A Japanese restaurant where a meal for one with wine costs upwards of £750 has opened in London. The first overseas branch of Aragawa, a Tokyo-based steak specialist, launched on Clarges Street in Mayfair on October 20.
The restaurant is famous in Japan for serving the meat of the Tajima heifer, a breed of ultra-premium Kobe beef. “We are bringing the best quality when it comes to the meat, something you rarely see even in Japan,” Aragawa’s founder Kotaro Ogawa told the Standard. “This means the cost of the meat is very high. We are not just overpricing it because it is London.”
Ahead of opening, a representative for the restaurant confirmed to the Standard that “the price at Aragawa will be roughly £750-plus, depending on wine.” With a wine list focussing on Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne from grand cru vineyards displayed in a 1,000-bottle wine wall, it is not a stretch to imagine that bills for some diners might easily hit £1,000-a-head.
Tajima beef must undergo rigorous certification by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The criteria include marbling, texture and the age of the cow, which must be at least 28 months, though Ogawa says the restaurant’s meat is aged far beyond that.
As at the original Aragawa in the Minato City district of Tokyo, the meat will be grilled over binchotan white charcoal, imported from Japan, in a purpose-built kiln, seasoned by the chef with salt and pepper and served with little more than seasonal vegetables. The kitchen will be overseen by “steak master” Kazuo Imayosh, who has spent his entire career at Aragawa and is moving to London for the launch.
The Tokyo restaurant was opened by Ogawa in 1967 and, like many restaurants in the Japanese capital, gained a reputation for specialising in one dish. The menu at the Tokyo Aragawa costs upwards of £500, which means that the London outpost is likely to be even dearer.
It has already been a record-breaking 12 months for Japanese restaurant bills in Mayfair. Taku opened last November serving a 20-course omakase menu from £300 while Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane hotel opened in July serving what is presently the UK’s most expensive menu, at £420.
“I feel confident to say you won’t find a steak like this in London or in fact anywhere else in the world,” Ogawa told the Standard. Few Londoners, however, are likely to have pockets deep enough to find out.
Aragawa, 38 Clarges Street, W1J 7EN, aragawa-uk.com
