Toraji is a Korean BBQ in the lively area of Tokyo called Shinjuku. The restaurant, with its modern décor, offered different meal options for large groups to an intimate dinner for two.
What makes Korean BBQ so fun is that you actually get to cook the food yourself on hot coals in the center of the table. They have to pay attention or you can burn yourself.
There was an assortment of meats that were chosen for the table. The shrimp and prawns were my favorite. Freshly grilled and dipped in their ginger sauce was the best. I also ventured out of my comfort zone and tried beef tongue and beef cheeks. These were extremely tough pieces of meat and were difficult for me to chew. I am glad that I can say I tried them, but I will stick with the filet going forward. That was my favorite meat of the night.
The kimchi appetizer was amazing. It was so fresh and there was great heat to it. It also came with pickled cucumber that were not quite like pickles. They were sweet and sour tasting. The fresh pickled ginger was also perfect to help cleanse the palette in between bites of kimchi.
The salad was fresh and a perfect way to start the meal. They put a sesame ginger dressing on top that was different from anything I have had before. It was very sweet.
They also served a fried rice that was the perfect accompaniment to the meats.
No meal would be complete in Japan without sake. However, I forgot to write the name down in English so the label is all I have to go on.
If you are in Tokyo and want to try something a little different, try Korean BBQ at Toraji.
Enjoy!
T
