Yonezawa Beef Tokiwa — Restaurant in Yonezawa

Date of enjoyment 12/04/25. Drove all the way to Yonezawa to try their famous beef, there’s not many restaurants that is open before 5pm except Tokiwa. They have a butcher downstairs and restaurant upstairs which is always a good sign. We had no reservation and we instant afforded a Japanese style table where we sit on tatami mats with shoes off. Instantly ordered the sukiyaki and charcoal grill for all things Yonezawa beef. Rhe quality of the sukiyaki was amazing, combined with the egg as a dipping sauce is truly an experience you can never get sick of. Over to the charcoal grill, this is real charcoal they use and the beef cuts are slightly fatty but they less fatty cuts are truly amazing experience itself. Words cannot express the sensation of fulfilment and joy from the first bite of such flavours and textures. This is the peak of beef enjoyment and the Japanese has mastered it in many ways. We also ordered the salad which was essentially a mixture of fruits and leafs that is as fresh as it was just picked from the garden. Finishing the meal with rice and side condiments really made the trip to Yonezawa a worthwhile venture and experience to be remembered and savoured. Tokiwa also has another beach in Yamagata right where Daiwa hotel is, this however does not have the traditional feel to it but also a great way to enjoy...

When travelling to Yamagata, it is said that you must try Yonezawa Beef. So we had to make a stop at Yonezawa just to try their beef. While searching for a suitable restaurant in google, Tokiwa always seems to come up at the top search. So we decided to just give it a try. Initially we ordered 2 sets of Sukiyaki and 1 set of Yakiniku for our group of 5, just to test as the price was fairly expensive. But we ended up adding 3 more sets of meat, and 2 sets of their Beef Tartare. Their Sukiyaki uses their own recipe where they add miso, and it definitey elevates the taste to make it more umami than the usual sweetness. I would recommend to just go with the Matsu and skip the Take. The Tokusen has not much discernible difference from the Matsu. The Beef Tartare is a must to order. The beef definitely deserves to be there in the top 3 of Japanese Wagyu Beef. Service is good and fast as expected for Japan standards. They can only speak very limited English, but there is always google translate and they were very patient with us. Did not...

I was in search of traditional restaurant that serves Yonezawa beef and found this place. They run their own butcher with great quality Yonezawa beef also on the first floor. The service staff there was super nice right when we arrive and very attentive and personal. We ordered both Sukiyaki and steak and both are amazing. Especially my friend was SUPER impressed with the quality of steak. The flavor of sukiyaki was definitely unique and fun too. I got some meat and curry to go as Omiyage....