Tuesday 3 October 2017

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...


32 comments:

  1. For your birthday,I think it is worth it. Once in blue moon. But then again I would expect more on the plate to justify the price.

    Happy birthday to you.

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  2. I have tried once at Marie's steakhouse and don't think I will try again especially after watching okja the netflix movie. I guess must choose the establishment if want to try wagyu. can try again on your next birthday so no sweat!

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    1. I will try again but not so soon hah..hah..

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  3. Good morning Ah Hong Chee! I have not visited Jake's for many years as the smell of their wooden panels and furniture is similar to The Ship's. They need to repaint or renovate with new wood. Their food has always been very Western and fairly good with nice portions. I have heard better reviews for Maria's and the owner is best & closest sista with our Bond gal Michelle. I am kay poh chee so I know that whole family very well! Hee Hee

    #AhHongMakanLembu! #LessMeatMoreVeggies

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    1. Good morning, TM! I agree that they need a refurbishment of the premises. Wah, you know all the famous2 people. I will check out other restaurants later on for a better Wagyu experience.

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  4. LL.... kalau i lah kan, daripada bayar sampai beratus ratus makan steak sekali baiklah i bayar beratus ratus tapi dapat banyak kali makan steak hihi....

    Tapi tak salah kalau mampu LL, sementara masih boleh makan, nanti kalau dah sakit, makan minum sedap pun rasa plain je kan...

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    1. Setuju tu, Hainom. LL just nak cuba at least sekali tapi malangnya pengalaman kat tempat ni tak seperti yang LL harapkan. Tapi kalau nak makan mahal macam ni, kena tunggu besday tahun depan ler...

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  5. Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear your experience with wagyu this time turned out underwhelming for you...but don't lose faith as wagyu is still the best and my preferred choice when it comes to steaks (it's definitely better tasting and pricier than other regular steak and even better tasting than the higher priced Kobe for me).

    Through the few experiences I had eating steak (I'm still learning), I've come to realise that the marble score isn't everything (and neither is the higher pricing)...it also depends on the cut of steak (and where the steak is from). For example, a MB9 striploin doesn't necessarily mean it has a better marbling than say a MB7 ribeye. The striploin is one half of the T-Bone steak which is leaner and has less fat marbling than the ribeye (so the server might not have been so well informed herself if she's just relating to a higher MB score to mean better marbling!) @_@ The striploin as I know is leaner and less tender than ribeye (my favourite cut). Hope this little bit of info I shared helps you out in your next steak adventure (or ask the even more experienced Sean & Monica for assistance...hey!).

    Since there were two of you, I would have gone for two different cuts (to share), that way I'd get to try two to see which one's better. So, don't lose faith in wagyu. I think you just had it at the wrong place (as my experience in Jake's told me too). Perhaps, you can try Steaks & Lobsters, Isetan or Flint (sometimes you do have to travel further especially if the places near you are just not good enough for a certain type of food). Hope your next wagyu experience will restore your faith in wagyu! ^_~

    P/S: Yes, I would pay good money for a good piece of steak! ^o^ Certainly not the RM360 I paid for a piece of Kobe steak that underwhelmed! T_T

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    1. Thank you, Kris for sharing your knowledge with me! I certainly appreciate your comments. Well, I learnt something from you - striploin is leaner and I doubt if I would go for that cut in future! Ah, not to worry, I still have faith in Wagyu and will be better equipped when I try it the next time. Well, I know you would pay good money for a good piece of steak. The RM360 piece of Kobe was testament to the fact but unfortunately was a disappointment for you.

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  6. For RM258, I would expect a very much classier place, fresh flowers and real fine linen tablecloth to match. This looks like a cowboy saloon or some R & R place buses stop on the way in between towns.

    RM1 per bite? Gee!!! Your brother must be a very refined and elegant eater, 258 bites altogether, that slab of beef? :D :D :D

    Didn't I read somewhere something about this wagyu and angus and whatever beef?
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/04/13/foods-biggest-scam-part-2-domestic-kobe-and-wagyu-beef/#1d0494c86202

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    1. Yes, cowboy saloon hah..hah... Not money well spent but at least I satisfied my curiosity.

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  7. Since I'm not super fan of beef so the price of RM258 is to high for meal!

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  8. Wahhhhh... Worth.. worth.. after all, work so hard for what! hahahaa...

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    1. Yeah, must pamper ownself once on a while!

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  9. Takpalah no, ada duit takdolah rasa mahal, lagipun nak raikan Hari lahir..
    But for me, ofkos kena fikir thousand times, huhu..
    Anyway..hepi besday PH.

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    1. Thank you, ticer :) This one sekali aje lah. Kalau nak lagi kena tunggu tahun depan hah..hah...

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  10. gosh ... with inflation, weaker currency, etc, steak prices have spiked at jake's. i'd estimate nearly a 30 percent price increase since five years ago. exploring the world of steaks is definitely tricky - for every good steak experience, you'll probably encounter a not-so-good one - and even reputable restaurants can serve underwhelming steaks at times. but the good experiences make the journey worthwhile, i think :)

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    1. Things are really getting more and more expensive! Coming from someone who has dined in the best and finest restaurants, I take comfort in your words. I did feel somewhat let down parting with my hard earned money and not getting the experience I expected.

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  11. I do not know how much is this so I will not comment😀Happy Birthday!

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    1. Thank you, Ola! It is a lot of money for someone like me :(

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  12. Is Wagyu beef kind of prime and premium? I always see this term for steak

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    1. Yes, premium beef, that's why so pricey.

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  13. I've no qualms about paying a high price for Japanese Wagyu, but definitely not Australian ones. Maybe I'm just fussy, but there's a lot of difference for me personally. xoxo

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    1. If I have the chance, I would like to try the Japanese Wagyu too.

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  14. Its your birthday! Its only once a year affair so enjoy yourself! Hope you will get to find a great place serving great wagyu beef.

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    1. I will find one and then hopefully have a better experience.

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  15. I don't think I've ever had a steak as pricey as this one! I think meals like these taste better when you don't think about the price tag haha...

    The texture looks like a big upgrade from the cheap steaks I get from my local pub though! :)

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    1. Perhaps my expectation was too high hah..hah...

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