No.97   The steaks at “Ribera” (Meguro branch)—a steakhouse in Meguro Ward, Tokyo—are worthy of a mecca for professional wrestlers; you should devour them with tremendous gusto and speed, letting out a roar of triumph in your heart.

　I’ve always felt a thrill when seeing men with rugged, muscular physiques (not that I swing that way, mind you…). I used to dream of having a body like that, even going so far as to buy gear like chest expanders—talk about old-school—and plotting a “muscle transformation plan.” Yet, when it came to actual practice, I’d always give up after just a few days; I was a pathetic sort of guy whose dream of looking like Jason Statham remained just that—a pipe dream. However, after turning fifty, my health took a turn for the worse: I developed spinal stenosis, and to top it off, diabetes. Even a guy as reckless with his health as I was began to feel a growing sense of unease, so I finally started working out. This time, the sense of urgency was different from my younger days; I managed to turn it into a habit and have kept it up for about seven years now (good for me!). I’ve realized that at this age, true resolve is proven by consistency—if only I’d understood that when I was young, I might have turned into a much more impressive adult (though it’s too late for that now). I’ve also come to realize that muscles can grow regardless of age, and I find myself gazing into the mirror day and night, grinning with satisfaction as I watch my body bulk up (I really am a fool, aren’t I?).

　One place I—a middle-aged guy—had long wanted to visit is the steakhouse “Ribera,” which I am introducing today. It is a famous establishment known to everyone in the world of muscular athletes. While it has frequently appeared in the media—making it perhaps unnecessary to write about it now—I am featuring it simply because it was a place I personally really wanted to visit. In fact, despite being located in Meguro, the restaurant is surprisingly inconvenient to reach (Meguro Ward is actually quite inaccessible, contrary to its reputation as a popular Tokyo area), so visiting requires a fair amount of determination; however, I finally had the chance to go. Today, I visited after covering Yutenji (a Jodo sect temple) and taking a bath at a public bathhouse called Gekkosen. Since the restaurant opens at 5:00 PM and is extremely popular, I timed my bath so I would arrive by 4:30 PM.

After strolling through the amazing Rinshi-no-Mori Park, I arrived at the restaurant to find a line of about six people already forming. Delighted at the prospect of getting in during the first seating, I joined the queue. Right before my eyes was the very storefront I had often seen on YouTube… Wow—there were The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Bruiser Brody, The Undertaker, and even Akebono. In smaller photos, I could also spot Terry Funk and Steve Williams. As I gazed at them for a moment, a staff member came out to take our order. I ordered a medium bottled beer, a glass of red wine, the signature one-pound ribeye steak (450g), and the potage soup, which is also reputed to be delicious. My companion ordered the filet steak (200g) and a salad; we both requested a half-portion of rice to go with our meals.

A line of people is rapidly forming behind me. Whoa—even though it’s only forty-five minutes past the hour, the shop’s thoughtful gesture allows us to enter early (this isn’t a pro-wrestling match, after all), and I step inside. The scene unfolding before me is one I’ve often seen on YouTube. The walls and ceiling are plastered with photos of rough-looking men with massive physiques (though, in reality, they’re good guys). There are so many of them that it’s impossible to tell who is who. Yet, just gazing at them—knowing that legends like Rikidozan, Giant Baba, Antonio Inoki, The Destroyer, Butcher, and Tiger Jeet Singh must be up there somewhere—is a delight in itself. For some reason, Rikiya Yasuoka happens to be sitting right next to me.

　Inside the shop, there are three tables for six, one table for four, and six counter seats. At the far end of the counter, the owner stands before the grill, silently cooking steaks with a faint smile on his face. Meanwhile, three staff members—including one woman—efficiently attend to the customers. I am shown to a six-person table in the center and take my seat; I end up sharing the table with a group of three—a parent and two children. A small bowl containing the shop’s signature steak sauce is promptly brought out. In fact, my primary reason for visiting was to find out exactly what this famous sauce—which people on YouTube rave about endlessly—tastes like. It appears to be a sauce made with grated daikon radish, onion, and garlic…

As I was quenching my thirst with beer, a bowl of potage soup was placed before me. This soup is apparently one of the restaurant’s specialties, so I gave it a taste—only to find it utterly ordinary. The salad, too, was nothing special (though perhaps that was to be expected). After a short wait—about five minutes—the main event arrived: a one-pound steak. It was massive, as expected. My companion’s filet arrived as well; at 200 grams, it was a rather modest size. I sliced ​​into the meat, which was still sizzling on the iron plate, and took the first bite plain. It had a satisfying, meaty chew and no unpleasant gamey odor—an excellent steak. Next, I sprinkled on some salt and pepper for a bite. Finally, I topped the steak with the sauce I’d been eagerly awaiting and devoured it like a wild animal. I washed it down with wine, then dug in again.

I expected the sauce to be on the sweet side, but it turned out to be a sophisticated flavor that doesn’t get old. With a taste like this, I feel like I could even handle the “Yokozuna Steak” (a 640-gram ribeye). I also tried a bite of my companion’s filet; while the filet certainly had a more refined quality, I still feel that the ribeye here—with its rugged, “muscular” character—is the better choice for a place like “Ribera.” Incidentally, I had been eating under the impression that it was American beef, but it turns out to be Australian beef. It is impressive to find such quality in Australian beef. The family at the next table is also silently tearing into their meat. This isn’t the kind of place for chatting merrily with friends; it’s a spot—much like a beef bowl shop—where you focus entirely on the food, silently shoveling it in. A guy like me tends to worry about the people waiting outside, so I inevitably end up rushing through the meal (I’m a pretty decent guy, aren’t I?). Still, when I got down to the last third, I started feeling full and the going got tough, but I managed to finish it all.

　At first, I had fanciful thoughts that I might even be able to handle the “Challenge Menu”—finishing three one-pound steaks and three large servings of rice within 30 minutes to win 10,000 yen (or paying around 12,000 yen if I failed)—but I quickly realized that was out of the question. Overall, it’s a pretty interesting place; if it were nearby, I’d likely visit often, but given the poor accessibility, I doubt I’ll be back. Prices seem to have gone up significantly (a one-pound steak used to be 3,800 yen), and at the current rates, I don’t think I’d make the trip again. (Incidentally, there is another “Ribera” branch just a three-minute walk from Gotanda or Takanawadai Station; the owner there is the father of the Meguro shop’s owner, and they serve the exact same menu.) As for the quality of the meat, there are similar places closer to my own neck of the woods (around Ueno). Still, I’m glad I had the chance to visit at least once.

Leaving the shop, I found the line still snaking endlessly; I walked toward Meguro Station—feeling dizzy from having eaten my fill—and wondered just how many more people would devour that meat before closing time at 11:00 PM. I briefly considered climbing the steep Gyōnin-zaka slope to help lower my blood sugar, but my resolve faltered, and I opted for the gentler Gonnosuke-zaka instead. I really am a pathetic sort of guy. Still, with the physique of Joe Manganiello as my ultimate goal, I trudged up the hill, telling myself I’d give it my all with the weight training starting tomorrow.