THE ART OF THE SNACK | J-SPEC

This month's The Art of the Snack takes us to J-Spec Wagyu Dining and Esora Omakase in NYC. Anytime we have the chance to have Wagyu, it's definitely a treat and being able to have an Omakase meal is another one of those indulgences that have to be enjoyed. We chatted with Chef Koichi Endo to find out about this restaurant, what we should get when we dine there next and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell me about your culinary background and how it led you to J-Spec Omakase.

CHEF KOICHI ENDO: I worked at the Michelin starred Tempura Matsui, the first authentic tempura restaurant in New York City, for 4 years from the restaurant’s opening. I was trained by Mr. Matsui himself, who was a tempura master in Japan before moving to New York to open his own restaurant. He was the executive chef at that time and, sadly, has since passed away. I was the last person trained by him and learned the art of tempura from him. Combining my love of tempura and J-Spec's focus on wagyu, Esora Omakase counter allows us to showcase both sides. I’m also excited to be able to offer "wagyu tempura" since no other places serve it as traditionally in Japan meat is not used in tempura dishes, which feature vegetables and seafood.

AM: What can guests expect when they come to dine at J-Spec Wagyu Dining?

CHEF KE: At J-Spec Wagyu Dining guests can enjoy real A5 wagyu prepared with various cooking methods, from raw in a tartare or sushi to grilled steaks and many different options in between. A5 wagyu is the highest quality rating of Japanese wagyu beef. It is known for intense marbling, which results in exquisite flavor, texture and tenderness. Because our parent company, Tomoe Food Services, brings some of the best wagyu available in Japan to New York (and Miami), we not only have access to the best of the best wagyu, but are able to offer it to our guests at a more affordable price point. At J-Spec Wagyu Dining, guests can try different types of wagyu from all over Japan, some of it very rare and produced in small amounts like the Ozaki beef from a single farm owned by Mr. Muneharu Ozaki in Miyazaki Prefecture or Hida beef from Gifu Prefecture, which we will be featuring at the restaurant in September, when we also launch Esora Omakase next door to Wagyu Dining.

AM: What are 3 appetizers that you suggest that we should enjoy?

CHEF KE: A la carte at J-Spec Wagyu Dining: Wagyu Tartare, Foie Gras & Uni Macaron is a decadent dish that combines fresh raw wagyu with foie gras and sea urchin for a unique and delicious experience.

Overstuffed Wagyu Sushi is over the top (as the name suggests) with a slice of seared wagyu over rice accented with pickled takana (mustard greens) and nori that’s topped with ikura (salmon roe) and sea urchin.

Wagyu, Uni & Caviar Hand Rolls – another delicious combination that showcases the wagyu.

AM: What are 3 entrees that you suggest that we should order?

CHEF KE: A la carte at J-Spec Wagyu Dining:

Wagyu Flight is a tasting of two kinds of wagyu that usually comes with the prized A5 Ozaki Beef strip loin and another A5 wagyu, depending on what’s best that day. You will discover how very different the two types of wagyu are even though they will be the same cuts.

Ozaki Striploin Steak – this is a real treat as no other restaurant in New York uses Ozaki beef. Usually, the origin of the wagyu brand name is the prefecture of the origin or a local specialty. However, Ozaki beef is named after Mr. Ozaki. Ozaki beef is truly exceptional with well-balanced flavors compared to other wagyu.

Ozaki Surf & Turf is a J-Spec original dish composed of sliced Ozaki beef, sea urchin and shiso leaves. We sear the beef tableside for the guests, then top it with uni and wrap in shiso to serve.

AM: For our readers that have not had the experience of Omakase, what is it?

CHEF KE: Omakase means "up to the chef," the guests let us create a meal for them. We use the best seasonal ingredients available at the moment to prepare it, paying attention not only to the flavors but also the presentation and aromas for a full sensory experience for our guests.

I base my approach on three elements: "Shun" Present, "Nagori" Past, "Hashiri" Future. Shun presents that the best ingredients of the season, Nagori represents ending season for some of the ingredients that are about to disappear and Hashiri presents that first harvest of the coming new season.

AM: Tell me about Esora Omakase and what this menu is like.

CHEF KE: Esora Omakase is a more intimate experience, seating only up to seven guests at a time. The omakase showcases both best quality wagyu and the art of tempura. It features 8 courses, although the tempura part of the menu includes 9 or more pieces served one by one with all the traditional accompaniments so the entire experience takes about two hours. The tempura pieces include lightly battered seafood from Japan, seasonal vegetables, mushrooms, and filet mignon of wagyu wrapped in shiso leaf – nobody else is serving wagyu tempura. Other parts of the omakase include seasonal appetizers, sashimi of fish, wagyu sushi (raw and torched), fragrant broth with seafood and mushrooms, grilled A5 wagyu, shokuji rice of the day, dessert and tea. The menu is seasonally driven and will be changing frequently.

AM: What sake pairings do you suggest when enjoying Omakase?

CHEF KE: We have a sake pairing designed to complement the food, which features about eight different sakes from Japan, ranging in flavors, body, styles and aromas. We also have a list of sake by the bottle so guests can choose their favorite sake or discover new ones.

AM: When you're planning your menu, what are the items that you like to offer and how does seasonality play into this?

CHEF KE: I always focus on using fresh, peak quality ingredients to truly experience the season. I love going to the greenmarket to buy vegetables and how they change with the seasons. I want our guests to enjoy the different ingredients the four seasons bring us and create memorable experiences for them at Esora Omakase.

AM: You open in Sept as we begin transitioning into fall and looking towards the holiday season. What are you looking forward to with the restaurant?

