Imahan, which specializes in shabu shabu and sukiyaki using high-quality Ohmi beef from Kyoto, has been in business since 1895. When we entered, tabi-footed, kimono-clad waitresses were padding along the wooden corridors while a mainly male business crowd slurped up big servings of succulent beef. We initially thought that the kaiseki lunches (so called because the meal arrives in stages) served upstairs might be a bit intimidating, and were tempted instead to take the easy option and go for teppanyaki at the counter at ground level. But the room was a bit dark and the blue-suited salarymen eating alone didn't lighten the atmosphere.

We needn't have worried. The head waitress put us at complete ease, encouraging us to take the kaiseki option upstairs, which was much nicer than downstairs—airy and light with a tatami floor, gorgeous wooden ceiling and pleasant tokonoma complete with a fresh ikebana arrangement. And even though the queue of businessmen outside was getting longer, we were shown to a central table with more than our share of seats.

From a menu ranging from steak kaiseki (¥6,500) to shabu shabu (¥4,500), we chose a mid-priced sukiyaki set (¥2,500). A gracious woman set up our nabe pot while lamenting the passing of old Tokyo and then cooked the beef, vegetables and noodles. All around us, discreet and attentive waitresses served even the gruffest party with equal grace. And although there was plenty of serious lunchtime drinking going on, the crowd was sophisticated and well-behaved. 

While we waited for our meat, we munched on some of the tastiest pickles we ever tried—the cucumber had a delicate, almost flowery flavor, while the daikon was juicy, crisp and refreshing. But the best of all was the beef. Lightly marbled and thinly sliced, it was juicy and tender, with a fuller, smokier flavor than many shabu-shabu cuts we had tried. 

Our waitress knew just when to serve up the different parts of the meal: first a bit of beef, then the beef with some vegetables, then with the glass and udon noodles—both perfectly done, firm and full of flavor. At the end, the concentrated juice of the raw egg mixed with meat and vegetable flavors from past servings made for a rich broth that was perfect for coating the last few pieces of meat, a great note on which to finish the meal. If we ever doubted our faith in the quality of Japanese beef, those days are definitely over.