Aji Tasuke

Restaurant that started it all for Sendai's famous gyutan (grilled beef tongue) culture, founded in 1948 by Keishiro Sano, who first had the idea of salt-seasoning and charcoal-grilling beef tongue as a standalone dish. The original recipe remains unchanged: thick-cut tongue aged in salt and grilled over charcoal until the outside is lightly charred while the inside stays pink and tender, served with barley rice, pickled cabbage, and tail soup. The simple set meal format lets the quality of the meat speak for itself. The main branch near Sendai Station draws a daily queue, but the line moves at a reasonable pace, and most consider the wait a ritual part of the experience.