When it comes to premium Japanese beef, most epicureans’ general knowledge are confined to just Wagyu. But did you know that under the category of Wagyu lies several more species?

Many restaurants—outside of Japan—use the word ‘Wagyu’ and ‘Kobe’ interchangeably, which is inherently wrong. Here’s the thing: Every Kobe is Wagyu, but not all Wagyu is Kobe.

Wagyu basically refers to any Japanese cattle breed, whereas Kobe, on the other hand, refers to a specific black Tajima cattle that have been raised under strict conditions in Hyogo Prefecture.

From Matsusaka Beef to Ohmi Beef, here are The 5 Different Types of Premium Japanese Beef Worth Splurging On.

Source: Rakuten

#1 IGA BEEF

As its name implies, the high-quality Iga Beef hails from Iga, Japan.

Iga’s mountainous climate makes an ideal environment for the rearing of cattle. Iga Beef was the go-to meat for Iga ninjas during wartime, where the warriors would consume it dried.

Iga Beef comes from Japanese black-haired heifers and are managed by the Iga Beef Cattle Production Promotion Council. Iga Beef, characterised by a distinct aroma and tenderness, is best eaten in a sukiyaki.

#2 KOBE BEEF

The Kobe Beef is a prized gourmet delicacy that has captured the attention of foodies all over the world. Boasting a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a high-fat marbling index, the flavourful beef has gone through careful rearing to attain such qualities.

These pedigree black Tajima cows are born, raised and slaughtered in the Hyogo Prefecture of Kobe. Upon slaughtering, these meats must still go through a series of tests before earning the Kobe Beef Certification.

Fun fact: Even professional basketball player Kobe Bryant was named after it.

#3 MATSUSAKA BEEF

While Kobe Beef is arguably the most famous Wagyu beef amongst foreigners, discerning diners and Japanese natives will know that Matsusaka Beef is actually cremè de la cremè. The ultra-delicate meat instantly melts in your mouth, leaves a sweet aftertaste and tastes beyond divine. Needless to say, it is the most expensive beef out of all types of beef in Japan.

Only the finest female calves are picked from the Kuroge breeds registered in the Matsusaka Beef Management System and reared under strict guidelines. While most cows are slaughtered at the 18-month mark, these virgin cattle will live till about three years old.

Additionally, they are massaged with distilled Shochu and fed beer about half a year before being processed.

Source: Japan National Tourism Organization

#4 OHMI BEEF

Out of all the wagyu beef listed here, the Ohmi Beef actually has the longest history—it dates back to over 400 years!

The soft marbled Ohmi Beef is prepared from Japanese black cattle reared around Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture; the cattle is fed a well-balanced nutritious diet and drinks from the lake’s clean water. The end result is an easily digestible fat viscous meat with a significantly lower melting point of 24.8 degree celsius compared to other wagyu beef.

Source: VKeong

#5 SAGA BEEF

Only black-haired Japanese cows—reared in an agricultural-association-designated farm in Saga Prefecture—with a BMS (Beef Marbling Standard) Rating of 7 and above can be certified an official Saga Beef.

These cows are raised under expert breeding techniques and experience no stress throughout their lifetimes to achieve a tender fine-grained marbled beef.

About the writer:
Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves traveling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.

HAN Restaurant at Odeon Towers is a kushikatsu speciality restaurant that serves Japanese skewers kaiseki-style. During lunch, they have a lunch set of seven sticks for $75, while omakase at dinner starts from $120.

I know you cannot really go wrong with deep-fried stuff, but trust me, the offerings at HAN restaurant are not your typical greasy and sinful food. How should I put it? Every stick that we had was fresh, flavourful, and most importantly, not oily to the extent that you will feel sick after eating it. In fact, we still wanted more after we had seven to eight sticks.

HAN has good sushi and sashimi, but what you should focus on is its Osaka speciality kushikatsu.

After having hamachi with truffle salt, olive oil and roe, the main event began. First up, the  soft crab claw. Then, we had a stick of delightful scallop.

Following that, we had a lotus root – stuffed with chicken, and Japanese curry – paired with a Worcestershire sauce. Next up, a pike eel which went very well with a delicate plum sauce. The angel prawn was served, and all it needed was a sprinkle of salt.

The mushroom was succulent and sweet, but it paled in comparison with HAN’s signature Ohmi beef. I took the first bite with truffle salt, and the second with mustard sauce. But really, the beef was so good on its own that there was no need for any condiments. It’s not ohmi beef, it’s oh-my-beef! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist).

Also awesome . . . A cherry tomato filled with cream cheese and tomato puree. It tasted like a bite of heaven.

We slowly hit the height of the menu’s crescendo. Just when we thought that things could not get any better, the chef served us foie gras. The pairing of Kansei egg plant and foie gras was sensational. My dining companions described it as ‘sin plus sin’.

After which, we had a deep-fried onion. I thought it was amazing that onions could actually taste so good.

By now, I’ve lost count of the number of dishes that we had. The parma ham with king oyster mushroom and cream cheese was brought before us. Again, delicious and one bite was not enough. Not long after, we had a simple but delicious white corn, and Japanese tomato.

A sushi platter will ensure that, if you were not already feeling full by this course, you will be stuffed by the time you are done. And for desserts, we had a plate of Japanese peach and grapes.

A meal at HAN Restaurant is not cheap, but if you like Japanese food (deep-fried stuff in particular) and want something different from the usual kaiseki restaurants, here’s the place to go.

HAN Restaurant
331 North Bridge Road
#01-04 Odeon Towers
Tel: +65 6336 2466
Daily: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm

Note: This was an invited media tasting.

For more recommendations, read my list of Best Japanese Restaurants in Singapore

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