The first Matsuya store ever sits on the corner of an understated street in Ekoda, one of Tokyo’s sleepier neighborhoods. About half-a-dozen customers — ranging from what appears to be college students to construction workers — chow down on beef bowls around 1 p.m. on a quiet Wednesday afternoon. It’s a scene probably not far off from what this counter-service joint looked like when it opened in 1968.
Save for a large sign out front declaring this spot’s significance and a few framed photos on the wall documenting its history, it’s business as usual at this Matsuya. Just filling meals being served up to busy folks going about their day.
That’s most certainly not the vibe at Matsuya Premium, the chain’s attempt to offer a more luxurious spin on its beef bowls and curry staples. Opened in the basement of department store Matsuya Ginza (not related, but selected because of the same name) in the Tokyo neighborhood of the same name, Matsuya Premium isn’t a sit-down restaurant but rather an outpost offering bento amidst the old wealth and tourist bucks floating around the area.
Easily accessible via the A12 exit at Ginza Station, the Matsuya Premium space features a gold-hued version of the chain’s logo set against an elegant black backdrop. It was originally planned to open several years but curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. A year ago, however, Matsuya the food chain held a pop-up in Matsuya the department store selling many of the same dishes available today. It was a hit, and solidified plans for a physical location.
The store sells almost exclusively elevated versions of Matsuya staples. While often seen as just a beef bowl purveyor, Matsuya sells a variety of set meals, reflected via the Premium offerings of a Black Wagyu Beef And Tomato Hamburg Steak set (¥1681), Rich Pork Steak (¥1681) and several varieties of curry-rice (¥1050 for just curry, ¥1681 if you add meat on the rice).
I’m determined to get the Kobe Beef Gyumeishi, the fancy-schmancy take on the Matsuya beef bowl coming in at ¥1390 (or ¥2080 for double the meat). By the time I arrive at 11:30 a.m., two people are ahead of me in line but the staff seem busier than that implies. It initially seems like my order might not be doable — none of the beef bowls are out for display — but once I tell them I only want one they give me the OK. Perhaps demand really has been there since this store opened on June 10.
The beef certainly looks better than what you can find at regular Matsuya chains. It’s a darker brown compared to the more pale slices of the chain’s regular shops, appearing a little bigger too. The surrounding onions aren’t immediately any higher quality, though the ginger gathered around one corner features a nice hue to it.
The taste of the Kobe Beef Gyumeishi is…fine. It tastes like a beef bowl, and it deserves credit for still packing a nice meaty richness despite being on the cooler side owing to its bento-like form. Yet nothing about it really makes feels particularly rich. Where the higher price tag sort of makes sense comes in the ease of eating it. A regular Matsuya bowl features ample juice seeping into the rice and making clumps of it hard to hold together. It can be, in moments of hunger, annoying. This premium creation doesn’t have that problem at all, and it ends up being easy to eat every grain up.
It made me think this might be best experienced if I walked over to nearby Tokyo Station, bought a Shinkansen ticket somewhere and enjoyed it while in transit. Matsuya Premium’s Kobe Beef Gyumeishi reminded me of ekiben, the lunchboxes made for consumption on train trips they sell at stations. These meals always boast slightly higher price tags and feel special, but very rarely deliver a memorable or even satisfying dining experience. It’s almost a novelty.
Instead, I went to the Marunouchi Line, rode out to Ikebukuro and transferred so I could make a stop at Ekoda Station. The original intent of Matsuya store one was to sell filling meals to college students and busy office workers returning home from tiring days. Not to overly praise the ethos of what is now a multi-national franchise, but that central aim felt in place as I took a seat at the counter to see how the classic Matsuya beef bowl compared to the Ginza-fied version I’d just eaten.
My order didn’t look particularly Instagrammable, but the ¥460 beef bowl tasted every bit as good as the Premium one coming in at nearly triple the price. It was warm and tasty, plus it came with a side of miso soup. As I picked at the stray rice at the bottom of the bowl, I felt satisfied for the first time that day.
