There, I said it. Had some Wagyu A5, genuine certified import from Japan prepared by an actual chef on a handful of occasions. The last one was on Saturday as part of a business conference in the exec suite of some fancy hotel, talking to potential investors.

The set menu cost the equivalent of $700 per person, wines not included.

And. I. still. don’t. like. it.

The meat is simply too rich, too soft, too greasy. There’s no bite to it. Every time I try it, it reminds me of sucking on a piece of beef flavored butter. A slightly solidified cube of beef lard.

Just give me a Black Angus rump or sirloin steak if you must, that’s pretentious enough at a fraction of the cost and provides such a nicer eating experience.

And please, PLEASE, for the love of everything holy, don’t give me Wagyu cubes topped of with steamed foie gras. That’s akin to buttering your lard. Maybe in 50 years when all my teeth are gone, I’ll appreciate being able to grind down a piece of beef between my gums. But as it stands, the Wagyu hype couldn’t die fast enough.

/rant

  • Sabin10@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    When I had it in Kobe they would cook the steak, slice it in to stripes and then cook the cut pieces. Lots of sear, most of the fat is rendered out and its great. You won’t get it medium rare with this method but you really don’t want a5 cooked less than medium or medium well because of the fat content.

    If it’s cooked like that and still too rich for your tastes then it’s just not for you. If they’re serving you a full steak of the stuff uncut and medium rare, they’re fucking up the meat.

    • coffee@lemm.eeOP
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      1 year ago

      Yes I had stripes, cubes, whole steaks, burger mince and whatnot, and just don’t enjoy it in whichever fashion.

      • somethingsnappy@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I’m having trouble with your preference for rump or sirloin. Maybe you just don’t like beef if you didn’t list ribeye first? Or maybe you like things well done?

        • coffee@lemm.eeOP
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          1 year ago

          Ribeyes can be nice, really depending on the particular piece of meat, but they can already be marbled beyond my liking. I eat my steaks rare, bordering on blue, so I want the meat to be on the leaner side since you don’t render all the fat out in the cooking process.

          When I make my own I’ll usually go for picanha (rump cap), cut them into thick slices and grill them on the fat cap until it’s rendering in the pan and then brown the meat just for half a minute on either side in the fat.

            • coffee@lemm.eeOP
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              1 year ago

              No, I love it. But then again I live in Asia where we get prime sushi, the stuff served elsewhere in the world is often miserable.

              • somethingsnappy@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                But you don’t like fatty/smooth texture. I would think that would limit the fish you would like raw. I’ve lived East Asia, and currently live where one can get good sushi. Maybe it’s a reverse problem. I grew up eating grass fed beef, elk, bison, deer, some straight from a farm or hunted.

                • coffee@lemm.eeOP
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                  1 year ago

                  For fish that’s no problem at all, no idea why tbh., come to think of it. There are very few I don’t enjoy - and that’s usually due to that sweet mayonnaise and not the actual fish. As sashimi I couldn’t name a single one I wouldn’t eat.

      • Sabin10@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Technically is was matsuzaka a5 as part of the course menu but they definitely served it that way.

        • Fushuan [he/him]@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          you should just be shot because you’ve just proven your value to society

          If you are joking please explicitly express it because what the fuck advocating murder over food is pathetic.

            • Fushuan [he/him]@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              I have, which is why I gave the benefit of the doubt and started my comment with advice since sarcasm and hiperboles aren’t really well conveyed through text.

              Also, I replied to the wrong comment originally, mb.

  • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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    1 year ago

    If I eat a meal that costs $700 and don’t literally cum from how good it is, I’m demanding a refund.

    • JakenVeina@lemm.ee
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      I don’t even WANT a $700 meal. Either you don’t get your money’s worth, or you do, and all other food is ruined for you.

    • coffee@lemm.eeOP
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      I didn’t pay for it either. If I’d have been the one to order, I would have settled for something way more budget friendly. Not that I mind splurging once in a while, but then only on stuff I actually enjoy.

  • Pons_Aelius@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Right there with you.

    I eat beef to eat meat, not fat.

    Yes, some intramuscular fat improves taste and mouth feel but when there is more fat than muscle…pass.

    • coffee@lemm.eeOP
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      1 year ago

      Exactly that. Nothing against a bit of marbling, or else the steak will just dry out when you put some heat to it, but if there’s more fat than actual meat, I’m not impressed.

  • kool_newt@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Many foods for the wealthy, especially at occasions like you mention are not there to taste good. The purpose of these foods is to signal class distinction to the group.

