LOCATED in the sometimes comically traffic congested neighbourhood of Desa Sri Hartamas, Kin Gyu (which translates to golden cow) is a Japanese restaurant specialising in serving the decadently fatty delicacy that is wagyu in all its unique permutations.
Opened in 2019, Kin Gyu is a contemporary Tokyo-style restaurant specialising in Japanese wagyu. By Tokyo-style it means its design and aesthetic is like those of the hidden, speakeasy restaurants found in the Japanese capital. For Muslim diners, the meat on offer is halal, though the restaurant does serve alcohol.
On the second floor of a shoplot, customers have to go up the stairwell (or the elevator) to face a seemingly out-of-place wooden door, before being transported into a well appointed and authentic looking setting.
The restaurant has 22 private dining rooms, each room has designs inspired by traditional shoji screens with bright, stylised modern patterns depicting Japanese seasons and elements.
The rooms can seat two to four, and up to 16, making it a fitting place for romantic dates or large family/business gatherings. There are also six seats on a counter facing the open kitchen.
The menu is filled with signature dishes like wagyu tartare, wagyu sushi, carpaccio and Steak of the Day are featured. Much like how some restaurants would bring out a fresh lobster for you to inspect while ordering, if you opt for a steak, the helpful staff will bring out fresh blocks of wagyu so you can see firsthand the quality of the meat and the all important marbling.
For those unfamiliar with what sets wagyu apart from other steaks, the care that goes into rearing the cows is translated into really fatty and tender meat. Visually, you can tell it apart by the streaks of fat (the marbling) criss-crossing the steak. When ingested, it’s almost as if the meat melts in your mouth.
Of course, this also means that you can’t really eat authentic wagyu in the Western style of eating steak – you’d likely be disappointed. Hence the variety of creative preparations that Kin Gyu specialises in.
To boost and accent the flavour of the meat, diners are offered a variety of 15 salts and sauces such as yuzu butter, wasabi salt, truffle salt and whole grain mustard to choose from.
Kin Gyu also offers a slew of more traditional classics such as wagyu sushi, maki, shabu-shabu and sukiyaki. For a layman who isn't that knowledgeable about wagyu, experiencing the fatty meat used with the expected sushi dishes made me realise again the creativity that can come from using simple ingredients in unique ways.
Serving all things authentically Japanese, that of course includes a variety of sake, available in three serving sizes for parties of every type. Like with the wagyu serving platter, you can also get eight kinds of sake if you’re a connoisseur of the spirit. You can always get more to wash down the fatty beef.
The wagyu served at Kingyu is highly-marbled, and halal, from the Miyazaki and Tokushima prefectures in Japan. The restaurant is one of a trio of Japanese-owned restaurants in the Klang Valley, which imports whole Wagyu cattle into the country, contributing to the quality and relative affordability.
If you’re interested in expanding your definition of Japanese food beyond sushi and ramen, and have a hankering for a meaty night out. Bring a date or take your family out for a wagyu treat at Kin Gyu. – The Vibes, June 8, 2023
