Manhattan’s East Village is welcoming a new restaurant specializing in grilled beef tongue. Chubby Tan, a Sendai-style gyutan concept, opens today at 239 E 5th St. The counter-focused eatery will serve thick-sliced, charcoal-grilled beef tongue as part of a set meal with soup, rice, and seasonal sides. This marks the first U.S. location affiliated with Japan’s Gyutan no Lemon.
The Space
The team behind Chubby Tan, via Chubby Group’s project page, lays out a minimalist setup built around one very specific craving. The listing highlights a signature Beef Tongue Rice set, complete with soup and pickles, and calls out a chef-view window that lets diners watch the tongue hit the charcoal in real time, according to Chubby Group.
The Opening
Opening coverage notes that Chubby Tan, the name chosen for the U.S. outpost, is slated to officially debut on Tuesday and calls it the first U.S. Gyutan no Lemon location. The operation is reported to be guided by Chef Shunpei Takizawa, with the gyutan described as thick-cut tongue grilled over binchotan charcoal, as reported by WhatNow.
A Sendai Classic
Gyutan, or grilled beef tongue, is a Sendai specialty that traditionally keeps things simple and focused. The dish is typically served with barley rice and a straightforward tail or oxtail-style soup, with quick, high-heat charcoal grilling and modest seasoning at the core of the style. Culinary references trace gyutan’s roots to postwar Sendai and note that it is often served in set-meal format, a structure Chubby Tan is looking to echo, as per Just One Cookbook.
Menu And Price
Reported menu items lean hard into the theme. Diners can expect a thick-sliced grilled beef-tongue set with steamed rice, beef-tongue soup made from slow-simmered cuts, beef-tongue curry, grated yams and a seasonal salad. Opening coverage also points to premium add ons like wagyu hamburger patties and A5 Japanese Black beef served with roe, with meals estimated at about $25 per person, as detailed by WhatNow.
Who's In The Kitchen
Some reports name Chef Shunpei Takizawa as the chef guiding the concept, but Chubby Group’s Chubby Tan listing does not identify a head chef and still describes the location as coming soon. We were not able to locate an independent, authoritative record confirming the Michelin-star details referenced in early coverage, so that particular credential remains unverified.
Practical Info
The Chubby Tan project page and the brand’s social channels have been cited as primary sources for address and concept details. Diners looking for reservation information or last minute opening updates are being directed to the restaurant’s social hub, which is collected on Linktree for the concept. See Linktree for updates.
