“Yonezawa Beef,” a specialty of Yonezawa City in Yamagata Prefecture, is known as one of Japan’s five great wagyu. Not only locals, but even people from outside the prefecture have probably heard of it at least once.

A place where you can casually enjoy such Yonezawa Beef in the friendly style of “gyudon” (beef bowl) is “Oshokujidokoro Tokiwa Branch Noboru.” It’s attractive because you can enjoy it not only for lunch while sightseeing in Yonezawa City but also at a more relaxed time.

It is also recommended for those who want to “try Yonezawa Beef easily” or “have a slightly luxurious lunch.”

In this article, based on our actual experience eating at “Oshokujidokoro Tokiwa Branch Noboru,” we will provide detailed reports on prices, reservation methods, and parking information, so even first-time visitors won’t go wrong.

What is “Oshokujidokoro Tokiwa Branch Noboru,” where you can easily eat gyudon made with Yonezawa Beef?

Yonezawa beef is a special gourmet ingredient for the people of Yamagata Prefecture.

One place where you can casually enjoy this Yonezawa beef is the long-established butcher shop “Tokiwa Meat Shop,” founded in 1894. Here, we introduce the charm of “Tokiwa Meat Shop.”

Enjoy a luxurious beef bowl made with 100% Yonezawa Beef

“Tokiwa Meat Shop” uses 100% Yonezawa beef, personally purchased by the owner at auction. They do not handle any other types of beef, so if you eat here, you can confidently say, “I just ate Yonezawa beef!” It is a renowned shop where you can enjoy the reliable quality unique to high-end stores in the familiar form of a beef bowl.

Exquisite flavor from females only, meeting strict standards!

Yonezawa beef, counted among the “Five Great Wagyu of Japan” alongside Matsusaka beef and Kobe beef. It is carefully raised for more than 32 months in the Okitama region of Yamagata Prefecture, and by limiting it to “female” cattle, it achieves a low melting point of fat, a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and strong umami flavor.

Open continuously from lunch to dinner (weekends and holidays)

On weekends and holidays, it is open continuously from lunch to night without a break, so it is a nice point for travelers that they can stop by even if their sightseeing schedule is delayed or if they want an early dinner.

How much is the Yonezawa beef bowl at “Tokiwa Branch Noboru”?

Since the gyudon at ‘Tokiwa Branch Noboru‘ uses Yonezawa beef, many people might wonder, ‘Is the price very high?’ The actual price is as follows (as of April 2026).

*Tax included
*Price as of April 2026

It certainly feels luxurious for a gyudon, but once you consider that the beef used is Yonezawa beef, it makes sense.
If you order a regular gyudon, it’s under 2,000 yen, so considering you can eat Yonezawa beef at this price, it feels relatively affordable.

The prices are quite high, but in addition to gyudon, there are various other menu items such as “shabu-shabu,” “sukiyaki,” and “steak.”
Some menu items require a reservation, so if you’re interested, please check the website.

Melts in Your Mouth! Yonezawa Beef Gyudon Tasting Review

Here is a report on my actual visit to ‘Tokiwa Branch Noboru’.
I visited around 4:30 PM. Although it was not lunchtime, you can order the same menu.

Upon entering and being guided to my reserved seat, the staff confirmed my order and asked whether I wanted the egg that comes with the beef bowl to be ‘raw’ or ‘soft-boiled’. I chose soft-boiled.

Also, when I visited, there was a meat increase campaign going on, so I was able to eat more than usual.
I would like to visit again during this campaign!

Time to actually eat! It goes perfectly with eggs.

The dish is served in about 5 to 10 minutes, and the gyudon comes with a salad and miso soup as a set.

The moment I took a bite, the rich umami and sweetness of Yonezawa beef spread throughout my mouth. It has a texture that seems to melt smoothly on the tongue, making me think, ‘So this is Yonezawa beef!’ If I were being honest, I wanted to eat it all as is, but I decided to try changing the flavor with the egg I was kindly allowed to choose.

This is a surprisingly great combination, with the “quality of the ingredients” and the “creaminess of the egg” matching perfectly, resulting in a different kind of bowl. In fact, the creaminess of the soft-boiled egg goes surprisingly well with the slightly sweet beef bowl.

We also recommend it to those who usually eat it as is!

Beef Bowl × Wine Pairing

It is generally well known that wine goes well with beef steak. At “Tokiwa Branch Noboru,” you can also order various types of wine from the drink menu.

Red wine with a beef bowl might be nice once in a while. It seems like it could elevate a reward lunch for yourself.

“Tokiwa Branch Noboru” allows same-day online reservations up to 30 minutes in advance (personal experience)

Lunch time and weekends are bound to be crowded, but the good news is that you can make online reservations from your smartphone up to 30 minutes in advance on the same day.

The official website states, ‘Please call us on the day,’ but you can make same-day reservations from this reservation page. I also successfully made a quick reservation on my smartphone on the day and was able to visit!

You choose your seat, time slot, and menu to complete the reservation. The reservation process was also easy to understand, so I had no trouble at all. Being able to skip the line is a big advantage when planning a sightseeing schedule.

If you ‘definitely want to eat here!’ it’s safer to make a reservation.
(*When making a reservation, please carefully check the notes on the linked page before applying.)

Payment is also cashless

In addition to cash, PayPay and credit cards were also accepted for payment.

“Since it’s a rare opportunity, let’s order one more dish!” Even if you get a little greedy, it’s reassuring to know that cashless payment is available.

Summary of Basic Information for Oshokujidokoro Tokiwa Branch Noboru

‘Tokiwa Branch Noboru’ If you can’t find other nearby shops, check with the staff.

まとめ

Yonezawa beef, the top-quality beef brand that Yamagata is proud of. Behind its delicious taste lies the passion of producers who raise it over many years and strict standards.

At “Tokiwa branch Noboru,” where you can enjoy such carefully selected meat as a beef bowl without formality, it is truly a recommended spot for Yamagata gourmet. As a place where you can casually enjoy Yonezawa beef, it is also very popular with tourists.

It’s perfect not only as a lunch during sightseeing in Yonezawa but also as a slightly luxurious yet reasonably priced weekend treat. You will surely be impressed by the meltingly sweet fat and deep flavor of the “Hundred-Year Beef Bowl” made earnestly by a long-established shop. When you visit Yonezawa, why not indulge in this “ultimate beef bowl”?
Restaurant Tokiwa Branch Noboru Information is here

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