Gyutan Tsukasa is located in the popular market, Mitsuwa. As much as this market is known for selling Japanese ingredients, a lot of people know Mitsuwa for their food court. Most popular is Santouka, Hokkaido style Ramen. As much as a I love getting the ramen, there's a restaurant at this food court that I love just as much if not more. Gyutan Tsukasa serves everything Ox tongue. They serve the tongue in a curry, a simple broth, stew/demi glace, and my favorite over charcoal.
It's charred to perfection and served with a side of wasabi and pickled/preserved veggies. I eat each piece with a little wasabi and a dash of Shichimi (Japanese spicy red pepper). Each bite will also get a big scoop of fried wheat rice.
This right here is the perfect bite. If you've never had beef tongue, it's not as weird as it sounds. Just think of it as just beef. I know the texture is unique, but it's also fatty. And when it's cooked perfectly, it will have a nice snap, but well slowly melt in your mouth. Beef tongue is one of my favorite items to order, always, at a Japanese restaurant. It's normally priced high for a small portion, but it's definitely manageable here at Gyutan Tsukasa.
I highly recommend this if you come. The food court in Costa Mesa now serves draft beer.