Wagyu Ya, South Yarra

As its name suggests, Wagyu Ya specialises in wagyu beef, particularly wagyu cooked over Japanese barbecue. Set over two levels, it has both a la carte (downstairs) and smokeless charcoal barbecue (upstairs). Bookings are recommended for the dinner barbecue menu. Its a la carte menu has items from sushi and sashimi to noodles and rice, and also a variety of entrees and side dishes. We came here today to try out Wagyu Ya’s lunch special menu which consists of donburi, ramen, sushi, sashimi and, of course, barbecued wagyu.

BBQ Lunch Special Set - Harami ($21) Red Miso Soup, Potato Salad, Tori Karaage, Yaki Buda Gohan (Grilled Kurobuta w. Teriyaki Sauce on Rice), Sweet Soy, Sesame, Spicy Miso Sauce

BBQ Lunch Special Set – Harami ($21) Red Miso Soup, Potato Salad, Tori Karaage, Yaki Buda Gohan (Grilled Kurobuta w. Teriyaki Sauce on Rice), Sweet Soy, Sesame, Spicy Miso Sauce

All the barbecue lunch sets contained the same dishes but had a different cut of 7+ BMS wagyu, which is cooked in the kitchen before being brought out. I had the harami, which is part of the diaphragm. I’m not entirely sure what the equivalent cut in Australian terms is, but it could be the skirt. The wagyu was already nicely seasoned, but we were also provided with three dipping sauces to go with it: sweet soy, sesame and spicy miso. Though it was tasty and juicy, the batter of the chicken karaage wasn’t quite crispy. The potato salad was creamy and surprisingly refreshing because of the addition of cucumber and carrot. It contained mayo, but it didn’t overpower the potato flavour, which I commonly find with potato salad.

BBQ Lunch Special Set - Tri-tip ($21) Red Miso Soup, Potato Salad, Tori Karaage, Yaki Buda Gohan (Grilled Kurobuta w. Teriyaki Sauce on Rice), Sweet Soy, Sesame, Spicy Miso Sauce

Mum had the tri-tip, which had a more meaty flavour but wasn’t quite as tender as the harami.

BBQ Lunch Special Set - Harami ($21) Red Miso Soup, Potato Salad, Tori Karaage, Yaki Buda Gohan (Grilled Kurobuta w. Teriyaki Sauce on Rice), Sweet Soy, Sesame, Spicy Miso Sauce

Both of us loved the yaki buda gohan – flavoursome little cubes of kurobuta pork and not-too-sweet teriyaki sauce on beautifully cooked, fluffy rice. The miso soup was also very good, and seemed to be made with the darker red miso that imparted a lovely depth and richness to the soup.

Initially the serve of wagyu may not seem that much, but the wagyu’s fattiness and the inclusion of other substantial dishes made the BBQ lunch set a satisfying meal. We were both impressed by the quality of food and Wagyu Ya is definitely on my radar for a revisit.

Wagyu Ya: Japanese Chargrill Restaurant
156 Toorak Road
South Yarra, VIC, 3141
(03) 9867 2882
http://www.wagyuya.com.au/
Wagyu Ya Japanese Chargrill Restaurant on Urbanspoon

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