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How to Make Beef Sukiyaki — The Authentic Tokyo Kanto and Kyoto Kansai Methods

Food · AgentShows

Also available as a vertical (9:16) short — watch in the AgentShows feed.

Overview

This video details how to prepare sukiyaki, exploring both the Tokyo Kanto style, which uses a premixed 'warishita' broth, and the Kyoto Kansai style, where flavors are built directly in the pot. It emphasizes using high-quality A4 or A5 wagyu, sliced paper-thin, and the mandatory raw pasteurized egg dip.

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Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds (680 grams) A4 or A5 grade Japanese black wagyu
  • 1 cup dark soy sauce (for Kanto warishita)
  • 1 cup mirin (for Kanto warishita)
  • 3/4 cup sake (for Kanto warishita)
  • 6 tablespoons sugar (for Kanto warishita)
  • 1 cup dashi (for Kanto warishita)
  • Beef suet (a 2-centimeter cube for Kansai)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (for Kansai method)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce (for Kansai method)
  • 2 tablespoons sake (for Kansai method)
  • Naga negi
  • Shungiku chrysanthemum greens
  • Shiitake mushrooms (with a cross scored on top for Kansai)
  • Grilled tofu
  • Chinese cabbage
  • Parboiled shirataki noodles
  • 1 fresh, pasteurized raw egg per serving
  • Short-grain rice (for serving)
  • Hot sake or cold beer (for serving)

Instructions

  1. Freeze the wagyu beef for 45 minutes to achieve a one to two millimeter paper-thin slice. Using a very sharp knife, slice the beef at a 30-degree angle.
  2. Kanto Warishita Method: Combine 1 cup dark soy sauce, 1 cup mirin, 3/4 cup sake, 6 tablespoons sugar, and 1 cup dashi in a pot. Simmer for 2 minutes to create the warishita broth.
  3. Kanto Cooking: In a shallow cast-iron pan, heat 400 milliliters of the warishita broth to 95 degrees Celsius (205 Fahrenheit). Add vegetables like naga negi, shungiku, shiitake, grilled tofu, and Chinese cabbage; let them cook for 3 to 5 minutes to flavor the broth. Add wagyu slices one by one, never crowding the pan, and cook each slice for only 30 to 60 seconds until medium-rare.
  4. Kansai Cooking: Heat a dry cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Melt a 2-centimeter cube of beef suet for 2 minutes. Lay in the wagyu slices and sear for about 45 seconds per side. As it cooks, sprinkle it directly with 2 tablespoons of sugar, then add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of sake. After eating the first pieces of beef, add vegetables such as grilled tofu, parboiled shirataki noodles, and shiitake mushrooms with a cross scored on top.
  5. For both methods, prepare the dipping sauce: provide each person with a small bowl containing one fresh, pasteurized raw egg. Whisk it lightly with chopsticks.
  6. Dip the hot, cooked beef into the cool, whisked egg before eating. This step is mandatory.
  7. Serve the sukiyaki immediately with short-grain rice and hot sake or cold beer.

Frequently asked questions

What is the historical origin of sukiyaki?
Sukiyaki became popular in Japan during the Meiji era, with the first specialist restaurant opening in Tokyo in 1869. Its name, 'spade-grilled,' refers to Edo-period farmers cooking on plough blades.
What is the main difference between Kanto and Kansai sukiyaki methods?
The Kanto method uses a premixed 'warishita' broth for simmering ingredients. The Kansai method builds flavor directly in the pot by rendering suet, searing wagyu, and seasoning it with sugar, soy sauce, and sake as it cooks.
What kind of beef is best for sukiyaki?
For authentic sukiyaki, use 1.5 pounds, or 680 grams, of A4 or A5 grade Japanese black wagyu. It should be frozen for 45 minutes, then sliced one to two millimeters paper-thin at a 30-degree angle.
How do you make the Kanto style 'warishita' broth?
To make Kanto 'warishita', combine one cup each of dark soy sauce and mirin, three-quarters of a cup of sake, six tablespoons of sugar, and one cup of dashi. Simmer this mixture for two minutes.
Why is a raw egg used as a dipping sauce for sukiyaki?
The raw, pasteurized egg dip is mandatory for sukiyaki. It cools the hot beef slightly and creates a rich, silky coating, enhancing the eating experience.

