Just two minutes walk from Roppongi Station on the Oedo line and a few blocks from Tokyo Midtown, Pound-ya brings quality Japanese beef at great prices to the heart of Tokyo.
Opened in April 2015, Pound-ya delivers on a simple concept: enjoy as much quality Japanese beef as you can without worrying about the price.
Pound for pound
Pound-ya's steak comprises top quality Japanese Black beef (kuroge wagyu) alongside domestic beef for their Hamburg steaks.
They are proud to deliver such quality beef at very low prices and it really makes Pound-ya a great choice for both those looking to see what Japanese beef is all about for the first timee, to wagyu connoisseurs looking to get their fix of tender, marbled steaks at mouthwatering prices.
You can choose pretty much any combination of meat and size to suit your taste, with cuts typically ranging from 100g–450g (1 pound) but with no actual limit. Combination plates offer great value too and are offered in 1/2, 2/3 and 1 pound servings, of which the Combo Steak is particularly popular, comprising akami wagyu steak and beef hamburg (1/2 pound ¥1,825–1 pound ¥3,375) on one plate.
For those purely here to eat wagyu, you can try Beef Steak Akami (100g @ ¥1,000–1 pound @¥4,500) or Beef Steak Shimofuri (100g @ ¥1,600–200g @ ¥3,200) – akami is essentially 'lean beef' with shimofuri the more expensive, fatty yet tender marbled version. On our visit, they were using A4 akami from the Chiba area, and A5 Hitachigyu from Ibaraki. A5 essentially means highest quality wagyu.
Two other main dishes help complete the menu and appeal to wider tastes: a variety of Hamburg dishes including Original Hamburg (using Japanese black wagyu), Aging Beef Hamburg and regular Beef Hamburg options. A selection of Combo Grills, comprising lean akami beef alongside servings of grilled chicken (Tottori), spareribs or grilled pork (Iwate).
Side dishes are available in abundance, with a variety of vegetable (Caesar salad, bagna cauda)and meat dishes (ham tapas plates and meat bowls such as Meat Garlic Rice).
Around Tokyo
Pound-ya's offering is proving a recipe for success. With Roppongi the second chain to join the Kichijoji branch that opened back in 2013, a third store opened at Haneda Airport's International Passenger Terminal in July 2015.