In One Word: Amazing: Wagyu Wednesday at Taiko (8 Courses of Wagyu!)
Do you love Wagyu? Then I have a golden tip for you. Every Wednesday, restaurant Taiko in Amsterdam serves the Wagyu Wednesday Omakase (‘surprise me’) menu. That means 8 courses starring the much-praised Japanese beef. Discover what makes Wagyu beef so special and taste the most delicious dishes they create with Wagyu here.
Since the opening of Taiko Cuisine, the Asian-inspired restaurant in the Conservatorium Hotel, Wagyu has held a central place on the menu. With Wagyu Wednesday, executive chef Schilo van Coevorden now gives the refined Japanese beef a full stage across eight courses.
What makes Wagyu so special?
Just hearing the word Wagyu puts me into ecstasy. As a Wagyu enthusiast—no idea whether that word exists, but I’m happy to introduce it here—I can’t think of anything more delicious than an entire menu starring this magnificent meat. Wagyu isn’t just top of the bill in Japan; the beef is praised worldwide for its rich, buttery flavor.
The reason? The unique marbling of fat in the meat, which creates unparalleled flavor, tenderness and juiciness. With Wagyu, the fat isn’t around the meat but truly in it. Intramuscular fat, in other words. ‘Regular’ meat has a strip of fat and is smooth and evenly pinkish-red in the middle, or has coarse veins of fat. Wagyu has an incredibly fine marbling.
Add the good nutrition, the excellent life this breed enjoys (they’re even massaged) and the incredible dishes they create with it at Taiko, and you’ll understand: you’ll want to take a seat here next Wednesday.
Wagyu A5
There are many roads to Rome, and likewise there are many types of Wagyu beef. The finest, purest variety comes from Japanese Kobe. There is also Wagyu from Australia and the United States, but only Japanese Wagyu is classified as 100% purebred.
The word ‘Wagyu’ refers to all Japanese cattle, with ‘wa’ meaning Japanese and ‘gyu’ meaning cattle. Even in Japan, not all Wagyu is the same, which is why authentic Japanese Wagyu is not only strictly regulated but also classified. Letters—from A to C—indicate quality differences between different Japanese Wagyu cattle. The letter A is given to the type of Wagyu with the most meat and the thickest muscles. A quality grade is also assigned based on the (previously mentioned) marbling, color and texture. This runs from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest value. Wagyu A5 is therefore the highest quality available—and the most expensive meat.
Deliciously soft and creamy
Taiko’s latest 8-course menu is an ode to Wagyu, featuring it in carefully crafted culinary creations that produce unique flavor combinations. The first dish is served in beautiful Japanese tableware with a lid. Beneath it there is also raw chuu toro—medium-fatty tuna from the rear part of the tuna belly—which is just as wonderfully soft and creamy as Wagyu. We drink a cloudy Japanese sparkling sake with it—delicious!
Wagyu charcuterie
At Taiko, it’s not only about the amazing dishes but also the presentation. A large piece of Wagyu is displayed as a centerpiece beneath a glass cloche on the table. Served alongside: wasabi. Taiko is one of the few restaurants where you actually get real wasabi. Most wasabi served with your sushi is actually completely fake. The second dish, a light cracker with Wagyu charcuterie, oyster and oyster leaf, is served on a wooden platter, on a mattress of red lentils, star anise and cinnamon sticks. No cutlery is needed—take a bite and the flavors and textures deliver a mountain of pleasure. The light, crispy cracker, the fatty, rich Wagyu and the briny oyster: this is magic!
Smoked shisha nigiri
Chef Schilo comes to the table himself to declare his love for Wagyu and for the dish he serves at Taiko in Dubai: smoked shisha nigiri. When he lifts the lids from the porcelain dishes, smoke billows out. This dish, too, is in a class of its own. Smoked Wagyu with rice, a little wasabi and a little marinade: what a flavor! The smoking is done with Arab apple tobacco, which not only gives it a delicious smoky flavor but also creates a bit of table-side theater. It’s the typical shisha scent (from the hookahs) so characteristic of Dubai.
Maki sushi foie gras
The next dish is the ultimate in decadence. Sushi with Wagyu and foie gras. If there is one delicacy that sparks heated debate, it’s foie gras. But when foie gras is produced ethically—fortunately, animal-friendly foie gras does exist—it can be enjoyed responsibly. Like Wagyu, foie gras is fatty and silky-soft, and it is also slightly sweet. I really had to close my eyes for a moment to experience all these flavors. Insanely delicious!
Katsu Sando
A Katsu Sando is a sandwich with meat; katsu means meat and sando means sandwich. In its original form, a Katsu Sando is a sandwich (made with Japanese milk bread) with a breaded Japanese schnitzel and a tonkatsu sauce (ideal for your Japanese pantry!) Here, the schnitzel is replaced with Wagyu, and there’s no tonkatsu sauce but wasabi and mustard. It may be getting a little predictable, but this is yet another incredible dish. The white bread with its crispy edge around the tender Wagyu: drive me crazy.
Ma Po Tofu
Ma Po Tofu is one of—or perhaps the best-known dish from—Chinese Sichuan cuisine. It consists of soft tofu and minced meat in a spicy red sauce made with Sichuan peppercorns. Here, the minced meat is replaced with Wagyu. The combination of silky-soft tofu with Wagyu’s fatty, rich flavor and the spicy Sichuan seasonings… heavenly!
Hibachi Niku Tori
The final dish before dessert proves, in my opinion, exactly how special Wagyu is. It needs so little to bring its rich, soft texture and distinctive flavor to full maturity. By briefly cooking the meat on a special Hibachi grill (with real binchotan charcoal), the fat melts while the flavor of the meat remains pure and intense. A little salt is all the meat needs, but the crispy garlic completes it perfectly. What a fantastic evening!
Price of Taiko Wagyu Wednesday
Do you also love good meat and are you as much of a Wagyu fan as I am? Then block off Wednesday in your calendar. The Wagyu Wednesday menu is available every Wednesday evening from 18:30 at Taiko. Reservations are possible but not required. You can also order on the spot. The 8-course menu costs €149 per person and can be extended with a wine & sake pairing for €85 per person. Considering that Wagyu is one of the most luxurious and exclusive types of meat in the world, Schilo is a fantastic chef and Taiko is a beautiful venue, I think €149 for an 8-course Wagyu menu is a very reasonable price.
Taiko, Van Baerlestraat 27, 1071 AN Amsterdam. Not pictured but included on the menu: Gyoza and Chocolate hibiki
Read also:
- The Japanese aburi technique gives you the perfect steak
- ARCA’s Cheek-y Asian Sando is the sandwich you’ll want to try
- 5 things you want to know about meat but don’t dare ask the butcher
