Raising the Steakhouse Bar
With CHOP Steakhouse set to unveil a brand-new menu this month, what can Members expect from the Club’s home of steaks?
Scott Kihara takes his steak seriously. Just a mention of “marbling” can trigger a passionate expounding on how that all-important blend of lean and fat in a cut of meat affects its flavor.
It’s no surprise then that the Club’s chef de cuisine spent months researching and sampling cuts of American beef to find the best steaks to feature on CHOP Steakhouse’s revamped menu.
Ahead of the July 8 launch of the third-floor restaurant’s new offerings, Kihara explains how CHOP continues to serve up the best steakhouse dining experience in Tokyo.
What makes CHOP’s new selection of steaks special?
We are the only restaurant in Japan where you can enjoy a 39-ounce porterhouse, a 14-ounce rib eye or a 16-ounce New York strip loin from Snake River Farms in Idaho. Every steak is hand-cut to our specifications by our master butchers. While other steakhouses offer USDA Prime, Snake River Farms exceeds that level of grading with its intense, wagyu cross-derived marbling. The steaks offer a combination of sweet, buttery marbling with a full American beef flavor. We will also feature center-cut, hand-selected steaks from Double R Ranch in the Pacific Northwest for a true American beef experience.
Why is marbling so important?
The small rivulets of white fat dispersed through the lean red meat are what chefs like to call “flecks of flavor.” A great steak is tender, full-flavored and moist, and marbling contributes to each of those characteristics. While Japanese wagyu beef has intense marbling, its richness means most of us are full after a few slices. But Snake River Farms’ cross-bred cattle combine wagyu and Angus genetics for steaks that blend a sweetness and tenderness from the fat with a classic, American beef flavor. This flavor also comes from the cow’s diet of alfalfa, hay and Idaho potatoes.
What else can diners expect from the new menu?
Understanding that it’s not only about the beef, we continue to offer our popular shellfish platter, with its chilled snow crab, lobster, shrimp, smoked oysters and tuna tartare. And we are excited about our new caramelized sea scallop appetizer, which incorporates a sweet corn vichyssoise and freshly shaved truffles. Looking to improve the CHOP Bar burger, we upgraded the patty to an American wagyu blend from Nebraska’s family-owned Morgan Ranch. We’re still only making five a day, though, so they’ll likely go fast.
What about those CHOP favorites?
Member favorites are still available, from our 28-day, dry-aged T-bones to the seafood market chowder, which is made from scratch each day. And our in-house pastry chef continues to create new desserts, as well as our homemade, baked-to-order pies. And what hasn’t changed is our dedication to providing a memorable dining experience for all Members and their guests.
CHOP Steakhouse
Weekdays | 6–11pm
CHOP bar
Weekdays | 5–11:30pm
