Uesutan (Western), Kego branch: Fukuoka’s Authentic Steakhouse with 32 years of history.
General Information
Name：Uesutan, Kego branch
Type：Steak House
Address：Fukuoka, Fukuoka City, Chuo Ward, Kego 2–14–5
Business hours：
[Mon〜Sat] 11.30〜15.00 for lunch, 17:30〜23:30（Last Order :23:00）
[Sun・Public Holidays]11:30〜15:0, 17:00〜23：30( Last.Order :23:00）
Holidays：Opening Everyday
Tel：092–771–1498
Estimated Cost per person：1,000〜1,900 JPY for lunch、3,000- 3,999JPY for dinner.
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Japan is known as the home of world’s finest beefs. Various kinds of Japanese beef (Wagyu) such as Kobe or Matsusaka beef are highly regarded by gourmands from overseas for its fine taste, melting-in-the-mouth texture, and marble-like patterns. In the recent years, Japanese beef produced in Kyushu region such as Saga and Miyazaki beef are also gaining fame within domestic and international dining industry.
Even so, meat lovers in Japan still have something to complain. Since it is rich in fatty content and quite pricey, Japanese beef is not that suitable to be enjoyed in large amount. For many meat lovers, especially the ones from overseas, the pleasure of meat eating also comes from having in in “Western” style; enjoying thick chunks of red meat (“Akami” in Japanese) steak. Nevertheless, as majority of quality restaurants in Japan put their focuses on serving Japanese beef, it is quite a challenging task to find good steakhouses specializing in western style. Fortunately, I have found a good one recently. The place is called Uesutan (Japanese way of pronouncing the word “Western”), Keigo branch. The restaurant itself had been in business for up to 32 years. As restaurant industry is a sector with fierce competition (for most restaurants, even surviving the first few years is regarded as a tough challenge) , we can say that Uesutan is the real deal.
Uesutan, Kego branch can be easily accessed from Akasaka subway station. From the station, take an exit from gate No. 2 and turn right to the intersection. Turn right again and keep walking straight until you find the Pachinko parlor called “Plaza Akasaka” with the large intersection ahead. Cross the the intersection and turn right. When you arrive at the next cross road , turn left. Keep walking straight You will find Uesutan at your left. The restaurant’s banner was easily noticeable from its star and stripes background.
Upon entering the restaurant, Uesutan, Keigo branch gave us the feeling of the Cowboy styled saloon. It was wooden furnished and decorated with retro American posters. Even though the restaurant itself was not too big, it gave a relaxed feeling. As only counter seats were available, we could directly talk to the two chefs at the other side. They were friendly and also veteran in their field. One of them told us he had been working as Uesutan’s chef for up to 18 years.
We ordered Sirloin steak. The medium rare steak served in a hot metal pan with a sizzling sound and melting cheese on the top of it. It was cut into several thick, juicy chunks. According to the chef, the beef used at Uesutan was imported from New Zealand. The country is known as a leading producer of beef products.
The steak itself tasted nice and could be enjoyed alone. Melted butter also added up a gentle taste to is. We also could feel the pleasant beef odor while chewing its juicy texture. Meanwhile, two types of sauces were available to flavor up the steak. One was garlic based, the other was Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) based.
Apart from good taste, we found that beef steak at Uesutan was offered in a flexible price. From the menu, we could choose type and amount of steak in accordance with our appetite and budget. The price started at 812 JPY. That was quite cheap for having a meat dish in Japan.
Uesutan also had done a great job in handling its vegetables. Stir fried bean sprouts and green peas were crispy. I particularly liked steamed carrot. It was soft, sweet, and juicy. Many meat lovers might not concern much about vegetables that were served with the steak. However, vegetables at Uesutan could not simply be taken lightly.
After sirloin steak, we tried spare ribs before concluding our meal. It was made from Fukuoka produced pork. A large piece of rib was served. The portion between meat and fat of a rib was well balanced. While it was lightly flavored so that the diner could feel real taste of the ingredient, a rib also paired well with mustard sauce.
Provided that a piece of spare rib of this size was priced at only 600 JPY (tax included), this was fairly a good deal.
There was also an interesting campaign that I look forward to challenge in the future opportunity. Under this campaign, the challenger who could finish 1 kg of Texan roast steak within one hour would get a price discount from 7650 JPY (tax included) to 5,000 JPY (tax included). According to Uesutan staffs, they were still looking for challengers.
Through friendly service, reasonable price, and fine quality food, we could understand the reason why this small steakhouse successfully continued its business for up to 3 decades and recognized as authentic steak house joint of Fukuoka. For red meat lover, this is the steakhouse that you could not miss!
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If you want to learn more about new places to dine in Fukuoka, feel free to stop by our facebook page. New contents are coming!
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We also launched our “Yoka Map,” the free guide map to restaurants in Fukuoka’s downtown. It is distributed at guesthouses and hotels in Fukuoka. Thank you!
