Gyu-Kaku is a wonderful Japanese BBQ dining experience with multiple locations across the country. Gyu-Kaku translates to “Horn of the Bull” and offers an authentic yakiniku barbecue experience for diners. There are a variety of BBQ Course Menus to choose from as well as the option of ordering a-la-carte. On this visit, we opted for the happy hour BBQ course which was a great deal. It starts at $50 for two people and was extremely filling. The best part about these course BBQ options is that you can share with friends and family. It is also an extremely interactive dining experience since you cook your meats as you go.

First Course

The happy hour BBQ course begins with miso soup and the Gyu-Kaku house salad for each person. This was already a substantial amount of food. The Gyu-Kaku salad had a great variety of greens which was a pleasant surprise. The dressing was similar to a thousand island and paired well with the vegetables and eggs. Later during the meal, a bountiful bowl of salted edamame and two bowls of rice were served before our meats arrived.

First Round of BBQ

The barbecue experience begins with a couple of the meats brought out to the table along with the assorted vegetables that take a little longer to cook. For the first round we received the following: a miso marinated yaki-shabu beef (a thinly sliced beef that grills quickly), a tare sweet soy marinated toro beef (a thin cut of beef belly similar to bacon) and a garlic shoyu marinated ribeye. These thin cuts cook quickly and melt in your mouth. The marinades were all robust, filled with flavor and paired well with the grilled garlic, vegetables and rice. There are even additional dipping sauces to try, should you need an extra notch of flavor. I highly recommend trying a variety of the marinades because each one is very distinct. Some have a mild sweetness whereas others are more savory which make the meal complex.

Second Round of BBQ

Moving onto the second round of barbecue, we receive three additional meats as we began catching up on our garlic shoyu marinated ribeye. For this round we received the miso marinated bistro hanger steak, the shio white soy marinated pork belly and the basil marinated chicken breast. Overall, this round was even more satisfying as these are some of my favorite cuts of steak. I am also a huge fan of samgyeopsal, which is the Korean name for pork belly. By the end we were absolutely filled to the brim. However, there’s more to this happy hour BBQ course deal!

Dessert

What is more fitting than s’mores over the fire to round out a fun, interactive BBQ meal? I absolutely loved the presentation of the dessert and had a great time toasting my marshmallow over the fire. This was my favorite part as it brought out a whimsical side to the dining experience. It is also the perfect portion because the meal was already filling as it is. A sweet and simple finale to an otherwise outstandingly decadent meal.

Bonus Round

Of course, I had to get an additional dessert with this sweet tooth of mine. I opted for the famous Lady M matcha (green tea) mille crepe that is served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was extremely light and the creamy layers in between the crepes were so delectable. I absolutely love Lady M’s mille crepe cakes and found this to be the perfect spot to visit if the Lady M boutique in New York is too far out of reach.

Gyu-Kaku will surely be a spot to be revisited. I really want to try their 21-day aged Harami miso marinated steak next time. Be prepared to come hungry and leave extremely happy. A bonus tip is to download their app on your smartphone. This will allow you to collect rewards points which can be used towards discounts on future meals. A first time registration will earn you $10 off your next meal when you spend $30 or more on your first visit (+100 bonus points) which checks out perfectly if you opt for the happy hour BBQ course. Now my question for you is: Which item piqued your interest the most? Let me know in the comments below. I hope you enjoyed this review and please let me know if you find yourself visiting Gyu-Kaku and what you end up ordering!

xo,

Christine Celine