01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Charcoal crackles gently inside the tabletop shichirin as red embers grill cuts of beef to order. Sumibiyaki Benikaku in Minami-Ikebukuro offers an unhurried atmosphere, with high-backed sofa seating that lets diners settle into their meal without feeling crowded by neighboring tables.
The menu highlights cuts with balanced marbling and red meat, headlined by the limited-quantity kin rosu (gold roast). Ordering jo rosu with the side egg sauce brings out the flavor in a yaki-suki style, coating the tender meat in a mellow glaze. Staples like kalbi short ribs, chewy jo-hormone, and salted jo-tongue with scallions provide satisfying richness, all enhanced by the direct aromatics of charcoal grilling.
Dipping into a sesame-scented house salad or homemade kimchi alongside lightly effervescent draft makgeolli makes for an easy rhythm between grilled bites. For a filling conclusion, options include rich oxtail gukbap coaxed over 13 hours of simmering, refreshing cold naengmyeon noodles, and nori-egg gukbap. To finish, rich coffee-infused chestnut ice cream flecked with chestnut pieces provides a cool, clean contrast to the grilled beef.
