I finally went to 赤坂らいもん, which I'd long wanted to visit. What first overwhelmed me was the tongue piled up like a mountain. You can enjoy the character of each cut, thick-sliced and thin-sliced, all surprisingly tender, with umami overflowing with every chew. Without a doubt it was top-class among all the tongue I've ever eaten. The liver had no gaminess at all and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The harami and lean cuts had the powerful umami inherent to the meat, and the beautifully marbled cuts had elegant fat with no heaviness at all. The cutting and seasoning of every meat was superb, and each plate kept the wow going. Especially memorable was the large sirloin dipped in egg. The rich yolk and the sweetness of the meat harmonized beautifully, so delicious it made me smile involuntarily. The offal was also exceptionally fresh, and the closing reimen with its clear soup was refreshing, wrapping up the yakiniku afterglow pleasantly. Even the dessert melon was flawless, a highly satisfying course to the very end. I fully understand why reservations are hard to get; it's one of Japan's representative yakiniku restaurants. A renowned restaurant worth visiting at least once if you love yakiniku. Thank you for the meal.

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Visited 「赤坂 らいもん」. A yakiniku restaurant with a calm atmosphere; the interior has a somewhat old-fashioned air while being a cozy space where you can enjoy your meal at leisure. This time I mainly had tongue and harami, and every cut clearly conveyed the quality of the meat; precisely because the seasoning is simple, you could taste the umami of the ingredients. The tongue in particular was thick yet tender, with umami spreading the more you chewed. The harami also had a nice balance of lean-meat strength and moderate fat, a flavor that goes well with both rice and drinks. The tare isn't too strong, the kind that naturally brings out the flavor of the meat, so it was easy to eat to the end, which was nice. The staff's service was polite, and the atmosphere let you eat calmly. Rather than flashiness, I felt it's an easy place to go when you want to leisurely enjoy really good yakiniku.

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Revisited 赤坂らいもん for the first time in 5 years! This time I had the following menu! ・Tongue ・Sagari ・Shinshin ・Sagari ・Chateaubriand ・Sirloin ・Tongue tip ・Premium mino ・Tongue (seconds) ・Salted loin ・Melon The tongue, after a crisp bite, overflows with fat so high-quality it leaves you speechless! It was so delicious I ordered seconds near the end! lol The sagari is surprisingly juicy, the shinshin has an elegant tenderness, and the natural sweetness of the meat in the salted loin is outstanding! The chateaubriand is tender enough to cut with chopsticks and melts in your mouth, and the sirloin's supreme fat bursts out juicily, truly the ultimate experience! The umami-packed tongue tip and the premium mino, finished to a supreme texture with careful hidden scoring, completely captured my heart! Finished off with the juicy, richly sweet melon! After 5 years, I felt it anew: the meat quality, cut, and seasoning were all of overwhelming quality! Thank you for the meal!

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『赤坂らいもん』 in Akasaka, Tokyo, it's no exaggeration to call it the hardest-to-get-into yakiniku restaurant in Japan It's served as a yakiniku course Apparently they use meat even more carefully selected from the renowned yakiniku restaurant 『金龍山』 My first visit, thanks to a happy invitation Everything was delicious that day, but I can't forget how good the "tongue" was: thick-cut from the root, nicely fatty with a bouncy texture and juicy meat, with solid umami, delicious as is, and also good with arrangements like lemon sauce or topped with green onions The "shinshin," seared on the rare side and eaten dipped in egg yolk and tare, was also delicious, a perfect match with rice The closing "Morioka reimen" with its noodle texture and slightly sweet soup was also wonderful, and the "homemade XO sauce fried rice," which maybe isn't always available?, was delicious too Thank you for the meal Premium salted tongue Harami Salted liver Seared shinshin, seared yukhoe Chateaubriand Harami Sirloin with grated daikon sauce Miso tongue Premium mino Fried rice Morioka reimen Extra: tongue, hire-mimi

