It takes a lot to stand out in Chicago’s competitive steakhouse scene.
RPM Steak’s strategy? Two uber-exclusive wagyu beef specials—one of which is offered at no other restaurant in the country.
River North’s notable Lettuce Entertain You chophouse, led by executive chef-partner Bob Broskey, will welcome the Sendai wagyu from Kawaguchi Farms ($42 per ounce, two-ounce minimum) and the Namiki wagyu from Kaneko Farm ($62 per ounce, two-ounce minimum) on Feb. 15.
RPM Steak's hot rock Sendai wagyu
“The best thing about wagyu beef is that it has a much lower melting point so it’s going to eat so much more unctuous than prime beef normally would,” says chef Broskey. “If it’s something you haven’t experienced for yourself, I highly recommend trying it at RPM Steak. That’s why we continue to seek out the best beef on earth, to give our guests something they’ve never had before."
RPM Steak's Sendai wagyu skewers
Exclusive to RPM Steak Chicago, the newest wagyu offerings are the product of an expansive search for highly acclaimed suppliers—which led the team to Japan’s Kaneko Farm and Kawaguchi Farms.
“To source this exclusive wagyu, we took a trip to Japan, which is known for its incredible tradition of raising wagyu that goes back hundreds of years,” says chef Broskey. “We went to multiple prefectures to see different animals and experience each farm’s different approach to the care and feeding of these special animals and what goes into producing this superior quality beef.”
Executive chef-partner Bob Broskey and the RPM Steak team at Kawaguchi Farms
RPM Steak is the first restaurant in the country to offer Namiki wagyu, with six loins sourced from 2,000 carefully raised cattle, and the only steakhouse in Chicago to serve Kawaguchi Farms’ Sendai beef, raised among 700 heads of cattle over 30 months.
Both Kawaguchi Farm’s Sendai wagyu and Namiki wagyu offer decadent flavor profiles and unparalleled marbling, according to Broskey, garnering each a grade A5 and beef marbling score of 80% 10+—resulting in a luscious, tender consistency. The cuts are cooked over hardwood charcoal, in alignment with traditional Japanese culinary styles.
RPM Steak's Sendai wagyu tartare with caviar
“At RPM Steak, we take both traditional and atypical approaches to wagyu, whether that be cooking something that’s sliced very thinly on a hot stone, as you would see in Japan, or cooking a large steak as you would see in a normal Midwestern steakhouse. We love the balance between both and the experience that provides for the guest,” says chef Broskey.
Photography by: Photos by Lindsay Eberly
