While sightseeing this afternoon, we stumbled upon this little corner Kottegyu selling Hida beef sushi in the Sannomachi area of Takayama city. This charming historic area, the oldest part of Takayama with well-preserved traditional houses, is commonly known as 'Little Kyoto', and has lots of nice little shops selling local crafts and produce. From afar we saw that a long queue had formed in front of Kottegyu and I couldn't help checking out what the fuss was about.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were selling exactly what I had been looking for, and then some. Hida beef is the specialty purebred beef of Gifu Prefecture (in which Takayama is situated), and is a must-try for all visitors! Kottegyu is not only a officially recognised supplier of Hida beef; it even boasts of serving the highest grade of this beef (Grade 5). Indeed, the fine Japanese restaurants that I'd visited so far (both in Japan and overseas) offering authentic Japanese wagyu serve 'only' up to the Grade 4 cut; this was the first time I'd seen a Grade 5, and furthermore from a nondescript roadside stall! We each had had a piece of Hida beef nigiri sushi last night, but I figured that that would have paled in comparison to what we were about to experience. I could hardly wait.
三種盛り：飛騨牛軍艦、飛騨牛握り（生姜醤油）、飛騨牛握り（竹炭塩）
A set consisting of two lightly seared Hida beef nigiri (one seasoned with grated ginger, soy sauce and scallion, the other with bamboo charcoal salt) and one seared Hida beef gunkan (with raw quail egg yolk, scallion and soy sauce).
I particularly loved the gunkan for the scallion's aroma and the rich creamy texture which the runny yolk provided - perfect complements to the succulent and full-bodied minced beef that was stuffed within. The two pieces of beef on the nigiri were somewhat firmer in texture and enhanced differently; the grated ginger provided a welcome freshness and lightness, while on the other hand the charcoal salt contributed even deeper flavours, with a mild charred edge.
Of course I wasn't going to stop here - the real masterpiece was this:
飛騨牛トロ刺し握り
Two pieces of raw Hida beef toro nigiri, seasoned with soy sauce, wasabi, and garnished with shredded onion.
The indulgence continued with these two nigiri using the belly cut, the best part of the cow - that gorgeous marbling should speak for itself! The meat's texture was absolutely velvety, and its intense fatty flavour was luxurious beyond words. This wonderful cut was beef's answer to melt-in-the-mouth ootoro (fatty tuna belly). I was sent straight to cloud nine. The meat was good enough to be eaten entirely raw, and hardly needed any seasoning, but a touch of wasabi here seemed almost essential to balance its incredibly rich taste.
As a bonus, both orders were served on a large flat prawn cracker (yes, the 'plate' is edible too), for which Takayama is also well-known. Also, although Kottegyu really functions as a takeaway, you can still sit down at tables in a corner of the adjoining shop to enjoy these sushi (Kottegyu shares space with a rather large craft shop selling all types of cute little trinkets - shopping after perhaps?). Do stop for an extremely satisfying afternoon snack if you're in the vicinity!
Details for Kottegyu (こって牛)
Address in kanji: 岐阜県高山市上三之町34
Business hours: 9 am - 5 pm daily
Cash only
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