TCC Rogama Sumibiyaki Steak (tcc 炉窯炭火焼Steak)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥩 Steak / 📍 Ginza

📓 Visits: 2

There are lots of courses to choose from but when I went I chose the "Carefully selected Japanese black
beef rump, furnace kiln charcoal-grilled steak course". Normally this is JPY 13,500 but was on offer for JPY 8,000 if you booked via Tabelog. On my first visit I upgraded the steak from 100g to 150g for an additional JPY 1,100. On my second visit I upgraded the steak to 100g of sirloin for an additional JPY 1,700. I asked for 150g but what would have worked out at an additional 4,500 which was a little much. Prices include tax and no service charge is taken at lunch. There was a coupon for a free glass of champagne when booking through Tabelog.

It's a large restaurant, by Ginza standards, with 50 seats. The restaurant is on the fourth floor and I was lucky that on both my visits one of the two four-seat tables in the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Ginza 4-chome crossing and the famous Wako clock was reserved for me, especially when on both occasions I booked on the same day. There would be about 5 parties dining on the weekdays I went. Service was a bit slower the second time because more diners turned up at the same time but not frustratingly so. Tableware was moderately upscale. Furnishings looked new but were a little cheap: faux leather seating, wipe-clean tablecloths. Service was polite. Staff made no attempt at conversation until I was on my way out, which suits me fine. No English was spoken but there's an English menu.

The course comprises 3 small appetizers, a thimble of beef consomme, a fish course, steak, dessert, tea or coffee and petit fours. The appetizers (listed below) and consomme were pretty good, though there were no more than four mouthfuls of that and it could have been hotter second time. On my first visit the fish was a little overcooked and dry and the bisque a bit salty but the plate was warm so the dish retained its heat. Cooking was better the second time.

There was no real marbling on the rump, pictured below, which is to be expected. When served, more of the meat than I'd like was grey rather than pink. But the meat had good flavour and a good crust. It ate almost like a piece of fillet needing very little effort to cut and there was no sinew or gristle whatsoever.

The sirloin (which unfortunately was not presented to me before serving) had less of a crust and was, naturally, more fatty. On balance, I think I preferred the rump and it's certainly more healthy.

Bread is often a weak point at restaurants in Japan. The bread here is supplied (frozen) by Style Bread who supply a large number of hotels nationwide. Served warm and with whipped butter, it was better than most of the bread I've had in more expensive restaurants who make a point of making their own bread and not doing a very good job at it. There is a huge choice of suppliers in Japan and I wish more restaurants would buy-in if they can't do a better job themselves.

There were three choices of dessert and I chose the most popular one of purin (creme caramel)

served with soft vanilla ice cream and anko. The creme caramel was very rich and the ice cream was better than I expected. I avoided the anko. Coffee is roasted on site, something the restaurant is proud of. It was pretty standard but you can have free refills. The final dish was a tray of 10 tiny madeleines, straight from the oven. The photo makes them look bigger than they are (compare with the size of the sugar cube in the background) but, however small, I wasn't going to scoff 10 madeleines. I took them home on my first visit but they weren't very good so I didn't finish them and on my second visit I told the waiter not to make them. The meal didn't need them but 10 points for effort.

The steak is served without any other carbs and there's no rice dish included in the course, which is usual for Ginza steakhouses, but you can fill up with bread and with the rich dessert I left full.

The head chef previously worked at Robuchon and in 5-star hotels, as has the sommelier/restaurant manager. That perhaps explains why eating here felt like dining in a 4-star Japanese hotel rather than a Ginza restaurant. The yoshoku restaurant on the floor below has the same ownership and I believe shares the kitchen.

My printed menu was in Japanese but you can see the same course menu in English on their website along with all the other choices.

On their website there's an intriguing offer of a membership system where for 30K a year you get 50% off dinner courses. You'd have to go three times in a year and order the top course each time to break even. With such a heavy discount right now on the course I had, now is perhaps not the best time to take up that offer but when this discount stops?

I was a bit apprehensive when booking here. 8K is cheap for kiln-grilled steak but 8K is not a cheap lunch and if the beef would be hard and gristly then it would be a waste of money. But the beef was very good and everything else was fine. The food fell short of being amazing but it's a third of the cost of dinner at a steakhouse in Ginza so I have no complaint at this price. The normal price of 13.5K plus service would be a little expensive. I'd say 9K plus tax and service would be reasonable so 8K inclusive and with free champagne is insane.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13177761/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.1 (this course at this price)

📱 Booking: 🟩 Easy. Same day or advance bookings by phone or Tabelog.

📍 Location:

4F Ginza Ko Building, 5-9-1 Ginza. Above Sonoko. Opposite the second Mitsukoshi building on Ginza Dori. Directly outside the S2 Exit of Ginza station. Be sure not to get off at the yoshoku restaurant on 3F. 4F multi-tenant building.

📅 Visit April 2021

As March with different steak

💴 Damage: 9,700
⏱️ Time taken: 1h30m

📅 Visit March 2021

Uni, carrot mouse, consomme jelly
Buri sashimi
Botan ebi mi-cuit, ravigote sauce
Beef consomme
Kasugo, lobster, bisque
Steak
Creme caramel, (sorbet or chocolate fondant)
Coffee (or tea)
Mini madeleines

💴 Damage: 9,100
⏱️ Time taken: 1h20m

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