Mad for U.S. beef, herd heads for Tokyo restaurant

TOKYO (Reuters) - Hundreds of people lined up at a central Tokyo restaurant Monday to savour a dish not tasted for more than two years -- "beef bowl" made with U.S. meat.

Some Japanese had even camped out overnight outside a popular branch of fast-food chain Yoshinoya D&C Co. Ltd., which resumed sales of its famed specialty following the July lifting of a government ban on imports of U.S. beef.

The ban was imposed in December 2003 after the discovery of the first U.S. case of mad cow disease, forcing Yoshinoya to drop its flagship dish of braised beef and onions marinated in soy sauce and laid on top of rice.

Hardcore fans had shunned the "beef bowl" when it was made with Australian beef because the meat was too lean.

"I thought a bit about the risks, but I just could not help myself from coming here, I had to taste it," a man in his 20s told NHK television after having his 380 yen ($3.20) meal.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer joined the herd tucking into the dish at branches across the Japanese capital.

"It was well worth the wait," he said. "It's a day of celebration, beef has returned to Japan."

Japan was once the top importer of U.S. beef, buying 240,000 tonnes valued at $1.4 billion in 2003.

The import ban was first lifted last December, only to be reinstated a month later when prohibited material was found in a shipment of U.S. veal. Media polls have shown that many Japanese consumers remain concerned about the safety of U.S. beef.