When it comes to Niigata's brand beef, many people think of Murakami Beef. But did you know that on Sado Island there is a brand of beef called Sado Beef? Sado Beef is a Japanese black beef raised on Sado Island. It is also called 'phantom beef' because it is produced in such small numbers. There are only a limited number of restaurants on Sado Island where you can eat it.
Cattle grazing freely on Mt Donden eat natural grass, and their feed is safe and secure, reflecting the natural environment of Sado Island, which has been adapted to the release of the crested ibis.
Incidentally, the definition of Sado Wagyu is
- Must be born on Sado Island.
- Must have grown up on Sado Island.
- The animals must be raised safely and securely using rice straw collected on Sado Island as feed.
The beef must be all Sado beef from all three of the following three regions: the Sado Island, the Sado Island and the Sado Island. Perhaps thanks to these strict standards, Sado beef won a prize at a nationwide Wagyu beef fair organised by the National Wagyu Registration Association (Kyoto), known as the "Olympics of Wagyu", which is held once every five years. At the 10th edition held in Nagasaki in 2012, Sado beef won first prize in the "District 2 (young female #1)" and "District 3 (young female #2)" breed categories, respectively! Amazing!
I went to Restaurant & Bar Kosado, a Western-style restaurant in Mano Shinmachi, to try Sado beef steak, which I had never had the chance to try before.
Incidentally, if you search for 'Sado beef' on Yahoo! Japan or Google, Restaurant & Bar Kosado appears in first place.
There are times when Kosado-san does not have Sado beef in stock. （On this day, Sado beef was in stock. I will order it immediately.
Sirloin is one of the rarest cuts of meat on Sado Island. At Kosado, Sado beef sirloin steaks are available in three different sizes: 120g for a reasonable price, 240g for a hearty meal and 360g for a heartier meal. Well, this time, I went for the 120g...
Here it is, the long-sought-after 'fantastic beef', Sado beef sirloin steak. Incidentally, Wagyu beef is ranked from A1 to A5 (the higher the number, the higher the rank), and Kosado serves only A3 and above.
A little nervous, I took a bite. 'Melts in your mouth' is a phrase you often hear on TV, and that's exactly what it is. Sweet, tender and juicy at the same time. If 120g is this, I wonder what 240g or 360g would be like in the world... Anyway, it was delicious.
Restaurant & Bar Kosado offers more than just Western food. It also offers home-roasted coffee and sweets, so you can enjoy a wide range of dishes from lunchtime to coffee breaks, dinner and bar time. There are also more than 200 types of alcohol available. This time, I ordered a sake drink - a 'local sake comparison'.
From left to right: Manotsuru dry junmai sake, Manotsuru dry ginjo and Maryo junmai sake. Each of these is a glass filled to the brim with the famous sake of a brewery in Manoshinmachi. The picture makes it look like a small glass, but it was quite large.
It was a rather luxurious combination of Sado beef steak and Sado's local sake, but I really enjoyed the taste of Sado. I would like to save up again and have a 360g steak one day!
Shop information
Restaurant & Bar Kosado
- Residence: 275-2 Mano Shinmachi, Sado City
- opening hours (of a store, restaurant, etc.)
- Lunch : 11am - 2pm.
- Dinner: 5pm-9pm.
- Bar : 21.00-22.00 hrs.
- Closed Wednesdays
- Website: http://www.kosado.com/
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