One thing that I loved about my stay in Kanazawa is probably the fact I had access to such great food. I know people like to say Tokyo and Kyoto have a great food scene but Kanazawa’s is also bussin’ (as kids these days would say). That said, I wasn’t feeling particularly adventurous so I decide to eat out at Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu.
Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu: Nice Place for Japanese Beef Lovers
So this was at the Cross Gate Kanazawa branch and boy did I thoroughly enjoy my dining experience there!
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So like with a lot of Japanese food places, your greeted with these shokuhin sampuru or food samples/replicas once you go inside the restaurant. I would be lying if I said my stomach wasn’t rumbling at this point. No matter how many times I’ve seen them, I still think they look like the real thing.
So my companion and I decided on getting two orders. The first was the regular Japanese Beef Sirloin and this set us about JPY3619. I thought it wouldn’t have any but it surprisingly looks like it has marbling. Side dishes include miso soup, a cup of rice, an onsen egg, cabbage, and some dipping sauces (sansho pepper, soy, and their gyukatsu sauce).
I hope they soon add gyoza on their list of side dishes soon, so that I won’t have to go to another restaurant like Kanazawa Gyoza Sakaba just to enjoy some delicious dumplings here in Kanazawa.
Four our second order, we went with the Premium Wagyu Sirloin. This was a costlier at JPY4939 but I believe me when I say that added cost was more than worth. It looks more or less the same as our first order with the only noticable difference being Wagyu. Like I said the beef sirloin had some but the marbling on this Wagyu was just on another level.
Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Menu
While waiting for our order, I got curious and decided to check out the menu in more detail.
Believe me, I actually thought our orders through. I didn’t just see the first two items and ordered them because I was really hungry. No sir…
In all seriousness though, I was kinda overwhelmed by the choices of meat in this menu.
Just look at the selection of meat that’s on here. I was seriously considering getting the chuck tail flap but then realized I might not have any more room in my stomach for it.
If you have a larger stomach size then I highly recommend getting the items on the Refill Gyukatsu section. Important to take note though that these are only half-size. Also, make sure to read the tutorial on How to Enjoy a Good Gyukatsu.
If you’re not sure which cut of meat to order then check out this page on the menu. It explains what the cuts are. Admittedly though it’s not that detailed so you might have to ask staff for their recommendation (that is if you somehow overcome the language barrier).
Now I don’t speak Japanese so I used Google Lens and the first sentence goes “We want to deliver delicious beef cutlets to as many people as possible”. The rest just details how the beef is deep-fried to preserve the deep beef flavor and to ensure the outside is crispy while the inside is kept at medium rare.
A more detailed explanation of the various cuts of beef on offer. Again, you’ll have to use Google Lens if you don’t understand Japanese.
A detailed breakdown of everything you’re getting for the meal. If you travel to Japan regularly then you should really invest in some Japanese lessons.
This was interesting since it costs a lot less than our orders. That said, the picture shows noticeably less marbling on this cut so I decided to just go for the Japanese Beef Sirloin and Wagyu.
So if I remember correctly, these are the Half and Half options. These could be great if you want to test other cuts that you’re not sure you’re going to like. I’m not sure if I would get these though. Probably the next time I go but definitely not anytime soon.
Not sure if this is supposed to say aged instead of aging but it does look similar to the regular sirloin gyukatsu zen. What I do know though is that it’s more expensive but only by a couple hundred yen.
These are the listed prices for the Aging Striploin Gyukatsu Zen. It’s also possible to get half and half of the aging striploin and regular sirloin if you’re interested in tasting both. What stood out for me on this page though is that minced meat katsu. I’m definitely ordering that the next time I visit.
The chuck tail probably has the most lean meat and is likely to be the largest cut they offer. As it is leaner, this means the cut doesn’t offer much when it comes to marbling. I’d wager it still tastes great though.
Starting at JPY2190, I don’t think this is all that bad actually. Another cut that I’m really looking forward to trying out some other time.
Tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of beef and honestly, if the wagyu and Japanese beef sirloin were unavailable then this would have been our order.
I’ve never been a big fan of tongue but that’s probably because I’ve never had it as much as I have other cuts. I will say though that it does look really appetizing on this menu.
So yeah, as you already know, this is one of the orders we settled on. My companion really loved this. They particularly liked how juicy it was and that it was cooked just right (medium). The breading was crispy and the dipping sauces really elevated the flavor.
This was one of the items that really intrigued us. I just couldn’t imagine anyone eating this with how tasty the beef is. That said, I did read raving reviews of the prawn so it might just be my beef-loving bias rearing its majestic head.
I’m not really a big fan of matcha but for some reason I wanted to try out the green tea soda. Eventually I went for something else so that’s another menu item that I’ll be sure to order next time around.
Yellowtail Katsu? I’ve never tried this specific order yet but I have tasted yellowtail and it’s one of my favorite fish (specifically for ceviche, sushi, and sashimi). That being said, I’m not really sure how it’ll taste cooked in this manner.
Among Wagyu beef, Noto Beef from Ishikawa is said to be one of the rarest. As such, it’s understandably one of the priciest items in the menu. In fact, it’s so rare that it’s only limited to 10 meals/orders a day!
Since Noto Beef wasn’t available, I went with what was really the best available item on the menu. While I wouldnt say this meal was life-changing, I am confident in telling you that it was one of the most delicious I’ve ever had. The Wagyu really does melt in your mouth and it already tasted great without the sauces. If you can afford it, definitely give the Wagyu Sirloin Gyukatsu a try.
Can you guess what drinks we capped our meals with?
So far, I’ve been enjoying my stay here in Kanazawa. The hotel I’m staying in has been stellar and the food has not disappointed. Hopefully I can check out the local food places other than Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu.
Have any recommendations? Please share them! I might just visit when I have the time. By the way, I’ve already been to another local place called Shabu Sai Kanazawa Fo-Rasu Te and the food there was amazing, so that restaurant isn’t included in the list anymore.
