Meat-ing royalty - By Philip Cu-Unjieng

I magine cattle that have been super-pampered, fed a diet of beans, pasture grass, and rice bran, and even augmented with beer and sake — even sake skin treatment for some — and given a daily massage. It’s from these cows that have been given the royal treatment that we get the foie gras of steaks, Wagyu beef. Noted for its efficient marbling or meat-to-fat ratio, texture, and flavor, Wagyu beef originally comes from the Hyogo prefecture in Japan, cultivated to the highest standards and graded from one to 12. Thanks to its immense popularity and demand, Wagyu beef has now crossed borders and gone global. Snake River Farms is reputed to be the best and largest producer of American Wagyu beef, and there’s even a small farm here in the Philippines producing its own version.

Building on this delectable gourmet indulgence, Diamond Hotel Philippines has raised the bar of luxury dining with its Wagyu food festival, ongoing until June 30. With the culinary masters of all their major food outlets getting in on the act, one would be excused for thinking one has not entered a hotel but has stumbled into carnivore heaven. Whether at the Palm Court Café, the Restaurant Le Bellevue, or its premier Japanese culinary showcase, Yurakuen, dishes incorporating the venerable Wagyu beef are on tap, giving us meat dishes that literally melt in our mouths. Plus, if claims are to believed, the meat’s healthy fatty acid profile actually helps lower cholesterol levels.

At the Palm Court Café, they serve one of my personal favorites, the Wagyu black cheek beef broth, sides of braised beef in a sesame seed broth, served with buckwheat noodles and vegetables. Really refreshing and clean! It’s also here that you’ll find the Wagyu burger, served on ciabatta olive bread and onion rings, and the Wagyu black Zabuton steak, served with corn on the cob, fries and an orange-flavored BBQ sauce.

For authentic Japanese Wagyu cooking, run, don’t just walk, to Yurakuen. If you’re not satisfied with Wagyu used for your premium beef sukiyaki or shabu-shabu, you can opt for the teppanyaki table and choose between the premium sirloin and the tenderloin steak. At the teppanyaki tables, you’re given a choice of three distinct sauces to dunk your Wagyu in. As a meat lover and one who loves Japanese cuisine, this was indulgence in all caps!

For highbrow dining, Le Bellevue has pulled out all stops. There’s a tartare of Wagyu that’s set on a bed of slivers of Wagyu carpaccio, a broiled Wagyu burger steak that’s served with goose liver and sautéed mushrooms, and a rib-eye topped with creamy pepper sauce, and served with baked polenta. You can also choose the charcoal broiled marinated Wagyu, or the pan-fried black steak with seared scallops, stir-fried vegetable balls and rice fritters. My tip? Go for the pan-fried steak with scallops first.

And if all these aren’t enough, the piece de resistance is the “Indulge” package that the Diamond Hotel is offering simultaneously with its Wagyu promotion. For starters, there’s beluga caviar on a timbale of salmon tartare, then a mousseline of avocado with lemon, followed by black truffle soup Elysée. The main course is Matsusaka beef tenderloin served with morel mushrooms stuffed with goose liver, golden leaves asparagus, roasted garlic and sweet potato hash. Taittinger champagne and Chateau Margaux accompany your dinner. A mango and crème brûlée napoleon and green tea crème anglaise mango coulis complete your meal. This is then followed by an overnight stay at the presidential suite, complete with breakfast in bed the next morning. The measly cost for all this? A couple is set back P120,000 for the full package.

The Diamond Hotel staff, supervised by PR manager Cecile Ang, was more than attentive to our every whim, and it augurs well for the level of service and the standards now being maintained at this oasis by the bay.