Umami Tasuke has continued to pass down the legacy and flavor of founder Keishiro Sano‘s gyutan-yaki for about 80 years. It is located in Kokubuncho, the center of Sendai, and the largest downtown area in Tohoku. This is a famous shop that has received media coverage not only in Japan, but overseas as well, and is known to generate exceptionally long lines of customers, sometimes serving as many as 800-1000 people in a single day.

Keishiro Sano, the founder of Tasuke, introduced his first beef tongue dish in the 1950s, after much trial and error. It has grown to become one of Sendai's most famous specialties, with more than 100 restaurants in the city said to specialize in beef tongue, and has become such a big part of the Sendai gourmet scene that one cannot talk about Sendai without mentioning beef tongue.

Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, the Tōhoku region’s largest city, is perhaps best known among gourmets for beef tongue. It was in 1948 that chef Sano Keishirō developed a method for preparing tasty beef tongue, which until then had been discarded. Sano’s technique was adopted by Umami Tasuke, today one of the best-known Sendai restaurants specializing in grilled beef tongue.

Renowned for its sumptuous beef tongue set meals, Umami Tasuke offers a dining experience that is both delicious and traditionally Japanese. Visitors commend the restaurant's homey ox tail soup and the fast yet friendly service. A definite must-visit for anyone looking to try Sendai's specialty.

The original creator of Sendai Gyu-tan is Tasuke Restaurant's Chef　Sano Keishiro. He used one of material from western food which is the beef tongue. After the numerous trials, He finally created the delicious grilled beef tongue which later named as “Yaki Gyu-tan” (Grilled Beef Tongue).

According to a message written at the entrance, the restaurant has a secret recipe when grilling gyutan​ that gives it a special taste that no other restaurant can reach. Sticking to tradition, Umami Tasuke serves grilled salted cow tongue with barley rice, ox tail soup, and pickles.

Umami Tasuke (旨味太助) is a branch of Aji Tasuke founded by daughter-in-law of Mr. Keishiro Sano. Signature dish is beef tongue set meal (Gyutan Teishoku) with a choice of four to six pieces of beef tongue (gyutan). You can expect to see more local customers than tourists.

I’d certainly never eaten gyutan, the famous local delicacy that inspired me to have my first meal at Umami Tasuke. Stepping into the eatery, whose smallness overwhelmed me in the same way Sendai’s largeness had earlier in the evening, was confronting.

Ox tongueSenmatsushima Building 1F, 2-11-11 Kokubuncho, Aoba Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. Provided by Autoreserve. A beef tongue shop that is said to be the birthplace of Sendai beef tongue.