Gyu Kaku

FOOD

Beef deserves first billing at Gyu-Kaku. The regular AYCE menus build a Japanese barbecue meal around several cuts and marinades, backed by small plates, vegetables and dessert. Participating branches offer ascending Premium, Ultimate and Supreme courses, with advertised selections of 45, 65 and 80 items. The following dishes represent the regular grill menus, with the broader selections and signature cuts belonging to higher courses. Selections vary by branch and course.

Entry-course beef offers several ways to begin. New York steak appears in garlic or miso preparations, while Bistro Hanger Steak takes the brand’s sweet white-miso marinade. Toro Beef comes thinly sliced, with miso or sweet soy tare; the latter combines soy sauce, pear juice and ginger. Those are different invitations to the grill: a steak bite, a hanger-steak mouthful, then a thin slice with sweet soy and ginger. No need to order three identical plates out of habit.

Harami Skirt Steak is the name to remember when considering an upgrade. Gyu-Kaku identifies this miso-marinated cut as its best seller, and the AYCE menus place it above the entry course. Prime Kalbi Short Rib, dressed in sweet soy tare, appears in the top course. These are reasons to examine the beef selection before choosing a tier; some special items still carry serving limits.

Pork Belly with shio brings garlic, salt, soy sauce and sesame oil to the grill. Chicken Teriyaki follows a sweeter route, while Chicken Basil takes an unexpectedly pesto-minded turn, complete with pine nuts and sesame oil. Garlic Shrimp keeps the seafood selection straightforward; Spicy Shrimp uses jalapeño miso. A few pieces of each make a far more interesting order than treating the meal as a beef endurance contest.

Give the hot grill some cooler company. Shio Negi Cold Tofu wears white soy, sesame oil and green onions. Napa Kimchi and Spicy Addicting Cucumber bring sharper, crunchier bites between the meats. Japanese Chicken Karaage comes from the kitchen with chili mayo, and Fried Pork Gyoza brings citrus ponzu alongside its fried wrapper. There is plenty to occupy a plate while the next cut cooks.

Garlic Mushroom arrives in a foil packet with butter sauce, a small departure from meat directly on the grate. Cheese Corn Butter takes its own little cast-iron skillet. Higher courses add Garlic Fried Rice, with egg yolk, onions, sesame and garlic chips, or Beef Sukiyaki Bibimbap in a hot stone bowl. Order those because you want the dish itself. That bowl has more ambition than being a parking space for barbecue.

Dessert keeps the table involved. S’mores and vanilla or green-tea ice cream appear in the regular entry courses, making toasted marshmallow a cheerful finish to Japanese barbecue. The grill gets one last assignment, and your sweet tooth gets the benefit. Save a little room for dessert; it would be a shame to become terribly sensible just before the chocolate.