Gyu-Kaku yakiniku dining

---By Josie Wu Translated by Sho Huang

"There were no salted marinades for Japanese barbeque in Japan," explains the manager. As the story goes, 10 years ago, a few barbeque lovers started Gyu-Kaku, which gave way to a successful venture that has now spread halfway across the globe to include over 840 locations in Japan, New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii and Singapore, as well as four Taipei locations.
Gyu-Kaku's unique Japanese Barbeque style distinguishes it from all other cooking styles. Meat is marinated in "Salted Sauce"—key to making its Japanese Yakiniku BBQ so flavorful--before being barbequed over red-hot charcoal. Besides the flavors, one of the most intriguing yet overlooked features at Gyu-Kaku is the smokeless barbeque, using grills designed to blow smoke downwards back into the grills so that you dine in a completely smokeless atmosphere and don't leave smelling like your food.

Gyu-Kaku serves three sauces--salted, barbeque and miso--each bringing out the fresh flavor in dishes. With one of the best-selling dishes, Seasoned Scallion over Cow Tongue (NT$170), the sauce creates a light, tender meat texture. Beef Short Rib (NT$130-150) goes well with any sauce and it happens to be the manager's favorite, due to its juicy, savory texture. Another favorite is P-Toro, meat around the pig's neck area. This is wrapped with violet leaf and marinated in plum sauce to create a crunchy, fragrant delight.

You won't be disappointed with the Ginger Pork (NT$110), Pig Intestine (NT$110) and Fried Chicken Tender Bone (NT$120), all popular dishes. The Rib Eye Steak (NT$250) is prepared with firm yet marbled Ribeye. After it's barbequed over the charcoal, lemon juice is sprinkled on it to produce an irresistible fragrance—explaining why this dish is always a sellout. The "World Trade Center Branch Special" (NT$150-200) is "Ka-Ma-Me-Shi"--steamed rice topped with seafood, chicken or other popular ingredients and served in a traditional Japanese pot. This rice is prepared after each order, so it's always fresh and warm.

Gyu-Kaku Yakiniku Dining is only three to five minutes away from the World Trade Center so, if you're thinking heading out for an evening at the bars, it might not be a bad idea to stop in here for a filling dinner.