Tag: wagyu

A Myiazaki beef set menu in Osaka

Miyazaki beef (gyu) comes from Japanese Black cattle produced and fattened in Miyazaki Prefecture and is Grade 4 or above in the meat quality grading standards set by the Japan Meat Grading Association. Furthermore, Miyazaki Beef has been registered as a local collective trademark. In a nutshell, it is high quality Japanese wagyu and it is kind of a big deal: in Japan restaurants that are allowed to offer Miyazaki Wagyu on their menus are requested to put up an authorization notice in their store. 

The visit

I went on a Saturday evening to a restaurant specializing in this kind of wagyu called Tennosachi Yamanosachi (天の幸 山の幸) in the basement of a hotel. My visit was impromptu, as other places I was interested to go were full.

I was the only customer at that time and the staff, for good measure, reminded me the closing time.

The menu was only in Japanese, but it was not a problem since they were mainly offering set menus, along a format that is popular also in Kobe. I chose one.

The course dinner started with three cold appetizers: roast beef on eggplant (center), beef stock jelly uni and beef (left), somen noodles with marinated beef (right).

The second dish was also an appetizer: two cubes of stewed beef. As you may expect, it was really tender.


The center-piece of the dinner was 150 grams of Miyazaki beef with vegetables and sauces nicely laid down on the plate. It was excellent, even if it was not top-grade in terms of marbling.

The final amount of starch was provided through some Inaniwa cold udon noodles.

The dessert was a forgettable lemon sorbet.

The check

All in all, the check 6,901 yen (64 USD). The set meal was actually pretty good, notwithstanding the ghastly atmosphere of the empty restaurant. I cannot complain about the value: a similar menu in Kobe with their wagyu would be easily above 100 USD with probably a lesser amount of meat and a similar quality. They also had a gyukatsu set menu that was pretty interesting.

Where in Osaka:
4-2-7 Kouraibashi, Chuo-ku (basement of Unizo hotel).
In Japanese: 大阪府大阪市中央区高麗橋4-2-7 ホテルユニゾ大阪淀屋橋 B1F.
(There is also a main branch of the restaurant in Umeda.)

Byeokje Galbi vs. Maple Tree House BBQ in Seoul

[Also look at this review for a third BBQ option in Seoul.]

Similarly to fried chicken, BBQ is another quintessential Korean food experience. While fried chicken is usually a very affordable eating option, BBQs can vary from cheap all you can eat joints to luxury restaurants offering hand picked meats.

In this post I will examine two BBQ chains that have various outlets in Seoul and offer real top-graded Hanwoo beef. Hanwoo is a Korean local breed that is regarded as the top of the top. In my meal at La Yeon the delicious beef was Hanwoo.

Byeokje Galbi

Byeokje Galbi is a chain of BBQ restaurants with multiple locations in Seoul. I visited the Sinchon/Ewha branch that occupies two floors in a building facing a crowded shopping street (22 Myeongmul-gil).

It is even listed in the Seoul Michelin Guide (but with no stars) where they explain:

Byeokje Galbi is a local institution that has been serving legendary barbecued beef short ribs since 1986. The restaurant’s attention to quality begins from the breeding of the cows at a local farm in Pocheon. Only the top 1%(BMS No9) are purchased…

The dining room is based on booths and every booth has its own grill embedded into the table. They use real charcoal (not gas like in cheaper restaurants).

I ordered a sirloin steak (130 grams) of marbled Korean beef, Bulogi beef (250 grams) and a bowl of cold noodle.

After ordering, I was immediately served the side dishes that included kimchi, soup kimchi, onion, sweet pumpkin, salt, fermented red paste, garlic, lettuce, and some other local vegetables.

The steak was marvelously marbled and it was cooked at the table by a staff member. They cut it into cubes with scissors (a bit brutal, but it is how they do it…).

The end result was great chewy beef bites.

The bulgogi (marinated strips of beef) were cooked with a different implement.

The bulgogi was tender, tasty and satisfying.

The restaurant only lists beef on the menu (their short ribs are particularly popular), but they also are famous for serving buckwheat cold noodles (a dish originally from North Korea). I had the spicy cold noodles that came with fermented chili paste, an egg, a slice of meat, and some vegetables. It was better than expected.

The check was substantial: 117,000 WON (103 USD). The sirloin was the big ticket item (69,000 WON and there was actually a more expensive variety for 79,000 that I passed). The service was very good with an experienced member of staff grilling the dishes for me and looking after my table in an attentive manner (even if they did not speak English).

Maple Tree House

Maple Tree House started as a popular restaurant in Itaewon in 2005 and now has three locations across Seoul (including the original one) and two international locations, in Manila and Taipei.

