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Yoshinoya’s special Japanese parliament-only wagyu beef bowl is now available to us civilians too

Casey Baseel Aug 12, 2021
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Japanese Diet exclusive can now be part of the Japanese diet.

As Japan’s biggest gyudon (beef bowl) chain, Yoshinoya’s branches across the country have a pretty standardized menu. However, out of all of its 1,183 domestic locations, there’s a luxurious special item that you can only get at the Nagatacho Ichome branch in Tokyo.

But hey, a lot of people live in Tokyo, so a pretty large portion of the nation’s Yoshinoya fans can just mosey on over an order it, right? Nope, because the Nagatacho Ichome branch is located inside the National Diet Building, and this “Diet” doesn’t refer to the foods Japan eats, but to the country’s parliament, which is called the Diet.

▼ Exterior view of National Diet Building/Nagatacho Ichome Yoshinoya

Basically, unless you’re a politician or have some other sort of official business within the halls of power, the branch, and its exclusive Kuroge Wagyuju, is off limits. That’s about to change, though, as Yoshinoya has announced that it’s expanding its availability to branches nationwide.

So what exactly is the Kuroge Wagyuju? Well, for starters, it’s a -ju, not a -don, which indicated that it’s served in a rectangular container, not a round bowl. Ju usually carry the connotation of fancier ingredients as well, and the Kuroge Wagyuju delivers on that implied promise by using Japanese Black wagyu beef, a premium domestic breed that’s prized for its flavorful marbled meat.

The Kuroge Wagyuju is made with Japanese Black chuck roll of A3 or higher grade, which is pan-grilled to order, not stewed and waiting like with ordinary beef bowls. The meat is sprinkled with salt and pepper then treated with a ginger garlic soy glaze specially crafted to pair with the Japanese Black’s richness, then served over rice and topped with sliced white onion, accompanied by sides of miso soup and kimchi.

At the Diet, the Kuroge Wagyuju was priced at 1,389 yen (US$12.63), but for civilians eating elsewhere in the country the price has been knocked down to 1,290 yen (US$11.73). Not only does this make it a little easier on the wallets of us common folk, it also works as a pun, since 1 and 29 can be read as ii niku, or “nice meat.”

Those of you with a deep sense of loyalty to SoraNews24 and/or beef might recall that we actually taste-tested this rarified dish a while back, when it was being offered at one Yoshinoya branch at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, and loved it. However, with the number of travelers passing thorough Haneda severally reduced during the pandemic, it was taken off the airport branch’s menu back in the spring, and has only been available at the Diet location since. Yoshinoya says that it’s also reformulated the glaze and seasonings to bring out even more of the delicious wagyu flavor, and we can’t wait to try it for ourselves after it goes on sale on August 12.

Source: Yoshinoya via Yomiuri Shimbun via Yahoo! Japan News
Top image: Yoshinoya
Insert images: Pakutaso, Yoshinoya
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