Hidagyu Maruaki is our go-to Hida Beef spot in Takayama, in a sea of choices, sometimes it's tough to pick a single one. But we believe that Hidagyu Maruaki is one of the best Hida Beef restaurants in Takayama, because of its quality consistency as well as range of affordable options, and the variety of food. When you first walk through the entrance, you'll probably be awed by the sheer amount of awards that they have hanging around the entrance. They've been in the business since the 1980s, and have maintained a good reputation amongst the locals for good reason.
For us, one of the stand-out reasons why Hidagyu Maruaki is a great Hida Beef restaurant is because it offers up some of the most affordable Grade A5 Hida Beef that you can find in the area. While Hida Beef isn't as expensive as its other kuroge wagyu (黒毛和牛, Kuroge Wagyū) counterparts like Kobe Beef, the prices aren't anything to sneeze at either. The benefit of Hidagyu Maruaki being a butcher is that, in preparing all those perfect Grade A5 cuts, a lot of the rough ends are inevitably cut off. While most butchers end up throwing these away or turning them into side products, Hidagyu Maruaki offers them up as an affordable yakiniku platter. Let's be clear, these are still top Grade A5 Hida Beef that has that amazing marbling and melt-in-your-mouth texture, it just isn't shaped as exquisitely as Japanese standards typically dictate for meat. So you get that same delicious taste, while also contributing to the reduction of unnecessary food waste and the Japanese mottainai (勿体無い) mentality.
So definitely, if you're at Hidagyu Maruaki, you should get the A5 Hida Beef Mixed Yakiniku Platter simply because it's too good value to even pass up. The platter serves 3 to 4 people, and costs around ¥7,880, working out to less than ¥2,000 per pax if you have 4 people. Those are insanely cheap prices for kuroge wagyu (黒毛和牛, Kuroge Wagyū), not to mention Grade A5 Kuroge Wagyu. And don't worry, we can definitely vouch for the quality of the meat. You can see it for yourself, the marbling of the meat on the platter when it comes, and when it goes on the grill, it makes that satisfying sizzling sound that waters your mouth. When you bite into it, the softness of the meat, the melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the umami (旨味, Savoriness) of the Hida Beef is unmistakably Grade A5 quality. If you're wondering what the catch is, it's really just that the cuts are the rough ends, so they might be sort of unsightly, and you also can't choose which cuts you get as they are an assortment of leftover rough cuts from different parts of the Hida Beef. For the price point though, there's really not much that can be complained about, and the portion size is also really huge, allowing you to get a hefty satisfying fill rather than rationing out the portions of expensive meats.
If you're looking to splurge a bit on an expensive cut, then you can check out the recommended Grade A5 Hida Beef Sirloin at 200g for around ¥4,500. The meat has a bright rose-pink colour, and stunning marbling that almost looks like a work of art. After cooking, there's a nice bounce to the meat, while still being soft and tender, and the juices that flow out are just wonderful.
If you want to splurge for an even higher level, they offer the "unparalleled" Saitobi Hida Beef Sirloin at 200g for around ¥8,000 that is said to be the ultimate Hida Beef cut you can find. Few places pride themselves enough to use the label of Saitobi (最とび) for their Hida Beef, and even at this price, you might be hard-pressed to find a decent plate of Kobe Beef (神戸牛, Kōbe-gyū).
Let us be clear, while we feel like Kobe Beef is undoubtedly more expensive than Hida Beef, we don't feel like Hida Beef is inferior in any way. Various regions in Japan have their own branded beef, including Kobe Beef and Matsuzaka Beef (松坂牛, Matsuzaka-gyū), and while Kobe Beef has garnered the most international recognition, all these other Kuroge Wagyu brands are in no way inferior. That's why, we love how we can get really affordable and delicious Grade A5 Kuroge Wagyu here at Hidagyu Maruaki.
If you're looking for a bit more of a healthier option, or simply don't like yakiniku, Hidagyu Maruaki also offers two hot pot options: Hida Beef Shabu Shabu and Hida Beef Sukiyaki. Generally, Japanese prefer having beef slices in Shabu Shabu as opposed to Sukiyaki because in Shabu Shabu you simply dip the beef slices as-is into hot water, allowing you to maintain the original taste. For sukiyaki, as the broth is highly flavoured, sometimes it might overwhelm the taste of the beef as well. For us personally, we feel like a lot of the umami and fattiness from the meat is lost when cooked as a hotpot, and the thin slices simply don't have the same level of satisfaction as yakiniku. Of course, that's a matter of personal preference, and you are free to give it a try to make your own decisions.
The sides at Hidagyu Maruaki are also pretty good and make for a good complement to the meats. Every good self-respecting yakiniku restaurant typically offers up a hearty plate of fried rice or bibimbap (ビビンバ, Bibinba). We really recommend trying out the Hida Beef Ishiyaki (石焼) Bibimbap that comes in a hot stone bowl and is topped with chunks of Hida Beef. The rice when mixed together is really well-seasoned, and if you've not eaten in a hot stone bowl before, makes for a really fun dining experience. The hot stone bowl tends to char the rice at the edges, giving it a nice crisp to it when you scrape it off. This is by far the best part of the hot stone bowl, so make sure that you don't miss it out. If you're looking for something soupy, you can also try out the Wagyu Tail Soup, a nice clear and hearty homemade soup that is somewhat similar to a Korean version of the Western Oxtail Soup.
Lastly, we really recommend that you try out the Hida Beef
Hoba Miso (朴葉味噌) Yaki, a local delicacy in
Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県, Gifu-ken) that you won't find anywhere else. In terms of presentation, it's rather stunning, as it's served to you on a mini-flame stove right at your table, with the dish cooking atop. The Hida Beef and
Miso (味噌) are placed atop a Hoba leaf at the top of the stove and left to cook in a stir-fry sort of manner with some vegetables on the side. It's one of the traditional dishes in the area, and the fermentation of the miso seems to go really well with the beef, giving it a sort of aged
umami (旨味, Savoriness) to it. This dish is one of those things that you simply can't get as street food in Takayama, and so Hidagyu Maruaki is one of the Best Restaurants to try out Hida Beef Hoba Miso.
At first glance, Hidagyu Maruaki might seem a tad touristy, after all they have the size and scale to cater for large tour groups from tour buses. But that doesn't mean that they don't have some of the best quality in the area to make it worth their reputation. If you're looking for a posh high-end dining experience, this isn't it. But if you're looking for some value-for-money Hida Beef options, then few places can beat Hidagyu Maruaki. Of course, your mileage will vary based on what you order off the menu, but if you stick with our recommendation of the A5 Hida Beef Mixed Yakiniku Platter, you won't go wrong.
Bonus Tip: Before leaving, it might be fun to just pop by next doors to their butchery to check out the displays and marvel at the marbling of their Hida Beef.
