Maesawa Wagyu Beef, in Iwate
I’ve found it. The best steak in the world.
In the last year I’ve been lucky to try both Kobe beef and Yonezawa beef, famous throughout Japan for their rich taste and marvelling, whereby the beef contains a great deal of fat streaked throughout.
The dashes of fat through the meat give the steak a ‘melt in your mouth’ taste and texture, as the fat has a low melting temperature (so it genuinely does melt in your mouth – no exaggeration!)
Maesawa beef are raised in north Iwate and given a great deal of care and attention, to ensure the best cuts possible.
I’d heard excellent reviews for a restaurant called Wakana, in downtown Morioka, where the chef cooks the steak on a metal grill in front of you so you can watch the magic unfold.
Watching our master chef season and gently cook the steak for 20 minutes was absolute torture – alas, the wait was absolutely worth it. .
The steak came served with a small amount of Italian salt and a tablespoon of spicy miso paste (made in house), that complimented the steak wonderfully.
I struggled to eat it. Not because I was full, but because I didn’t want it to end. Every bite of the steak meant I was closer to finishing the outstanding artistic perfection that was Maesawa beef.
You can expect to pay between ¥ 6000 – ¥ 18000, depending on the course (the steak course I ordered was ¥ 8000). But the high prices are well worth it. If you’re in Japan on holiday, trying Wagyu beef at this quality, is an absolute must.
There’s nothing quite like it outside of Japan.
Where: Wakana
Address: 1 Chome-3-33 Ōsawakawara, Morioka-shi, Iwate-ken, Japan
