CUT Marina Bay Sands

Photo credit : Marina Bay Sands

The prized and rarely exported Kobe beef has launched in Singapore for the first time, and will be served exclusively at CUT by Wolfgang Puck for two months. Renowned for its outstanding flavour, fine marbling and melt-in-your-mouth texture, Kobe beef from the Hyogo Prefecture is a protected trademark and viewed as a national treasure in Japan.

Only pureblood “Tajima-gyu” cattle since the Edo period (1615 to 1867) to the present day from the Hyogo Prefecture that are raised by designated farmers can be considered for the Kobe beef certification. The meat must also meet strict grading for Beef Marbling Standard, weight limitations and other criteria. The Beef Marbling Score of the Kobe beef needs to be at No. 6 or higher to pass the strict grading. This process guarantees the superior quality of the Kobe beef which is known to be extraordinarily tender and flavourful.

The process of raising the Tajima-gyu cows takes about 30 months, which is an extra two to four months compared with the regular Japanese Black domestic breed of Wagyu cattle. Every year, about 5,500 heads of Tajima-gyu cattle are taken to the market, but only about 3,000 of these cattle are certified as Kobe beef. All certified Tajima-gyu Kobe beef comes with a 10-digit individual ID number on display at the sellers and restaurants, which can be traced back to information on where it was raised and sold.

Prior to 2012, the prized Kobe beef was never exported out of Japan. The first export was to Macau in February 2012. Currently, there are only 300 heads available each year for overseas export to Hong Kong, Macau, United States, Thailand and now, Singapore. This means that each market only gets about five heads per month, making it extremely limited in quantity.

Kobe beef photos by the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association

Specialty Kobe beef dishes will be available at CUT starting from 22 July 2013. Guests can look forward to savoring Kobe Sirloin, Ribeye and Tenderloin that will be grilled over almond wood.