Gyukatsu Motomura Shibuya Sub-branch — Restaurant in Tokyo

From time to time, the most ordinary-looking restaurants turn out to be surprisingly pleasant places in which to dine. Gyukatsu Motomura, Japanese Restaurant in Long Branch is one of them. Sandwiched between a nail salon and a Chinese takeout place, it has all the hallmarks of strip mall décor: a neon “open” sign in the window and a flat-screen television mostly tuned to sports. So why, then, does Gyukatsu Motomura, attract so many regulars that Paul Liu, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Julie Zhu, has recently renovated the space next door to accommodate them?

The main reason is, of course, the quality of the sushi. The joke about sushi is that it’s good if it doesn’t taste like fish; some people even say it doesn’t taste like anything. Let them try Gyukatsu Motomura,’s salmon. Lush and sweet, it has a gentle ocean flavor. Wrapped, along with avocado, in brown rice sprinkled with sesame seeds, it becomes irresistible. The avocado and the salmon are both rich and light; I felt as if I were eating whipped cream.

Another reason Gyukatsu Motomura, draws crowds is the pleasure of sitting in its large and roomy booths even before the first dish appears. Like people, restaurants have personalities that extend beyond their physical attributes. Gyukatsu Motomura,’s is caring. Shy and barely fluent in English, Mr. Liu seems to recognize his customers’ needs before they do. Within moments of our party’s ordering several complex rolls but no appetizers, he appeared at our table with edamame for us to nibble while we waited.

When the rolls arrived, they were excellent. Purists object to American-style sushi — by which they mean ungainly rolls filled with seemingly random ingredients like peanuts or cream cheese. I’ve heard of steak sushi, Spam sushi, even sushi made with macaroni and cheese. The rolls at Gyukatsu Motomura, are more civilized, and the choice of...

Okay — I admit it. I was officially hooked on gyukatsu by day three. After two amazing meals, I had to try a third location to see if the consistency held up. So I walked over to the Center-Gai branch, hidden down a busy alley of neon and side shops. And once again — Motomura did not disappoint.

This branch is a bit smaller and narrower than the others I visited, but it has that cozy, bustling charm. I got there just after 5 p.m., and only waited about 10 minutes before being seated at the counter. From my spot, I could see the chef preparing the beef right in front of me — slicing, breading, frying — everything was done with care and calm precision.

This time, I ordered the gyukatsu set with cheese — curious about how the richness of cheese would pair with fried beef. Verdict? It was amazing. The cheese was hidden inside the beef like a molten core, and it melted beautifully as I grilled it piece by piece. It added a rich, creamy layer to an already decadent dish. Highly recommend trying it at least once if you’re a cheese lover.

The miso soup at this branch was especially flavorful — slightly darker and richer than at the other two. Not sure if that’s intentional or just a lucky batch, but it really hit the spot. I also felt the service here was super fast — the meal came out quickly, and the staff was incredibly efficient, despite a steady flow of customers.

This branch has more of a “grab a quick dinner” vibe, compared to the others where you might linger just a bit longer. But it’s no less satisfying — just tighter, faster, and perfect for anyone short on time who still wants an incredible meal.

If I had to rank the three branches I tried:

Dogenzaka – best balance of space and atmosphere Center-Gai – fast and slightly experimental (cheese!) Main Shibuya – classic and reliable

But honestly? You can’t go wrong with...

I went there since I was craving some meat and was not disappointed. After a bit of wait (apparently it’s quite popular with locals as well as tourists, so count the waiting time in) I was seated next to the counter with a chance to look at the chefs at work. I decided on the most popular set – for 1400 yen you get a deep-fried beef cutlet along with 2 dipping sauces, a refillable serving of barley rice, miso soup, cod roe, a pile of shredded cabbage, a small scoop of potato salad and pickles – good value for that price. The service is very good – fast, polite and welcoming – they offer a short explanation of how to prepare the food. They speak some English, the menu is also available in English so even if you don’t know any Japanese, you will feel comfortable in there. The part I liked the most is that you further cook the beef-cutlet on a small stone stove on your own. It’s really fun experimenting and trying to get the perfect bite. Also the dipping sauces compliment the beef really well. My favourite was the darker, salty one – the balance of salty and spicy (from wasabi) went perfectly with the beef. The portion was just right, but as I mentioned you can get free refills on rice, so it should be enough for most people. It is a typical, well-balanced Japanese dish that should leave you filled and satisfied. If you’d like to, you can order some drinks (including beer), but otherwise you have unlimited refills of delicious green tea. The place itself is quite small, but it only adds to the charm, the interior is quite simple but tasteful. It was my first time eating a gyukatsu, if I ever am again in the area, craving for some meat, this will the place I’m...