Friday night at Kuni Steakhouse
Although I am a cooking monster most days, Friday nights are about taking a break from a busy work week. So if the kangaroo is around, we would have a casual dinner out with a couple of drinks.
The kangaroo’s favourite food is a hearty steak with a side of fries and salad. We always go to the Hobgoblin, an English pub, in Akasaka where we live. Unfortunately, the quality keeps changing as they often switch chefs. Sometimes you get peas and mash with a mediocre char-grilled sirloin, or a sickly sweet salad with a tough cut and burnt bits, or a pile of French fries and a perfectly juicy piece of beef.
Craving for great steak but not wanting to break the bank, I went online and stumbled upon Japanese Western steakhouse Kuni, which is right by Akasaka-mitsuke station, and was pegged with a good review. Perfect for two tired bunnies, I thought.
We didn’t need a reservation as it wasn’t crowded which was a plus point for us. They served our beers and appetisers quickly. I wasn’t too impressed with the Caesar salad as the bacon had a chewy raw texture, but the fried garlic flakes gave the dish a tasty fragrance.
Although it was tempting to try the famously marbled Japanese wagyu beef, it was three times more expensive than the Australian beef on the menu. And since it said, “Grained fed specially for Japanese customers, but a flavor that everyone loves. Recommended for anyone who enjoys larger cuts of beef” (Japlish can be quite charming), we settled on good ol’ Aussie moo.
This is my sirloin on its hotplate. Sorry for the lousy picture but I was hungry and couldn’t wait to dig in. What makes this restaurant a little different is that they wheeled a large slab of raw beef and weighed it in front of us. They suggested 150g for ladies but I thought it was too small and went for 230g. I think the waiter was surprised I could eat a big piece of meat but I chose not to have any rice. Now that’s what a Japanese Western steakhouse would have: rice with your beef.
I can sort of understand this concept (though the kangaroo thought it was downright weird) as most Asians don’t feel satiated without rice or noodles at a meal. But since I am a big believer in the South Beach diet, I got over that a long time ago.
Check out the kangaroo’s tenderloin. He ordered it medium rare but it was pretty raw in the centre which is exactly how he likes it, “Always love a steak that can still moo.”
While he tore away at his caveman meat, I savoured my juicy sirloin that was just sensational with Japanese soy sauce. We decided that we would definitely return and it could even be a regular neighbourhood joint for us. Kuni seems easy, fuss-free, with affordable, delicious steak.
Patting our full tummies over a last glass of wine, the kangaroo suggested we round up our evening with a full body massage — he sure knows how to enjoy his Friday nights.
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August 18th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Strangely enough, over here in the USA, rice piloff is offered at steak houses. It’s erither a bake potatoe, or the rice along with steamed vegtables.