When I heard that a new Japanese restaurant focusing on meat dishes just opened up, I had to go check them out immediately! The restaurant is called Prime Meat Rokko, and the owner has a few restaurant (mostly yakiniku restaurants) in Japan. From doing a quick research on Prime Meat Rokko, this restaurant seems to be more of fried meat cutlet, rather than yakiniku, as their main dish. We love good cutlets, we have a few favorite spots for that, such as Katsu-Hama on 55th, Katsu-Hama on 47th, Abiko Curry in NYC, Abiko Curry in NJ, and Soba Azuma. Yes, there are good number of places where you can get Katsu or fried cutlet dishes. Back to Prime Meat Rokko!
They had a nice outdoor seating right in front of the restaurant, although it was closed off at that time. We went during the weekday for lunch, so it was not as busy. Their outdoor seating seems really nice though, with comfy chairs and benches!
When we walked in, a small glass maneki-neko statue welcomed us. So cute yet elegant! Maneki-neko is a common Japanese figurine that supposed to bring in good luck and fortune to the business. They also had several bowls displayed on the wall by the street, all unique and very beautiful.
The inside was quite spacious, bigger than it looks from the outside. Nice high ceiling, modern and crisp design, mixed with warmth of wood element everywhere. The wooden dividers are placed between the tables, although they are not permanent fixture. I am sure the interior will look even prettier without them, but safety must come first…
They had a nice amount of booth seating, spacious too. Since the restaurant was not busy when we visited, we got to sit at one of their large, comfortable booth. The bright wall and floor makes the space feel bigger, while the wood elements brings the cozy atmosphere.
They have a bar to the left from the entrance, beautifully designed as well. The bar counter was full of flowers, celebrating the grand opening of Prime Meat Rokko. And yes, they do offer beer, sake, wine, etc.
I loved the wall mosaic made with wood pieces, and also the series of wooden beams on the ceiling. Everything looked like an art piece in here. They paid attention to every little detail, creating a stunning space for their customers.
That attention to details doesn’t end with their interior. I loved their menu, with its cover made with a gorgeous piece of wood! The little teardrop shaped plate was really lovely too. They had a wet-nap for you to clean your hands before eating, which is common in Japan.
As I mentioned earlier, they have many locations in Japan, as Yakiniku Rokko, originally started from Rokko, Kobe, hence the name. They decided to do a bit different route here in the US, still focused in meat, but not yakiniku. Prime Meat Rokko focus more in beef, duck, chicken, and pork cutlets.
From lunch menu, we decided to order Kurobuta Pork Cutlet Set ($22) and Pork Cutlet Curry Rice Set ($22). Look at all the side dishes it comes with! The curry set also comes with Coleslaw, which is not in the photos below (because we ate it first).
But here are the photos of Rokko’s Original Coleslaw! It is made with chicken tenderloin, cabbage, carrots, onions, corn, cold noodles, and their original seasonings. It came in a cute round dish, almost like an egg. It was very refreshing and super fresh. Not mayo-y, but nice palate cleanser to start off the meal. I didn’t see any noodles, but maybe because it was a small portion? They do offer this item under “Salad” menu, which I assume will be larger portion, with all the ingredients present. The chicken was really nice, tender and moist, adding extra texture and flavor.
Pork Cutlet Curry Rice Set ($22) came with the pickles that we eat with Curry in Japan. The size of curry was HUGE!!! I was thinking “$22 for curry?” but goodness, they give you great amount of food! Also, this set includes the Coleslaw and Butajiru Soup (more on that later).
Now, let me talk about their meat. Prime Meat Rokko prepares the meat in an interesting way. They use Sous Vide method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic pouch and cooked in a water bath for longer than usual cooking times. They cook the meat this way for four to six hours, making the meat to be cooked evenly, and ensuring that the inside is cooked properly without overcooking. This cooking method can help retain moisture by keeping juices, and hold onto the delicious aroma that otherwise would be lost in the regular cooking process. Prime Meat Rokko will then bring up the temperature of the meat in a bain-marie for a bit, then the meat if finally fried quickly. The meat has the look and texture of decadent raw steak, even though the meat is cooked thoroughly and safely. Can you see how juicy this piece of meat is??? Amazing!