I visited the branch in Gangnam district, just meters outside exit 12 of Gangman metro station. It is a slick venue, in the basement of an office building. I was seated at the counter (since I was alone).

They also use charcoal to grill the meat.

They also provided the usual side dishes, a bit more boring than the ones I had in Byeokje Galbi.

But they also had a nice egg stew served hot.

I ordered their Korean Hanwoo aged sirloin (150 grams) and a cut of pork jowl from Jeju.

The meat was grilled at the table by several members of staff (in the picture above the pork). The beef was even more tender than the one at Byeokje Galbi and it was nice to have the option to order pork as well.

Total check was 55.400 WON (49 USD). The sirloin was way more affordable and reasonably priced than the one ordered at Byeokje Galbi.

In terms of value for money, Maple Tree House wins hands down. However, the service I received was terrible. It is always difficult to speak about service on the basis of a single visit, however I was appalled by their modus operandi. One member of staff would put the steak on the grill and then without a word would leave to do something else… then another member of staff would pop up and do some more grilling… this was an incredibly annoying way to proceed, especially with 50 USD of meat on the grill. I do not know whether this happened because they were understaffed, but it was unacceptable.

Where in Seoul:
Byeokje Galbi: check their website (in Korean) for locations. I visited the Sinchon branch in 22 Myeongmul-gil.
Maple Tree House: check their website (in English) for locations. I visited the Gangnam branch.

Good, but expensive, gyukatsu in Ginza, Tokyo

The Japanese pork cutlet, called tonkatsu, is quite popular even outside Japan. Fewer people know about another marvelous battered and deep fried goodie from Japan: the beef cutlet, gyukatsu. The main feature of this type of cutlet is that the beef inside is kept rare, making it very juicy. It is one of my favorite Japanese dishes. In this post I will share one gyukatsu I had in Ginza, not the best ever, but a good introduction to this type of cutlet.

The visit

I found a self-styled Korean BBQ called World Diner offering a gyukatsu lunch set in Ginza. Above you can see the view from my seat.

I had a 100 gram gyukatsu (but it looked quite small…) and for 300 yen I also had access to a salad “buffet”. Actually the buffet was a joke, they just had a few items that are usually provided with a lunch set anyway such as rice, cabbage and salad. The only advantage was the unlimited drink.

From the picture above you can see that the heart of the beef is almost rare.

While the whole experience was nothing special, the beef was very juicy and overall the cutlet was good. The restaurant claims to deal with top wagyu.

The check

I was about to throw the receipt away… I did not think of writing a review, but I guess sometimes it is also useful to share so so experiences.

The lunch set came to 2,246 yen (around 20 USD). It was expensive, normally a gyukatsu set would cost around 1,500 yen. However, the quality of the meat was good and, after all, it was Ginza.

I do NOT recommend this place, however I do recommend trying a beef cutlet if you travel to Japan. For a review of a good gyukatsu see this post from Nagasaki.

Where in Tokyo:
7th floor of Kirarito mall in Ginza.
1-8-19 Ginza, Ginza, Chuo 104-0061, Tokyo Prefecture.
See their website for more details.

A Yakiniku with Yamagata beef in Higashi-Nihombashi, Tokyo

When in Tokyo, sometime I choose to stay around the Higashi-Nihnombashi station; it is a strategic point for transportation; from there, it is easy to get the Asakusa line to Narita or Haneda airport and it is just one stop away from Tokyo station. In fact, the area is served by three stations. I can be in Ginza in less than 10 minutes. I love this kind of convenience.

That’s why I came across a few interesting restaurants in the area. One of these is a yakiniku restaurant just outside the B4 exit of Higashi-Nihombashi station. I am not sure about the English name; at the end of the review I have provided what I found on Google Maps, while on the sign it reads “Shinihon Yakinikutou”.

The visit

I am reporting from my visit in September 2018 (the day of the big typhoon in Central Japan; another time I took refuge here during the big snow day of January 2018). The place fills with salaryman and group of friends pretty early.

I got as usual a seat at the counter and I was handed the English menu.

Being an yakiniku, most of the dishes are served raw ready to be grilled by the customer on a charcoal grill.

With my first order – a set of Yamagata beef – they brought the grill. It did not look precisely clean… but let’s say that it was well-lived.

Yamagata prefecture is home to one of the three most sought-after types of Japanese wagyu along with the well-known Kobe and Matsusaka. It is not clear to me if this was the Yonezawagyu, the top brand coming from Yamagata, or some other brand from the same region. Either way the marbling was evident and the beef tender and tasty.

