01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Down a narrow alley in Higashi-Ueno's historic Kimchi Yokocho, Keijōen preserves the unhurried atmosphere of an old-school yakiniku joint. It is the sort of place where smoke rises steadily from the tabletop grills, large bottles of beer and bowls of draft makgeolli clink together, and the meal focuses entirely on the straightforward depth of well-prepared beef.
The dish most diners come for is the female Kuroge Wagyu premium skirt steak (harami). Offered seasoned either with salt or tare, the meat coated in sweet marinade yields deep richness and running juices when turned briefly over the flames. Opting for the salt version keeps the spotlight on the clean, beefy savor of the cut.
Thick-cut salted tongue delivers a satisfying, snappy bite, while prime loin cuts arrive large enough to grill whole before being snipped into bite-sized pieces with kitchen shears. From marbled short ribs that beg for bowls of white rice to tender tripe and offal, the foundational yakiniku cuts are handled with precision.
In between cuts of meat, bowls of comforting egg soup or spicy kalbi soup offer a balanced contrast. With limited table seating and dinner hours that frequently fill up, securing a reservation in advance is recommended.
