Review: Rengaya Yakiniku (Japanese Barbeque)

Today I'd like to bring you a review of slightly higher-end Japanese restaurant. Rengaya is located in North Sydney near the train station and Zurich Bank. It is a Yakiniku aka Japanese-style barbeque restaurant that specialises in high-grade Wagyu beef.

The entrance of the restaurant immediately brings a very Japanese atmosphere with two suits of Japanese samurai armor guarding the door. The interior decor is very exquisite and classy. Corridors are modeled after stone footpaths in Japan, complete with grains of rock littered on the side. All in all the decor provides a luxurious yet Japanese flavour.

Now onto the important stuff. If you are a sucker for some premium Wagyu marble beef, you need to look no further. As a Wagyu lover myself, I've been to my fair share of so-called Wagyu BBQ joints. The beef from Rengaya blows all of those straight out of the water. Rengaya uses nothing but their own special Japanese black cattle breed raised in Australia. As far as I know, Rengaya is the only restaurant that provides 9/10 grade Wagyu beef in Sydney. The distinctive marble texture are clearly seen the second you lay eyes on the beef slices. This however does come with a higher price, with 130g of premium Wagyu short-rib clocked in at $39.90. Unlike most Asian-style barbeque restaurants, the grills in Rengaya are so well-ventilated that they are almost smokeless. You can fully enjoy delicious barbeque without having to worry about catching any odor on your clothes.

Heaven awaits the second you bite into the premium-grade Wagyu beef. Due to the high level of marbling in the beef, it is very tender and juicy unlike any other beef. Beef juice squirts out in your mouth as you chew with rich flavour and great texture. The beef is so rich in flavour on its own that it does not require any marinading or excessive spicing commonly seen in other places. This is what meat is supposed to taste like. It is important that you do not overcook the beef as it destroys the unique marble texture that Wagyu beef is renowned for. Beef tongue is another favourite of mine apart from ribs and steaks. They are thickly cut and come in barbeque sauce or salt and pepper. They, like their rib counterparts, are also very tender and juicy. My personal pick would be to go with the special barbeque sauce.

Apart from beef, the various Japanese dishes such as sashimi and salads are also spectacular. They are all very well made unlike most other BBQ restaurants. Sashimi are very fresh and salads are refreshing and tangy. Moreover, the large selection of carefully-crafted desserts put icing on the cake. Waiting staff are tentative and courteous. Services are swift.

For those of you who wouldn't mind spending a little extra for some of the finest Japanese yakiniku dining experience and the chance to taste some of the best premium class Wagyu beef available in Australia, Rengaya is the place for you. For those who are a little more conscious about their pockets, Rengaya offers buffets from Monday to Thursday at $65 per adult. However the buffet menu does not include premium-grade beef. I recommend this place for special occasions such as birthday or date with loved ones.


(Image source: http://weenaththa.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/rengaya-north-sydney.html
                         http://www.yakiniku.com.au/rengaya/)