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Experience Dramatic Japanese Grilling At Flatiron's Yakiniku Futago
By
Nell Casey
Published Sep 15, 2015
Modified Sep 15, 2015
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courtesy Yakiniku Futago
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By
Nell Casey
Published Sep 15, 2015
Modified Sep 15, 2015
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Dramatic dining experiences can come in many forms, from lively song-and-dance routines to tableside cooking experiences that employ all the senses. It's the latter type of dinner you'll have at Yakiniku Futago, a grilled meat dining style import from Japan that opened earlier this year in the Flatiron. Dainty grills are embedded into every table, awaiting a parade of beef parts from tongue to tail—and everything in-between.
At a recent press preview, that meant meaty chunks of beef tongue ($28), quickly grilled and served simply with a salt rub and a squeeze of lemon. For those squeamish about the cut, imagine a deeply beefy flavor with a hint of extra chew—it looks like sliced filet with a bolder flavor and texture. There's filet ($25) here, too, cooked to medium in a garlic sauce then gently finished in an adorable crock of oil, butter and garlic 'til appropriately gilded. Everything's better in butter.
(via Yelp)
In scene-stealing terms, the crown jewel of the meat selection is the Hamideru Kalbi ($25), which arrives at the table with much fanfare from the staff and a flourish of swirling dry ice. You'll be asked to learn a call-and-response and then the meat slides onto the grill with a sizzle, waiting to be sectioned into portions of varying fat components. It's hard to go wrong when the beef is Japanese black wagyu—but they save the best of the cut for last.
As delightful as the presentation was in the kalbi, the flavor and tenderness couldn't be matched by the 10 Second Beef ($25), a thin slice of tender beef grilled, as you may have guessed, for just a few seconds on each side. So it doesn't stick, servers wipe the grill with a piece of tallow-like fat. The just-broiled beef is then dipped in raw egg yolk and served atop a shooter marble-sized ball of rice so diners can make a beef wrap with the rice on the inside. It's luscious, tender and you'll probably want a dozen more. Finish the meal with a bowl of chilled noodles ($6), as tradition dictates.
Though the space's dark design and slightly elevated price point (you'll want to order multiple meat courses) might pigeonhole it as a special occasion only affair, the staff's ebullient cheers and the drama of the on-table cooking make it more casual than appearances might suggest. They're also having a bit of fun with the music; as you walk from the bar area to the dining room and even to the subterranean bathrooms, keep your ears open. Contemporary American jazz up front lends itself to a few glasses of sparkling sake while the trickling sounds of water over rock make the bathroom area, well, a relaxing experience.
37 West 17th Street, Phone number (212) 620-0225; website
Tagged
grill
japanese
yakiniku
yakiniku futago
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Nell Casey
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