Japanese BBQ Is an Experience
Grilling yummy Wagyu beef at your own table is a newfound japanese restaurant trendsetter.
Long gone are the days of grilling dinner and being draped in a haze of oily smoke while trying to talk to friends. Recent Japanese BBQ technology has created a grill set combined into a stylish tabletop. The table ventilates the smoke directly down and out through a duct system. Sizzling marinated beef smells are completely smokeless!
Japanese BBQ restaurants prepare thinly-sliced or cubed wagyu beef in marinates of salt or miso (fermented soybean paste). Serves of beef and veges are served to the table and everyone enjoys grilling their own food. Remember to grill only a few pieces at once in order to fully enjoy the extreme flavour of the wagyu beef. Japanese BBQ chefs advocate grilling the beef primarily in the center of the grill. Sliced wagyu takes only 30-60 seconds per side, while diced takes 2-3 minutes per side. Grill the vegetables around the edges of the grill until they achieve the wanted tenderness.
Dipping sauces such as tare (a sweet thickened soy sauce) and ponzu (a thin citrus-flavored soy sauce) enhance the flavor of the grilled wagyu beef.
Wagyu is written with two Japanese characters meaning “Japanese style” and “beef”. Wagyu beef is exquisitely tender. The flavourful flavor comes from its rich marbeling of fat. Varieties of wagyu are named after the area of Japan where they are raised, such as the well-known Kobe beef.
For the American palate Japanese Wagyu cows were crossbred with Angus. This creates a redder beef with slightly less marbeling. Rich in Omega-3s, wagyu beef is tender and full-flavored.
Every Japanese restaurant has its own specific ambience and presentation. What you’ll find in common is the marvellous experience patrons have cooking at their table grill, and the amazing flavour of wagyu beef.
