I was planning a nice dinner for my boyfriend and my good friend highly recommended Kai wagyu. The store is conveniently located near south coast plaza, so I stopped by after running some errands. The store itself is small, but very nicely setup. The girl who helped me was very knowledgeable and helped me make the best choice for my meal. I went with the A5 Japanese wagyu. She told me how to cook it and even gave me an instruction card so I wouldn't forget later. It turned out perfect. I would definitely recommend
Lenny L.
There is nothing like this place. If you want wagyu or other quality items this is the place. I felt so welcome and didn't feel like an annoying person who was unsure about what she wanted. I was really wanting some smaller cut of A5 or even a short rib. The wonderful lady behind the counter was informative and welcoming. We had a discussion on how to cook a bone marrow and she just gave me confidence that I'm able to do it. I went home with my bone marrow and my little piece of A5 which I found in the freezer section. If I'm hankering for a proper steak I would come back here and try their other offerings. It's quality meat with quality service. They also have sashimi grade tuna and salmon. Now I'm going to grill my wagyu and bake my bone marrow with sprinkling of herbs and rock salt.
Brandon M.
Quality of the meat is much better than what I've found for Wagyu. I picked up some picanha and a ribeye. Both were well marbled and cooked great. It's a bit of a drive for me but I think it's worth it. Pricing seems good for the grade of meet you get as well. There's also some cool chilli oils and other items to check out while you are there.
Michael Bui
My mom picked up a pack for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely delicious. It's pricey but way way cheaper than going to a restaurant for it. Great and high quality for a special occasion.
Mark Y.
Quality of service and product is amazing here! If you are curious about learning more about Wagyu, this is the place to be! All the staffs are really nice and helpful! Also love the cool ambiance at the shop! Cheers!
Helen J.
Amazing quality meats! You do not have to go with the most expensive things here. My favorite cut is the Australian Denver steak - pan sear medium rare, slice and serve with a bit of ponzu (also sold in store) and finely sliced green onions. it melts in your mouth. I will stop by if I happen to be in the area, but it also has an online store. Bring your own insulated bag if you do not want to pay $3 for their small one.
G B
Great shop. Amazing quality with real wagyu and selection for all price points. Glad I found this gem.
Tyson R.
Kai Wagyu had really good prices and had an excellent selections of meat and also Cavair!
Adam D.
Popped in here last week cause I was waiting for my order next door. And totally surprised such a specialty shop was around here. I love beef and wagyu, definitely a treat to experience every once in a while.With Valentine's Day just the following week, they had a special that included caviar and a couple pieces of wagyu. Had never spent so much on ingredients before but after the one time I had a wagyu omakase overseas (more affordable in Malaysia), I wanted to duplicate the experience for my wife. So on V-day picked up a Kobe "wine" steak and a can of caviar. Who knew these two paired so well together. Apparently everyone and their mother cause I'd you Google it, there's so many articles about it and even some recipes.I got a snowflake of a New York steak and boy, it was marbled. Felt like I was just handling butter. Sliced it super thin and made some nigiris and then seared it a few ways (skillet with tallow and garlic oil rendered from the wagyu fat and some prosciutto I had around). Meats are totally legit. While Australian wagyu was available, I figure it's be similar to American wagyu, which I've had many times and easily obtained from many butcher shops and stores in the area. A5 Japanese wagyu is a whole new level. There were some from Miyazaki. But the original Kobe is an even higher level than that! And then there's the different cuts. So whatever you're looking to do, they've got it here.They even had some pre-sliced and frozen for shabu shabu.In the end, the menu I created from the steak were:1) blow torches wagyu nigiri with caviar2) blow torched wagyu nigiri with deep fried garlic slices (awesome)3) cast iron seared steak pieces4) small strips of wagyu on truffle butter and smoke infused with caviar topping5) Himalayan salt block seated center cut chunks6) fried rice with rendered tallow and garlic oil (totally decadent for fried rice. Uncle Roger would approve).Tip, Google pasteurized eggs for beef dipping. Great way to dip. But I'd recommend getting some artisan shoyu to help complement the buttery wagyu.
