From Kagoshima to Manila: Akune Gold Wagyu takes center stage at Yakumi
A two-day dining event at Solaire Resort Entertainment City traces Akune Gold A5 Wagyu from its Kagoshima origins to the carving board and the table.
Text size
A two-day dining event at Solaire Resort Entertainment City traces Akune Gold A5 Wagyu from its Kagoshima origins to the carving board and the table.
AKUNE Gold Wagyu Butchery Showcase at Solaire Resort Entertainment City.
The journey of Japanese Wagyu — from the farms of Kagoshima to the butcher’s blade and, finally, the dining table — will be on full display at Yakumi this September.
The Japanese restaurant at Solaire Resort Entertainment City will hold a two-day showcase of Akune Gold A5 Wagyu on 26 and 27 September. Solaire said it is the first integrated resort in the Philippines to import and serve the brand, which comes from Akune City in Kagoshima Prefecture and is produced and exported by the Japanese meat company Starzen.
Rather than presenting Wagyu as merely a luxury ingredient, the event will explore the craft behind it. Four cuts of Akune Gold will be featured, giving diners a chance to compare their marbling, texture and flavor through different preparations.
Akune Gold is known for the fine marbling, tenderness and umami associated with top-grade Japanese beef. Those qualities, however, depend not only on provenance but also on how each cut is handled. Cutting against or along the grain, trimming fat, and dividing a primal cut into portions all shape what eventually reaches the plate.
That often-unseen work will be demonstrated on the first evening by Hideki Tanaka, a Starzen Wagyu cutting specialist with more than 13 years of experience. Tanaka is a graduate and former guest instructor of the Federal Meat Academy in Gunma and holds Level 1 certification in the Japanese Meat Certification Examination, which the organizers describe as the country’s highest level in the field.
His experience covers several points in the Wagyu supply chain, from production to retail presentation. At Yakumi, he will break down large cuts using Japanese butchery techniques, showing the measured precision required to draw the best texture and yield from the beef.
The demonstration will be followed by a seven-course dinner that explores Akune Gold through several cooking methods. Among the dishes are chuck short rib chawanmushi, in which the beef is paired with steamed egg custard and truffle dashi; roasted brisket with shiso, radish and ponzu; and sukiyaki prepared with short rib and plate, allowing the meat’s marbling to mingle with the dish’s savory-sweet sauce.
The menu has been arranged as a progression, with each course revealing a different aspect of the ingredient. The gentleness of steamed custard, the brightness of ponzu and the deeper character of sukiyaki provide contrasting settings for the richness of the beef.
On 27 September, the showcase will continue during Yakumi’s signature Sunday brunch. A new station called Meat Heaven will bring together Akune Gold Wagyu, foie gras and other premium selections, alongside the restaurant’s regular live stations.
The Akune Gold Wagyu dinner will be held on 26 September, followed by the Sunday brunch on 27 September. Seating is limited. Reservations may be made through Solaire Resort Entertainment City at +632 8888 8888 or through its website. Solaire Rewards members may receive up to 20 percent off dining, while newly enrolled members may receive 30 percent off their first dining bill, subject to the resort’s terms.
