Japanese Wagyu for restaurant menus.
Yakiniku, hot pot, teppanyaki, fine dining — each service style asks a different question of the same carcass. How to match grade, cut and format to your menu, and what to have ready when you talk to a supplier.
One carcass, four ways to serve it.
The right specification starts from how the meat is served. These are the patterns we see most from restaurant buyers.
Yakiniku / table grill
Thin-sliced chuck and round carry the char and fat of a table grill, with loin slices as the showcase. Marbling reads visually on the plate, so many yakiniku programmes pair A5 showcase plates with A4 for daily service.
Hot pot / shabu-shabu
Very thin, even slices are the point. Frozen slice packs are cut to a set thickness and hold that specification in frozen storage, which helps keep a high-volume menu consistent between deliveries.
Steak / teppanyaki and fine dining
Loin cuts — ribeye, striploin, tenderloin — served chilled and portioned to order, where colour, aroma and cut precision carry the dish.
Mixed menus / restaurant groups
Planning loin and non-loin together gives every part of the carcass a place on the menu — a common shape for a long-term sourcing programme.
Grade, cut, format: what to decide before you inquire.
Five decisions shape a restaurant programme. None of them need to be final — but knowing where you stand makes the first conversation concrete.
- Grade
- A5 reads as the headline on a menu; A4 often balances marbling and cost for daily service. Our grades guide explains what the label actually certifies.
- Cuts
- Loin steaks for the grill, slice packs from chuck and round for yakiniku and hot pot — our cuts guide maps cut to menu and format.
- Format
- Chilled suits quick-turnover steak service; frozen slice packs hold quality for yakiniku and hot pot volume. Many programmes run both.
- Import route
- Whether you buy through a local importer or import directly, eligibility and documents depend on your market — see our export-conditions pages.
- Volume
- Programmes usually start with a trial order sized to the menu and scale as dishes prove out. Volumes are set per inquiry.
Restaurant buying, asked and answered.
The questions restaurant buyers ask before a first order.
Can a single restaurant buy directly, or do we need an importer?
Both routes exist. Some restaurants buy through a local importer or distributor; groups with import capability buy directly. Tell us your market and setup — we confirm what is workable on each inquiry.
Which grade do yakiniku restaurants usually use?
Many run a mix: A5 for showcase plates and A4 for daily service, with the balance set by the menu price point. Grades are certified on the JMGA scale — see our grades guide.
Can slice packs hold a consistent thickness?
Slice thickness and pack format are set in the specification before shipment, and frozen slice packs hold that specification in storage. Format details are confirmed per order.
Building a Wagyu menu?
Tell us your service style, target dishes and volume — our Japan-side supply team replies with what is workable across grades, cuts and formats.