Tender into the night

AFTER DELIGHTING Japanese palates for more than 80 years, Kyoto’s well-known teppanyaki restaurant Mikaku has finally spread its wings with the opening last month of its first overseas outlet in Bangkok. Located in Thonglor, the residential area much favoured by the Japanese expat community, it’s hoping to introduce the capital’s meat eaters to the delights of Kobe beef grilled on the teppan.

Opened in 1929 in Kyoto’s famed geisha district of Gion, Mikaku started by offering a wide range of sukiyaki dishes and later expanded to include teppan-grilled premium grade beef from Kobe. Today the restaurant is run by Kenji Mita, a third-generation member of the family, who jealously guards his grandfather’s secrets and is himself a master of the teppan. 

“My grandfather intended to open a wagyu restaurant that focused on sukiyaki dishes but later moved on to include teppanyaki,” he tells The Sunday Nation.

“We’ve just finished renovating our restaurant in Kyoto in preparation for our centennial. We’ve always had Thai customers in Kobe and they told me that there are many good Japanese beef restaurants here. I’ve always liked Bangkok and felt the time was right to introduce the real Kobe beef to Thais.”

The Bangkok branch is run by Epicureans, who also holds the Thai licence for the French bakery Maison Eric Kayser with which Mikaku shares the building. Calm and surprisingly cosy, the dining space includes two private rooms for 24 diners that are equipped with teppanyaki grills. Mita himself has taken charge of the kitchen and under his watchful eye, standards are high. Only Kobe wagyu beef grade 4 to 5 tenderloin and sirloin aged 29 to 30 months old is used and comes complete with a certificate to guarantee its origin. 

Wagyu beef is said to be good for the health as it contains higher percentages of unsaturated fat. Marbled with a soft texture, it is named after its origins and includes Kobe beef, Matsuzaka beef and Mishima beef. It’s rich in omega three oils, said to lower the cholesterol and ward off cardiovascular problems.

It’s categorised into marbling grades from A to C, with the A5 grade boasting the highest quality and the most expensive price. 

“I used to eat Thai-French beef when I was here. It has a good taste and is better than other kinds of wagyu beef available in Thai restaurants. However, I think Kobe beef is of better quality, more suitable for teppanyaki,” Mita says. “Some of the herbs and of course the beef are imported from Japan and our ceramic tables have also been specially designed by veteran Japanese artisans.” 

The chef is careful to store the beef at the proper temperature and uses a special knife to ensure the optimum thickness of the steak. Signature dishes include Kobe beefsteak, Sukiyaki and Oil-yaki (stir-fried marbled beef). 

Mita welcomes the press to his restaurant with a special five-course lunch that starts with Beef Tataki, tender Kobe beef fillet served with a very smooth Zuwai crab and spinach panna cotta. Next up is Chawan Mushi, cold steamed egg custard filled with sliced beef. A choice of sirloin steak and oil-yaki follows, each dish served with grilled vegetables, green salad and grilled tomato and four kinds of sauce – soy, sesame, chilli and yusu orange.

Garlic rice, clear soup and pickles are also offered and the meal ends with Creme Brulee served with sliced Japanese melon. 

In addition to Kobe beef, diners can feast on black abalone, lobster, king crab, maguro steak and oyster. Prices for the steak and oil-yaki start at Bt4,300.

 

MARBLED MARVELS

Mikaku is on the second floor of the Eric Kayser Building between Thonglor Sois 3 and 5. It’s open daily from 5pm to 11pm for dinner and on Saturday and Sunday for lunch from noon to 2pm. 

Book a table at (02) 712 9080.