This is the second post about my Japan Travels in 2023. Other posts in this series include Sushi Zanmai Tsukiji Tokyo.
Wagyumafia is an elite members-only club that has spawned out a number of restaurants in Tokyo focusing on different aspects of Wagyu beef. For those obsessed with the top beef in the world, Wagyumafia is at the pinnacle. Wagyumafia started out in 2016 as a private supper club in Tokyo. Beef exporters Hisato Hamada and entrepreneur Takafumi Horie held private wagyu-themed pop-up dinners in Tokyo showcasing top cuts of beef from the best producers in Japan.
Membership was extremely limited, and for as long as we have been aware, there were no more memberships available in Japan.
But then in 2018 they decided to open their first overseas location . . . . in Hong Kong!
Boom! All of a sudden a whole new batch of new memberships became available in Hong Kong. Better yet, if you got a membership in Hong Kong, you could book any of the restaurants in Japan as well!
Of course, then the pandemic hit and we were sort of stuck (like everyone else), unable to travel for a couple years. It wasn't until this Tokyo trip in 2023 that we finally had the opportunity to take advantage of our membership and book a Wagyumafia restaurant in Tokyo!
Wagyumafia has several different restaurants in Tokyo, focusing on different themes. We decided to try a Yakiniku at Wagyumafia District. Please do note this is different from Yakinikumafia in Hong Kong, which is a more casual, open to the public (no membership required) restaurant at a lower price point serving "affordable cuts" of Wagyu.
The price of a tasting at Yakiniku Wagyumafia is JPY22,000 per person (USD$145). If you want to add on the famous Ozaki sirloin "sando", it's an extra JPY11,000 (USD$72).
いってらっしゃい！itterasshai!
They showed us all the different cuts of beef we would enjoy later in the yakiniku. Yes, that is a huge beef tongue on the tray.
But first, Veggies
We enjoyed some lightly grilled cabbage and bean sprouts. The quality was amazing. It may not look like much, but the cabbage was exceptionally sweet, and the bean sprouts were crispy. The vegetables are carefully sourced from (I believe) a dedicated farm.
The tongue meat was also tender and very tasty.
Onions and zucchini on the side, a piece of beef fat in the center.
Aside from the tongue, we tried other cuts of more unusual meat, such as diaphragm and even an offal hot pot at the end.
Sando + Lots of gold flakes
In a lot ways, photos don't do this meal justice. When they brought out their famous signature Ozaki beef sirloin "sando", they shut the lights and told us all to set our phones on slo-motion.
Watch the video below to see what happens:
The sando is one of my favorite items at Wagyumafia. I could do without the gold (it doesn't add anything in terms of taste), but I guess they do put on a good performance with it.
Offal Hot Pot
It is interesting how the tasting at this restaurant mostly focused on more unusual cuts of beef. I guess the more conventional cuts of meat are sold at the normal Wagyumafia restaurant, and these other parts are used for yakiniku?
In any event, these other cuts are also delicious, and it's nice to make use of all parts of the beef (at least as much as possible). The hot pot was delicious, and a warming way to finish the meal.
Wagyumafia District Yakinikumafia Tokyo
3-7-4, Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku
Shibuya City, TOKYO 150-0001
