If you live in or around Okayama Prefecture, or are a die-hard meat enthusiast, you may have heard the name “Chiyagyu Beef” (Chiyagyu, Chiyaushi).
In fact, it is a premium branded wagyu known only to those in the know.
It is produced in Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture, and only a very small number of cattle are raised.
Because it is hard to find, it may not be widely known nationwide, but it is delicious, high-quality beef with a rich flavor.
But even if you want to try Chiyagyu Beef, don’t you think, “Wouldn’t such expensive meat be very costly, or served in small portions…?”
There’s a restaurant in Kurashiki Bikan Historical Area where you can enjoy Chiyagyu Beef at a reasonable price!
It’s Toraiya Honpo Annex.
Toraiya Honpo Annex specializes in Chiyagyu Beef dishes.
In its calm, home-like interior, you can enjoy dishes featuring Chiyagyu Beef, including rice bowls, sukiyaki, and shabu-shabu.
Let us introduce Toraiya Honpo Annex, an appealing restaurant in Bikan Historical Area where you can enjoy Chiyagyu Beef!
The information presented here is current as of the article’s publication in August 2020. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Toraiya Honpo Annex serves dishes made with Chiyagyu Beef, a branded beef from Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture
Toraiya Honpo Annex is on a street along the east bank of the Kurashiki River.
It specializes in dishes made with Chiyagyu Beef, a branded beef that Okayama Prefecture is proud of.
Pass through the gate between two old buildings and continue to the back, where you’ll find a garden and a house-like building.
This house-like building is Toraiya Honpo Annex.
The building was actually used as a private home, and was renovated and opened as Toraiya Honpo Annex in 2019.
The interior retains the feel of a private home, and you take off your shoes at the entrance before going inside.
There are six seats at the counter by the window.
You can sit on a cushion and enjoy your meal while looking out at the garden.
There are five tables for two in the dining area.
Another room has one table for four and one table for two.
The atmosphere is relaxing, almost like being in a living room.
Music boxes and kaleidoscopes are displayed inside the restaurant.
These were apparently displayed at the Music Box Museum, which used to be inside Kurashiki Ivy Square.
They also have a wide selection of alcoholic beverages.
Each has been selected to pair well with Chiyagyu Beef.
The restaurant is available for private rental in the evening
At Toraiya Honpo Annex, evening service is by reservation only.
What’s more, they accept reservations for just one group per day.
That means you can rent the entire building exclusively!
It’s a real luxury to enjoy the relaxing, home-like space all to yourselves.
Why not enjoy Chiyagyu Beef at your leisure with your whole family for a special occasion, or with a group of close friends?
Please note that reservations are available for groups of four or more.
Chiyagyu Beef is a root of wagyu, descended from Japan’s oldest Tsuruushi cattle
Chiyagyu Beef is produced in Chiya, an area in Niimi City at the headwaters of the Takahashi River, which flows through Kurashiki City.
Only a small number of cattle are raised, making this a very rare beef.
In fact, research by Yoshitaka Habe, founder of the Wagyu Registry Association, has established Chiyagyu Beef as a historic black-haired Japanese cattle breed considered to be the origin of wagyu.
It descends from the lineage of Takenotani Tsuru, Japan’s oldest Tsuruushi (breeding cattle).
Chiyagyu Beef is characterized by its integrated production, with breeding, fattening, and production all carried out in Chiya.
This means you can enjoy safe, reliable, delicious, high-quality meat.
Chiyagyu Beef is characterized by its tender texture, with a moderate amount of marbling and lean meat.
Its appeal lies in the chance to savor the original flavor and umami of wagyu.
Chiyagyu Beef dishes at Toraiya Honpo Annex
You may be wondering what kinds of Chiyagyu Beef dishes are available at Toraiya Honpo Annex, a restaurant specializing in this beef.
Here are some of the main Chiyagyu Beef dishes at Toraiya Honpo Annex.
Information is current as of July 2020. Prices exclude consumption tax.
▼Chiyagyu Beef steak rice box (3,200 yen before tax)
The Chiyagyu Beef rice box is made by arranging grilled Chiyagyu Beef over rice packed into a lacquered box and topping it with a special sauce.
The fragrant grilled Chiyagyu Beef, the umami of the meat, and the sweetness of the sauce pair perfectly with the rice, making it hard to put down your chopsticks.
▼Chiyagyu Beef teppanyaki (3,500 yen before tax)
The Chiyagyu Beef teppanyaki is a dish where you cook the meat yourself on a small hot plate as you eat.
Enjoy it freshly grilled with your choice of four flavors: special sauce, salt, wasabi, or yuzu pepper.
▼Chiyagyu Beef sukiyaki set (2,700 yen)
The Chiyagyu Beef sukiyaki set features Chiyagyu Beef simmered in the special warishita sauce from Toraiya Honpo, making for meat thoroughly infused with flavor.
Enjoy the harmony of the sauce’s sweetness, the umami and flavor of Chiyagyu Beef, and the mellow richness of egg.
Each serving is provided individually, so you can enjoy it even on your own.
▼Chiyagyu Beef shabu-shabu set (2,700 yen)
The “Chiyagyu Beef shabu-shabu set” features Chiyagyu Beef cooked shabu-shabu style with vegetables and other ingredients, and served with ponzu sauce.
Shabu-shabu is a very simple way to eat, so you can really appreciate the delicious flavor of Chiyagyu Beef.
Like the sukiyaki, the shabu-shabu is served in individual portions.
▼Chiyagyu Beef sukiyaki rice bowl (¥1,500)
The “Chiyagyu Beef sukiyaki rice bowl” features Chiyagyu Beef simmered sukiyaki-style in Toraiya Honpo’s special sauce and served over rice.
It is exquisite when eaten with the egg yolk on top thoroughly mixed in.
Toraiya Honpo Annex is appealing for its reasonably priced dishes made with Chiyagyu Beef, a historic branded wagyu.
We interviewed Kusudo Tomio, president and representative director of TRY Co., Ltd., which operates Toraiya Honpo Annex.
Toraiya Honpo Annex Information
| Name | Toraiya Honpo Annex |
|---|---|
| Address | 5-27 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-427-0122 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | Lunch: 11:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (last order at 2:00 p.m.) Dinner: 4:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m. (one group only; reservations for four or more) |
| Closed | Monday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted Reservations available for groups of four or more |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Child-friendly | Children’s tableware available |
| Accessibility | Not wheelchair accessible |
| Website | Toraiya Honpo – Kurashiki Bikan Historical Area |
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