In this long overdue installment, I continue my search for a great gyukatsu (beef cutlet) in Tokyo. You can read part 1 and part 2. My third attempt was at Aona, another brand with a few branches in Tokyo. I went to their original store in the area of Ameyoko market in Ueno.
The visit
A short walk from Okachimachi station (and Ueno station is just a few blocks further away), actually finding the store was not super-easy, as the pin on Google map was not accurate (the issue seems to have been fixed since then, December 2019).
Of the several Aona branches in Tokyo, I went to this store because they were the only one of the chain serving premium wagyu gyukatsu. It is the original store, but not the largest at the moment.
I was the first customer of the day (it was an early lunch to use an euphemism). They open at 11am.
I ordered the set menu with 100 grams of premium wagyu. “Premium” meant that it was sirloin wagyu, while usually their wagyu gyukatsu comes from the leg, a less prized part of the cow (I suspect this is what you get also in other gyukatsu restaurants promoting wagyu cutlets).
The set came with a nice seasonal salad, a multigrain rice bowl (they proudly indicate that 16 types of grain are used), miso soup and some condiments. Water was complimentary.
The meat was indeed tender and juicy, I was just underwhelmed by the crust (hoping in something crispier).
The nice thing about Aona is that they offer various types of beef. So for good measure I tried also the New Zealand beef (the cheapest option) and the regular Japanese black beef. The Japanese beef was not that distant from the more prized wagyu. The New Zealand beef tasted completely different, like roast beef. (You can see the three types of beef one next to another in the picture on top of the page with the sirloin wagyu on the left, the regular Japanese black beef in the middle, and the New Zealand beef on the right.)
The check
I ended up spending 4,455 yen (41 USD). The main set, with 100 grams of their most expensive beef (sirloin wagyu), was 2,800 yen plus tax. Ordering additional 50 grams of Japanese black beef and 50 grams of New Zealand beef was not economical, as you spend less with bigger portions. They also have a sampler set with three types of beef, but not the premium one that I ordered. Definitely you do not need to spend 40 USD for a normal lunch as I did.
How does it compare with Motomura and Ichi Ni San? Just using the regular Japanese beef as a benchmark and ignoring the fancy sirloin wagyu I had, Aona was marginally better. Motomura had more interesting side dishes (but they were tiny!). Also in Motomura and Ichi Ni San you can cook your meat at your table with a small cooker: if raw meat is not your thing, that’s a sweet option that was not offered at Aona.
The search continues.
Where in Tokyo:
6-5-7 Ueno, Taito-ku, JUN Building 1st floor.
In Japanese: 東京都台東区上野6-5-7 JUNビル1階.
Website: http://www.jfoods.co.jp/ (in Japanese, but you can use Google Translate or similar). The website has menu with prices and list of other locations in Tokyo.