I also ordered a set of home-made sausages. They also came raw to cook on my mini-grill. They were quite good.

Finally I had a fantastic wagyu hamburger. Probably the best dish of the evening.

The check

The three dishes plus a coke came to around 5,000 yen (45 USD). I had also to pay a 324 yen (before tax) cover charge. Yakiniky with quality beef is not cheap and this can be regarded as a mid-range place.

I really liked the hamburger and I could be back in the future.

Where in Tokyo:
New Japan Yakiniku Higashinihonbashi store
Name in Japanese: 新日本焼肉党 東日本橋店
3 Chome-11-6 Higashinihonbashi, Chūō-ku, Tōkyō-to 103-0004, Japan
Address in Japanese: 〒103-0004 東京都中央区東日本橋３丁目１１−6
There is a Facebook page.
Tip: take the Asakusa line and if your coming from South (i.e. Ginza, Haneda) take the B4 exit of Higashi-Nihombashi station. If you are travelling from north (i.e. from Asakusa or Narita) take the B3 exit and cross the street.

 

Western fine dining at David’s Kitchen in Chiang Mai

When I researched the Chiang Mai’s food scene online, one restaurant kept popping up: David’s Kitchen (at 909). It is particularly well positioned on Tripadvisor, where not only is the first rated restaurant in Chiang Mai, but it also ranked as the best fine dining restaurant in Thailand and in Asia. In 2017 it made it again to Tripadvisor’s list of of the top ten restaurants in the world according to people’s reviews.

While I do not care much about Tripadvisor’s rankings, I felt I could not miss this restaurant while in Chiang Mai and I made a booking though the restaurant’s website that was confirmed instantaneously.

David’s Kitchen is mostly a French influenced restaurant with some international and fusion dishes. It is the result of the collaboration of a well-traveled British gentleman, David, his wife Prom that is also the pastry chef, and Chef O, a Thai professional trained with French and German chefs.

The visit

I reached my destination using the South Asian Uber, Grabcar (it works marvelously in Chiang Mai) and I was escorted into the restaurant, which remained tucked away from the main road. The restaurant is housed in a modern and architecturally remarkable villa basically divided in two parts: a bar section and the dining room. The dining room was spacious and, when I arrived at 6.00pm, there were already a few people seated. On the table, a holder would display “welcome” and my name. The receptionist even correctly guessed my name when I arrived at the entrance (probably I was the only party of one at that time) and did not need to waste time going through the reservation list. Very good start.

I quickly ordered my selection (a soup, a pasta dish and a main) since I had studied the menu online and I knew what I wanted. Actually, I made a small adjustment to my mental selection on the fly as I was given a list of daily specials and one of them was just perfect. Meantime I was promptly offered water, the bread basket and a nice tomato dip. I was also offered an amuse bouche in the form of a crispy salmon croquette. Very good. At this point a manager, a relatively young Thai gentleman, approached me for some casual conversation. I must say that it was one of the few times when I kind of enjoyed the chit-chat.

First dish was included in the list of their signature creations: a velouté of yellow Japanese pumpkin soup, white truffle foam and a salmon croquette. Yes, this was exactly the same croquette I had as an amuse bouche. Apart from the small repetition, I really enjoyed the soup (and I am not into soups at all). This was a simple yet an excellent dish.

The second dish consisted in pan-fried pumpkin ravioli with spicy tomato sauce. I liked the idea of pad-fried ravioli: a similar treatment is given to some Chinese dumplings, so I was curious to experience the result. It was an original dish that I enjoyed thanks to the texture provided by the pan-frying.

At this point I was offered a scoop of lemon sorbet to cleanse my palate.

Then, the time for the big ticket item came. It was selected from the daily specials and was a piece of wagyu beef cheek in classic Paris mash. I am a big fan of beef cheek and I cannot find it in Asia easily, so when I see it on a menu I usually order it. The meat was sensationally tender and tasty.

To make the meal perfect, I added a dessert: sticky toffee pudding with vanilla bean ice cream. Perfectly executed.

While I had my meal, the dining room quickly got busy. I believe there was only one small table without the reservation sign.

The service throughout was impeccable, professional and all staff could speak English. I must add that the service was also very rapid: the whole meal only took one hour. This was not a problem for me. I think it speaks of how efficient and well-oiled the kitchen operations are in this restaurant.

The check

For this four-course dinner I spent 2,648 THB, or aorund 80 USD. This was my most expensive meal during my trip in Chiang Mai. The wagyu cheek accounted for 50% of the total check, but it was worth it. While expensive by Chiang Mai standards, I found the final check more than acceptable considering the quality of the food and the service. Beside, they do not overcharge the water that is particularly appreciated. It should also be mentioned that they have a very attractive four-course set menu for 1,450 THB, so it is entirely possible to dine in this world-class restaurant for a very reasonable price.

