- For Westerners, a bite of beef tataki may conjure up similarities to roast beef, except this thinly sliced Japanese dish differs in that it’s quickly seared to keep the center a vibrant rare-pink. It’s eaten like sashimi, dipped in ponzu with a dab of wasabi on the side. Beef tataki is sometime served with a salad or on its own as an accompaniment to a glass of sake or shochu.