Photo credit: ItoUshi

New safe distancing measures mean that you can now host multiple groups of five persons at home – time to invite more friends and family to your home. What with the trend towards dining and hosting more at home in the past two years, home chefs experimenting with professional techniques and kitchen equipment are increasingly expecting more from the produce they buy. From top grade exclusive wagyu to dry ageing, meat suppliers are now retailing premium Wagyu to cater to demanding home chefs. To make things easier, here’s the shortlist.

(Related: Why top chefs are serving Wylarah beef in their restaurants)

Matsusaka

Photo: ItoUshi

Previously only served in the finest restaurants in Japan, new Japanese wagyu beef supplier Mitsu Boshi has now brought the extremely exclusive Matsusaka Wagyu to local epicureans. This is the first time that any distributor has ever obtained approval to export Matsusaka beef out of Japan. As exclusive distributors of Ito Matsusaka Ushi ‘Private Label’ here in Singapore and Hong Kong, Ito Ushi is their direct-to-customer e-store which launched here late last year after 8 years of fighting to get import approvals. 

Premium cuts of beef: 

What’s the big deal about Matsusaka? It’s known as “the queen of Wagyu”, and recognised as one of the top three types of Wagyu in Japan together with Kobe and Ohmi. Their Matsusaka Wagyu comes direct from Ito Ranch, the only Matsusaka ranch to ever receive the Grand Champion Cattle prize for 3 consecutive years in the annual Matsusaka Beef Carcass Contest in Japan. Hiroki Ito, the third-generation owner of Ito Ranch, is a business partner at Mitsu Boshi so you can be sure you’re getting top quality champion grade A5 BMS 10 to 12 Matsusaka Wagyu. They can even provide corresponding official grading certifications upon request.

Insider tip: go for the Yakiniku Set – Rare Parts Collection or Royal Collection. These comprise rare parts of the cow typically only found in the best restaurants made available because Mitsu Boshi imports the whole cattle and butchers it themselves. The sought-after parts for yakiniku include Misuji (Oyster Blade), Tomo Sankaku (Tri-tip), Sasabara (Flank Steak) and Harami (Inner skirt). Watch this space, we hear that they have plans to open a restaurant concept in future as well!

www.ito-ushi.com

(Related: Yen Yakiniku co-founder Thomas Kong finds calm in boxing)

Butcher Box

Blackmore Wagyu (Photo: Butcher Box)

Orca Marketing Pte Ltd has been supplying premium meat and seafood for over 10 years to some of the finest restaurants in Singapore. Now, their retail store Butcher Box is selling the same sustainably sourced products from renowned farms and producers from Australia, New Zealand and USA produce direct to consumers.

Premium cuts of beef: 

Previously only available in restaurants such as Les Amis, Burnt Ends and 1-Altitude, you can now get various cuts of Blackmore Wagyu at Butcher Box. Blackmore Wagyu is an award-winning producer of 100% Fullblood Wagyu beef, which means the cattle are not crossbred with any other breed. Farmers combine traditional Japanese farming techniques with new, scientific methods in order to get the best quality meat and also improve the quality of the animals’ lives. 

Many butchers now sell dry-aged beef, but have you heard of dry-aged pork? What’s unique at Butcher Box is their dry-aging program which has both beef and pork cuts – check out their website for next available dates. Highlights include the 45-days dry-aged Blackmore sirloin MB9+ and the 45-days dry aged Gooralie free-range pork tomahawk. We hear Gooralie pigs are raised in a stress-free and natural outdoor environment, free to roam with access to fresh spring-fed water and plenty of shade and shelter. The farmers’ dedication to animal welfare produces exceptional quality and tender pork. 

414 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427638. www.butcherbox.com.sg

(Related: These are some of the most expensive ingredients in the world)

Yakiniku Plaza

Photo: Yakiniku Plaza

Yakiniku Plaza is run by S Foods Singapore Pte Ltd, one of the biggest suppliers locally for Japanese Wagyu. The company operates under the umbrella of S Foods Inc which is headquartered in Japan, so you’ll be guaranteed the real deal here.

Premium cuts of beef: 

Kobe beef rounds up the triumvirate of ‘star quality’ Wagyu beef in Japan, along with Ohmi and Matsusaka. And Yakiniku Plaza has an impressive range of certified authentic A5 Kobe beef –  sourced directly from farms and imported to Singapore themselves in order to ensure freshness and authenticity. In fact, there is a team of commissioners and inspectors ensuring Kobe beef is accurately presented in the various markets worldwide. S Foods Singapore director, Motomu Yoshida, is the sole commissioner of Kobe Beef in Singapore.

They’ve shared that all stores and restaurants in the Kobe Beef Association will display their registration certificate and bronze statue as proof of membership. To be sure, ask to see their certificates or check out this list of registered stores for Kobe beef in Singapore here: http://www.kobe-niku.jp/shop/?lang=1&prefecture=62&tag.

There’s a whole range of A5 Kobe beef cuts and preparations available at Yakiniku Plaza. Pick up the prime cuts such as tenderloin, sirloin, ribeye for steak dinners, and you’ll also find Japanese preparation styles such as karubi and shabu. There’s even premium karubi and shabu cut from prime sirloin and ribeye cuts for that extra luxe hotpot or binchotan grill at home.

48 Woodlands Terrace, Singapore 738460. www.yakinikuplaza.com.sg

Culina

Photo: Culina

As an established importer, distributor and restaurateur, Culina started more than two decades ago as a wholesale distributor of food and wines before expanding into retail to consumers. As purveyor of specialist epicurean foods and wines, Culina is the go-to for both home gourmet cooks and professional chefs in search of the finest and freshest ingredients. Part of the COMO Group since 2012, the brand has since expanded into a retail and restaurant space at Dempsey.

Premium cuts of beef: 

The Wylarah Full Blood Wagyu Beef Striploin MBS 8-9+ is the choice cut to get here when it’s in stock. Located in Southern Queensland, Australia, Wylarah cattle are born and raised on family-run stations owned by the Australia Agriculture Company. As with most Australian Wagyu, cattle are pasture-raised then finished on a proprietary blend of grains including wheat, sorghum and oats, sweetened with molasses for trace minerals. This delivers intense marbling and depth of flavour.

The Wylarah herd are based on some of the best genetics to ever leave Japan with an elite herd of Japanese black Wagyu cows and sires two decades ago. The exacting standards of Wylarah means that only top quality cuts from the very best animals ever achieve the Wylarah certification. Wylarah Wagyu is exclusively distributed in Singapore by Culina, which is also served at Butcher’s Block, Four Seasons Hotel, SKAI and Wooloomooloo Steakhouse.

Blk 15 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249675. www.culina.com.sg