Last night, Adelaide Food Central and invited guests were treated to an exclusive event hosted by Samurai Teppanyaki House. For the first time, the highly prized Kobe beef (selling at $850 per kilogram) was served to the Australian public as part of a ten course degustation menu. The food was paired with wine partner, Yalumba, who also released the latest edition of The Caley Cabernet Shiraz.

Natural Oysters

As guests arrived, we were treated to natural oysters dressed with yuzu sauce and garnished with ginger and spring onion. The fresh oysters were smooth in texture and slightly peppery; a perfect match for the delicate and subtle fruitiness of the Pol Roger Vintage 2009.

Lobster & Avocado Salad

What’s not to love about lobster? Generous morsels of juicy lobster covered in creamy avocado were complemented by a sweet mango dressing, crunchy cucumber and stringy alfalfa sprouts. We felt the variations in textures (as well as the expensive lobster) really made this dish. The dish was paired with the Yalumba Block Rose 2018 which had lovely pink grapefruit and crispy apple on the palate. The fruitiness of the wine matched well with the dressing.

Clear Fish Soup

Just to break things up, we had a soup in a light, well seasoned broth filled with snapper, prawn and himeji mushroom. It was delicate and not overpowering, which made us feel right at home.

Abalone Teppanyaki

The seafood extravaganza continued with the whole Yumbah abalone. Served in the abalone shell, the sliced abalone meat was mixed with abalone liver, butter and ponzu sauce. This sat on a bed of soft and delicate noodles which were slightly tart. This was matched with the Yalumba Tri-Centenary Grenache 2015 which had the taste of wild strawberries.

Moreton Bay Bug Teppanyaki

A group favourite were the large Moreton Bay Bugs. Cooked with ginger, garlic and a creamy sake sauce, the juicy morsels of bug were simply amazing. They sat on a bed of vinegary salsa which added contrast to the flavours. Again, the taste of violets and rose petals from the Yalumba grenache really complemented the dish.

Wagyu Tataki

What better way to enjoy Mayura Station Signature Wagyu than in the form of tataki. Lightly seasoned with salt, dry chilli, leek and black garlic oil, the thinly sliced meat was smooth and silky, and simply melted in your mouth. The lightly seared edges of the meat added good flavour. Matched with the Yalumba Steeple Shiraz 2015, the taste of raspberry and cranberry complemented the dish well.

Wagyu Skewer

A dish we really enjoyed was the Kagoshima A5 Wagyu skewer. Presented on a skewer with tomato, mushroom and onion, the kebab was slowly cooked on the teppanyaki grill. The meat simply melted in your mouth and was something to experience. It also came with a yakiniku sauce (a sweet Japanese barbecue sauce) which was just as good. The taste of violet from the Yalumba shiraz also made it a good match.

Kobe A5 Scotch Fillet and Kobe A5 Tenderloin Fillet

On to the main event, the $850 a kilogram highly prized Kobe beef. If there’s anything that you need to tick of your bucket list, this is it. Paired with a range of condiments including Himalayan pink salt, kiwi fruit sauce and wasabi chutney, we waited anxiously as the meat was being cooked on the teppanyaki grill. As expected, the meat simply melted in your mouth. The scotch fillet was a bit fattier than the tenderloin, but essentially both tasted the same. The condiments did add a bit of variety, but it was good nonetheless. Not something you’d have on the dinner table every night but more for that special occasion. Paired with the Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz 2014, the taste of peppermint really worked well with the expensive cuts of beef.

Matcha Cheesecake

Last but not least was the dessert. The cheesecake was baked and paired with red bean and a creamy vanilla ice cream. The matcha component was slightly bitter as expected and paired well with the sweetness of the Yalumba Muscat NV. It was a great dish to end the night.

The dinner tonight was truly amazing and we were so fortunate to experience all the premium quality ingredients used in the dishes (including the Kobe beef), as well as a great selection of Yalumba wines. We’d like to take the opportunity to thank Clark Zhang and his team, and Yalumba wines for their hospitality, as well as the McCo Group for their kind invitation.

For the world’s best beef, there’s no need to fly to Japan. You can get it right here at Samurai Teppanyaki House.

WHERE: 116 King William Rd, Hyde Park