During our first visit to Japan in 2009, Mr. Selfish and I feasted at Grill Miyata, which was located in Kyoto but is now closed, for the best wagyu beef ever. With the revelation that most “Kobe” or “wagyu” beef in the States is in fact just regular beef, we knew that we had to have it again while in Japan.

Wagyu is expensive, as it should be. The term refers to several breeds of cattle that are genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of unsaturated fat. This, of course, makes them extra tasty.

Mr. Selfish and I did some research online and decided to try Maruni (1-11-1, Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-0004). It is a small yakiniku restaurant where they grill the meat right in front of you.

We sat at the bar and ordered the prix-fixed menu for 5,000 yen per person, which included unlimited alcohol for 2 hours. This is actually a very reasonable price for wagyu in Japan. And yes, it was a splurge but it was worth it.

Due to the grills in Maruni, the aroma of beef permeates the restaurant. Maruni cleverly offers to put your clothes in bags to prevent your coats and jackets from smelling like delicious, delicious beef.

Mr. Selfish and I, of course, took advantage of the unlimited drinks. While Mr. Selfish mostly stuck with beer, I preferred the drinks with shōchū and the highballs.

The cold appetizers came out first. We had a simple but delicious sesame salad, Chinese cabbage, and kimchi.

Next came an array of amazingly delicious wagyu grilled right in front of us. The rib eye was first and was only grilled for three seconds per side. It was perfectly tender and the flavor was, of course, outstanding.

Next, we had some wagyu sides, short ribs, inner thigh, and outer thigh with green onions and ponzo sauce. It was all delightfully tender and packed with beefy deliciousness.

Our favorite cut was the ribeye roll, which had salt,pepper, and wasabi and was positively succulent

Then, we headed into more exotic meat territory with heart, stomach, honeycomb tripe, and small intestines. This meat was much fattier and chewier. I thought it was pretty good but Mr. Selfish hated the texture.

To signify the end of the meal, we were served soup, which was made with beef broth, rice, eggs, bean sprouts, pepper, and green onions. It was a hearty and tasty soup.

Finally, for dessert, we had some gourmet popsicles. It was a great end to a delicious and laid back meal.

This concludes our trip report for our recent trip to Hong Kong, the Maldives, and Japan. Tomorrow, Mr. Selfish will discuss the trip we have planned for next month.