Steak Otsuka
Omi beef on a teppan, cooked by one man for forty years.
Otsuka-san has been cooking Omi beef on his iron teppan in this small Kyoto shop for over four decades. The room seats about eight people at the counter, and the menu is straightforward: choose your cut and grade of Omi beef — one of Japan's three great wagyu breeds — and watch it cooked in front of you with nothing but salt, pepper, and mustard. The beef is the entire show. Omi wagyu, raised in Shiga Prefecture, has a delicate fat marbling that melts at a lower temperature than other breeds. Otsuka cuts each piece to order and adjusts the heat with decades of muscle memory. Side dishes are minimal: garlic rice, a simple salad, miso soup. This is the antithesis of the flashy teppanyaki experience. No tricks, no performance — just a craftsman, his ingredients, and a hot piece of iron. Scandinavian diners who value hantverket — the craft — will understand immediately.
Good to know
- Omi wagyu beef — one of Japan's top three breeds
- Single chef with over 40 years of experience
- Eight-seat counter around the teppan
- No-frills, craft-focused approach
- Located in central Kyoto
Location
- Ponto-cho Shijo-agaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8012
- Nearest station: Kyoto Station
- From Tokyo: ca 2 h 15 min med shinkansen
- Best time to visit: Lunch or dinner