    • UncleGrandPa@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Which explains the popularity of adding Gold to food and drink. It is literally just to make it expensive and therefore exclusive

      • coffee@lemm.eeOP
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        1 year ago

        Yeah and then you poop glitter. The canal workers are gotta be mightily impressed.

      • kool_newt@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Yep, they like things that are out-of-reach, impractical, difficult to acquire, rare, and ridiculous to normal people.

        • theangryseal@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I can’t exactly judge. My classic game collection has some stupid titles just sitting there barely ever being played. My record collection has a few of those too. I got a record on my shelf by one of my favorite artists that I’ll never listen to because I hate it. It’s sealed, just sitting there so I can say, “Yes chuck, and if you’ll look over here I have the complete collection. Some very rare records there! Only 300 of this one in existence. It’s a terrible record!”

          I can’t tell you why I’m like that either. Just part of human nature I guess and it scales with wealth.

          If I can’t get a damn good deal though, I just don’t get it, whatever it is. I got my Mega Man NES collection (all 5) for 40 bucks.

          • W1Z_4RD@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Huge difference between your little ‘extravagances’ in your game collection and spending $700 on something you are going to flush down the toilet in a few hours. Yours is a tangible investment, the orher not so much.

          • kool_newt@lemm.ee
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            I think collecting stuff you appreciate is different from buying expensive/rare type things for signalling. If you love caviar, cool, if you serve caviar to make your party more posh you’re signalling.

    • coffee@lemm.eeOP
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      I agree, but Wagyu is hyped all around, so some people must actually like it.

      From all the “rich people foods” I’d say lobster is the one I truly love. Beluga caviar is nice but way overpriced, and oysters are just the devil’s snot. Baked and with a pile of minced garlic they are barely palatable.

  • weeeeum@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Use of wagyu and it’s consumption should be and usually is executed differently compared to most steaks and it’s philosophy. Like you said that wagyu is so extremely rich and fatty that it cannot be eaten in large quantities.

    When wagyu is tastefully used (no pun intended) it should be a few small slices on the side of a larger dish. It can also be added to smaller bite size pieces, like wagyu nigiri for example (I have had it and it is wonderful).

    If it’s properties are understood and it is used correctly it is certainly outstanding.

    • ttmrichter@lemmy.world
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      This is a common error: people import food from other cultures and don’t import with it the way it is prepared in that other culture. Then they say “this sucks”.

      Similar thing happens with even something as basic and trivial as tofu: it’s not a meat substitute, and if you try to use it as that it’s going to suck. Make it the way it’s made in the culture that invented it.

      • weeeeum@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Funnily enough I also love tofu. My favorite recipe with it is very simple and only includes onion, scallion, mushroom, bok choy, pork, chicken stock, black pepper and of course tofu (soft).

        It’s also excellent when adding rice to thicken it, making it a sort of porridge

      • Bizarroland@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        I do Wonder though because they said it was bought and paid for at a company function and prepared by a professional chef so you would think that their experience with A5 wagyu has been as Good as it gets.

        As far as I am aware, I’ve never had it so I don’t know which side to believe and I’m not about to shell out big money to give it a try.

  • negativeyoda@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    All that value isn’t necessarily because it’s good (which is wildly subjective) but because of the intensive preparations that go into raising it.

    I think beluga caviar is okay. I didn’t hate it but I wouldn’t seek it out, never mind pay what it costs

    • coffee@lemm.eeOP
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      Right, so in that case I’d say it’s time wasted on raising something of a sub-par standard.

      Beluga is nice, very rich and intense, but unless someone else is paying, I’m having none of that either.

    • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      I could spend 40 years sculpting a 1/4 scale Godzilla out of my boogers, that doesn’t mean anyone should pay a lot for it.

  • ultranaut@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I sort of agree. I enjoy it but it’s a specific thing and there’s better steak experiences out there at better prices. The hype is silly but I don’t think it’s ever going away unfortunately.

  • electriccars@startrek.website
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    1 year ago

    Ground beef with lots of fat = low quality

    Steak that’s seemingly >50% fat = PREMIUM OMG

    I don’t get it. Give me a nice prime or choice steak please. I want fat flavor enhanced meat, not meat flavored fat…

  • Altima NEO@lemmy.zip
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    1 year ago

    That’s fair. I’ve never had it. But I’m also not a fan of chewing on the fat even on a regular old steak.

    I can’t imagine id enjoy wagyu either.

  • Sabre363@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    I have literally never had enough money to know wagyu beef even is, but if it’s as you described, then I don’t think I’m missing much.