Gyukatsu Motomura WITH Harajuku Branch at Harajuku, Tokyo

A Harajuku branch of the famous gyukatsu specialist serving rare beef cutlets on hot stones.

Gyukatsu Motomura's WITH Harajuku branch sits in the basement of the WITH Harajuku building at Jingumae 1-14-30, just steps from Harajuku Station, and it is part of one of Tokyo's most talked-about casual dining chains. The brand's signature is the gyukatsu - a beef cutlet breaded lightly and fried so that the inside stays rare, then finished by the diner on a personal hot stone grill at the table. Reviews and guides consistently describe the cutlet as tender and rare, with crisp coating and a choice of dipping sauces; the brand's own site lists this as its Harajuku branch. The Harajuku room is famously small - multiple reviews note it seats only around ten, and queues are common, particularly in the late afternoon and evening - so expect a wait at peak times. The menu is built around the gyukatsu set meal with rice, cabbage and miso soup, with prices widely reported as excellent value from around 1,300 yen. Dine-in is the model, and the branch's long hours (around 11:00 to 22:00) make it flexible for both lunch and dinner. It suits hungry travellers who want a quick, memorable, uniquely Japanese meal without a big spend. If you want to taste the dish that turned beef cutlets into a Tokyo phenomenon, this is the Harajuku address to queue for. Grab a ticket, wait your turn, and you will see why a simple rare beef cutlet on a hot stone has become one of the city's most photographed plates.