Miyazaki Beef and Ise lobster at Teppanyaki Miyachiku Restaurant

7 November 2024

We cannot come to Miyazaki and not eat the locally produced Miyazaki beef. Miyazaki is one of the largest producers of wagyu, the meat from the Japanese Black cattle. Of all the beef produced in Miyazaki, only the best beef can be called Miyazaki Beef and the quality grade of the meat must be at least a level 4.

I had made online reservation for dinner at the popular Miyachiku restaurant. This is a specialty teppanyaki (iron-plate grilled dishes) and yakiniku (Japanese-style BBQ) restaurant serving exclusively Miyazaki beef. There are a few branches in the city. We went to the one located at Tachibanadori, just a few minutes walk from our hotel (Dormy Inn Miyazaki).

Teppanyaki is a traditional Japanese cuisine that involves cooking a range of ingredients on an iron griddle. Upon arrival, we were shown to our seats on the teppanyaki table. There were already another group on our right but there is a barrier in between us so we had some privacy.

Our chef with his iron griddle all hot and ready for us.

My original plan was to enjoy the high grade Miyazaki beef. Since we visited in November, the Ise lobsters (Japanese spiny lobster) were in season (October to January). We ordered the Ise Lobster and Miyazaki beef steak pair course at 19,800 yen for 2 people. The set include an Ise lobster, 80g of “special loin” and 80g of “special round” beef plus hors d’oeurve, miso soup, roast vegetables, fried rice dessert and coffee/tea. We opted to upgrade our miso soup to Ise lobster miso soup for additional 500 yen. There are other options that feature more expensive cuts of beef like the normal tenderloin and “special tenderloin”.

The appetisers were served first. The main protein in the appetisers is Miyazaki branded pork. This set the stage for more delicious food to come.

Sauteed pork tongue with grilled eggplant and leek miso. Pork cartilage with local coconut curry sauce.

We were shown the raw Ise lobster before cooking. The lobster looks alive but is probably just killed since it had a metal skewer up its tail. The chef indicated that we should take photos of the creature before he starts to cut it up.

The lobster is not very big. The length of its tail is about 30 cm.

The Ise lobster staring at me with its little beady eyes.

It was fun to watch and video the Teppanyaki chef at work, turning raw ingredients into delicious food that were nicely plated.

Teppanyaki chef preparing the Ise lobster at Miyachiku restaurant in Miyazaki

Ise lobster grilled with butter. Just 4 pieces of sweet, juicy and aromatic lobster meat to savour per person.

After the lobster course, the staff brought the raw beef to the table. The Miyazaki beef came with little piece of paper showing the certification numbers and source of the prized beef.

The superb marbling of the fat in the flesh is the most important characteristics of the Miyazaki beef.

Cooking the Miyazaki beef and vegetables for the main course.

The steak, with its high fat content, must not be overcooked. The chef just brown the outside, locking in the fats in the meat.

Just when the steak was about ready to be served, it is lit on fire with brandy. Besides a dramatic presentation, the short lived fire imparts a smoky flavor to the food.

Flamed or Flambé beef on the griddle.

The chef served the sliced pieces of beef on top of bread to soak up the dripping fat. He recommended that we eat the beef with slices of crispy garlic and wasabi. We could also eat it as-is or with a little salt and pepper.      

Freshly grilled medium-rare Miyazaki beef. Best way to eat wagyu beef with that “melts in your mouth” texture.

With a slice of crispy garlic and wasabi.

We were served the salad, miso soup and garlic fried rice with the beef.Fresh salad with hebezu dressing. Hebezu is a small green Japanese lime.

Lobster miso soup. 

Garlic rice with minced Miyazaki beef.  Lotus root and grated yam with myoga (Japanese ginger).

After we finished the beef, the two pieces of bread soaked with beef fat were used to prepare crispy toast to be used as an element in our dessert.

Bread that soaked up the fat from the grilled steak was used to make the crispy toast for our dessert.

Turning the bread into crispy toast on the griddle.

The dessert consists of crispy butter toast with the flavour of beef and muscat cream cheese mousse with caramelised fig. In addition, there is a glass of parfait with marinated fruits and sauce.

Chef preparing the parfait which was an element in our dessert.

Parfait with marinated pears, Campbell’s Arry Rose Joule in the glass. Crispy butter toast with the flavour of beef, muscat cream cheese mousse with caramelised fig were served in the plate.

Overall, our dinner took about 1.5 hours. Although it did not come cheap, we enjoyed the dining experience and the delicious food that was expertly cooked in front of us.