CHEF KE: Autumn is the time of harvest, there are so many beautiful seasonal ingredients going into fall that I’m excited about and look forward to serving our guests, like matsutake mushrooms, for example, coming in October.

AM: Are there plans to open additional locations?

CHEF KE: Yes, there are plans to open more restaurants in the future. J-Spec Wagyu Dining was the first restaurant for our parent company and Esora Omakase grew out of that. We will be creating other dining concepts but wagyu will always be the core ingredient.

IG @JSpec.Wagyu.NYC

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | J-Spec

Read the AUG ISSUE #68 of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | J-Spec in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | HYUN

FOR THE ULTIMATE MEAL

We enjoyed a fantastic A5 Wagyu experience here in NYC at HYUN. Whether you're enjoying their fantastic meat selection, cocktails or just the overall ambiance, we suggest making your way to this culinary destination.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about HYUN and what guests can expect when they come in to dine?

HYUN: Hyun specializes in Japanese A5 Wagyu, offering high quality ingredients such as S-grade sea urchin and seasonal truffle mushroom. Our menu is well balanced and focuses on specific pairings with the A5 Wagyu, so our guests can get the best flavors of the beef.

AM: Can you tell us the background of Chef Jae Kim?

H: The name of our chef is Jae Kim. He is from South Korea and has three businesses in Korea including K-BBQ restaurant. Chef Kim moved to New York City from Korea three years ago to finish his PhD, but when he became homesick, he decided to bring a piece of home to New Yorkers, crafting the idea for HYUN to showcase the traditional time-honored Korean flavors of his homeland.

AM: Can you tell our readers what Wagyu is, what A5 means and the kinds that you offer?

H: Wagyu is Japanese cattle. Japan has a strict rule to grade A5 Wagyu. Wagyu can be graded by A (highest) to C and 5 (highest) to 1. “A to C” is the yield grade (A is above standard, B is standard, and C is below standard). How to grade “5 to 1” depends on marbling scale, color and the brightness and texture of the meat. So A5 is the highest grade given only to the finest Japanese cattle.

AM: The tasting menu that we had was amazing and a great way to enjoy the progression of tastes, seasoning, Wagyu and vegetables – can you share with us 3 signature dishes that you would suggest that we enjoy on our next visit.

H: We have three signature dishes which are A5 Chef’s Cuts, Sot-bap and Chadol-jjim. We have whole A5 cattle shipped from Japan, butchered and trimmed in house. So, we can have these special cuts that you cannot see in the regular market and different BBQ restaurants. We pick the best part of the cattle and serve it as Chef’s Cut. For example, we can divide Ribeye cap, Ribeye roll and Ribeye side strap in Rib loin. Even though we call it ribeye, every cut has a different texture and flavor. We want our guests to experi ence another level of the BBQ experience with Chef’s Cut. Our second dish is Sot-bap, which is clay pot cooked rice with seasonal truffle mushroom and S-grade sea urchin from Japan Hokkaido. It is one of our best-selling dishes. We always use the best selection of sea urchin and truffle mushroom. Sot-bap has well-balanced flavors and great umami taste. Our third one is Chadol-jjim, which is our signature appetizer that comes with a wooden box. It is all steamed A5 beef brisket with perilla leaf and enoki mushrooms with a side of shitake mushroom and king oyster mushroom. We have three different dipping sauces (1. Yuzu ponzu: soy sauce, dashi, dried fish skin, lemon and orange. 2. Honey Soybean: honey, soybean paste. 3. Chili grape: White grape, serrano pepper, and apple vinegar.)

AM: The salts, soy, wasabi and various sauces that you offered really allowed you to taste the dishes in a different way. We’re major fans of the wine salt – what are 3 seasonings that you suggest that those dining should try?

H: We are trying to serve sauces or salts that pair best with each dish, especially the A5 wagyu. As you know, Japanese A5 wagyu is expensive. We want our guests to experience the best flavor of the A5 wagyu with our house made salts. I will suggest a sauce or salt for A5 wagyu such as wild wasabi and house made wine salt.

For lean beef, I would suggest black truffle salt. For any beefy flavor cuts, I will recommend our house made chaya sauce which has cabbage, chive, and soy sauce.

AM: The cocktail menu had a number of sweet and savory options, what are 3 beverages that you suggest that we should try.

H: We have three cocktails that are best sellers. The first one is called “From Jeju.” We use orange from Jeju island in Korea, and it has a refreshing and fruity flavor. The second is called “Mountain Water.” We use Hakkaisan ginjo sake and its flavor is citrusy and pairs well with our food. The third one is called “Cloud Remedy.” It is a smoky and earthy cocktail and has a little bit of citrus flavor. I personally think that it pairs very well with A5 wagyu beef.

AM: We were told that you have plans to include an Omakase within your offerings. When will that take place and what can we expect to see offered?

H: We are launching an A5 Wagyu Omakase soon. Like I mentioned, we get the whole A5 cattle from Japan so we can have main cuts and also secondary cuts. We are going to offer one appetizer soup, wagyu tartare, 11 different cuts of Japanese A5 wagyu, a savory accompaniment (rice bowl and soup) and a homemade dessert. We are also trying to give a new upscale Asian cultural experience to our guests with the Omakase service.

AM: With Valentine’s Day taking place next month, are there any specials you will be offering that our readers should know about?

H: We are going to have a Valentine’s Day special tasting menu with Rose pairing.

We also have a few private dining rooms, which are cozy and romantic. It should be a truly special Valentine’s Day experience at HYUN this year!

IG @_HYUNNYC

Read the Jan Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | HYUN in mag.