Thursday, February 14, 2008

Astons Prime: Wagyu Tenderloin!


Wagyu Tenderloin 250gm $79.95

When it comes to steak, I usually order Ribeye, T-bone or Sirloin. I avoid Tenderloin because it lacks the robust beefy flavour due to the lack of fat. Because of this, lots of places serve tenderloin wrapped with a piece of bacon to give it a bit more flavour. Furthermore, the serving of tenderloin is usually quite small so it never really satisfies a Beefeater. It would be safe to say that a lot of ladies go for tenderloin because of its tenderness, lack of fat and the smaller servings. Right ladies?

Anyway, when Astons told me that he just got hold of this Grade 7 Wagyu Tenderloin at "Fell off the back of a truck" prices, I just could not resist. The truth was that I was a bit skeptical. A Tenderloin is a Tenderloin even if it was a Wagyu Tenderloin..... or so I thought.

It is quite amazing to see the extent of marbling on a Wagyu Steak, but even more amazing to see it on a Tenderloin which is usually very lean. The marbling on the Tenderloin is more intricate and reticular (net like) then that of Ribeye, so pound for pound there is still less fat on the Tenderloin.



A delicate piece of meat like this needs to be treated royally and Astons got it just right for me. Conventional wisdom says that Wagyu should be cut thinner and quickly seared on the outside so that the fats won't all melt during the cooking process, leaving a piece of cardboard-like steak. But have a look for yourself.... this is a thick steak that is beautifully charred on the outside but still juicy pink on the inside.

Taste wise, this is the BEST Tenderloin I have ever tasted. The meat is tender and the wonderful beefy juices are released with every bite. Truly a wondrous piece of meat which will satisfy the most fastidious of carnivores. 4.6/5

Conclusion

You have got to see it and taste it to believe it!

Link to previous Wagyu Article

Astons Prime
467 Joo Chiat Road
Open 11.30 to 11pm
Closed on Tuesdays
Call 63442447 for reservations
astonsspecialties.blogspot.com

15 comments:

khim said...

for me, i luv beef wif lotsa fats, big servings, yet tender! =p

matthew said...

hey go try the tai seng noodle house at amoy st hawker centre 02-123 right beside sgkueh and do give your reviews. I love it would like you to try and I guarantee you that you have at least 10 wanton for $3 else you come look for me I return you your $3.

Damien said...

Also heard the lady boss of Grill Out used to supply beef to restaurants, thus, her selection of meats for her restaurant are always top grade :)

His Food Blog said...

Hmm... I beg to differ... I had a really bad experience at Aston Prime! you can read it @ http://hisfoodblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/astons-prime-birthday-treat-or-trick.html.

Also your steak look more medium than medium rare to me.

The Nameless Bear said...

Not sure if I am the only one that is experiencing problems with Astons, but have been trying to get to eat their Wagyu at different outlets for the longest of time, and somehow I feel that it is more of a marketing gimmick than anything else. You queue up for half hour for a seat and then get told that the wagyu is already sold out when you reach the front of the queue. I have tried queueing at different times as well but have been experiencing the same situation. So after queueing up for so long, you just take a seat and order any of the other stuff which is only so-so.

ieat said...

Hi Nameless Bear,

Write to me at leslie.tay@gmail.com with your handphone number and I'll sort it out for you.

sumosumo said...

the best wagyu steak i have tried is at St Julienne's opposite Fullerton Hotel, at the boat house. and i think pricing wise is not that much more expensive than aston's..

for those who don't know, the wagyu we get in singapore is from Australia.

real wagyu from japan in Singapore is rare - because AVA dosen't allow import of japanese wagyu as it dosen't meet AVA's guidelines in terms of bacteria content or soemthing like that. only the top jap restaurants with good lobangs manage to import it...

so if someone claims they serve Kobe beef or wagyu from japan.. chances are they dont know what they are talkig about, or they are not telling you the truth.

Anonymous said...

OMG a 250g waygu tenderloin for S$79.95?!!!!! Jebus! I thought the beef prices here in Aus. are expensive...wooahhhh...crazy....

ieat said...

Kalos - I never said the steak was medium rare in the post. Actually I asked for somewhere in between Medium to Medium Rare. Too much rare on a thick steak like this and I feel like I was eating sashimi.

Sumosumo - you need to be more precise on your prices.

His Food Blog said...

Hmm... and I was right about the "doneness" of steak... any good piece of steak not done medium rare is a waste of natural juices of the meat in my humble opinion... as this is the time the meat begins to release alot of "red juices"... Also, I feel a medium rare steak have a "springy" feel to the firmness. However, this is entirely my own opinion... anyone has other views on "doneness" of steak?

sumosumo said...

les - sorry dude,.. cant recall right now, but i reckon in the $100 range for the steak.......

ieat said...

Then it is not very fair to say that prices at St Juliene's are not that much more expensive than aston's.

The Website at St Juliene's doesn't carry ala carte Wagyu. But their set menu does and the portion is 160g only.

I just visited another restaurant (not so high end one) and they were selling Wagyu Ribeye for $40 per 100g. A 250g steak will set you back $100. That's for Ribeye. Usually tenderloin is more expensive.

The higher end restaurants sell Wagyu at even higher prices.

So I feel that $79.95 for a 250g Wagyu Tenderloin is a pretty good price unless someone knows that you can get the same thing cheaper elsewhere. Do let us know!

ladyironchef said...

i only been to aston, haven got the chance to go to aston prime. but its seems there is mixed reviews abt it though. hahaha

wahcow said...

had a good chance to meet a few of the ieat kakis for lunch at astons prime....they have a new menu !!

long fed ribeye at 23 or 24 bucks ? i cannot remember but man..they taste good !!...oh..try not to compare with those you had at specialities or other similar joints/prices....this one to me beats the rest handsdown.

remember to go for the long fed....be it ribeye..sirlion...blah blah blah.

my only complain ?? the hot plate was not sizzing enough....but they promise to do better next time !!!heheh..

cactuskit said...

Yup agree. Best steak that day. : )

Must go for long fed chicken, long fed prawns....

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