is not a luxury fine dining restaurant. Please keep this in mind. It is a specialised restaurant in a specific kind of food that happens to be very expensive. This has to be clarified because different expectations can bring disappointment. This said I would recommend the place to anyone that wants to spend a fun evening and try amazing meat. Not the ideal place for a romantic dinner though, the atmosphere...

As a Taiwanese, we have lots of experiences in enjoying Japanese BBQ restaurants. Furthermore, since the short distance between Taiwan and Japan, it is easy to taste the high quality of the Wagyu beef with more reasonable price. However, it would be fair to leave the review based on the adjusted standard as this experience was in Berlin, Europe.

First, online reservation system is quite well designed so the customers can know if there is any available seats, and the location is good to be reached. After we came into the restaurant, we got the very detailed explanation of the menu and recommendations, then we ordered the menu for three people with two sets of the sakes and one Asahi. The overall service is great. In terms of food here, everything is not bad. Two things have to be improved, one is that the fat part of the Japanese wagyu beef should be more meticulously edited/trimmed so that the fat is distributed more evenly and the taste would be more perfect(but maybe few people can really this critical). The other is that the marinated slices of the meat is not so fresh and so it is better to grill them to well done. The rice is well cooked. The miso soup and desserts are okay. Although we did not have sufficient time to enjoy the meals, we still had a...