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Wagyu Ya : Melbourne - Australia |
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| How a couple with no experience in the Yakiniku business made their restaurant the most popular eatery in the area. |
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| The owners - Emily, 26, used to work in the cosmetics business and Roy, 38, (photo) was a barber. As shown in the photo on the right, they started a Yakiniku restaurant in a building with a narrow storefront. A neighboring shop stands out, however, their restaurant is more popular. |
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The secret is market analysis and the menu. The owners incorporated their vision, "Wagyu Ya is the best eatery to experience genuine Wagyu," into the restaurant's name Wagyu Ya since Wagyu has been recognized as a prestigious class of beef even in Australia. This is same concept as Muji, the minimalist Japanese retail company. They don't compromise on selecting ingredients to be faithful to their straightforward business strategy. They meticulously examined meat suppliers before opening their restaurant. Although the price per dish is not cheap, the restaurant is always busy and all tables are reserved on weekends. The couple trained at a Yakiniku retaurant in Japan for two weeks and they hired a Japanese chef to prepare Japanese dishes. The second floor, featuring a high ceiling, serves Yakiniku while Japanese cuisine is served on the first floor. |
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Friends from university get together and talk about their challenging careers. The three friends work in international business, art, and the international crisis management. "Wagyu is not cheap but we can enjoy the fantastic flavor of beef to our heart's content," they said..
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The gentleman on the far right, who had dined at the restaurant four or five times, brought his family to let them enjoy genuine premium Wagyu. After savoring fresh tasty beef, they said they would surely come again. |
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They display menu samples, rare in Australia, to visually show off the appeal of premium marbled Wagyu. |
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 Flinders Street Station, which was built in 1854, is cultural icon of Melbourne. Southeast-bound trains depart from this station.
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 A winery southeast of Melbourne |
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Melbourne
With a population of 3.5 million, Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia. Thanks to an excellent living environment, Melbourne is always rated high in world rankings for liveable cities.  |
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 Upscale shopping near Wagyu Ya
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 Elegant homes around Wagyu Ya |
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| Restaurant opened in an area that resembles the Shimokitazawa part of Tokyo. |
Wagyu Ya was established in South Yarra, an area that looks like the Shimokitazawa part of Tokyo, a magnet for young people. South Yarra is not suitable for large buildings but is not overcrowded. The area marks the beginning of Melbourne's suburbs. It is small but there are numerous brand name shops.
In Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia, the suburbs spread from the city to the southeast. As there are many wineries, olive farms, and orchards in the hilly terrain of the Mornington Peninsula, this residential area is |
popular for the gourmand lifestyle. Yacht harbors dot the peninsula and many outdoor-minded wealthy people live here.
Wagyu Ya is located near the gateway to the suburbs. This upper middle-class neighborhood is close to the second stop from Melbourne Central Station, and convenient for commuting. A number of stylish boutiques line the streets, giving a sophisticated atmospere to the shopping promenade. Wagyu Ya is located at a corner of this promenade, close to the station. |
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