Bite club: Japanese barbecue at X Pot
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The Wagyu Feast presentation at Wagyu House by the X-Pot. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Chicagoans have been grilling up Korean barbecue at their tables for decades, but Japanese yakiniku barbecue — concentrating on small, fine cuts of meat and veggies — not so much.
Driving the news: That may change with the new all-you-can-eat barbecue menu at Wagyu House by the X-Pot that debuted this spring.
How it works: Diners pay $68 to $88 for an array of meat, seafood and vegetables to grill at their tables.
- I tried a press sample — with no obligation to write about it.
The bite: The Wagyu Feast of super fatty beef from Japan, the U.S. and Australia starts the $88 platinum versions of the meal. It comes to the table with smoke pouring out of a bronze bull's nose.
- Why the smoke? "For social media," the server told me.
The verdict: Some of the beef was divine and melted in my mouth, but other pieces were unpleasantly chewy.
- Plus, I was given little to no guidance on what to do with the vegetables I ordered to grill with the meal. I finally flagged down a server to help me.
The intrigue: X-Pot also offers an immersive 5D dining room with hot pot, a small digital chef who appears to cook on the table, and 360° video with music for $118 per person.
