Quite possibly the most delicious (though not most tender; it was rump) steak I have ever eaten. Grade 9 or 10 Wagyu; Rockpool Bar & Grill, Melbourne.

Normally we don’t eat such extravagant meals but I was given some money over Christmas and rather than just throw it away on useless junk we decided to treat ourselves to a nice meal out–usually we make excuses on why we shouldn’t do so.

My initial impressions of the steak were 1) that it was cooked more than I requested, which it wasn’t–it was exactly what I asked for and 2) that it’s taste wasn’t that great. Again, I realised later–about halfway through–that I was missing the point and that it did indeed taste amazing. The amazing flavour comes mostly from the marbled fat and there is a buttery, creamy character that lingers in the mouth. Not to say that it doesn’t taste “meaty”, because it does.

The bites became smaller as I began to understand the taste and attempted to savour it’s richness better. The red wine recommended by the sommelier complimented it well–as it should, this being their job–though I could have stood to have a slightly more full-bodied flavour.

So, yeah, not the sort of steak I could afford to eat regularly but it was certainly worth a one-off.