YK-T, a tool used by "Charcoal Grill Yuuji
- For a truly "Yum!" And for barbecued meat that makes you shiver
- I've been to every yakiniku restaurant in Japan and said to myself, "Yum! What's this?" Higuchi says that he noticed a correlation between yakiniku and the roasting table. In the process of mastering the art of yakiniku, he came to the conclusion that the only way to cook the ultimate in delicious meat was to build the best roaster by himself.
That is why he contacted Kamasa Shoten around 2010. After about a year of prototyping, the "YK-T" was born. Since then, YK-T has been a bestseller loved not only by yakiniku restaurants but also by ordinary households for more than 10 years.
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- POINT 01Two different types of nets can be used.
- The most important point of this roaster is that you can change the netting depending on the meat. The cast iron mesh has high heat storage capacity and quickly cooks the surface of meat, while the stainless steel mesh delivers the far-infrared heat of the charcoal fire directly to the hormones and removes fat from the meat.
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- POINT 02Sophisticated design with no ornamentation
- Thoroughly implementing functions for good eating results in a design that evokes a sense of deliciousness. Sophisticated products that eliminate waste" is Higuchi-san's motto. At Yuji, he uses the ones with original plates (with serial numbers).
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- POINT 03Safe for everyone to use.
- Because it is used by customers at the table, not in the kitchen, we gave extra consideration to safety. The first prototype got so hot that it burned the table during testing, but after repeated trials, the product was made safe for anyone to use.
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Product development with Kamasa Shoten
Higuchi-san has been visiting Kappabashi to look for cooking utensils ever since he started Yuuji. He has been coming to Kamasa for more than 10 years, going around the store and purchasing products that exactly match the "tools I want" that were vaguely in his mind.
One day, Mr. Higuchi realized that "if chefs who suffer in the field to evolve their cuisine really want to get what they need, maybe it is important to make what they want instead of buying what is available. This is when he approached Kumazawa, which led to the development of YK-T.
Mr. Higuchi has eaten his way through every yakiniku restaurant in Japan in search of the perfect meat that makes you want to exclaim "Yum! Higuchi-san has been searching for the conditions for delicious yakiniku that make you want to shout, "Yum!
In the course of eating his way through yakiniku restaurants all over Japan, Mr. Higuchi realized that among the various elements such as meat, sauce, and cuts, the roaster is the biggest key player in determining the taste of yakiniku. He says, "By looking at the roasting table, you can see the basic position of the restaurant.
A truly flavorful restaurant has an old-fashioned shichirin or an original roaster that I have never seen anywhere else, where everyone is cooking meat in a smoky atmosphere. So they came to the conclusion that the best heat source is not gas, but charcoal.
The far-infrared rays of the charcoal fire cooks meat and hormones to perfection. The juices of the meat will burst in your mouth.
Charcoal emits electromagnetic waves called far-infrared radiation when it burns. This far-infrared radiation is not affected by wind or other factors and can deliver heat directly to materials. Because heat from a gas fire does not pass through the substance, it is good for cooking thin meat, but difficult to cook thicker items. If the heat is too strong, the outside will be charred and the inside will be raw, and if the heat is too low and takes too long to cook, the meat will lose moisture rapidly.
This led Higuchi to the conclusion that it is best to use a net for grilling hormone, for example, to allow the heat to penetrate efficiently and to remove a moderate amount of fat, and a cast iron net heated to 250 to 300 degrees for grilling thin slices of meat.
It is a source of great joy to know that even after 12 years, people continue to use our products. Thanks to those days with Mr. Higuchi, Kamasa is what it is today," says Kumazawa.
I was very much convinced by what Mr. Higuchi told me, and I asked myself, "Is there anything like it in the world? Then let's make it. The most important point is that the net can be used in two different ways. In other words, that is the biggest and the most important thing.
Immediately, we began testing by building a stainless-steel roaster that was "a tool, without any decoration," which was Higuchi-san's strong request.
I also wanted a stainless-steel roaster with a rugged, function-oriented look, so I was told early on that the appearance was 'good. However, after that, we went through many prototypes and prototypes again. Since customers would be using it at their tables, we didn't want them to burn themselves if they touched it. Even so, there were times when the body got too hot at first," says Kumazawa.
They decided to stop attaching wind windows and instead drill holes, but the temperature varied greatly depending on the height of the openings, so they repeated trial runs.
Kumazawa recalls, "Mr. Higuchi told me, 'It's no good if the tool design is too fussy,' and I thought the same way.
When we made a prototype, we would have people use it and give us feedback. There were a lot of things we didn't understand, but we made improvements little by little, thinking, 'This must be how it works,'" says Kumazawa.
It took about a year before the final product was delivered, but "it was a very exciting and educational development process. I think that period of time is what gave birth to the Kamasa style we have today.
Kumazawa wanted to somehow have this roaster, which he had developed for "Charcoal Grill Yuuji," sold by Kamasa Shoten as well, and when it was nearing completion, he asked Mr. Higuchi for permission, knowing it would be impossible. In the end, Mr. Higuchi agreed, saying, "It would be good for the entire yakiniku world.
We want everyone to be able to grill delicious meat and hormone. YK-T" was created with this in mind. Twelve years after its completion, people at "Yuuji" are expressing their delight at the best taste every day.
Meanwhile, "YK-T" has also become a long seller in Kamasa stores. Kumazawa says, "The fact that it is used at Yuji is a big credit, but there are also many people who buy it because they are attracted by its appearance.
Interestingly, Higuchi told Kumazawa, "The 'YK-T' is like a sports car that can reach 300 km/h. Only about 20% of people understand its true capabilities and drive it, but that's okay.
Yaki Shabu Shabu" is grilled quickly on a cast-iron grill and dipped in a raw egg with grated radish. The overwhelmingly delicious flavor melts in your mouth.
In fact, the name "YK-T" is also a particular passion of Higuchi and Kumazawa, who are both avid car enthusiasts.
Y" is Y for "Yuji" and "K" for "Kamaasa," but what is the "T" then? It is the "T" of an early model Porsche 911, the "911T" (a famous car released in July 1967). In other words, it means the first YK model. However, we haven't changed the model so far (laughs). Higuchi-san and I both love Porsche," Kumazawa says happily.
The interior of Yuuji. The center of the tabletop, which has been used since the restaurant's predecessor, is covered with a stainless steel plate to prevent burning.
Will "YK-T" ever develop in the future as the Porsche 911T went through minor changes like the 911E, 911S, and 911RS? Actually, from the "Yuji" point of view, he still has an idea.
As Kamasa, we are also sobered by this new challenge.
Address: 1F Matsunuma Building, 11-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3464-6448
Opening hours: 16:00-23:00 (L.O. 22:30)
Closed: Sunday/Holidays
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