Would You Pay RM258 for A Steak?

Last weekend I had a birthday bash with my brother. The two of us had been talking about eating Wagyu beef for a very long time. 

So when it came to my birthday lunch, I decided that it was about time that we fulfill our wish. My treat of course. 

Whenever we look for a place to eat, inevitably we want to go somewhere convenient. Going all the way down to the heart of KL may not be that great because we have to deal with traffic and parking.

So we settled on Jake's Charbroil Steaks@Medan Damansara because it's not too far away and parking is easy. Besides, we had a movie to catch at MBO@The Starling right after lunch.

Jake's has been around for ages and the decor looked very dated. In fact the place had a rather musty smell. I was there  once for dinner with my partner many years ago and I had a good experience, hence my choice. Besides this is my brother's first visit.

The moment we opened the door, I'm afraid we did not have an auspicious start. We heard a lady giving the staff a very stern dressing down. She was very loud. It's something you won't want your customers to listen to. Perhaps they did not expect customers to come in so early (12:00pm opening time) hence the open admonition.

We were seated and handed the menu (plus additional menu) by a very pleasant server.

Image source : zomato.com

Since we already set our minds on Wagyu beef, that was what we zoomed in on. As you can see from the menu, there are three cuts, Wagyu Sirloin (230g, RM208.00), Wagyu Ribeye (230g, RM208.00) and Wagyu Tenderloin (200g, RM288). Pricey stuff, this. Of course, it is Wagyu Beef and that is the price range to expect.

Besides the regular menu, there was another menu (printed on flyers) that promoted the Wagyu Striploin grade MB9 at RM258.00 for 230g. So we asked the server what is the difference between that and the one on the regular menu. We were told that the grade MB9 has higher marbling.

Higher marbling = more fats = more flavor = more pleasure, no? It was RM50 more. It was my birthday lunch. It was my money. It was my call. So, I told my brother, let's go for it (pengsan mode switched off).

We ordered Crispy Potato Skin as our starter. It was good except that I found the skin to be a little too hard. I mean, it was crispy but kind of on the thick side. But still, it was nice, beefy and cheesy.

And then our mains arrived. 

So this is what RM258.00 looks like translated into grade MB9 Wagyu. This had better be good. 

We requested for the beef to be done medium rare as that is the best way to enjoy a prime cut of beef. The beef was served with some English mustard on the side. 

Moment of truth. Yes, it was done medium rare but I felt that mine was slightly overcooked. My brother's steak was cooked to perfection.

He offered me a piece and yes, it was good. I noticed my brother slowly savoring his steak, RM1.00 at a time.

So how does RM258.00 taste like? I wish I could say that it was worth every cent and that I was in ecstasy while chomping on the meat. I am not saying that it was not a good piece of steak, just that I was underwhelmed. 

I have had Wagyu beef before (at a client's restaurant, gratis) and I remember being very impressed and understood why Wagyu beef is so prized and so dear.

My brother opined that this was a good piece of steak much like the regular good cuts and did not justify such an extraordinary price tag. Were we actually served a higher grade Wagyu, if at all it was Wagyu? It did not seem that way to me. Maybe my opinion and tastebuds were reeling in shock and therefore, severely compromised.

It may not be fair for me to say anything further until I have tried Wagyu beef at other reputable establishments to make a better informed assessment. But that will have to wait until I have enough in my piggy bank hee...hee...