Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Ajitasuke main branch 味太助 本店

Visited 12.05.2016 (Thu)

Specialty. Prior to my first visit to Sendai in Oct 2015, I have only tasted beef tongue once while having BBQ in Taipei. Probably my amateurish cooking skills did not do justice to the beef tongue (as I had to barbecue the meat myself), I did not find it particularly delicious at that point of time. While researching on the gourmet food to savour while in Sendai, I was surprised to find out that beef tongue was top on the list. This local specialty was so popular to the point that it created a beef tongue street (gyu tongue dori 牛タン通り), located on the 3rd floor of Sendai JR Station, which is lined up with restaurants offering this dish. After reading numerous rave reviews, I decided to give it another try when I was in Sendai. Visited Beko Masamune Nakakecho branch べこ政宗 名掛丁店 (which is now permanently closed) to relish this local favorite on my first trip to Sendai. This outing changed my impression of gyu tongue completely and I became a fan since then!

- Gyu tongue dori 牛タン通り: https://www.livit.jregroup.ne.jp/detail/435

[Oct 2015] Beef tongue teishoku at the former Beko Masamune Nakakecho branch. Set comprised of grilled beef tongue, steamed white rice with barely and oxtail soup.

[Oct 2015] Former Beko Masamune Nakakecho branch, where I had beef tongue in Sendai for the first time.

Second outing. On my second visit to Sendai in May 2016, I patronised another restaurant (Ajitasuke) to revisit the flavour of grilled gyu tongue and the dinning experience was even better than that at Beko Masamune! Ajitasuke is said to be the pioneer of beef tongue in Sendai and traces its history to more than half a century ago. In 1948, the first generation owner of Ajitasuke 味太助, which started out first as a yakitori stall, learnt about beef tongue stew from a French chef while undergoing culinary training in Tokyo. He decided to improvise the taste of beef tongue to suit Japanese liking and tested it on the grill. When Ajitasuke moved its businesses to Sendai post war, grilled beef tongue was offered on its menu and it soon became its signature dish. Its immense popularity eventually led to growing number of restaurants in Sendai mastering this dish and grilled beef tongue rose to become a trademark, almost analogous to Sendai.

Delicious. Was brought to the counter seat where I could observe the dynamics in an open kitchen. Ordered the teishoku or set meal which had three slices of grilled beef tongue. The set meal came with a side of pickled vegetables, a bowl of fragrant steamed white rice with barley (mugi-gohan) and a bowl of flavourful oxtail soup with Japanese leek. The slices of beef tongue were marinated with salt and soy sauce and left overnight before they are grilled over charcoal flames masterfully to infuse a smoky flavour and served to the guests. My picky tastebuds were blown away by the delicious beef tongue - the meat was well marinated and the texture was not chewy at all. The entire meal was extremely satisfying as I savoured each slice of beautifully grilled beef tongue carefully and slurped away the umami packed oxtail soup. This is truly one dish which I will specially return to Sendai for!



Menu:
- Teishoku A for 1 person: 3 slices of grilled beef tongue, oxtail soup and white rice with barley [1,800 yen]
- Teishoku B for 1.5 person: 4 slices of grilled beef tongue, oxtail soup and white rice with barley [2,100 yen]

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Ajitasuke main branch 味太助 本店
〒980-0811 宮城県仙台市青葉区一番町四丁目4-13
Operating hours: 1130 - 2200 hrs, closed on Tuesdays

https://www.aji-tasuke.co.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By Sendai Subway and walk.

From Sendai subway station 仙台駅 (N10), take the train on Namboku line 南北線 heading for Izumi Chuo and alight at Kotodai Koen 勾当台公園 (N08). 3 minutes walk from South Exit 2.