Sukiyaki is Japanese comfort food at its best — thinly sliced beef simmered with vegetables, tofu, and noodles in a sweet–savory broth. With Wagyu, the marbling melts right into the sauce, creating a silky, rich flavour. Traditionally, each bite is dipped into raw egg for extra creaminess, but it’s just as delicious without.

Ingredients (Serves 3–4)

• 400–500g Wagyu beef (thinly sliced for hot pot)

• 1 pack shirataki noodles (rinsed and drained)

• ½ block firm tofu (cubed)

• 1 onion (sliced)

• 1 bunch napa cabbage (chopped)

• 1 bunch spinach (washed)

• 1 pack mushrooms (shiitake, enoki, or mixed)

• 2 spring onions (cut into 5cm pieces)

For the broth (warishita):

• ½ cup soy sauce

• ½ cup mirin

• ½ cup sake (or water)

• 3 tbsp sugar

• 1 cup dashi or beef stock

Method

1. Prepare the broth. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and dashi. Stir until sugar dissolves.

2. Arrange ingredients. In a wide, shallow pot, neatly place beef, tofu, noodles, and vegetables.

3. Simmer. Pour some broth into the pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Start cooking at the table if you have a portable burner.

4. Cook as you eat. Add beef slices and vegetables bit by bit so everything stays fresh and tender. The Wagyu only needs seconds in the broth.

5. Optional dip. Beat a raw egg in a small bowl and dip the hot beef and veggies before eating.

Tips

• Use very thin Wagyu slices — they’ll cook almost instantly in the simmering broth.

• Adjust sweetness by adding more or less sugar in the warishita.

• Leftover broth is amazing poured over rice or used for udon the next day.