Japanese Omi Beef Sukiyaki You Can Enjoy Alone – Silky Tender Like Tofu!

Written & photos byPaperclip 'Food Photography Joy'

“Travel” seems inseparable from “food,” after all, people can’t live without eating and drinking, and cuisine also reflects the local culture and way of life. When traveling, I often feel spiritually fulfilled, so it’s not absolutely necessary to try must-eat dishes to feel complete. But if I have the chance to enjoy them along the way, I certainly wouldn’t want to miss out.

Omi-Hachiman City is just about an hour by train from Kyoto and boasts picturesque scenery with small bridges and flowing water—making it a popular choice for a day trip to the outskirts of Kyoto. But many visitors come here not just for the beautiful views, but more so for the food. Among Japan’s three most famous wagyu beef varieties—the Matsusaka, Kobe, and Omi beef—Omi beef is raised mainly in eastern Shiga Prefecture, around Omi-Hachiman City. So how could one leave this treasure trove with an empty stomach?

The day I visited Omi-Hachiman, it was drizzling coldly. After walking around some key sights near the Hachiman-bori Canal, it was about lunchtime. I took out my phone, opened the Tabelog website, and started looking for a place to eat. “Nishikawa” had a rating of 3.43—not the highest, but it was close to Hachiman-bori, and with the cold weather, I was eager to warm up. So I decided on the spot to head straight there.

As you enter the restaurant, there’s a small supermarket selling Omi beef and other ingredients, with the dining area to the right. It wasn’t crowded with tourists in winter, but there were already one or two groups of customers having lunch.

Although I’m not proficient in Japanese, I’ve never had any issues ordering. Using my very slow hiragana and katakana skills, I slowly pieced together my choices, looked at the photos in the menu, considered the prices, then pressed the service bell on the table to call the waiter.

On Nishikawa’s menu, Omi beef dishes mainly include steak, teppanyaki, sukiyaki, hot pot, and more.<饭，也有提供外带的便当。价钱自然不低，从最便宜的N<饭 1250Q?ㄎ此埃??阶罟蟮募?咸?迳?15000Q?ㄎ此埃??雍砂?疃热尉?粞　６?业愕氖羌畚换顾惚阋?3700Q?ㄎ此埃┑氖傧采瘴缂涮撞汀＜/p>

The waiter was very courteous and attentive toward me as an out-of-towner, quickly bringing over an individual hot pot already prepared with various vegetables and tofu, along with a plate of Omi beef (120g), side dishes, raw egg, miso soup, and white rice.

I had previously tried an Omi beef rice lunch at “Okaki” in the outlet mall near Longwang Temple in Shiga, Kyoto, but the beef served there was already fully cooked. This was the first time I got to closely and carefully examine Omi beef in such a respectful and meticulous way. The slices of Omi beef at Nishikawa were about 2mm thick, with fine and dense marbling—a beef grain pattern I’d never seen before. Just by looking at it, I knew it had to taste amazing!

I also beat the egg. Some say that when eating sukiyaki, you should discard the egg white and only use the yolk—that’s something I don’t quite agree with. The texture and flavor of the egg white and yolk are different, and each offers a unique experience. The taste on your tongue and between your teeth when dipping the savory beef slices is definitely distinct.

By now, the little hot pot had already started bubbling away—it was time to put the meat in.

Although the slices were somewhat thick, they were surprisingly tender to pick up with chopsticks. It felt like draping a soft cashmere sweater on your shoulders in the early spring chill—the beef naturally hung from the chopsticks!

Such high-quality beef shouldn’t be cooked too long. I waited until it was about medium rare, even still slightly red, and couldn’t wait to lift it out and try it plain.

Ahh!! There was absolutely no gristle in this beef? What’s going on? With just a little chewing, it slid smoothly down my throat, as tender as tofu—you just want to roll around in it three times. Also, there was zero beefy smell or aftertaste.

All I could think was: once you’ve had Omi beef, all other beef dishes pale in comparison. I can never go back.

Compared to travel, food is actually something I care less about, but when you can have both, it’s truly a gift from heaven. The scenic beauty of Hachiman-bori in Omi-Hachiman plus Omi wagyu beef—what better combination could there be?

[How to Get to Hachiman-bori]

Take a train from Kyoto Station bound for “Maibara” and get off at Omi-Hachiman. After exiting the JR Omi-Hachiman Station (turn left as you exit, on the side without the shopping center), you’ll see a bus stop to the front-left. Take the bus bound for “Chomeiji” from bus stop No. 6 and get off at “Shimmachi.” (Fare in 2017: 220 yen. Both IC cards and paper tickets accepted.)

Marutake Omi Nishikawa
Official Website
Address: 16 Naka 1-chome, Nakaya-cho, Omi-Hachiman, Shiga
Phone: +81-748-32-6494
Business Hours: Weekdays 11:00–15:30 / 17:00–21:00, Weekends & Holidays 11:00–21:00, Closed Tuesdays (Open if a holiday falls on Tuesday)
Payment: Credit cards accepted

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