A sauce that brings out richness and leaves a light finish

The impression flips between the first taste and the finish. What stayed with me most about the steak at びふてき洋食 存じやす was the curious character of its sauce, known as a local specialty.

At first, it gives the meat a hearty, weighty presence. Then acidity lightens the aftertaste and draws me naturally toward the next bite. Strength and lightness might seem at odds, but in this sauce they are part of a single arc.

If a friend came to visit Utsunomiya, this is one of the places I would take them. This time I focused on the steak, but I actually think the à la carte dishes are the restaurant’s greatest attraction. Like the sauce that changes character from first taste to finish, this long-established restaurant has other sides still to explore. That story can wait for another time.