Yamato Grill, the Japanese barbecue that honors Wagyu beef at Les Halles

Yamato Grill is the name of the Japanese restaurant that opened its doors in the Halles district of Paris, a stone's throw from the Bourse du Commerce - Fondation Pinault. A Japanese barbecue that honors Wagyu beef with delicious Japanese dishes.

We're off to Paris's 1st arrondissement to discover Yamato Grill, a new temple to Japanese grills, featuring Wagyu beef.

The restaurant is run by Marc and Jane, a brother and sister team who fell in love with Japanese barbecues. Realizing that there were few or very expensive Japanese barbecues in Paris, they decided to launch their own business on rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in the lively Les Halles district.

You may be wondering what the difference is between Korean and Japanese barbecue? The differences may seem small, but they reveal distinct approaches to grilling. In Korean barbecues, you'll find an abundance of marinated meats with different flavors. Preparations vary from spicy marinades to milder, sweeter blends, offering a rich and varied palette for meat lovers.

In contrast, traditional Japanese barbecues, known as yakiniku, emphasize simplicity and purity of ingredients. Here, meats are not marinated in advance. Instead, specific sauces, often called tare, are prepared to accompany each type of food. These sauces are carefully crafted to enhance the natural flavor of the ingredients, whether beef, pork, seafood or vegetables.

This distinction reflects different culinary philosophies. Korean barbecue celebrates the complexity and depth of flavors built into the meat, while Japanese barbecue honors the intrinsic flavor of each ingredient, sublimated by judiciously chosen sauces. And of course, when it comes to good Wagyu beef, we like to keep the true flavor of the exceptional product.

As for the dining room, it's a large restaurant on two floors. There's a long bar, a terrace at the front, a large group table upstairs for your events, a fireplace for a cosy touch and numerous tables of all sizes, all equipped with barbecues with adjustable hoods on the ceiling.

After ordering two delicious non-alcoholic cocktails, coconut and mango, we take a look at the appetizer menu. We're tempted by the fried peppers,Yamato roast beef topped with garlic yuzu oil and crispy chili, mixed vegetable tempura, lee Chawan Muchi (a hot dish with steamed egg and mushroom) and the incomparably melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu sushi.

We love the Sukiyaki marmitte, an ultra-generous Japanese hot pot with beef, tofu, vegetables, rice cakes and rice bowl. We recommend you share it, as it's quite hearty. If you like vegetables, this is perfect for you. We also try the Gyudon, Japanese stir-fried rice, and the Katsudon chicken, which turns out to be quite moist.

We invite the curious to try our wagyu beef tartare with caviar. Lightly seasoned to retain the main flavor of the beef, and enhanced by the hint of caviar, it's a delight we recommend.

As we haven't eaten for 2 days, we move on to the Japanese barbecue. We choose the Waguy Yamato Menu for 2-3 people (90€), offering an assortment of 3 meats, accompanied by vegetables, sauces and a bowl of rice. From beef tenderloin to Kobe entrecôte, the ultra-thin slices reveal different textures and tastes, and are grilled by our hostess to our liking. We love tasting the different sauces and crunchy vegetables that accompany them.

Of course, it's not all beef at Yamato Grill, there's also pork belly and sausages, as well as Iberian pig and seafood. A full menu is available, combining beef, pork, chicken and grilled vegetables for €69 for two.

Finally, for a sweet ending, we choose a Thé gourmand made with our choice of mochi (sesame for us) and a scoop of ice cream (mango). All that's left to do is roll on home. Yamato Grill recommends eating less meat, but still eating good meat, so we figure it's well worth doing without for a few days to enjoy ourselves.

Yamato Grill, the Japanese barbecue that honors Wagyu beef at Les Halles

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