Kyomo has become incredibly popular off the back of its wagyu yakiniku experience. — Kyomo
After Japanese F&B entrepreneur Kota Furuya opened his first restaurant – a Japanese yakitori eatery called Itsumo in Kuala Lumpur – 10 years ago, he realised there was still plenty of potential in the Malaysian market.
“Every time I go back to Japan, I enjoy yakiniku. Japanese people eat yakiniku at least once or twice a month. It’s like how everybody in Malaysia likes to eat nasi lemak. In Japan, for any celebration or meeting with friends, everyone wants to eat yakiniku.
“This is very standard for us there, so if we don’t eat it for too long, it feels like something is missing. So I felt like it was a cultural experience that would translate well in Malaysia, because at the time, there were only a few yakiniku restaurants around,” says Furuya.
That realisation was what led him to open Kyomo in 2017. In the fledgling years after opening Kyomo (previously called Shin Nihon), Furuya says his biggest hurdle was educating customers about what yakiniku actually was.
Kyomo has become incredibly popular off the back of its wagyu yakiniku experience. — Kyomo
“Customers would come and say ‘Okay, now what do I do?’, because most people did not know what yakiniku was last time. We had to teach them how to cook the meat over the grill,” he says.
The word “yakiniku” means “grilled meat” and typically refers to the grilling of bite-sized pieces of meat over charcoal grills.
At Kyomo, the specialty is Japanese wagyu. Furuya further sets himself apart by bringing in entire cows air-flown from Japan and butchered in-house. This way, he is able to price the meat 30% to 40% cheaper than other restaurants as well as offer more cuts.
In a single month, Furuya estimates that his restaurants in the Klang Valley – Kingyu, Kyomo and Asumo – go through 10 whole cows!
Furuya is celebrating 10 years of running Japanese restaurants in the Klang Valley with some promotional deals. — Kyomo
There are plenty of beefy options on offer at Kyomo so before heading for the big ticket items, perhaps start with something smaller, like the Wagyu Tendon Stew (RM34).
Here, slices of beef tendon and off-cuts are interspersed with daikon (radish) in what proves to be a soothing, sating soup whose essence is formed out of the deep, bovine flavours laced throughout the broth.
The radish offers a sweet counterpoint that cuts through the richness of the meat. It might seem like a secondary component in this configuration but this vegetable’s presence is the “wind beneath the wings” of the soup.
The wagyu tendon soup makes use of beef tendon and off-cuts.
Up next, look at indulging in the Kale Salad (RM30) which as its name implies, features a mountainous heap of kale, Japanese sesame dressing and cherry tomatoes.
It sounds incredibly simple yet you’ll appreciate the pared down freshness of this salad as a break between all the meat.
The Seared Premium Wagyu Sushi (RM16 per piece) is another option for meat-lovers looking to indulge in a lightweight meat option that offers just enough seared beef to tantalise the palate without imposing the heavyweight qualities of an all-out beef feast.
The kale salad makes for a refreshing vegetable offering. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
But if it’s meat you’ve come to Kyomo for, then look at indulging in 400g of Modern Cut of Japan Wagyu (RM380) which features eight different cuts, like lean cut, chuck roll, sirloin tip, flank steak, top blade and chuck rib, to name a few.
The meat arrives pink and glistening and all you have to do is grease the charcoal grill with the beef fat provided and then cook the slices of meat to your preferred doneness. It’s a wonderfully interactive way of cooking and enjoying a meal.
Of what’s on offer, the lean cut has the most chew-free experience, as the meat is incredibly supple with deep, hearty carnivorous undertones.
Indulge in the seared wagyu sushi. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
The chuck roll (the area between the ribs and backbone of the animal) is a little chewier but very buttery on the palate while the sirloin tip (a boneless lean cut from the hind of the cow) has a melt-in-the-mouth texture that engenders a sublime eating experience.
The flank steak (taken from the abdominal muscles) is thicker and has an unctuous fattiness to it that gives it a natural decadence.
The top blade (derived from the shoulder section) has a firmer, more sturdy mouthfeel while the chuck rib (near the rib eye) is probably the most intensely flavoured of this stellar line-up and offers a slick buttery quality. That means it practically glides down the gullet.
The wagyu at Kyomo comes from cows that are brought in whole, direct from Japan. — Photos:ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
The beef is served with a choice of white rock salt from Brittany, France; Kyomo’s signature sauce made from 17 ingredients; or a green onion soy sauce.
All are designed to elevate your Japanese wagyu yakiniku experience and add a layer of flavour to the meat.
If you’d like to contrast that superlative Japanese wagyu experience with something from the Australian wagyu family, then indulge in the Modern Cut of Australian Beef (RM76 for 200g and three different cuts).
If you're after an alternative to Japanese wagyu, indulge in a selection of Australian beef instead. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
The beef here is marinated in a homemade sauce that is both sweet and savoury.
The chuck rib is the most memorable, offering an oleaginous, fatty odyssey that is also edgier because of the marinade that laces every fibre and molecule of the meat.
Round out your meal with the Pickled Plum Rice (RM19) which features rice, pickled plums, fried small whitefish and perilla leaves.
It’s a bowl of rice that surprises from the get-go, offering astringency and salty, fishy notes that translate to complete and total bewitchment.
Having been in the business for a decade now, Kuruya cannot help but feel proud.
To celebrate 10 years in a notoriously difficult industry, his holding company Oiishi Innovations Group is running a 10-day fun-filled giveaway from July 14 to July 23.
Diners dining at any of the group’s restaurants – Itsumo, Kyomo, Kingyu, Asumo and Minamo – will have a chance to roll a dice after their meal.
If you roll a “1”, then you will win a free meal (the equivalent of what you have spent) on their next visit to any restaurant in the group.
Yakiniku involves grilling meat and other ingredients over a charcoal fire.
The odds of landing on the number “1” are one in six. Based on this and the average total spend at his restaurants, Furuya is expecting to give away up to RM250,000 worth of free meals during this 10-day period.
“In Malaysia, restaurants do anniversary promotions where they offer 10% or 20% off meals. So we wanted to do something different and we thought of an idea that is very popular in Japan, where lucky customers get a free meal.
“People remember when they get a free meal so I wanted to give this experience to Malaysian diners too. I also want to give back to local diners because they have supported all my Japanese restaurants,” says Furuya.
