Tottori Wagyu and other delights offered at Hotel New Otani Tokyo

Japan Times

23-06-2025

A special event featuring the rich sweetness and umami of juicy Tottori Wagyu-brand beef in a variety of dishes has kicked off once again at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo. Held annually since 2018, this promotion consistently highlights the charm of Tottori's viands through innovative ideas and cooking methods.
During the event, which runs until July 31, six restaurants will offer unique menus featuring various cuts of Tottori Wagyu beef alongside other foods from Tottori.
While the teppanyaki restaurant Sekishin-tei features Tottori Wagyu filet and sirloin steaks in its lunch and dinner courses, the Japanese restaurant Kato's Dining & Bar offers Tottori Wagyu stamina gozen, consisting of a bowl of rice topped with thinly sliced and sauteed Tottori Wagyu, and chilled udon noodles topped with Tottori Wagyu and refreshing seasonings. At the cafe and lounge Satsuki, a Rossini style Tottori Wagyu and foie gras burger Rossini style, fried yakisoba noodles with Tottori Wagyu, and mild Tottori Wagyu curry with beef cutlet can be enjoyed from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The bloodline of Tottori Wagyu can be traced back to Ketaka, a sire produced in Tottori in the 1960s that was the origin of many of Japan's current wagyu brands. In a recent interview with The Japan Times, Tottori Gov. Shinji Hirai spoke about the characteristics of the beef, saying, 'Tottori Wagyu beef is produced with a focus on the high oleic acid content in the fat.' Oleic acid is the main component of olive oil and is characterized by its light taste and smooth texture.
In addition, Hirai said, Tottori has been conducting research on glycogen, a substance believed to influence the flavor of red meat. 'Our research has revealed that glycogen seems to be more abundant in female cattle,' said Hirai. Furthermore, each livestock farmer has been making improvements in areas such as feed types and methods, as well as stress-free rearing styles, in order to continue producing tender, flavorful wagyu beef.
Shinsuke Nakajima, the executive chef at Hotel New Otani, praised Tottori Wagyu beef, saying that from a chef's perspective, its texture and sweetness are exceptional. He also highlighted the variety and quality of other ingredients from Tottori, mentioning that he created a dessert for the event using Tottori watermelon, known for its exceptional freshness, for this fair. 'This is truly my dream-come-true dessert. We use the Tomari Bijin variety, which has an early harvest in June, and switch to the Daiei variety in July, so I highly recommend trying both,' he said. Tomari Bijin is characterized by fine-textured flesh and a delicate sweetness that leaves a refreshing aftertaste. Daiei, with a history of more than 100 years, boasts a crunchy texture and rich sweetness. The sliced fruit is marinated in watermelon syrup with a hint of basil leaves.
Hirai also praised the dessert, saying, 'The gentle, refreshing sweetness of watermelon is naturally expressed, and combined with the fluffy texture of shaved ice it has a delicacy unlike anything I've ever tasted before.'
A luxury shaved ice dessert with premium watermelon from Tottori. |
Haruo Motohashi
Another feature of this year's promotion is that sake from Tottori is also being highlighted. Restaurant manager and Executive Chef Sommelier Nobuhide Tani said: 'Sake can bring out the flavor and sweetness of the ingredients of the dishes it is paired with. It is not strong like red wine, yet it has its own delicate sweetness that goes well with the food.'
Tani also pointed out that a large portion of Tottori's sake production is junmaishu, which is made solely from rice and water, without added brewing alcohol. 'Junmaishu, in particular, has a subtle sweetness that allows the flavor of the rice to emerge.'
Three kinds of sake from Tottori are offered during the event. Chiyomusubi Junmai Daiginjo Goriki 50 can be enjoyed at the Japanese restaurant Senbazuru and the Rib Room steak house; Chiyomusubi Daiginjo Fukurotori at the teppanyaki restaurants Sekishin-tei, Seisen-tei and Momiji-tei; and Benten Musume Junmai Ginjo Tamasakae at Kato's Dining & Bar and the noodle restaurant Mendokoro Nakajima.
Hirai said: 'While producers of diverse products of Tottori dedicate significant efforts to their cultivation, they are often faced with challenging climatic conditions. For instance, the temperature remained low in April this year, which is the peak breeding season, making watermelon cultivation difficult. Similarly, Japanese shallots, a specialty product of Tottori, faced challenges last winter due to heavy snowfall in the Tottori Sand Dunes, their primary production area.' He emphasized, however, that despite these hurdles, the producers' efforts and techniques have enabled them to supply the market with products of their usual high quality, or even better.
Hirai expressed his gratitude for the ongoing collaboration with Hotel New Otani, which enables Tottori's products to be enjoyed by a wider audience, saying, 'I am sure that the producers feel a sense of fulfillment when the fruits of their hard work are enjoyed and appreciated by many.'