The cows that munch on olives

IF YOU are a fan of top-quality beef, you have until the end of July to experience Japan’s best kept secret – olive beef. Succulent and fulfilling but healthier and tastier than its cousins, Sanuki Wagyu, as olive beef is known, is making its Bangkok debut at Nami Teppanyaki Steakhouse in tantalising 5-course sets. 

With a 700-year history of cattle farming, Kagawa’s beef has long been held in high regard by the people of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. Olives have been cultivated in Kagawa – formerly known as Sanuki – since early last century and it wasn’t long before farmers discovered how olive feeding greatly improved the beef’s texture and taste. Purebred cows are fed with the remains of pressed olives for two full months, resulting in lean yet supple and moist meat with olive oil in the marbling. 

The Japan Meat Grading Association’s Carcass Trading Standards ranks Sanuki Wagyu at grade A and B for its quality and taste, and it is awarded both Gold and Silver labels for its meat quality. According to the association’s test, Sanuki Wagyu is 1.5 times more umami and 1.2 times more tender than branded wagyu beef. Moreover, olive oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acid and serves as a strong antioxidant, allowing foodies to enjoy wagyu beef that is less oily than that of the average wagyu brands. Olive beef is exclusively made on Kagawa Prefecture under strict controls to ensure the highest quality.

The chefs at Nami Teppanyaki Steakhouse are preparing the beef in various ways to construct a delectable meal. A typical meal starts with the appetite-whetting Japanese forest soup – a light, savoury broth with five types of wild Japanese mushrooms – and is followed by olive beef rib salad where the marbled chunks of beef are lightly seared and served on a bed of crunchy greens and refreshing Japanese-style dressing with fresh olive oil as the base. 

The next appetiser is thinly sliced hamachi carpaccio served on ice |and topped with ponzu and olive oil. This dish is a great “break” for your palate. It cleanses the grease from the previous dish in your mouth, leaving the palate clean and refreshed for the next course. 

The star of the night is the seared olive beef rib eye served with pickled olive and fried rice. A 300-gram cut of A4 beef is lightly seared until brown on the outside, leaving the meat inside tender and succulent. It’s then cut into bite-sized pieces and presented with three selections of sauce – spicy miso sauce, ginger and soy sauce as well as red wine sauce. This dish really showcases the tenderness of the beef as well as the olive’s unique green and fruity aroma in the beef’s marbling. 

The meal ends with raspberry milk pudding, served with black bean and kiwi fruits.

 

YUMMY AND UNAMI

Olive Beef sets are priced from Bt3,750 to Bt5,250 and are available till the end of July. 

Nami Teppanyaki Steakhouse is on the lower level of JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok. It is open for lunch from 11.30am to 2.30pm, and for dinner from 6 to 10.30pm.

Reservation is recommended. Call (02) 656 7700 extension 4800.