Kyomo’s Premium Wagyu Shows What It’s Like To Eat Like A Rich Carnivore

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When it comes to beef (food, not family arguments), it doesn't get much better than premium Japanese wagyu

No surprise, 'wagyu' as a descriptor has been ingested into a growing array of watered-down F&B marketing tags.

Look around and you'll observe way too many eateries stretching the definition of 'wagyu' and touting the term to promote everything from steaks and yakiniku cuts to burgers and meatballs. Sure, even if the cow is Japanese, the quality is too often hit-or-miss.

Thankfully, establishments that take quality wagyu seriously still abound, serving up cuts that actually taste like you're eating really good, expensive beef — not some overdone patty with misplaced promotional gloss.

One such place you can get high-quality wagyu is Kyomo in Sri Hartamas, with its specialisation in wagyu yakiniku (bite-sized grilling)

Part of the Oishii Innovations F&B group, Kyomo takes up several lots across a commercial row in Desa Sri Hartamas and positions itself as an establishment meant for more discerning clientele.

Seating areas are segmented into secluded booths and private rooms, all with lots of space and mellowing dim ambience — appropriate for when the fat from the seared zabuton melts on your tongue (we'll get to this in a bit).

Also, Kyomo has the prices to match.

Glancing at the menu will immediately inform you that the joint is all about wagyu, with everything else coming secondary to top-quality cow protein.

Those visiting Kyomo can expect to shell out anywhere from several hundred to thousands of ringgit for a group of four, depending on how much leeway your wallet has for a splurge and/or how much buttery beef your taste buds can take.

Before we got to Kyomo's star offerings, we were given a few sides to prime us for the rest of the meal

While the playbook at Kyomo is mostly about beef yakiniku, there's a healthy selection of salads, soups, rice bowls, kimchi/namul plates, and bite-sized starters if you don't want to overdose on bountiful wagyu slabs.

We were set up with several pickle platters (RM11 each), a coriander salad (RM26), and DIY grilled veggies (RM25) to act as chasers in between all the beef.

These were all fresh and flavourful enough to do the job, although the coriander salad came through as especially bright and great at cutting through the richness of the whole meal.

If you're planning to eat at Kyomo, I recommend following the same game plan and ordering several palate cleansers that can cut through the fattiness from the wagyu. Barring which, it can all start to feel cloying and overwhelming pretty quickly if you don't pace yourself accordingly.

Moving to the main event, our table was pretty happy to report that the wagyu experience at Kyomo really does hit all the right spots (buuurp!)

From the get-go, we knew we were getting spoiled with an eye-watering selection of the best wagyu cuts from Japan and Australia.

Our hosts made sure to inform us about the cattle's origin beforehand. For our meal, we were shown cuts prepared from cattle originating in Japan's Hida region in Gifu prefecture.

After doing a little digging, I discovered Hida wagyu to be the cousin of the famed Kobe cattle, and among some of the most prized cuts among wagyu enthusiasts everywhere.

The pièce de résistance set upon us was a glorious 600g platter (RM570) of varied Japanese cuts with heavy marbling, placing well within the hallowed A5 grade vaunted by so many carnivore purists.

In typical yakiniku style, the grilling was done DIY-style in the middle of the table. This serving style makes all the more sense considering how you'll need to take time to carefully sear (and not burn) each cut, which then means you'll take the time to savour each bite before moving on to the next one.

While there were sauces and other condiments to add to the cuts, our party mostly abided by the unspoken rule of allowing the meat to speak for itself by adding as little as possible, except for plain salt, which worked incredibly to elevate both flavour and texture.

As for the Japanese wagyu itself: SO RICH!

Every cut had a high level of marbling, which, when grilled, translated into a velvety mouthfeel and almost dairy-like flavour that had us contemplating the state of our cardiac health.

Moving up the serving board equated to more fat content, and it even came to a point where it all became a little too decadent for those of us not used to consuming wagyu on the regular.

As expected, the coveted zabuton (chuck flaps) and top blade cuts felt the most luxurious, but I equally enjoyed how the leaner parts of the cow transmitted quality beef flavour, especially the tenderloin, brisket, and sirloin.

Like most wagyu lovers will already know, the USP of the platter comes in the form of options: there's a cut of beef for every different mouth, and larger groups with different preferences will benefit most.

The 'other' wagyu was also great, although you might end up not ordering any

It's scary to think how this level of beef can make even other premium cuts seem a little ordinary.

Our servings of Australian wagyu, offal, beef tongue, beef soup, and others would be highlights anywhere else, but were completely overshadowed by the giant Japanese wagyu platter.

Still, here's a fair breakdown of each:

• Beef tongue: Kyomo gave us two different cuts of tongue marinated with a 'secret sauce'. The 'Signature Kyomo tongue' (RM64/4pcs) had an excellent, almost-mushy tenderness and a delicate sweetness, while the thin-cut tongue (RM35) felt a little more lean and came across as more marinated.

• Offal/tripe (RM23): Order this if you enjoy having more resistance in your chew. While the quality of the tripe was apparent, some at the table didn't fancy it too much. Objectively hits the spot if you love cow innards, but not for everyone.

• Wagyu tendon stew (RM34): Surprisingly fantastic for a more down-to-earth menu option. If you're gunning for variety during your visit, this one is a top choice — the presence of quality wagyu fat and a giant daikon slab elevates it from a basic stew to something incredibly comforting. Be sure to pair it with neutral carbs (like pickled plum rice) for best results.

• 200g Australian wagyu yakinku (RM76): The supporting star on the menu, Kyomo's Australian wagyu is excellent as a standalone. But if you're visiting, you'll more than likely be looking at the Japanese wagyu anyway. Consider this a more modest alternative if you prefer something not so rich.

Of course, there were desserts to end the night

Although stuffed full of beef, our table still couldn't say no to a few desserts thrown our way.

• Matcha Tiramisu (RM16): Decent as a closer. Lovers of matcha-azuki flavours will be happy with its fluffy texture and balanced sweetness levels, complemented by real mascarpone cheese.

• Homemade creamy pudding (RM13): For all intents and purposes, this was essentially a very creamy, yet light crème brûlée that managed to hit the ultimate Asian dessert accolade of "not too sweet". Would order again. For myself, no sharing!

• Strawberry shaved ice (RM12): Our final serving, and unfortunately, the least impressive menu offering. Expect more of an ais kacang-style shaved ice bowl rather than fine bingsu, drizzled with a strawberry syrup that's more like jam than anything else.

Summing up the meal, it became clear that Kyomo is somewhere you go for food escapism

While restaurants with the same profile as Kyomo do abound in more affluent parts of the Klang Valley, the one thing that possibly makes it unique is the overall experience you'll receive when you visit — think of it like a spa date, but for your belly.

If you're in the frame of mind to suspend fears about spending big, you'll be in for a good time due to the mix of private ambience, high-quality ingredients, and respectable variety of menu items that you can opt for to complement all of the fatty wagyu.

If you simply want to satisfy your cravings for a good steak, there's elsewhere to go, and for cheaper to boot.

But I can easily say that to celebrate a special occasion (anniversary, annual bonus, 50th birthday, etc), Kyomo has what it takes to set you up for a good time.

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Personally, I'm already planning to budget for my next visit. Now to wait on that annual bonus paycheck to come through.

Kyomo KL
Address: 26, Jalan 24/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (limited valet parking available)
Business hours: Weekdays, 5pm to 11pm | Weekends, 12pm to 11pm

You can view Kyomo's menu and ongoing promotions here.