This spacious restaurant, hidden in a multi-storey building near Shinjuku-sanchome Station, is not a Genghis Khan (Mongolian lamb barbecue popular in Hokkaido) restaurant, even though it specialises in lamb. It’s an elegant yakiniku (barbecue) establishment, but instead of beef, as is common for most such eateries, Lambne serves up various cuts of premium lamb sourced from Australia.
The dinner menu is an encyclopaedia of edible lamb parts as the restaurant offers 16 different cuts including tongue, heart and liver alongside more common servings of loins, ribs and shanks. Don’t worry if you’re new to yakiniku. The restaurant provides explanation sheets (in Japanese only, though) detailing how to grill, and even instructional YouTube videos that are easy to follow. On the table you’ll also find a handy timer to help with the grilling.
Lunch deals are really good here. On weekdays, the ¥1,870 lamb hamburg set offers a satisfying platter of four grill-it-yourself lamb hamburgs served with salad, kimchi, lamb tartare, rice and miso soup, plus a sorbet to finish. You can even order two extra pieces of hamburg at no extra cost. The other three lunch options (from ¥2,860) are more conventional barbecue offerings, with various cuts of lamb paired with rice, miso soup and side dishes. These are available any day of the week.
While yakiniku is largely a communal dining experience, you’ll find that the counter seats at Lambne are suitable for solo patrons. There are tables as well, fitting either two or four diners, in the cosy, warmly lit wooden interior.
