Hey folks, we recently visited Japan and being a bit of a steak lover I was curious about trying the Japanese wagyu beef – the top one: A-5 grade.
My wife and I looked into a few steak houses in Kyoto (Gion area) and were quite surprised by the high prices. Coming from a small European country, paying 150e for 150g of steak is A LOT.
After much consideration, we decided to go for it. I personally felt like it would be one of those things that I would look back on later in life and regret. After all, we aren’t frequent travelers and who knows when we would be back in Japan again to have another opportunity.
We picked out a restaurant (Premium Steak Wagyu Hanasato) and booked a table.
Oh my… to be honest I was a bit skeptical of all the hype… but this was hands down the best steak that I have ever had in my life. It’s not like your normal steak, it’s like butter melting in your mouth. Kudos to the chef who cooked it perfectly as well.
Now, I probably wouldn’t go again because it’s just too expensive to justify the price. But for a once in a lifetime experience? It is very much worth it.
If you’re a steak lover and on the fence about trying Wagyu beef, I would wholeheartedly recommend it.
24 comments
I feel the same about Kujira
23.5 man for 150grams of wagyu is ridiculous in my opinion but those might be tourist prices. Not only is the serving format of the steak different but the way it’s produced is completely different. I don’t like Kobe beef because there’s basically no texture at all but it was worth trying as a comparison to steak grown elsewhere.
If you ever wanna try these steakhouses, I recommend going during lunch. Prices are almost half compared to the dinner service.
Top wagyu is too fatty for steak, you sometimes feel like eating a lump of fat. It’s better cut up as small pieces then cooked in various japanese styles
Sounds amazing. Im going next month and added it in my trip! Do you think we need to book a table? Or just stop by anytime during the day?
I had as much Hida beef as I could eat in some yakiniku place in Takayama and it was incredible. it can’t have cost more than a few thousand yen either. I’m not sure I’d bother going to a mega premium steak place after that.
I do agree that by *far* the best beef I’ve ever had in my life was in Japan. I’m not one to usually choose steak at home (I like it but it’s not a favourite), but the beef I had in Japan is some of the best *food* I’ve ever had.
Shogun Burger does a wagyu burger that is to die for.
Strong agree. I finally tried it back in October for lunch at a random place in Asakusa’s backstreets. It was more like a Korean BBQ place, and reasonably priced for what it was (2500 yen for three thinner slices each of three different cuts). I knew it would be good, but I was seriously blown away.
Are there places where you can try just one slice? 😃
I personally find Wagyu to be a once in a while thing. I’ve been lucky to have it a few times and every time I can’t have too much or my senses shut down 😂😂 still delicious tho
I had wagyu in sky tree tower which was amazing, and Kobe beef at Kobe511 which was okay. It would be a shame to visit Japan and not try it. I do prefer a bit les fatty wagyu, too much fat makes a bit too much.
But as soon as you have had wagyu any other steak is just rubber. I find the prices here in the Netherlands for a Japanese okaish. 40 euro for 100 gr A5. Preparing it at home is pretty easy.
Honestly my greatest steak experience was trying wagyu in Japan. I don’t really like going to steak houses since most places are very hit or miss but trying yakiniku or a wagyu steakhouse should be a must for people.
Why would you talk about how prohibitively expensive it is, yet not mention the price?
Curious to how it compares to Takayama’s hida beef. Those were the best one we tried in our central japan trip.
Just like with any kind of beef there’s different cuts of wagyu, the marbling is not everything. I tried different kinds when I went to Japan and places selling relatively cheap A5 use cheaper cuts that can be chewy, because of that those are better eaten well done in my opinion (it softens the fat).
They are tasty but it won’t be the melt-in-mouth experience so it can be a bit disappointing. You have to go for the expensive cuts for that, that’s most likely what OP had given the price. Going to a teppanyaki place to eat top quality wagyu is expensive but it’s an experience to remember.
Also A5 is extreme marbling, you can still get very good beef below that, I’d even say it’s better suited for the cheaper cuts.
I had kobe beef while I was there and it was amaaaaazing! Felt like shit afterwards due to the high fat content, but damn I would have just kept eating it forever
I love a5 wagyu but I also love a good ol American cooked steak. People compare them as one or the other but I feel like they’re both different and both provide an extraordinary eating experience. If anything I’d prefer a high end ribeye as I can eat more of that than an a5 before getting tired.
Also if you like a5 wagyu, try Korean hanwoo beef. Some would argue it rivals Japanese beef because it’s rich but still contains the beefy flavor. It’s basically the best of both worlds (wagyu and traditional steak).
The way it melts 🤤
I found that those self-grill yakiniku places with high quality beef are pretty good value.
My gf and I feasted for less than 8k yen on some pretty incredible wagyu. Whereas years before I’d been to a Kobe steak place in Kobe that was far less good at double the price.
I agree. Two more tips though -if you are unsure, try the wagyu at a Yakiniku restaurant – cheaper solution.
And do not eat too much at once – you might get sick because of all the fat 🙂
There’s an airbnb tour that was amazing where we did a food tour and ended in a special (usually japanese only) bar.
The food spot offered all kinds of beef including wagyu. It was in Kyoto. It was great!
Unpopular opnion here, I tried 2 out of 3 of the top wagyu in japan. I still prefer USDA Prime or probably A4…A5 just tasted like fat
There are also cheaper ways to try it. There are vendors with Kobe and matsusaka beef on skewers. Matsusaka is better quality than kobe beef too
Went to a high end steakhouse this summer near Roppongi. It was sooo good and the bill came out less than $120 for 4 people. Lunch though.