Wonderful world of Wagyu

By LIM CHIA YING
chiaying@thestar.com.my
Photos by RICKY LAI

CHYNNA RESTAURANT,
Level 5, 3 Jalan Stesen Sentral,
Hilton Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2264 2592/2696
Business hours: Mon-Fri; noon to 10.30pm;
Sat-Sun, 11am to 10.30pm
Pork free.

THE best of Wagyu will be served up for the whole of May at Hilton Kuala Lumpur that would surely delight lovers of red-meat.

And, while wagyu is often cooked the Western way, guests can expect something different at the hotel’s Chynna Restaurant where the premium beef is cooked with Chinese styles.

Strong flavour: The Seared Wagyu Cubes with Green Pepper Corn and Oyster Sauce.

Executive Chinese chef Lam Hock Hin, who helms the fine-dining Chinese restaurant, is hoping to create new fusions with the wagyu via set courses and a la carte dishes.

He said the wagyu used was the rib-eye portion of Grade 8 quality, which according to him, was one of the top grades for the meat.

“Not much beef and lamb is used in Chinese cooking and I hope this promotion will bring wagyu appreciation to a new level.”

For the first course, we tried the Seared Wagyu Rolls with King Soya Sauce, Tobiko, Chinese Celery and Golden Mushroom.

According to Lam, the wagyu is first sliced finely, cooked to about 50% before being wrapped with celery, golden mushrooms and ginger. It is then topped with tobiko (flying fish roe).

Next served was Seared Wagyu Cubes with Green Pepper Corn and Oyster Sauce. The meat was tender and aromatic, and enhanced by the use of green pepper.

Lam said the cubes were undercooked too.

Expert at work: A tea master from China demonstrating his tea pouring skills to the guests.

“Overcooking the meat will compromise its moist texture,” Lam said.

We also sampled the Wagyu Broth with Shark’s Fin, Tripe, Beef Shank and Poach Wagyu Sirloin Rolls — which Lam said was a signature dish.

Served in small individual pots with fire underneath, the broth was flavourful with herbal nuances from the 15 different types of herbs used as ingredients.

Served alongside the soup were slices of the raw waygu to be dipped in the broth and eaten like shabu-shabu (steamboat).

The Wok-fried Japanese Crystal Noodle with Soya Wagyu, which uses Japanese transparent crystal noodles, was also palatable with the various ingredients bringing out the dish’s flavour.

Meanwhile, Chynna is also offering a May promotion set dinner, comprising Seared Wagyu rolls with king Soya sauce, Tobiko, Chinese Celery and Golden Mushroom, Wagyu Broth with Shark’s Fin, Tripe, Beef Shank and Poach Wagyu Sir loin Rolls, Wagyu Oxtail Stewed with Chivas Regal 12 -year Whisky, and Candied Floss Grade 9 Wagyu Rib Eye with Choice of Lemon Mayonnaise Drip, Strawberry Dip or French Yellow Mustard.

Lam said the wagyu was imported from Australia and supplied fresh daily.

The meat from Wagyu cattle is known worldwide for its marbling characteristics, tenderness and juiciness and extraordinary depth of flavour due to the high degree of marbling, that all translate to its high market value.

Although Wagyu (‘wa’ means Japanese and ‘gyu’ means cow) was introduced into Japan in the second century, it is now raised in countries like New Zealand, Australia and US.

The Wagyu promotion in Chynna, available until May 31, is priced from RM88++ onwards per dish.