Robin I.
Looking for some holiday gifts and found this place on Yelp. They have a nice selection of different A5 cuts and it was nice to see they had certificates for each one. The worker also gave us a selection of salts to try and packed our stuff in dry ice, boxes, and bags. It's located in a small strip mall next to subway. They have directions on how to cook the meat. Yes the meat is good. Nice.
Here on vacation with my folks and happen to stop at 7/11, noticed the Waygu store and decided to head on in. We had the pleasure of meeting MiMi today, she provided us with great customer service. My mom and I had many questions and she answered all of them! Ended up buying steaks and shipping back home to Florida for my husbands birthday! I have not had the pleasure of trying their steak yet, so I will update accordingly soon. 5 stars for service, she is a great rep for your company!
Ben
Great store experience and customer service. The meat is very high quality, and is a one of a kind experience. I believe everyone should try wagyu at least once, but once you do, you’ll definitely want to experience it again. Would highly recommend!!
Lynn V.
We received wagyu from here as a gift and it was the best gift to share with. Christine assisted my fiancées sister in picking up 3 perfect cuts for us. We loved it so much and would definitely come back to buy for ourselves and as gifts.
C L.
I live around the corner, and this has become my go-to butcher when I feel like a treat. Yes, on the surface, it's expensive, but that's wagyu. Looking past that though, they provide wagyu for probably the cheapest you can get on a dollar per ounce basis. And the quality is top notch. They have sales on occasion, where you can load up for special occasions. That's what I did.
Bea S.
I had such a wonderful experience with Mimi. Came in to buy 2 A5 wagyu ribeyes and with her assistance and recommendation, I purchased 1 A5 ribeye and 2 Denver cuts. Mimi asked me the right questions and also recommended the truffle dust, which I of course bought as well. I have found my go to wagyu place and can't wait to try the other cuts and their caviars!
I was planning a nice dinner for my boyfriend and my good friend highly recommended Kai wagyu. The store is conveniently located near south coast plaza, so I stopped by after running some errands. The store itself is small, but very nicely setup. The girl who helped me was very knowledgeable and helped me make the best choice for my meal. I went with the A5 Japanese wagyu. She told me how to cook it and even gave me an instruction card so I wouldn't forget later. It turned out perfect. I would definitely recommend
There is nothing like this place. If you want wagyu or other quality items this is the place. I felt so welcome and didn't feel like an annoying person who was unsure about what she wanted. I was really wanting some smaller cut of A5 or even a short rib. The wonderful lady behind the counter was informative and welcoming. We had a discussion on how to cook a bone marrow and she just gave me confidence that I'm able to do it. I went home with my bone marrow and my little piece of A5 which I found in the freezer section. If I'm hankering for a proper steak I would come back here and try their other offerings. It's quality meat with quality service. They also have sashimi grade tuna and salmon. Now I'm going to grill my wagyu and bake my bone marrow with sprinkling of herbs and rock salt.
Quality of the meat is much better than what I've found for Wagyu. I picked up some picanha and a ribeye. Both were well marbled and cooked great. It's a bit of a drive for me but I think it's worth it. Pricing seems good for the grade of meet you get as well. There's also some cool chilli oils and other items to check out while you are there.
My mom picked up a pack for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely delicious. It's pricey but way way cheaper than going to a restaurant for it. Great and high quality for a special occasion.
Quality of service and product is amazing here! If you are curious about learning more about Wagyu, this is the place to be! All the staffs are really nice and helpful! Also love the cool ambiance at the shop! Cheers!
Amazing quality meats! You do not have to go with the most expensive things here. My favorite cut is the Australian Denver steak - pan sear medium rare, slice and serve with a bit of ponzu (also sold in store) and finely sliced green onions. it melts in your mouth. I will stop by if I happen to be in the area, but it also has an online store. Bring your own insulated bag if you do not want to pay $3 for their small one.
