Wada

Tucked into a residential pocket of Koyama, Shinagawa Ward, Wada offers an evening devoted entirely to the grill at your table. Meat orders are generally placed all at once at the beginning, giving the meal the deliberate pacing of an impromptu course you design from the moment you sit down. A natural starting point is the salted tongue (jō-tan shio), cut generously thick yet tender and crisp to the bite. Another favorite among regulars is the jō-mino (first stomach), intricately cross-hatched with fine scoring so that precise grilling unlocks a distinctive light crunch and deep, savory sweetness.

The salted lineup also features fresh liver (reba shio), best given a swift, light sear to retain its natural silkiness. Transitioning to the sauce-dressed plates brings harami (skirt steak) and loin, cuts that pair effortlessly with a bowl of white rice. Interspersing these rich bites with house-made pickled accompaniments—such as assorted kimchi, oi-kimchi, or a three-item platter—along with namul helps reset the palate between cuts.

To finish, the kitchen prepares warming broths and noodles, ranging from a rich, spicy kalbi soup to seasonal bowls such as winter-exclusive kalbi udon, warm noodles (onmen), or chilled summer naengmyeon. Open solely for dinner on a strictly reservation-only basis, the restaurant asks guests to refrain from taking photographs inside, creating an atmosphere where attention remains on the food and quiet table conversation. For evenings when you want to savor cleanly prepped, unadorned cuts of beef, securing a table in advance is well worth the effort.