Yoroniku — Restaurant in Tokyo

Meat: delicious Staff: kind and helpful w the exception of a gentlemen named Akumi Accessibility: mediocre

Meat: the Kalbi meat and tongue tasted delicious although ¥2400 for 4 pieces of meat (tongue) seemed a bit excessive. ¥500 for a few pieces of cucumber in kimchi covering is a bit much as well but this is “high class”, no? Lacking. Watch out for that “welcome snack”, they don’t tell you it’s not a welcome gift, but rather an added cost of ¥500 each. I was under the impression these type of things happened in Piss Alley, not a “high class” restaurant.

Staff: the women were very nice and helpful, giving instructions on how long to cook the meat, what kind of meat it is, what sauce it goes well with. Akumi however took care to recommend only expensive meat and the higher prices course sets (this is the food industry, one doesn’t receive commission yet my party and I felt like he kept trying to sell us). He also left us as we were ordering and came back about 10 minutes later with kimchi and a “welcome snack”, not mentioning that it was an additional cost. When he brought the first pieces of meat, he stated the type of meat and promptly left with no cooking instructions. The ladies after him were much kinder. After asking one of the waitresses for our check because Akumi was nowhere to be found, we were slightly annoyed but unsurprised due to our experience to see it in ¥9000 range when we had calculated spending ¥6000-7000. Of course with the receipt being in Japanese, it was hard to decipher where the extra costs were, on top of the “welcome stock”. While we were realizing this, who do we see peek his head inside the room but Akumi. A quick glance at us then he disappeared. Terrible waiter, terrible service from him, and it soured our experience greatly.

Accessibility: When initially finding this restaurant, or rather trying to find it, it was very hard due to no sign whatsoever stating that it was indeed Yoroniku. A obscure entrance leading down a semi lit staircase made my party and I unsure and a bit worried as to where we going. A sign, even a small one, would be very helpful. Upon entering began our first encounter with Akumi. He asked if we had a reservation, no we didn’t and he responded that there were no seats available. I looked at the empty row of seats in the bar and repeated after him gesturing to the bar, asking if even the bar was full. He said yes. I stared at him, not really believing that he was really saying that as the bar sat completely empty, the bartender drying classes behind. I shook it off and asked if we could make a reservation then. We make one for the following night at the only time apparently available which was 10:05pm. The next night, our party is punctual and present at 10pm, it takes Akumi a quick walk to the host stand to realize we had come the night before & indeed had a reservation. See meat + staff for service. As we’re finishing our second set of meat, a waiter comes asking if there’s anything else we’d like as it’s time for last call. We had sat down about 15-20 minutes ago and already our time was being cut short. If you absolutely need to come here, despite there being an plethora of delicious food in Tokyo, don’t bother with a 10pm reservation time. It watered down our experience and no one even attempted to help us with our meat like we saw other waiters help other tables. Unsure if whether it’s relevant to the reservation time or just Akumi not doing his job.

All in all, a mediocre experience complete with a few slices of tender meat. If you get a male waiter named Akumi, I highly suggest you kindly request another waiter. Our last meal in Tokyo and it was a rather sour ordeal thanks to him.

The Tokyo Olympics are this year and there will be tons of foreign travelers visiting Japan. If they’re going to be prejudiced against foreigners (which judging from other reviews, we’re not the only ones [Trip Advisor]), they’re not going to fare...

Tier 1 wagyu beef yakiniku restaurant hiding in a quiet alley near Omotesando - Yoroniku.

Starting with an amazing 10 courses menu, we added a bottle of red wine & their famous shaved ice dessert!

Totally appreciating the full table side service, cooking every pieces of meat to its perfection, with a briefing on how to enjoy each piece with intention (rather it be straight up, or with their house special sauce, or salt..... or wrapping the beef with a rice ball..... or dipping the beef in raw egg....)

This is likely to be one of the best beef experience I ever had.

