298 Umeda 3rd Branch

Don’t you sometimes find yourself in a situation where you’re thinking, “I want to stuff myself with meat until I’m stuffed, but my wallet’s feeling a bit light”? One day at lunchtime, while walking around the Umeda area, that craving hit me out of nowhere. And when that happens, there’s only one place to go! So I headed to 298 Umeda 3rd Branch in Doyama. With just two 1,000-yen bills, you’re guaranteed to leave full. Thinking to myself, “We really need places like this in these times of inflation…,” I hurried toward the restaurant. So…

Apparently, it’s a large restaurant that can even host banquets… Here’s what 298 Umeda 3rd Branch is like…

I arrived at 298 Umeda 3rd Branch around 12:30 p.m. on a certain weekend. As I climbed the stairs and entered the restaurant on the second floor of the building, I was immediately struck by the sight of customers packed into the compact space, which seats about 40 people. Since it’s an all-you-can-eat restaurant in the bustling Umeda district, it’s no surprise that it’s packed during weekend lunchtime. That said, there was only one person waiting to enter ahead of me, so after a wait of about 10 minutes, I was shown to my seat.

Now, it didn’t look like it from the inside, but according to Tabelog, this restaurant apparently has a total of 100 seats. Does that mean there’s a hidden room that wasn’t in use at the time? They also seem to offer all-you-can-drink plans, so it’s perfect for large group parties. I think this place would be especially useful for students.

Wait, haven’t they added more meat options? How was the 1,980 yen (tax included) course at 298 Umeda 3rd Branch?

This time at 298 Umeda 3rd Branch, I ordered the same 100-minute all-you-can-eat course for 1,980 yen (tax included) that I had at the 298 Sannomiya Branch. The system requires you to scan a barcode on the table and place orders via your smartphone, but when I opened the order screen, I noticed something.

That’s right—compared to my visit to the 298 Sannomiya Branch, the number of items available for the same price has gone from 14 to 19, an increase of 5 items. Of course, the all-you-can-eat time remains the same, and the food bar offerings are exactly the same as before. This is a welcome menu update.

So, here’s a rundown of what I ordered this time…

Salted Tongue

First up is the salted tongue. I was expecting beef tongue, so I was a little disappointed to find it was pork, but it’s light and refreshing, and I could easily polish off several slices, so it’s actually pretty good in its own right.

King Kalbi

Next up is the King Kalbi, one of 298’s signature dishes. If you want to experience the meaty richness at 298, this is a must-order.

HOT Tandoori Chicken

The third dish is 298’s new menu item (?)—HOT Tandoori Chicken. It’s quite spicy, and since they use the lighter-tasting breast meat, it really makes you want to keep drinking.

White Offal

The fourth dish is white offal, which also wasn’t available at the former 298. I think this is probably pork too, but personally, I’m happy to be able to eat offal as part of the all-you-can-eat…

Thick-Cut Kalbi Marinated in a Jar

Next up is the second of 298’s signature dishes: Thick-Cut Kalbi Marinated in a Jar. This time, there was very little marinade left in the jar, which made the presentation a bit underwhelming.

Sukiyaki Kalbi (with Egg)

Next is another signature dish: Sukiyaki Kalbi (with egg). This one also had only a tiny bit of marinade on it, and honestly, it didn’t really feel like sukiyaki. I was looking forward to soaking the beaten egg in the sauce and finishing it off as TKG (egg on rice), but there was so little sauce that I had to give up…

298 Harami, Loin, and Chicken

After that, three types of meat—298 Harami, Loin, and Chicken—were brought out on a single plate. The sirloin and chicken were just average, but the 298 Harami felt like it was a step up in meat quality…

I alternated between the meat mentioned above and occasional servings of curry rice and kimchi, making full use of the 100-minute time limit before settling the bill. While they don’t serve marbled meat, the quality of the meat isn’t bad at all, and an all-you-can-eat deal for 100 minutes at this price is definitely a blessing. Above all, the fact that “you don’t have to pay a single yen beyond the price listed” provides an overwhelming sense of security that you just don’t find at regular yakiniku restaurants… With inflation making these tough times, I really hope they can keep going at this price point for as long as possible.

A5 Premium Wagyu All-You-Can-Eat Course Now Available! 298 Umeda 3rd Branch is a 6-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station on the Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line, the nearest station.

At 298 Umeda 3rd Branch, an A5 Premium Wagyu all-you-can-eat course has just been added…

Enjoy 100 minutes of all-you-can-eat A5-grade Wagyu, shipped directly from Miyazaki, for 4,500 yen (tax included). Recently, there’s been an increase in high-end Wagyu all-you-can-eat restaurants in this price range—perhaps this is just the trend of the times. However, they’ve kept their existing courses, such as the 1,100 yen (tax included) all-you-can-eat option, which is very much appreciated. 298 Umeda 3rd Branch has expanded the options beyond just budget all-you-can-eat yakiniku to include high-end options. Why not give it a try the next time you get a sudden craving for a hearty meat feast?

Here are the restaurant details…

It’s an 8-minute walk from Hankyu Railway’s Osaka Umeda Station or JR Osaka Station.