So what is special about David’s Kitchen? Are the accolades deserved? To answer I will add that David was not around that night. The day after, I received an email in which David would apologize for missing the opportunity to greet in person and added some details about my whereabouts that must have been referred by his manager (so it was not a generic template thank you letter). This speaks volume of the dedication behind David’s Kitchen. After all, I was just a tourist probably never coming back again, still I received this kind of personalized attention. I believe that this is the key to understand why guests leave satisfied. They have great food, but let’s be honest, most dishes on the menu (from gravlax salmon to the braised lamb shank) are quite common and easily found in similar restaurants around the world. What makes the difference, in my opinion, is this ability to provide a warm and customized experience even to the casual visitor. Not many establishments are able (or even willing) to achieve this. If you pair this with the perfectly executed dishes, the professional service and the elegant ambiance, then traveler’s awards make perfect sense.

Personally I was very happy with the dinner and, if I will visit Chiang Mai one more time in the future, I will try to book a table again.

Where in Chiang Mai:
113 Bamrungrad Road.
At time of posting, only open for dinner and closed on Sundays.
Check their website that includes description of the menus and an easy online reservation system.

Tasting the original Japanese hamburg steak in Saigon: Gyumaru

Japanese cuisine is immensely rich (it is not just sushi and sashimi!) and has been subject to many external influences (tempura is a legacy of the contact with the Portuguese for example). Along these lines, it should not come to a surprise that Japanese have developed their one version of the hamburger. It is called hambāgu and is quite different from the classic American hamburger: usually it has a softer texture and is enriched by various herbs. In Japan, an hamburger is often part of a quick set lunch. I have tested a few in Tokyo and Sapporo for example and I was left unimpressed. But luckily, I can satisfy my taste in Ho Chi Minh City in an authentic Japanese restaurant called Gyumaru Hamburger & Steak. Gyumaru is a small chain of restaurants that originated in Ureshino, a city located in the western part of Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. They also have locations in Nagasaki (read thee review of the Japanese location for a comparison!), Hiroshima and a few other small cities. The branch in Ho Chi Minh City is their only international presence. In Saigon, there is a sizable Japanese business community; my theory is that the owners of Gyumaru must have had a friend in HCMC that encouraged them to open a branch.

The visit

This review refers to their location in an alley of Le Thanh Ton, in the part that is known as Japan town. They also have a small restaurant in the basement level two of Takashimaya, but it has a different menu specializing in burgers only.

I have been a customer of theirs for years. Every time I am in HCMC I pay at least a visit. The reason is their namesake hamburger steak.

The set meal begins with a salad with their delicious dressing sauce.

They have a number of set menus for lunch that include a soup and a side of bread or rice. I chose the simple onion soup. But for a small additional fee, you can get their signature corn pie soup that comes covered with a layer of pastry.

In this meal I chose the simplest option: a plain hamburger steak with some vegetables (this is the 150 gram version, you can choose bigger sizes.

As you can see in the picture above, the hamburger is served sizzling hot on a cast iron plate. By opening it, you will see its juices being released. The meat is soft, tender and enriched in flavor by various herbs. Just great.

The menu includes a number of combos (with croquettes, my recommendation, with fried fish, with BBQ meat, etc…). They also have an hamburger with curry that is great if you like Japanese curry. I finally recommend to have a go once with their huge combo meat platter.

They claim their beef to be wagyu (the type of beef steak that gets marbled with veins of fat that enhance its flavor and tenderness thanks to a special diet administered to the cows). And you can also order a full-fledged wagyu steak for reasonable prices. Honestly I do not care. Wagyu is one of the biggest fad in fine dining right now and I have seen restaurants calling wagyu ordinary beef. What matters, is that the resulting hamburger is brilliant.

I have not dined in any of their Japanese locations, but by looking at their pictures online the offering in Ho Chi Minh City seems to be the same as in Japan. My impression is that they offer the real deal.

The check

This set lunch cost me 209,000 VND (or about 9 USD). I went for the cheapest set, but even the larger combos will not set you back for more than 15 USD or so.

I think that this is great value for money for a quality meal with premium ingredients and professional preparation according to Japanese standards.

I highly recommend Gyumaru for anyone who has not tried a real Japanese hamburger steak or for hamburger lovers in general.

Pro-tip: if you become a regular, take advantage of their point collection scheme (it used to be more generous, maybe too much, but it is still a nice kick-back).

Pro-tip 2: also I love that they keep a set of colored crayons on every table. They can be used to draw on their paper cover. Fun for your kids or for your inner child.

