There are many sukiyaki restaurants around town, but few are as consistently delicious as the Imahan chain. Asakusa Imahan’s wagyu sukiyaki and shabu-shabu are as memorable as they are exquisite.
Asakusa Imahan - image © Florentyna Leow
Sukiyaki and shabu-shabu are at the heart of it all, rather simple dishes. The former consists of beef and vegetables cooked in a sweet-salty sauce, and then dipped in raw egg yolk; the latter, beef and vegetables cooked in broth, and eaten with dipping sauces, then finished with rice and noodles. Much of the eating experience rides on the quality of the ingredients at hand.
Asakusa Imahan - image © Florentyna Leow
Luckily, Imahan is insistent on sourcing excellent wagyu beef for its restaurants, which is probably why they’ve managed to stay in business for over 100 years now. The palm-sized slices of beef are lushly marbled through with fat, and they’re sublime in both sukiyaki and shabu-shabu.
The head restaurant on Kokusai-dori Street in Asakusa is convenient if you’re already in the area. However, their menu is the same at all their restaurants across Tokyo, so there’s no real need to make a special trip out here just for this.
For more Tokyo wagyu choices, see our Best Wagyu in Tokyo page.
English name:
Asakusa Imahan
Japanese name:
浅草今半
English address:
3-1-12 Nishiasakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 111-0035
Japanese address:
〒111-0035 東京都台東区西浅草3-1-12
Opening hours:
11:30am-9:30pm
Price:
Non-smoking section:
Yes
Reservations:
Possible
Nearest Transport:
Train: Next to the exit A2 of Asakusa Station on the Tsukuba Express line.
Subway: 5-minute walk from exit 5 of Tawaramachi Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza line.
Telephone:
+81-3-3841-1114
Website:
Official website (English)
Customer Reviews:
:: Read customer reviews of Asakusa Imahan on TripAdvisor.
Near To Here:
Asakusa Imahan is located in Tokyo's Asakusa and Ryogoto district. See our complete list of things to do in Asakusa and Ryogoto, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.
More Tokyo Restaurant Recommendations:
See all Wagyu restaurants we recommend on our Best Wagyu in Tokyo page and get the complete list for all cuisines on our Best Tokyo Restaurants page.
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