Residents of Hokkaido were eating lamb and mutton long before the current trend hit the rest of Japan, and Tokyo has its fair share of restaurants specialising in the northern region’s most famous meat dish.
Jingisukan, named after the Mongol warlord Genghis Khan, consists of mutton and vegetables prepared on a metal skillet and eaten with a special sauce. Jingisukan Yoichi in Shinjuku makes its version with top-quality, fatty Australian meat, flown in fresh at regular intervals.
A simple serving of mutton and onion goes for ¥980 – try it with the shop’s own Hokkaido wasabi and salt for optimum flavour. Opened last year, this Shinjuku joint stays open until the early hours on Friday and Saturday nights.