Wagyu beef has become a hot commodity at some of London’s best restaurants over recent years. Something of a premium product, the A-grade beef is famed for its high level of marbling, which gives it its unique flavour and melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Typically, high-end Wagyu beef cuts including sirloin, ribeye and short rib are the most coveted amongst the world’s top chefs, but attention is turning to the round cut for its delicate marbling, high nutritional value and rich umami flavour. The round cut is divided into three sections: topside, silverside and rump (or thick flank).
This particular cut can be grilled, fried, stewed, slow-cooked, reverse seared or simply served rare. It’s a highly versatile piece of meat, but one that’s not widely recognised or used to its full advantage here in the UK.
In a bid to get more people eating and enjoying Japanese Wagyu beef round cut, a series of exclusive dishes featuring the beef have been developed by 20 London chefs at top restaurants across London. The Wagyu Experience takes place from 5 December 2022 to 15 January 2023, and is hosted in association with Japan Livestock Export Promotion Council.
The Council has now developed and is promoting the use of QR codes, which allows diners to find out more about the meat they're eating, including information on individual cattle and its grade. If you find one, simply scan it with your phone and enjoy the story behind the Wagyu.
Learn more about Japanese Wagyu beef, or take a look at this introduction to the Special Wagyu Experience with Top Global Chefs in London. For more information on menus and dates of the campaign, click here.
Where to enjoy Wagyu beef in London
Keen to learn more about Wagyu beef round cuts? All of the restaurants taking part in the campaign are listed below, where they are serving special dishes using Japanese Wagyu beef round cuts until 15 January 2023.
Cheneston’s Restaurant, Kensington
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What: Cheneston's is an intimate and elegant fine dining restaurant at the Milestone Hotel in Kensington serving modern British cuisine. Take a seat in the traditional dining room to indulge in some of executive chef Daniel Putz's well-executed dishes, including native lobster tortellini with tomatoes, basil and courgette, and roasted loin of venison with celeriac, pear, hispi cabbage and a red wine jus.
Dish to try: Pan-roasted Japanese Wagyu, smoked mashed potatoes, Wagyu beef fat carrots, croquets, pickled mushrooms, and bordelaise jus
When: 17-23 December
Where: 1-3 Kensington Court, W8 5DL
Book now: Cheneston's Restaurant
Zephyr, Notting Hill
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What: Dinner at Grecian restaurant Zephyr is served in the simple but stylish dining room, although there is a late-night bar downstairs if you don't want to end the night post-meal - and we bet that you won't. Dishes span spreads, raw plates, meat, fish and vegetable options, including the likes of baked butter beans with feta cheese and olives, and octopus with yellow fava bean purée and kalamata olive mayo.
Dish to try: Wagyu tartare and caviar
When: 12-18 December
Where: 100 Portobello Road, W11 2QD
Book now: Zephyr
Frog by Adam Handling, Covent Garden
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What: Michelin-starred Frog by Adam Handling is known for its beautifully British, and sometimes theatrical, dishes, each one reflecting a personal memory or experience that has shaped Adam's career. His signature Wagyu beef dish is available as part of his regular tasting menu, for an extra supplement, which he's chosen to serve with sweet black garlic and wild herbs. Only available for the first week of December.
Dish to try: Japanese Wagyu beef with wild garlic and wild herbs
When: 5-11 December
Where: 34-35 Southampton Street, WC2E 7HG
Book now: Frog by Adam Handling
Kitchen Table, Fitzrovia
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What: It might seem cliché for a two-Michelin-starred restaurant to serve Wagyu beef on its menu, but who are we to complain? Especially when the dish at hand is a Wagyu skewer cooked over charcoal, brushed with black garlic, smoked bone marrow and wild garlic, then finished with roasted shrimp hollandaise, parsley, pickled red onion and a yoghurt salad. No, we're certainly not complaining.
