See all this delicious yakiniku? It cost less than three bucks at this Tokyo restaurant

Limited-time offer of all-you-can-eat meat is so good and so cheap that it’ll make you forgive the corny pun behind it.

We’ve all heard puns that make our eyes roll, but in Japan there’s also a pun that’ll make your mouth water. By themselves, ni and ku mean “two” and “nine” in Japanese, but lining them up gives you niku, or “meat.” Because of that, many restaurants in Japan with hearty, meaty fare have specials on the 29th of the month, or “Niku Day” as they call it.

Among the more enthusiastic observers of this carnivorous celebration is Gyukaku, one of Japan’s most popular yakiniku (Korean barbeque) chains. While Gyukaku already has a reputation for being tasty yet reasonably priced, the chain gets even more generous on Niku Day, with different promotions each month. This month, Gykaku got the hearts of meat lovers racing with an unbelievably sweet deal: all-you-can-eat meat for just 290 yen (US$2.80)!

In order to keep all of Japan from flooding its locations, the all-you-can-eat deal is available by reservation only. Gyukaku ran a similar promotion back in February, with every available seat getting reserved in just 32 seconds. Thankfully, we managed to get a seat at the table on a special media day, so we sent two of our biggest appetites, Japanese-language correspondents Mr. Sato and P.K. Sanjun, to the Gyukaku in Tokyo’s Gotanda neighborhood.

▼ Contrary to what’s shown in that scene at the end of Lost in Translation, not every picture on a yakiniku menu is the same.

In keeping with the niku theme, 29 different dishes were available in unlimited quantities. With so many delicacies to enjoy and only two stomachs to put them in, our guys got to grilling.

▼ But not before Mr. Sato posed for a commemorative snapshot with his meaty darlings.

There are a variety of cuts on offer, including the ever popular karubi (short ribs) and harami (skirt steak).

And while beef is the biggest draw at Gyukaku, you can get pork there too, like P.K.’s personal favorite, pitaro (pork neck).

Cultured gourmand that he is, Mr. Sato spoke highly of the marbled beef tongue, which, for those who haven’t tried it, is surprisingly mild in flavor.

▼ It’s…

▼ …all…

▼ …so…

▼ …good!

Salad, kimchi, rice, and tofu are also part of the all-you-can-eat package. In the end, our two-man team polished off some 20 plates of chow.

With a total bill of just 580 yen for the both of them, that works out to just 29 yen a plate, less than the cost of a pack of breath mints at the convenience store!

Gyukaku is yet to announce what kind of promotion it has planned for Niku Day in July, but our wallets and taste buds would be more than happy to see all-you-can-eat meat come back again.

Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s patiently counting down the days until the next Niku Day.

[ Read in Japanese ]

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