(To Go Only Now) Akihabara: Unmissable Beef Tongue Stew at Tankiyo (たん清)

I took a day off the other Thursday to try the beef tongue stew at Tankiyo (たん清) in Akihabara. Tankiyo is a highly popular yakiniku restaurant known for serving incredibly thick slices of beef tongue. Occasionally, they open for lunch on Thursdays to serve their special beef tongue stew. However, they only announce whether it will be available or not on the Monday of that week, so I was quite anxious until I saw the confirmation on their Twitter account.

We initially thought arriving 30 minutes before opening would be early enough. However, my friend suggested the day before that we should arrive at least an hour early. When we got there an hour before opening, there were already about 10 people in line! By the time the restaurant opened, at least 40 people were waiting. Around 20 minutes before the opening time, the staff began handing out numbered tickets to ensure fair seating.

At a little past 11 a.m., we finally entered the restaurant. The interior was small, with tables and chairs packed closely together, requiring customers to share tables. Since they only serve the beef tongue stew set during lunchtime, there wasn’t much to decide. All we had to do was return our numbered ticket, take a seat, and wait for our food. If you want a large portion of rice, though, you need to request it specifically.

Finally, the dish I had been longing for was placed in front of me.

It is not a ordinary stew.

Hey !

It was filled with large, tender chunks of beef tongue that had been simmered to perfection. The flavor was incredible—rich, satisfying, and luxurious. It’s no wonder people are willing to wait for over an hour to eat here. Everyone in the restaurant was completely absorbed in their food, eating in almost complete silence.

The stew exceeded all my expectations. I’m already looking forward to my next visit, though I can’t take days off too often. By the time we left the restaurant around noon, they had already stopped accepting new customers. It seems they prepare around 50 servings for each lunch service. Truly amazing.

About

Name Tankiyo (たん清)
Open Lunch, Dinner
Reservation Required for dinner time only
Credit card Available for dinner time only
URL Website, Twitter, Instagram

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