Originally founded in Gifu in the early 1990s, Yakiniku Sakai has grown into one of Japan’s long-running yakiniku chains while maintaining a strong focus on hand-prepared meats and approachable pricing. This spring, the brand is introducing a new seasonal menu that highlights its signature balance of quality cuts, casual dining, and playful presentation.

The limited-time lineup centers around four new dishes designed to showcase different aspects of the yakiniku experience, from carefully sliced beef to desserts intended to finish the meal on a lighter note.

Among the highlights is the Hana Saki Roast, a cross-cut beef dish prepared with decorative knife work intended to help the sauce penetrate the meat more deeply while creating a softer texture when grilled. Another featured item is the Special Salted Green Onion Premium Beef Tongue, which pairs thick-cut gyutan with a specially developed negi-shio topping designed to enhance the flavor of the tongue without overpowering it.

The spring menu also introduces a low-temperature cooked chicken liver dish seasoned simply with sesame oil and salt to emphasize its rich texture and creaminess. According to the company, the dish was created for diners who enjoy softer, melt-in-the-mouth flavors that differ from standard grilled yakiniku offerings.

Rounding out the seasonal additions is the Stone Ice dessert, which combines chocolate cake, flakes, berries, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream in a stone bowl presentation designed to evoke the colors of spring.

Founded in Gifu City in 1993, Yakiniku Sakai expanded during Japan’s yakiniku boom of the 1990s and today operates under Yakiniku Sakai Holdings, a restaurant group with hundreds of locations across Japan and overseas. The brand continues to emphasize hand-cut preparation techniques, arguing that slicing meat by hand rather than machine helps preserve flavor and juiciness.