Japanese Wagyu Beef Sandwich – Michelin-Star Quality Fast Food

A succulent piece of Wagyu beef will immediately entice you, despite its price surpassing the cost of a typical fast food item.

Japanese Wagyu Beef Sandwich – Michelin-Star Quality Fast Food

Sometimes sandwiches stuffed with beef, chicken, pork... sold at fast food joints are classified as junk food, indicating they are low in nutrients and contain too many unhealthy ingredients like sugar, oil... Usually, you only need to spend a few USD for a quick bite when hungry. However, with SakaMai restaurant's Wagyu beef sandwich in New York (USA), it's different; a sandwich comprising 6 pieces costs up to 85 USD (approximately 1.7 million VND), and it's not just about having the money to afford it.

This dish's full name is Wagyu Katsu Sando in Japanese, which means 'Wagyu beef cutlet sandwich.' It's still prepared by dipping the beef into a thin layer of panko breadcrumbs and deep-frying it, then sandwiching it between two slices of sandwich bread and drizzling a little sauce. That's why at first glance, many diners may wonder if it's worth spending the equivalent of a full meal to exchange for a piece of sandwich approximately the size of an adult's palm. The answer lies in the Wagyu beef – the 'superior' beef of Japan that makes any food connoisseur drool.

Wagyu is a premium beef found only in the land of the rising sun, renowned for its high nutritional content and being one of the most expensive meats in the world, which foreigners rarely have the opportunity to enjoy due to its limited quantity. These cattle are specially cared for, eating young grass, drinking beer in hot weather, and sometimes even receiving massages and listening to symphony music every day to produce marbled beef with white fat streaks interspersed with fresh red meat, resembling marble veins. After undergoing strict breeding processes, when it's time to sell, Wagyu beef prices average from 500 to 3,000 USD/kg (10 to 60 million VND), sometimes even higher if sold at auction.

Easily sliced from a firm meat block that only the most elusive restaurants possess, fried to achieve a perfectly medium-rare interior, showcasing marbled fat veins and a certain bounce upon gentle pressure. Additionally, the tonkatsu sauce drizzled over the meat is equally crucial. It's made from finely chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and a touch of Worcestershire sauce. If the sauce isn't delicious, it could completely ruin the flavor of the dish. Japanese milk bread adds a subtle sweetness from the use of palm sugar on the outer crust. Sink your teeth into one tempting sandwich bite, and you'll immediately be enthralled, while also being able to feel the 'almost melting in your mouth' sensation as described by many.

Every day in Japan, only 3 purebred Japanese Wagyu cattle are slaughtered for meat, yielding very little compared to demand, so both domestic and international restaurants have to wait months to get their hands on it. That's why SakaMai only sells 3 sandwiches a day; those who come early get a share, while buyers are willing to spend a significant amount to enjoy this unparalleled dish.

By Vi Yen/Star

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Reference: Mytour Travel Handbook