Wagyu Kappo Yoshida – Beef Omakase, Kuala Lumpur

Words: Nichole Ong
Photos: Peter Tan

We were blown away by our recent meal at Wagyu Kappo Yoshida, a premium beef omakase restaurant in Naza Tower, KL. A concept by chef Yoshida, founder of Michelin-starred Ishigaki Yoshida in Tokyo, the kitchen is the exclusive importer of Wagyu beef from the Yaeyama District in Japan.

In the intimate setting on the 48th floor of Naza Tower, Head Chef Kazuhiro Hattori weaves flavours and fine ingredients together to create a wondrous omakase experience. Already the only restaurant in Malaysia to offer beef from Yaeyama, the team takes this quality a step further, selecting only heifers (female cows) for slaughter. Their tenderness and silky texture are due to having more evenly distributed fat. Heifers also have a higher amount of oleic acid, which reduces the melting temperature of the meat, creating a buttery, melt-in-mouth feel. 

Beef Omakase Kuala Lumpur

Our twelve-course meal explores multiple ways of cooking and tasting the highest quality wagyu beef, as well as showcasing other premium ingredients such as seafood and truffle. The word ‘kappo’ means to ‘cut and cook’ in Japanese, and an omakase experience gives us the privilege of watching the masters at work. 

Wagyu Kappo Yoshida Omakase Menu

Our omakase course (RM1188++) began with a light but intensely flavourful Beef Consommé soup. This soup is made from the neck and shin of the cow. It is cooked for five hours, allowing the flavour of the beef to combine with the added carrot, onions, leek, and tomatoes, as well as a hint of egg white for thickness. The result is a clear broth that warms all corners of the mouth, preparing us for a fantastic meal ahead. 

Seasonal appetisers at Wagyu Kappo Yoshida are selected based on the freshest ingredients in Japan. We were fortunate to experience the Nikomi, Almonds Ebi Age, and Karasumi Soba during our visit. The Nikomi was a satiating bite of braised A5 beef tenderloin marinated in sweet soy sauce. It is braised for three to five hours before serving, making it the perfect melt-in-mouth texture. 

Next, the almond ebi age was the ultimate balance of taste and texture, with the almond coating complementing the slight sweetness of the prawn and prawn broth. Adding basil mashed potato provides a nice creamy texture and herbiness, completing the dish. 

Lastly, the Karasumi soba features soba noodles handmade by the chef alongside Taiwanese seasoned dried mullet in soba sauce made from soy sauce, dashi, and mirin. The homemade soba brings out the earthiness of the buckwheat alongside a more rustic and authentic feel, complementing the savoury bites of dried mullet. Mon’s keen for the chef to set up a retail counter so she can take some of these noodles home.

A resurgence of one of our favourites from Sushi Ryu (also part of the Curate Group), the Uni Scrambled Eggs with shaved truffle, was as lavish as we remembered it to be. It was recommended that we try the egg before putting it on the brioche toast. We enjoyed the creamy smoothness of the egg and bafun uni, synergising with the umami of the truffle before pairing it with the fluffy brioche toast. As an added bonus, the truffle was grated right before us, allowing us to determine the amount we wanted. *Fun fact: ‘bafun’ translates to ‘horse dung’, so named because of how the uni huddle together on the seabed.

The Beef Yukke is served on beautiful kimono plates with traditional Japanese patterned cloth encased in class. Each square has a unique pattern on the front and back, so we each got to pick the pattern we liked the best. The dish was as exquisite as the material it was served on, as the lean meat was incredibly tender and tasty, expertly marinated in sake, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and gochujang for a Korean twist. There was a good balance of spice and acidity, with the heated nori and toasted rice grains adding crunches of texture. 

For our Chef Special Seafood Dish, we were served the Amadai Matsukasa, which is tilefish cooked using the Japanese Matsukasa technique – pouring heated oil over the fish to make its scales pop up and its skin crispy. This crispy bite gave way to tender flesh coated in the vibrancy of the amadai bone broth. The sweet pea garnish gave the dish a burst of freshness, finishing a beautifully crafted dish. 

