I have to apologize for taking so long to post this one. Such a gem of a steak house should not be hidden away in the depths of my files. However, every time I thought of posting about Hafuu and looked over the pictures, my uncontrollable drooling averted my best intentions. Fortunately for me, Mimi booked a reservation here for my birthday and we were in for a great experience. Located in the Gosho District, just south of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Hafuu can be a bit hard to find if it is your first time. However, if you call in and speak with the manager (he usually picks up the phone and speaks perfect English) he will be more than willing to give detailed instructions. In fact, he actually came out to the path to look for us and guide us there when we were about five minutes late. That level of service continues throughout the meal. Since it was our first time at Hafuu, we ordered the set menu with Wagyu sirloin headlining the courses. Sitting at the bar offered a great view of the kitchen and all the food preparation. At the end of the meal, we were stuffed and amazed at the meat we had just consumed. We will definitely be back for more.

A quick taste of salmon tartare to start things off.

Simple but elegant place setting.

Using the dimpled tip of the capsule as a stable presentation base for the cork was a nice touch.

I forgot what cut of beef this was. Nothing else mattered after the sirloin served in the main course.

The extremely friendly manager to the left and the talented butcher/chef to the right.

Grilled beef tongue with a nice crisp texture.

We were expecting smaller portion sizes so we added an order of escargot. The portions ended up being plenty generous for the amount of courses. I ate it all without hesitation.

A room temperature black bean soup with little tortilla chip like mini croutons. Perfectly seasoned to bring out the bean flavors.

The magnificent Wagyu sirloin we were waiting for with sliced garlic, potato gratin and fresh vegetables. The way this cut of meat just melts on your tongue is beyond description. It is almost as if it were a piece of butter infused with the best beef flavor concentrate.

Sweet citrus with custard. I’m not sure if it was tangerine since there are so many citrus varieties here.

Yuzu sorbet to cap things off.