Wag-what? Wagyu. Learn it. Love it.

I have been to some pretty amazing restaurants. You see, my father lives in New York City – food mecca of the United States of America. Before I had kids (and before my dad was remarried), he used to take me to some of the top restaurants in NYC just to try them out. I’ve had the pleasure of eating at 21 Club, Jean-Georges, and Daniel NYC among others. The food is always exceptional, and service is spot-on.

I looked forward to visiting NYC because at the time (13+ years ago), it was next to impossible to get truly gourmet meals in OKC. Top restaurants here were mainly steakhouses that, in my opinion, were more geared towards the blue-haired crowd (think 65+ here) rather than the up and coming professionals.

Fast forward to today, and you will find a plethora of fine dining establishments in OKC. I love to eat- and as such – I have tried many of the great ones in town.  But my dining experience at Red PrimeSteak last Wednesday was (honestly) as good as any top NYC restaurant I have tried.

G and I were invited to Red Prime to try their “Wagyu Wednesday” menu. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Wagyu meat (like I was), here’s a quick overview:

“The Wagyu Beef” – also known as “Kobe Beef” is the ultimate masterpiece of Japanese Beef. Wagyu are raised with pride and care all over Japan, and they provide truly world class high quality beef.

Wagyu is strictly graded and sorted info five classes by professionals from the Japan Meat Grading Association from A 1 to A 5. A5 is the highest grade of Wagyu Beef. One of the most important factors for grading beef quality is “marbling”, which refers to the fine white streaks of fat that run through lean beef and enhance flavor and tenderness. “The Wagyu” has excellent marbling that puts it among the world’s top class. Furthermore, the fat in “The WAGYU” melts at just 77F (25C), a lower temperature than any other beef. This explains why “The WAGYU” melts in your mouth for a sensational burst of flavor from the very first bite.

This exciting experience offered G and I the opportunity to try one of the most amazing cuts of beef we had ever eaten. Here was the Wagyu menu offerings:

My initial thought was “ORDER THEM ALL”. Then G talked some sense into me (which is sort of funny, since he is the true meat lover in our family).  I rarely get to enjoy crab cakes, so we choose crab cakes and this Snake River Farms Filet for our appetizer. Heavenly.

Oh, and don’t forget this little gem we also ordered:

After savoring the appetizers, it was time for the main attraction. G and I decided we should stick with the Wagyu menu (since that was, after all, the reason we were there) and order one of each of the entrees. I choose the Mishima Ranch Flat Iron Steak, while G choose the Mishima Ranch Strip Steak.

Mishima Ranch Flat Iron Steak

Wagyu Beef. It's whats for dinner.

Both were unbelievable. Cooked to perfection, they were soft, flavorful and so delicious. The avocado corn relish that came with the Flat Iron steak added great flavor to the meat. And the Strip Steak. Well, I can’t even describe how tender it was. You’ve heard the term “Cut it with a butter knife”, right? It was THAT tender. The mashed potatoes that accompanied it were creamy and garlicky (just like I like ‘em. Problem was, I only got ONE bite! Guess I must come back for more.)

After devouring our entrees (along with their famous green-chile Mac & Cheese), it was decision time. To dessert or not to dessert. Now, for those of you who know me well, I dessert. Always. Chocolate preferably. Unless there is Crème brûlée on the menu – then I’m all over that like white on rice. Although I was stuffed, I couldn’t pass up dessert – so we ordered one Crème brûlée and one Warm Fudge Cake. (Now, my thought process here was I would get to eat a bit of the Brulee since the menu states it is “Crème brûlée for Two”.  However, after a few bites of my cake, I look over to see this:

Crème brûlée for Two. Eaten by ONE.

You guessed it. Before I could even get TWO bites of the creamy stuff- G had inhaled it! Oh well, my fudge cake rocked too. So there. (But G, you now owe me a trip back to RPS for Steak AND Crème brûlée. )

So, to sum it up. If you haven’t experienced Wagyu Beef (and it is an EXPERIENCE), please, I beg you, to check out Red PrimeSteak. Expensive, yes. Worth it, ABSOLUTELY.

~SB

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