Omi beef headlines Cru Steakhouse's third 'Meat and Greet'

For one night only, Cru Steakhouse got steak lovers to meet, greet, and eat dishes made with Omi beef.

Brought into the Philippines by Alternative Foods Corporation, Omi is the oldest of the “three kings” of Japanese beef which also includes Kobe and Matsusaka. First tasted during the unification of Japan in 1590, Omi beef was a symbol of honor and distinction, bestowed upon the shogunate.

As expected from these rich cuts, raw cuts of Omi beef with their white streaks of fat are a glorious sight. When cooked, these are among the butteri-est and most tender cuts of beef one will ever get to savor.

Sales director Tanaka Teruaki and Omi Wagyu master Shintani Noruyuki from the Asahi Corporation with Marriott Hotel Manila executive chef Miek Brammer and Alternatives Food Corporation managing director Kawshik Sehwani. Jeeves de Veyra

For this third iteration of Cru’s "Meat and Greet," Japanese chef and Omi Wagyu master Shintani Noriyuki from the Asahi Corporation, who is a member of the Omi Beef Export Cooperative back in Japan, and Marriott Manila's executive chef Meik Brammer jointly curated dishes to show off the distinct qualities of these premium cuts of beef paired with sake from Philippine Wine Merchants to add a Japanese touch to the meal.

I couldn’t wait for chopsticks so I just ate the Omi aburi with my fingers. It had a dab of fresh wasabi to cut through the lightly torched omi beef’s fatty richness.

Having the Omi beef in the tartare showed off how tender and fatty it was when raw. I thought this would have been tastier with something like lemon or even a bit of wasbi to balance the whole dish out.

I just had to go to the grill to get a whiff of all that fat melting into Cru’s grill seeing the kitchen staff just season the Omi A5 Ribeye with just salt and pepper. Even before having a bite, the Omi beef just exceeded expectations with the steak being cut with just the lightest slice. There was a bit of jus on the side, but I thought it wasn’t needed as the meat was already flavor packed on its own.

Cru Steakhouse is one of the few restaurants in the Philippines certified to serve Omi beef. The last course, with Omi A5 Striploin, is available as an entrée n the restaurant’s regular menu.

Cru Steakhouse can be found at the Marriott Hotel Manila in Newport City.