Gyukaku Nakano: The Best All-You-Can-Eat Yakiniku in Tokyo (¥5,000 Meat Heaven)
- Alex
- Feb 10
- 2 min read
A love letter to the most dangerously good value yakiniku chain in Japan.
My Favourite Pilgrimage From Koenji to Nakano
Gyukaku is down the road in Nakano, or at least the one we always go to is.
It’s basically a straight shot from my house. Walk down to Koenji Station. Cut underneath the railway towards Nakano. Stroll up through the Nakano arcade. Arrive at Gyukaku, ready to commit unspeakable acts of barbecue consumption lol.
We absolutely love this place. In the last couple of months alone, Sebastian and I probably been five or six times. That should tell you everything you need to know about this joint.
Insane Value for Money
The main reason we keep coming back is simple. The value for money is ridiculous.
Gyukaku offers all-you-can-eat yakiniku menus, and while there’s a cheaper option around ¥3,800, it doesn’t cover nearly as many meat dishes or sides.
So we always go for the elite (and only acceptable) choice. The ¥5,000 all-you-can-eat menu for 90 or 100 minutes!!
Bibimbap First, Then Meat by the Kilogram
We start strong.
A couple of drinks and a big bowl of bibimbap each.
It feels like a Korean-inspired Japanese barbecue place, because the sides and flavours definitely lean that way. No complaints from me, I love Korean food.
Then… the real work begins.
Once the bibimbap is on the table, I start ordering meat almost by the kilogram.
Our go-to is the beef short rib.
The perfect bite looks like this.
Lettuce leaf. Miso + gochujang smeared inside. A couple pieces of freshly grilled beef short rib. A bit of rice and kimchi from the bibimbap.
Stuff the whole glorious thing into your mouth.
Repeat for 100 minutes straight.
Honestly, it becomes less of a meal and more of a religious ritual.
The Sides Deserve Respect
The meat is obviously the headline act, but the sides are genuinely insane too.
Some favourites:
Sweet potato thick-cut chips in butter sauce.
Thick-cut bacon.
Chicken tail.
The insanely juicy Japanese sausages - crispy when you bite into them and just bursting with flavour
It’s all dangerously good.
Dessert, Drinks, and a Silent Salute to the Meat Gods
If we remember before the timer runs out, we finish with dessert.
Ice cream. Sorbet. Tiny donuts. Mochi.
Sebastian usually polishes off a few beers and shochus, and I fully commit to the all-you-can-drink soft drink menu. Calips is my favourite.
And honestly, during this meal, we don’t really talk.
We just look up occasionally, nod at eachother, and carry on.
A silent salute to the food gods.
Methodically working your way through what feels like half the meat in this restaurant's poor fridge.
I’m convinced they’ve got wanted posters behind the counter like:
“Oh no… those two boys are here. The meat demons are back.”
Final Thoughts: If You See a Gyukaku, Go Immediately
The quality of the meat is fantastic.
The sides are genuinely delicious.
The value for ¥5,000 is absurd.
But overall?
Gyukaku has honestly become one of the most significant comfort-food experiences of my life in Japan.
So if you ever see one nearby…
Do not hesitate.
Get around it.
Order the ¥5,000 all-you-can-eat menu.
Prepare to meet the meat gods.
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