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A restaurant opened in 2018 by Akihiro Takahashi, who went independent from 「金竜山」 in Shirokane-Takanawa, a yakiniku restaurant famous for being impossible to book. Originally it served tongue stew made with leftover tongue from 「金竜山」 at lunchtime and yakiniku at night. With its tiny 10-tsubo size, irregular opening days, and deliciousness inheriting the DNA of 「金竜山」, it quickly became popular, finally earning Gold at the 2026 Tabelog Award, and has become a place every yakiniku lover dreams of visiting at least once. I won a reservation here on my own and came tonight. What's more, tonight I'm at the counter, where I can watch Takahashi-san work right in front of me. I'll savor every bit. Assorted kimchi When the kimchi is good, I become convinced that whatever comes next will surely be good too. The eggplant and avocado kimchi are especially delicious. Salted tongue & salted harami I asked in advance to have just the 『salted tongue』 made 3 portions. The tongue, given a distinctive diagonal cut, isn't uniform in thickness, which creates a bouncy, springing texture in the mouth, and your mouth fills with a flood of umami and sweetness. The harami catches the eye with its overwhelming thickness; even this thick, it melts juicily in your mouth, giving a moment of ecstasy. Salted liver & miso liver For certain reasons, there was surplus liver tonight, so it was my first salt vs. miso comparison. First, the salted liver. The moment I ate it I was surprised: "What is this?" It bites off crisply, melts smoothly, and the spreading umami is incredibly sweet. The seasoning is apparently just salt, sesame oil, and garlic, yet the sweetness is extraordinary. Next, my first miso liver. The texture is the same, but the umami of the miso slightly changes the sweetness and aroma. They apparently trim away more than half of the liver, and using only the very core creates this melt-in-the-mouth texture and sweetness. The best! Chateaubriand & tare harami & shinshin Next, an assorted tare plate of chateaubriand, tare harami, and shinshin. The chateaubriand and shinshin are dipped in a strong tare mixed with egg yolk, and the tare harami in a light tare. Here I promptly ordered rice. Dunk the grilled meat deep in the tare, and onto the rice. Irresistibly delicious. Sirloin A large sirloin of a splendid azuki-bean color. First, the fat is rubbed on the roaster, then the sirloin dives in. Here came a counter-seat-only surprise: Takahashi-san himself grilled it for us! Though thinly sliced, it's thick enough to really chew, and while it's a fatty cut, it's amazing how the grated daikon ponzu lets you eat it lightly. Premium mino The pleasant crunchy texture stands out, and as you chew, a sweet aroma passes through your nose. The miso tare is delicious too, as expected. From here, dream à la carte time. In response to the question "Do you have anything else?", what was served was… Salted liver There was still some, so I added it. Delicious as expected! I don't usually like eating liver much, but this has an exceptional sweetness and is truly delicious! Salted sagari The same diaphragm part as harami, but while harami is on the rib side, this sagari is on the lumbar (back) side. Compared to harami, it's less bursting with juiciness, but in terms of umami, this one is richer. Hire-mimi Apparently the end part of the chateaubriand, normally meat for the staff meal. Compared to the chateaubriand you feel a bit of chew, but the flavor holds up even if served as fillet. Beef fried rice The beef fried rice that Takahashi-san stir-fried all at once over high heat is light and fluffy, and delicious. But it's the finale before the finale, so be careful not to eat too much. Morioka reimen The finale has to be this. The springy noodle texture is pleasant, and the rich tare is delicious too. Adding kakuteki to change the flavor makes it even more delicious. Melon & ハールレモネ Dessert was fully ripe melon and ハールレモネ, which they said they got from a customer. The unfamiliar ハールレモネ is apparently a lemon you can eat peel and all, like a grapefruit that isn't bitter. Inside, grilling on the roasters makes it smoky, and it's by no means stylish… but the deliciousness feels top-tier in every respect: meat quality, cut, and tare. Seats for next year, 2027, are already fully booked, and furthermore they apparently need to focus more on 「金竜山」 from now on, so the operation of this 「らいもん」 is uncertain, and reservations for 2027 and beyond are reportedly on hold for now. I don't know when I'll get to come again, but I'd love to eat here again someday.

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