2 Best Restaurants in Nagoya, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula, Japan

Come here for shabu-shabu—thinly sliced beef and vegetables that you boil in broth in the center of your table and then dip into various sauces before eating. The set courses aren't cheap, but the quality makes this restaurant worth a splurge. There are a dozen other branches around Nagoya, including one in Sakae.

If you love beef, make a pilgrimage to Matsusaka, one express train stop north of Ise. Wadakin claims to be the originator of Matsusaka beef's fame; the cattle are raised with loving care on the restaurant's farm out in the countryside. Although dinnertime is extremely expensive, with the priciest courses an eye-watering ¥30,000, lunchtime bentos offer a more affordable way to try the famed Matsusaka.