Dish to try: Japanese Wagyu black garlic skewer with smoked bone marrow and roasted shrimp hollandaise
When: 5-11 December
Where: 70 Charlotte Street, W1T 4QG
Book now: Kitchen Table
The Silver Birch, Chiswick
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What: This cosy neighbourhood restaurant on Chiswick High Street serves modern British plates focussed around the best locally-sourced ingredients. There are only a handful each of starters, mains and desserts on the a la carte menu, including the happy addition of roasted Wagyu with yuzu kosho, black garlic and spinach, available over the next month or so.
Dish to try: Roasted Wagyu with yuzu kosho, black garlic and spinach
When: 5-11 December
Where: 142 Chiswick High Road, W4 1PU
Book now: The Silver Birch
Issho-Ni, Bethnal Green
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What: The concept behind this friendly neighbourhood restaurant and bar in Bethnal Green is simple. It's an izakaya-inspired venture, in which small sharing plates are designed to share and pair with creative cocktails. Expect an extensive selection of fresh sushi, tasty snacks and fried dishes, while cocktails such as a Miso-Whisky Sour slip down all too easily.
Dish to try: Wagyu Carpaccio
When: 5-11 December
Where: 185 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6AB
Book now: Issho-Ni
Hide, Mayfair
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What: Effortlessly chic interiors and Michelin-starred food easily shoots HIDE Above to the top of many a foodies' bucket list. Overlooking Green Park, the light-filled restaurant provides a serene backdrop to a menu that is anything but. Ollie Dabbous has formulated a witty menu of sublime flavours, including his signature Wagyu beef dish which sees the meat thinly sliced and served with caviar and a warm oxtail broth.
Dish to try: Wagyu beef shavings, Oscietra caviar and rye in a warm oxtail broth
When: 5-11 December
Where: 85 Piccadilly, W1J 7NB
Book now: Hide
Farang London, Highbury
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What: The high-quality steak is being put to good use at Thai restaurant Farang in Highbury & Islington. This highly-praised haunt has earned itself a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin guide thanks to its menu of authentic and aromatic dishes. Keep your eyes peeled for its Wagyu beef stir-fry, made with roasted tomato and chilli jam, pineapple vinegar and crispy shallots, and served with steamed rice.
Dish to try: Wagyu Thai-style stir fry
When: 5-11 December
Where: 72 Highbury Park, N5 2XE, UK
Book now: Farang
Akoko, Fitzrovia
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What: Owner Aji Akokomi draws on his West African heritage at this innovative, fine dining spot in Fitzrovia, with executive chef Ayo Adeyemi presiding over an innovative menu. There is only one tasting menu available, which means that every diner gets to experience Aji's signature dishes. Look out for the likes of yassa cream with chicken mousse, scallops with green plantain and miso, and butternut squash with mackerel and honey.
Dish to try: A5 Wagyu tartare, smoked peppers dressed with Scotch bonnet, agege bread finished in Wagyu fat
When: 5-11 December
Where: 21 Berners Street, W1T 3LP
Book now: Akoko
The Colony Grill Room, Mayfair
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What: You can find this art-deco-inspired dining room tucked inside The Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair, where it takes its inspiration from the grill restaurants in New York. Dining here is always fun and glamorous, owed in equal part to its royal red interiors and menu of brasserie classics. Here, it's served Wagyu beef in an elegant tortellini dish, finished with a light but flavoursome broth.
Dish to try: Tortellini of confit Wagyu and Hereford snails, oxtail broth, fennel and nasturtium
When: 5-11 December
Where: 8 Balderton Street, W1K 6TF
Book now: The Colony Grill Room
Mazi, Notting Hill
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What: Innovative Greek cuisine is the name of the game at Mazi London, which also has a site in Abu Dhabi if you’re ever heading that way. The menu offers a selection of small and large sharing dishes, including a twist on classic vine leaves made with Wagyu steak and served with a potato quenelle, romano peppers and gochujang demi-glace.
Dish to try: Wagyu wrapped in vine leaves
When: 12-18 December
Where: 12 Hillgate Street, W8 7SR
Book now: Mazi
Madera at Treehouse London, Fitzrovia
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What: Located inside Treehouse Hotel in Fitzrovia, Madera offers experiential Mexican dining with great views of London and beautiful leafy interiors. Alongside a selection of raw plates, salads, tacos, and sharing plates is a fire-roasted flatbread topped with Wagyu beef, caramelised onion, fresh avocado, jalapeno chilli and spiced Edam cheese.
