Genghis Khan Daikokuya, Asahikawa

Reasons for visiting this place

I was traveling in Hokkaido, Japan, and visited Asahikawa, the second largest city in Hokkaido. Hokkaido is famous for a dish called Genghis Khan, which is lamb grilled on an iron plate. I looked for a Genghis Khan restaurant near my accommodation and found one with a high rating on Google, so I decided to visit.

What is Jingisukan(Genghis Khan)?

In Japanese cuisine, “Genghis Khan” (ジンギスカン, Jingisukan) refers to a grilled mutton or lamb dish that’s especially popular in Hokkaido. It’s named after the Mongolian conqueror Genghis Khan, although the dish itself is a Japanese creation.

It’s grilled on a special convex metal grill that resembles a helmet, which some say was inspired by the shape of Mongolian helmets.

Why is this place popular? How was the food?

I heard it was popular, but when we went there it was late so I didn’t have to wait in a line. But the store was still full. The smoke was thick.

The lamb was fresh and didn’t have a strong lamb smell. It was nice to be able to taste different cuts of lamb at once. The price was reasonable too. When I first ordered meat, it was nice that the staff came and grilled it for me and showed me how to grill it. Once the cast iron pan is heated, apply the oil that came with it to the pan and cook the meat. Vegetables can be placed on the edge of the pan and eaten when they are cooked to the right degree.

I could see why this place was so popular after eating the food. The beer that went with the lamb was also really delicious.