food

Japan’s first alcohol-free and tobacco-free yakiniku restaurant a hit in Osaka

11 Comments
By SoraNews24

Yakiniku restaurants, establishments where customers grill their own meat on tattoo inspiring little BBQs, are extremely popular in Japan. Here, customers can quickly cook up whatever cuts of meat they like from tongues to tails and everything in between.

It’s really a meat-lover’s paradise, as it cuts out all the excess like buns and toppings, and aside from an optional dipping sauce or marinated offering, focuses solely on the meat’s inherent flavor. On the other hand, yakiniku restaurants are often boisterous drinking establishments frequented by chain-smoking salarymen after a long day’s work.

Up until now, that’s always been part and parcel of the yakiniku experience, but one establishment in Osaka has decided to buck the trend and go all non-smoking and non-alcohol.

Sandaime Wakihiko Shoten Honten has only been open for a year now, and already gets booked up for three months at a time. They’ve also already opened a second location in Nagoya as of August this year.

Both locations operate on a membership system but are not as exclusive as they sound. By following their Facebook page it is possible to find openings for non-members as well.

For those not familiar with yakiniku restaurants in Japan it’s probably hard to imagine but this is actually quite a radical departure for this kind of eatery. Wakihiko says the reason for it is quite simply to allow the high quality of their meat, rice, and sauce to shine, without the aroma getting diluted by cigarette smoke or taste lost by an alcohol numbed tongue.

The demand for such a meat-intensive experience is certainly there, with the only drawback being lack of seating. But until more yakiniku restaurants follow suit, it looks worth the wait for a table at Wakihiko. Just get some of that yakiniku bath powder to hold you over until your reservation.

Restaurant information

Sandaime Wakihiko Shoten Honten / 三代目 脇彦商店 本店

Osaka-shi, Fukushima-ku, Fukushima 2-10-22, Daiwa City Fukushima 1F

大阪市福島区福島2丁目10-22 ダイワシティー福島1F

Hours: 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Website

Source: PRdesse, Facebook/Wakihiko

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Restaurant raises the bar for customer service in Japan, will help you name your baby

-- Tasty and cheap: 30 minutes of all-you-can-eat yakiniku for only 780 yen

-- Yakiniku chain store lets customers enjoy delicious Japanese barbecue together with their dogs

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

11 Comments
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I get the no-smoking, but yakiniku without a beer? No thanks.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

What's the deal with not serving alcohol? Doesn't make sense.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Why I LOVE my beers especially with yakiniku, I can see where this is a good unique idea that should do well, hope they continue to succeed!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I remember trying to explain non-alcoholic beer to a contrastingly alcoholic ojisan friend of mine. "What's the point?" he asked.

I wondered what he would have thought of a yakinikuya that doesn't serve alcohol.

He'd probably go in with a hip flask.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No beer?! Credit to them for banning smoking though.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

If you don't like this alcohol free restaurant. Then don't go. There is thousands of place that you can eat meat and drink. So go there. There is still people like me who hate smoke and alcohol. And you all act like japan banned alcohol. It's just one restaurant damn. Honestly comment section looks so idiotic.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I remember a Muslim restaurant in Shibuya that did not sell alcohol. (To their credit, they were tolerant enough to let customers bring in their own, however.) But basically food and beverage establishments enjoy a good markup on booze, and it helps their bottom line immensely. Without customers ordering drinks, I think this place will difficulty staying in business.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

> If you don't like this alcohol free restaurant. Then don't go

Clear thinking by the above commenter. There are thousands of restaurants in Osaka. Don't like this one? Don't go.

KFC and Mcdonalds seem to do ok without serving booze, yet many of us would have no problem drinking a beer with a burger or chicken meal.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If you don't like this alcohol free restaurant. Then don't go. 

No, I probably won't. I just don't see the point - obviously tobacco smell is offensive to other people, but someone drinking a beer at another table? No one is making you drink alcohol, however much you hate it.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

What was it that politicians and business owners opposed to the indoor smoking ban were saying, that restaurants would go to bankrupt if smoking was banned? Yeah... I mean, look at how bad this yakiniku (that doesn't even serve beer) is doing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I just don't see the point - obviously tobacco smell is offensive to other people, but someone drinking a beer at another table? No one is making you drink alcohol, however much you hate it.

Yes you have point. But i believe you never understand how it feels for non drinkers. I don't care, i won't hate people who drink few beer beside me, or in other tables. But most of the people drunk too much until become nuts. And when people goes high It feels not comfortable. Not much like smoke smell. But still we want our comfortable place like you guys have. Do anyone have problem with it?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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