Great shop. Amazing quality with real wagyu and selection for all price points. Glad I found this gem.
Kai Wagyu had really good prices and had an excellent selections of meat and also Cavair!
Popped in here last week cause I was waiting for my order next door. And totally surprised such a specialty shop was around here. I love beef and wagyu, definitely a treat to experience every once in a while.With Valentine's Day just the following week, they had a special that included caviar and a couple pieces of wagyu. Had never spent so much on ingredients before but after the one time I had a wagyu omakase overseas (more affordable in Malaysia), I wanted to duplicate the experience for my wife. So on V-day picked up a Kobe "wine" steak and a can of caviar. Who knew these two paired so well together. Apparently everyone and their mother cause I'd you Google it, there's so many articles about it and even some recipes.I got a snowflake of a New York steak and boy, it was marbled. Felt like I was just handling butter. Sliced it super thin and made some nigiris and then seared it a few ways (skillet with tallow and garlic oil rendered from the wagyu fat and some prosciutto I had around). Meats are totally legit. While Australian wagyu was available, I figure it's be similar to American wagyu, which I've had many times and easily obtained from many butcher shops and stores in the area. A5 Japanese wagyu is a whole new level. There were some from Miyazaki. But the original Kobe is an even higher level than that! And then there's the different cuts. So whatever you're looking to do, they've got it here.They even had some pre-sliced and frozen for shabu shabu.In the end, the menu I created from the steak were:1) blow torches wagyu nigiri with caviar2) blow torched wagyu nigiri with deep fried garlic slices (awesome)3) cast iron seared steak pieces4) small strips of wagyu on truffle butter and smoke infused with caviar topping5) Himalayan salt block seated center cut chunks6) fried rice with rendered tallow and garlic oil (totally decadent for fried rice. Uncle Roger would approve).Tip, Google pasteurized eggs for beef dipping. Great way to dip. But I'd recommend getting some artisan shoyu to help complement the buttery wagyu.
Looking for some holiday gifts and found this place on Yelp. They have a nice selection of different A5 cuts and it was nice to see they had certificates for each one. The worker also gave us a selection of salts to try and packed our stuff in dry ice, boxes, and bags. It's located in a small strip mall next to subway. They have directions on how to cook the meat. Yes the meat is good. Nice.
Restaurantji Recommends
Here on vacation with my folks and happen to stop at 7/11, noticed the Waygu store and decided to head on in. We had the pleasure of meeting MiMi today, she provided us with great customer service. My mom and I had many questions and she answered all of them! Ended up buying steaks and shipping back home to Florida for my husbands birthday! I have not had the pleasure of trying their steak yet, so I will update accordingly soon. 5 stars for service, she is a great rep for your company!
Great store experience and customer service. The meat is very high quality, and is a one of a kind experience. I believe everyone should try wagyu at least once, but once you do, you’ll definitely want to experience it again. Would highly recommend!!
We received wagyu from here as a gift and it was the best gift to share with. Christine assisted my fiancées sister in picking up 3 perfect cuts for us. We loved it so much and would definitely come back to buy for ourselves and as gifts.
I live around the corner, and this has become my go-to butcher when I feel like a treat. Yes, on the surface, it's expensive, but that's wagyu. Looking past that though, they provide wagyu for probably the cheapest you can get on a dollar per ounce basis. And the quality is top notch. They have sales on occasion, where you can load up for special occasions. That's what I did.
I had such a wonderful experience with Mimi. Came in to buy 2 A5 wagyu ribeyes and with her assistance and recommendation, I purchased 1 A5 ribeye and 2 Denver cuts. Mimi asked me the right questions and also recommended the truffle dust, which I of course bought as well. I have found my go to wagyu place and can't wait to try the other cuts and their caviars!