July 16, 2010

Ebisu - Champion Steakhouse - 10/10

Tokyo, Japan - Restaurant Review by Vince Desi

Food: Steak in Japan is all about quality not quantity, and like all food in Japan it too is an art. We in the USA know of “Kobe” Japanese steak, but there are several areas in Japan that raise super high quality beef.

Champion’s serves beef from Miyazaki, in Kyoshu, Japan. Kyoshu is also the area known for very high quality horse meat, known as Basashi, when served raw, I will review this separately from tonight’s exceptional dinner.

Like Most dining in Japan, you order many dishes, small portions, artistically prepared with delicate precision, this includes raw meat. Champions is a hibachi style steak house, you sit on the floor around a small built in bbq pit. Unless you order it sashimi style it will come cut shaped for you to place over the open fire. A great thing here is that everyone gets to cook their own, so its up to you to watch your own meat.

The following is a list of what we ate and its respective name in Japanese.

1. Sagari, or what we call Skirt steak.
2. Kalbi, or Short Rib
3. Kari, or Stew front cut
4. Tougarashi, or Brisket Front cut
5. Shin Shin, or Eye of Round
6. Gyusashi, raw sashimi beef filet
7. Katarosu, or Shoulder cut
8. Rump, by this time the sake was flowing and I fought hard to stay on track, I will post the correct name in Japanese asap.


And throughout the course there were an abundance of fresh vegetables and mushrooms all for grilling. At the very end we had a cold black wheat noodle, I think this was dessert. Japanese style steak is very very different than what we are familiar with in the USA. It is nothing like Peter Luger’s or The Palm, not in appearance, size, cut or cooking style. I love both, and I strongly recommend that you should try for yourself with an open mind, its like comparing fat American girls vs slender Japanese girls, totally different.

Place: Champion has 3 locations, I ate at the Penthouse restaurant in Ebisu, Tokyo, a very cool business area where young and old mix, but fashion is always in play. The ride to the top floor is normal, then upon entering this unique establishment you find yourself in a Ninja style environment, small, private, sliding wall-doors, and of course no shoes. The service was excellent (actually throughout Japan the average service is superior to any other country I’ve been to, and that absolutely includes top cities in the USA).

Comment: Japan is living Art. Everything I experienced had a beauty attached to it, from riding the subway to checking into hotels, to every meal I ate whether expensive or street food. In Japan everyone is treated with respect, and it shows in every meal as well. Champion is at the very high end of the dining circuit in Tokyo, from atmosphere, service, and food, this place is a TEN, or as I say in Japanese a “Ju”

Champion – Penthouse, Steak
Ebisu, Tokyo, Japan
May 2010
www.ebisu-champion.com

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