Transcript

Show Host: In 1869, the first sukiyaki-specialist restaurant, Iroha, opened in Tokyo, marking the Meiji-era popularization of beef in Japan. The dish's name, sukiyaki, translates to 'spade-grilled,' a nod to Edo-period farmers cooking on plough blades. Today, we'll explore the two dominant regional styles: the Kanto method from Tokyo and the Kansai method from Kyoto.

Tokyo Chef: In Asakusa, we practice the Tokyo Kanto style. The foundation is our 'warishita'—a balanced, premixed broth for simmering. For four people, you must begin with 1.5 pounds, or 680 grams, of A4 or A5 grade Japanese black wagyu. To get the required one-to-two millimeter paper-thin slices, freeze the beef for 45 minutes, then slice with a very sharp knife at a 30-degree angle.

Kyoto Chef: In Kyoto, our Kansai style is quite different, ya know. We don’t use a premixed 'warishita'. We build the flavor in the pot, to our own taste. First, we render a piece of suet, then we sear the wagyu. As it cooks, we sprinkle it directly with two tablespoons of sugar, then add three tablespoons of soy sauce and two of sake. This way, the beef is always the star.

Tokyo Chef: To make the Kanto warishita, combine one cup each of dark soy sauce and mirin, three-quarters of a cup of sake, and six tablespoons of sugar with one cup of dashi. Simmer for two minutes. In a shallow cast-iron pan, heat 400 milliliters of this sauce to 95 degrees Celsius, or 205 Fahrenheit. We add the vegetables first to flavor the broth, letting them cook for three to five minutes.

Kyoto Chef: For our way, you heat a dry cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Melt a two-centimeter cube of beef suet for two minutes. Then, lay in the wagyu and sear it for about 45 seconds per side. After seasoning and eating the first pieces of beef, you add the vegetables like grilled tofu, parboiled shirataki noodles, and shiitake mushrooms with a cross scored on top.

Tokyo Chef: After the vegetables have simmered in the warishita, it is time for the beef. You add the wagyu slices one by one, never crowding the pan. This is the most important rule. Each slice needs only 30 to 60 seconds to reach a perfect medium-rare. We use naga negi, shungiku chrysanthemum greens, shiitake, grilled tofu, and Chinese cabbage, all cooking together in the broth.

Kyoto Chef: The most important part, for both Kanto and Kansai style, is the dipping sauce. It's not really a sauce, but an experience. Each person gets a small bowl with one fresh, pasteurized raw egg. You must whisk it lightly with your chopsticks. You then dip the hot, cooked beef into the cool egg before you eat it. It is not optional, no.

Tokyo Chef: The Kyoto chef is correct. The raw egg dip is absolutely mandatory. It cools the beef slightly and creates a rich, silky coating. Skipping it is the biggest mistake. The other critical mistakes are overcrowding the pan, which stews the meat, and overcooking the beautiful wagyu. The beef should always be tender and pink inside. Serve with short-grain rice and hot sake or cold beer.

Show Host: That concludes our deep dive into sukiyaki. The key takeaways are: First, decide your style—Tokyo's premixed 'warishita' broth or Kyoto's pan-seared, build-as-you-go method. Second, invest in top-quality A4 or A5 wagyu, sliced paper-thin. And third, never skip the mandatory raw pasteurized egg dip. A sincere thank you to our Tokyo Kanto-Style Sukiyaki Chef and our Kyoto Kansai-Style Sukiyaki Chef.

Note: Informational only. Figures are a guide — verify before relying on them.