Between wafers of wagyu and a few finicky inhospitable moments, we struggled to enjoy a meal at this new restaurant in Dublin’s Docklands
Irish wagyu chuck flap tail, left, and Japanese A5 wagyu premium tenderloin at Yakiniku Matsukawa in Dublin 1. Photo: Lucinda O’Sullivan
We may have been in the Wolf of Wall Street territory of Dublin’s International Financial Services Centre, where billions change hands every day, but even so, a serving of the idolised Japanese wagyu, considered the Dom Pérignon of the beef world – four rasher-sized slivers at €92 – made me want to jump up and scream ‘Emperor’s new clothes!’
The new Japanese Yakiniku Matsukawa is an offshoot of chef Yu Uchida’s dinky Matsukawa Sushi in D7 Smithfield – their 16-course omakase menu at €135 seeing them listed in the Michelin Guide. They expanded last September to D1 George’s Dock with Matcha Matsukawa Café, followed recently by Yakiniku Matsukawa upstairs.