Appetizers - Assorted Kimchis & Namuls (Korean side dishes)

Cold Beef Dish - Sashimi / Beef Tartare / Tripes [the sashimi is "ichibo" (a rare marbled thigh meat), completely melt in your mouth while still tasting very beef like rather than just a piece of fat]

Salad - Salad with Salt Dressing

Salt-based Beef - Heart / Thick sliced Tongue / Outside Skirt [I absolutely loved the thick tongue a LOT, the staff grilled it with ultra high heat to create a crispy sear on the outside and a flavourful and tender inside.... heavenly!]

Sauce based Beef - Kata-sankaku 肩三角 shoulder / Tsuchinoko [they lightly grilled these flavourful, amazingly marinated, perfectly textured pieces..... I am not familiar with these cuts, while the meat grain looks similar to tri-tip or brisket..... yet they are uktra tender abd ultra soft!]

Soup - Japanese clear soup [the soup serves as a perfect intermission for the impactful course]

Rare parts - Chateaubriand / Silky Loin [the Chateaubriand is the best of the best filt mignon, they just lightly heat it up and it does resemble the first sashimi piece. And the the Silky loin is meant to be eaten wrapping a nicely formed riceball in form of a "meat sushi"]

Special parts - Sirloin / Zabuton "Sukiyaki" style [the Sirloin strip gives a distinct texture contrast and a mouthful of steak, its a popular serving approach for Kobe Beef Steak, and I welcome the diversion in the course! Then the Zabuton is served to be eaten with beaten raw egg, resembling of eating sukiyaki beef.]

Noodle - Awa's Cold Noodle [home-made, al dente noodles with a refreshing cold broth]

Dessert - [we ditched the course dessert and opt to get their...

If you’re looking for the ultimate wagyu yakiniku experience in Tokyo, this is it. Tucked away in the basement of a quiet Minami-Aoyama building, Yoroniku 南青山 isn’t just dinner—it’s a masterclass in beef, fire, and restraint.

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🍽️ What We Ordered: We had the standard course (¥12,000–13,000)—and honestly, it was more luxurious than most places’ “premium” options. Highlights:

🥩 Beef Sashimi & Tartare – Silky raw wagyu, ultra-fresh and clean. 👅 Thick & Thin Tongue – Grilled to perfection; springy, smoky, full of texture. 🔥 Skirt Steak, Tender Loin, Outside Flank – Fatty in all the right ways, charcoal‑kissed. 🍲 Chateaubriand Sukiyaki Style – The crown jewel. Sweet soy glaze, almost too tender to believe. 🍜 Cold Somen Noodles – Subtle and clean, perfect reset. 🍧 Shaved Ice (Kakigori) – Massive, airy, lightly sweet. We had the milk and the matcha-gold. Both were unreal.

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🧯 What Makes It Special: ✅ Cooked in front of you by pros—timing, temperature, everything handled. ✅ Every bite is choreographed to build in intensity and richness. ✅ Understated, almost hidden space—no gimmicks, just technique. ✅ True hospitality: warm, efficient, never rushed.

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📍 Location: Yoroniku Minami-Aoyama (よろにく 南青山) 〒107-0062 Tokyo, Minato City, Minamiaoyama 6-6-22 Luna Rossa B1

📅 Reservation is a must (book via TableCheck or Omakase) 💳 Expect to spend around ¥13,000–15,000 per person 👥 Best enjoyed in pairs or small groups 🍷 Drink menu is solid – try the yuzu sake or a highball

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📸 Must-Take Photos: ✔️ Wagyu sukiyaki with raw yolk ✔️ Shaved ice with gold leaf ✔️ Beef tongue on the grill ✔️ Raw beef dishes artfully plated

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⭐ Final Verdict: Yoroniku is the gold standard for wagyu yakiniku in Tokyo. If you love beef—or just want to see what real Japanese charcoal grilling looks like—this is the place. Understated, world-class, and worth every yen.

📌 Add to your Tokyo food map now. You’ll regret missing this one.

#Yoroniku #TokyoYakiniku #WagyuHeaven #MinamiAoyamaEats #TokyoFoodie #JapaneseBBQ #HiddenGemTokyo #ShavedIceTokyo #KakigoriLovers...