The Steak Sandwich was a bite of exquisite tenderness, with the luxuriously thick cut of beef tenderloin melting between slices of charcoal bread. The meat is doused with Chef’s special steak sauce, bringing out its natural flavour as well as adding smokiness. Our team are wondering if this could be served as a meal on its own – Mon thinks this sando with a glass of red wine is a complete meal and would be quite happy to start and end right here.

Patrons are offered a choice between the Sukiyaki and the Shabu Shabu for the next course. As a group of four, we wisely chose both options. The Sukiyaki is perfect for those who appreciate a succulent cut of beef with an impeccable finish. Served with an onsen egg, the beef can be dipped for an extra layer of creaminess. 

Alternatively, the Shabu Shabu is just right for those looking for beef cooked in an elegant broth. This dish features thinly sliced striploin beef with beautiful, even marbling soaked in white miso soup with enoki mushrooms and yuzu. What makes this dish special is the skilful balance of the yuzu’s acidity with the milkiness of the broth, with a hint of spiciness to tie it all together at the end. 

Seven courses in, we were offered a palate cleanser: Shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) and Shintorina with shimeji mushrooms, which provided a fresh, crunchy, and earthy bite to reset our palates.

Back on course, the Truffle Menchi Cutlet was a pocket of minced meat fried with onion, carrot, celery, and black truffle. Hot out of the oil, its brittle coat gave way to tender, well-seasoned minced beef. The truffle was a particular highlight, coating each bite with umami, elevating the flavours. 

While we thought the Steak Sandwich earlier was hard to beat, we were proved wrong when the Ultimate Crispy Sirloin was delivered. The steak truly lived up to its ‘ultimate’ name, grilled in front of us to an impeccable medium-rare. The outside is as crispy as the name suggests, giving way to a beautiful layer of marbled fat and juicy meat for the most luxurious bite. We were given various options for condiments on the plate, from sea salt to mustard to wasabi. However, the favourite was still Chef’s special steak sauce, getting four out of four votes from our team.

Just when we thought we couldn’t eat anymore, the Beef Curry proved us wrong by being just too delicious to waste a single bite. The curry is made from 25 ingredients, including surprising additions such as mango chutney and apple juice, slowly cooked over two days. The ingredients all come together to create a curry of unmatched flavour, interweaving spice and sweetness around succulent beef cubes. The rice accompanying the curry is fluffy and aromatic, steamed in a traditional Japanese rice pot (donabe) made from marble.

Our team oohed and aahed when Chef Kazuhiro pulled out a pot and started making mochi right in front of us. The freshly made Shiratama (sweet rice flour) Mochi was an incredible dessert; its soft, chewy sweetness equalised by the slight nuttiness of the ground soybean. Our delight increased when we were served vibrant green cups of matcha hand-whisked the traditional way as we watched. The cups of matcha were placed on tatami mats and were gratifying sips of umami, earthy, foamy goodness. The matcha was carried forward in the matcha ice cream, which was refreshing and creamy, adding a sweetness to the herbaceous nuttiness of the finely ground green tea. Finally, our pineapple marshmallow, toasted over a grill at the chef’s counter, was crunchy and warm, surrounded by a sweet but acidic pineapple in the centre to give our culinary journey a refreshing finish. 

Wagyu Kappo Yoshida Review 

Our meal at Wagyu Kappo Yoshida stands out as one of The Yum List’s most remarkable omakase experiences, earning unanimous acclaim. The combination of exceptional and distinctive ingredients, coupled with masterful culinary skill and execution, ensures that each component contributes to a harmonious blend of flavour and texture in every dish. Wagyu Kappo Yoshida is unquestionably a destination worth exploring, not only for its premium ingredients but also for the culinary expertise showcased in highlighting their finest qualities.

Reasons to visit Wagyu Kappo Yoshida: the only restaurant in Malaysia to serve Wagyu beef from the Yaeyama District in Japan; a memorable beef omakase experience; beautifully plated dishes; great view; excellent service. 

Wagyu Kappo Yoshida
Unit 3-48, Level 48 Naza Tower
10 Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur 50088, Malaysia
+6 011 1456 9375
@wagyukappoyoshidakl

Wagyu Kappo Yoshida Opening Hours
Lunch 12 pm-2 pm | Thurs-Sat
Dinner 6 pm-10:30 pm | Mon-Sat

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