Where in Ho Chi Minh City:
8/3 Lê Thánh Tôn, Bến Nghé, District 1
(Another branch serving burgers only – not the dishes presented in this review based on hamburger steak – is located in the second basement level of Takashimaya)
Attention: at time of writing, the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. Check their Facebook page for Vietnam.

Discovering Shiretoko beef at Teppanyaki Mitsui – in Sapporo

One of the things I like about Japan is that every region, every prefecture, almost every town boast its own food delicacy, usually the labor of love of many generations meticulously improving production techniques. The popularity of Kobe beef is a spectacular example of this local search for excellence, but actually beef from Kobe is only one of many top-shelf qualities of beef available in Japan. When I heard that a particular quality of wagyu (marbled) beef from the remote Shiretoko peninsula was available in Sapporo I knew I needed to give it a try.

The visit

Reading an article on Savory Japan, I learnt that Shiretoko beef was available in a teppanyaki restaurant owned and operated by a native of the town source of the beef. By the way, if you fancy quality meat in Japan, the teppanyaki style (based on a flat surface grill) is the way to go, not only because it ensures an uniform and perfect cooking, but also because you have a chance to seat at the counter and observe the chef doing his or her magic.

I visited the restaurant very early (5pm or so) because I was afraid of possible competition. I ordered the signature 100-gram beef rump steak (medium rare) and the Sachiku pork in tonpei yaki style. I also got the customary otoshi appetizer in the form of a soup and some eggplant.

First came the pork that was ably prepared in front of me on the hot plate. Sachiku pork comes from a farm in Sachi, a town also located on the Shiretako peninsula. According to an online source, this “red pork comes from the crossbreeding of male Duroc and several other breeds. It has been trademarked for ten years. This farm’s breeding area is twice as large as typical breeding grounds, and they feed the pigs original vegetal fodder made of barley. The farm also strictly controls its hygiene and quality by not putting stress on the pigs. The pork that comes from these pigs is sweet and fatty without a strong pork smell.”

I can attest that the pork chop that was cut in front of me was ostensibly reddish and it tasted sweet, but without too much fat. In the tonpei yaki style, the pork meat was enclosed in an omelette, also cooked on the teppanyaki, and a number of sauces were added, including mayonnaise and the sweet tonkatsu sauce. This set up is very similar to the dressing of the classic okonomiyaki, the Japanese savory pancake. The pork meat was slightly rare to enhance its flavor. It was a large portion, ideal for two people to share.

Then the beef steak came! The preparation included warming up the meat (you can see how marbled it is in the picture above), cooking it with the addition of beef butter and some use of the blowtorch to light up the oil. The steak came cut in eight pieces (chopstick friendly) with some salt and mountain horseradish (this is a very light wasabi, not spicy at all). I enjoyed trying this tasty and juicy meat that seemed as natural as it gets. It was less marbled than original Kobe beef, but to me this was a plus, since I find meat that is too marbled (hint: marbling comes from the fat!) a bit difficult to digest. Overall it was a great piece of meat!

Finally, I had the guts to add a dessert: matcha (green tea) ice cream coming with slim chocolate cookies (pictured above, on the right, while the otoshi is pictured on the left).

The check

The check was 4530 yen (around 40 USD) that I found reasonable for a dinner in Sapporo with this kind of ingredients. The steak was 2000 yen before tax and the pork 900 yen. The otoshi added 500 yen.

I truly enjoyed the visit and the owner/chef spoke some English and gave me some insights on the cooking process. Beside the food, I really liked the atmosphere. I immediately felt to be around family. This, in the best tradition of Japanese cooking, is a family business; the wife was around attending to the tables and the restaurant has a warm and cosy feeling. I also appreciated their attention to the details in decorating the restaurant. Their chopstick holders are particularly kawaii and you really get the feeling to step into someone’s living room. I highly recommend this place if you are in Sapporo (they also have okonomiyaki and an extensive selection of wines and sakes and I wish I had time to try their hamburger steak). I personally liked this establishment more than some luxury restaurants I visited in Tokyo or Sapporo. I am surprised it is not listed yet as a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin’s guide, but for once I might just be ahead of the curve.

Where in Sapporo
7-7-2, Minami 3-jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Address in Japanese: 北海道札幌市中央区南三条西7-7-2
Tip: with the English name you won’t find it on Google map, but you can use this map or Google map with the name in Japanese. It is six minute from Susukino subway stop and even closer to the Shiseikanshogakko-Mae Station of the tramway. Finally, you can find on Google map the location of a nice coffee shop that is just adjacent to the restaurant.