Back to the giant curry… It had a nice amount of heat to it without being too spicy. The cutlet was super tender and juicy! The meat has some redness in color due to the way it is cooked, but it has been thoroughly cooked. Great dish, my hubby (and I, of course) loved it! The small chunks of beef in the curry was really nice too, tender and tasty.
The last side dish that come with the lunch sent, Butajiru Soup, or I usually call it Tonjiru (same thing). It is a special kind of miso soup, loaded with pork rib and veggies. And let me tell you, this soup was delightful! It was filled with amazing and fresh ingredients, broth was deep and earthy, a nice amount of tender pork… Delicious! It definitely stole the spotlight.
Now, my order, Kurobuta Pork Cutlet Set ($22). It comes with Butajiru, Pickles, and White Rice. I was surprised to see the generous amount of cutlet that came with it! It also had some salad, which is always nice to have with fried dish.
The set comes with dipping sauce, salt, miso, and mustard for the cutlet. I always enjoy getting the sweet and tangy sauce with sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle.
You first grind the sesame seeds in the mortar, but not too much. You want to keep the flavor of the sesame to the max. Then, you can add it to the sauce, although some people like to add the sauce to the mortar. Dip the cutlet a bit, and then into my mouth… My taste buds were rejoiced with flavor and texture! I would say, the meat at Prime Meat Rokko might not be for everyone. If you are fan of rare, juicy steak, for its texture and flavor, you will love the meat from Prime Meat Rokko. Even though the meat is cooked thoroughly, it still have the similar texture and look to it, which we loved. But if you like your steak well-done, then it might not be for you.
The cutlet was super tender and juicy! It had a great natural flavor to it, just a little dab with the salt was delicious! And again, it came with a generous amount of meat! Some of the cutlet pieces had fatty parts to it, which some people don’t like. But when it is done well, it just melt in your mouth, it can be a delicacy. The side of cabbage that was shredded super fine helped to cleanse your palate throughout the meal to cut down on any oil, but they are fried so light, not greasy at all. Japanese potato salad was great too. It was creamy and velvety, with a nice seasoning.
We were full after the delectable meal, every bite was amazing! And with that, we had to try one of their desserts… And I spotted something interesting, Matcha affogato ($9)! Say What! I love Affogato, and I have had my share of them over the years. The last really amazing Affogato I had was from The Jack Russell in the UK, with vanilla ice cream, amaretto, and double espresso. Yum! But I haven’t heard of Matcha Affogato, what a genius creation!
I loved the dishes and cups they use here at Prime Meat Rokko. So beautiful! The vanilla ice cream came in a deep bowl, great for the affogato purpose.
Hot Matcha tea came in an even more strikingly gorgeous cup. The Matcha looked like it was freshly made, great!
I poured the hot Matcha over the Vanilla Ice Cream, and it was ready! Even though the Matcha was quite hot, the ice cream didn’t all melt away, which was nice.
This dessert was very nice! Bitterness of Matcha and sweet vanilla ice cream paired perfectly. And they lived happily ever after. In my stomach. To end the dinner with ice cream and milky matcha drink was the best!
They have two unisex bathroom all the way to the back by their kitchen. One of them is accessible, which is always nice to have. I used the accessible one since there was no line, and I prefer larger bathroom.
And yes, it was a nice size bathroom. They had the room with more of a dimmed light. Sometimes, it is good to have darker bathroom in a restaurant, as long as it has sufficient lights where it should be, rather than having a strong, harsh light. I brightened up the photos a bit so you can see the inside better.
The toilet paper roll was folded with triangle shape, which I thought was so Japanese! LOL. I wonder if many other people do that? I also liked their touchless trashcan. Always a nice thing to have in a shared bathroom…
We had an amazing lunch here at Prime Meat Rokko. It had such relaxing atmosphere with quiet jazz (?) music playing in the background. The staff and the manager were both super polite and welcoming staffs. Our server was very friendly and helpful with the menu selection. I saw they have Omakase menu, which includes bun, sushi, cutlet, and more! Not a fan of raw fish? Not to worry, their “sushi” is made with duck loin and roast beef! What! We will definitely go back to try their Omakase, or any other dish they offer. If you are a meat lover, give Prime Meat Rokko a try!
Prime Meat Rokko – 783 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019