01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Lightly sear fresh beef tongue on the grill, dip it into a specially made Japanese-style dashi broth and take a bite: it’s a fresh take on yakiniku. On the 2 floor of Otemachi Place West Tower, ZESSAN serves carefully selected Kobe beef and fresh tongue with dashi and a range of condiments, for a meal that feels light yet full of flavour.
One of the signature dishes, the house dashi-salted tongue, is made with tender fresh tongue infused with a dedicated dashi broth, lightly grilled and finished with a squeeze of lemon. Compare different cuts and textures with dishes such as thick-cut tongue with abalone and the special grilled salted tongue with green onion.
Kobe beef’s rare cuts, arranged on a boat
The whole-cow boat platter makes a striking centrepiece, with an array of rare cuts. It includes premium salted tongue, misuji, ichibo, zabuton and fillet, among others, spanning finely marbled meat and richly flavoured lean cuts; 8 varieties are served. A dipping sauce based on clam and kelp dashi brings out the richness of fattier cuts without making them feel too heavy.
The à la carte menu also has distinctive starters, including Urutora Ruby, the house kimchi made with pickled plums, and house-smoked beef tongue ham. To finish, try the light yuzu-salt tongue noodles topped with seared beef tongue char siu, rice cooked until fluffy in a hagama pot, or Kobe beef curry simmered slowly for a satisfying end to the meal.
From lunch buffets to private dining
The listed lunch menu includes the ZESSAN fresh tongue 3-variety lunch and a limited-quantity Kobe beef hamburger lunch, both served with a buffet of salad, soup, curry and unlimited rice cooked in a hagama pot. The calm, modern Japanese interior has tables as well as private and semi-private rooms, with space to dine comfortably. It suits a restorative midday break as well as an evening business meal or celebration dinner.