Dish to try: Wagyu beef flatbread with caramelized onion, avocado, jalapeño and Edam
When: 17-23 December
Where: 14-15 Langham Place, W1B 2QS
Book now: Madera
Junsei, Marylebone
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What: At the centre of Junsei’s cooking ethos is a charcoal grill, which injects its dishes with fantastic smoky heat. Junsei means ‘pure’ in Japanese, and that’s what you can expect from the food here – no-fuss, properly honest dishes made with the best ingredients. Junsei is serving Wagyu raw as a tartare, alongside a grilled rice patty and a golden kimizu sauce.
Dish to try: Wagyu tartare on grilled rice patty with kimizu sauce
When: 9-15 January
Where: 132 Seymour Place, W1H 1NS
Book now: Junsei
Gunpowder, Soho
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What: You can always guarantee a great meal at Gunpowder, a vibrant Indian restaurant that never fails to draw crowds. The menu is built around sharing and each and every dish offers something truly unique. Think spicy venison and vermicelli doughnuts, Bengali beetroot croquettes and garlic butter mussels.
Dish to try: TBC
When: 9-15 January
Where: 20 Greek Street, W1D 4DU
Book now: Gunpowder
Bob Bob Ricard, City
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What: Bob Bob Ricard is known for many things: glitzy interiors, indulgent French-British fare and its famous ‘press for Champagne’ buttons at every table. Now, there's another reason to pay a visit, and that’s its Wagyu steak haché dish, which sees grilled chopped Wagyu beef topped with melted gruyère cheese, and served with a fried duck egg and peppercorn sauce.
Dish to try: Wagyu steak haché
When: 9-15 January
Where: 122 Leadenhall Street, EC3V 4AB
Book now: Bob Bob Ricard City
Akari Japanese Kitchen & Bar, Islington
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What: This izakaya in Islington serves amazing drinks with tapas-style Japanese plates in a relaxed and cosy dining room. There are no main courses as such, but guests are invited to choose a selection of small dishes to complement a cohort of adventurous cocktails. Head chef Daikichi Saito wants to show that Wagyu can be an approachable meat enjoyed more regularly than it currently is, which is why he’s served his signature dish in a can – just like pickles or sardines!
Dish to try: Canned Wagyu steak bite
When: 9-15 January
Where: 196 Essex Road, N1 8LZ
Book now: Akari
Tatale, Southwark
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What: Tatale is a contemporary pan-African concept founded by Akwasi Brenya-Mensa, with the aim of teaching diners more about African culture and cuisine. Its dishes are designed to tell stories, which you can read all about on the menu thanks to little descriptions beneath each dish. Its red eye black bean stew, for example, is Akwasi's favourite childhood dish, and one he used to ask his mum to make every Tuesday after football.
Dish to try: TBC
When: 9-15 January
Where: 66 Great Suffolk Street, SE1 0BL
Book now: Tatale
Bife, Aldgate
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What: We'd argue that a steakhouse is one of the best places to enjoy Wagyu, seeing as it's quite literally a place that's dedicated to serving perfectly-cooked beef steaks. This Argentinian spot in Aldgate keeps things simple with a selection of cuts served alongside classic sides and sauces. You can also order your favourite steak in lomitos form, which is a traditional gourmet sandwich from Cordoba.
Dish to try: TBC
When: 9-15 January
Where: 40-42 Middlesex Street, E1 7EX
Book now: Bife
Mano, Mayfair
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What: Mano is a particularly glam spot on Heddon Street serving South American-Japanese fusion food in plush, barely-lit interiors. The dishes are pretty exciting, and you can expect to find things like cassava chips with wasabi mayo and black angus ribs with miso on the menu.
Dish to try: TBC
When: 9-15 January
Where: 4 Heddon Street, W1B 4BS
Book now: Mano
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