Now, I try to avoid hyperbole when talking about food. Such sweeping statements such as the title of this entry should be dismissed as plainly ridiculous – but believe me please when I tell you, it may just be worth a trip to Japan alone to experience this meal. Luckily for Japan, being such an incredible country there are plenty of reasons to visit regardless; but if you do, please swing past downtown Osaka and visit this eatery.

Not exactly a secret, this restaurant has been reviewed on Trip Advisor and continues to have updates from happy patrons on a nearly daily basis. Usually requiring a booking well in advance we nonetheless tripped over it after aimlessly wondering the hip and happening streets of the Nanba district. And low and behold it is rated as number 1 of the 5,921 restaurants reviewed on that site.

So on a Friday night no-less we chanced our arm at promises of ‘good beef’ and an ‘English Menu’ and went in. Luckily some very eloquent English speaking staff squeezed us into their last little cubby-hole and we begun to peruse the menu.

The main focus in question is Matsusaka Beef, one of the 3 main Wagyu varieties the most famous being Kobe beef of course. We were recommended a few options, but the one we went for was the second priciest set meal (Special Course) which promised to give a thorough overview of all the cuts they had on offer.

In the set meal we had assorted starters which consisted of a piece of beef, cold sesame noodles and an egg roll. All very nice.

We then are delivered the most beautiful lean beef sushi. Just flash cooked and sliced to reveal a rare cook, the taste is sublime ‘melt in the mouth’ stuff. Really delicious.

For the next course a rice dish with cooked beef, peas, seaweed, chilli and some dashi – again the beef was simply beautiful but in combination with the other flavours making this dish very moreish indeed.

To follow we had the pièce de résistance, the main selection of beef. A platter full of four cuts, all with varying degrees of marbling, all sliced into four pieces. Quite a bewildering site, we then had an instruction on the art of using the Yakiniku (Grilled Meat) where we were shown how to use the grill in front of us. Even though it just means grilled meat, it is more with reference to the whole process of preparing your own food as and when needed. So when you start placing the meat on the grill your nose gets filled with glorious cooking beef. The marbling in the fat just melts away and you’re left with the most exquisite taste. As we like our beef really rare, we just flashed eat piece quickly.

Literally trying to make each mouthful last a lifetime – it was an incredible experience. Each cut of beef was subtly different, but if you look at the menu and the list of the 15 cuts they have I recommend you eat the ‘least good cut’ first and work your way to the best one.

The set meal is finished off by a dessert, which frankly I don’t remember! The meat was everything, and truly the best I have ever had the luck to indulge in.

¥10,000 (£60) or so per head including wine

http://www.matsusaka-projects.com/english/

+81 6-6211-2917

Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Chūō-ku, Nanba, 1 Chome1−6 法善寺横丁エチゲンビル, Japan