The three characteristics of Hida beef are its fine and soft texture, the flavorful but not overpowering fat, and the sweet and mellow aroma when grilled. I believe that steak is the only cooking method that allows you to enjoy these characteristics in their best form.

At the salon I run, we provide course meals for 5 to 8 customers about twice a week. The highlight is Hida beef Chateaubriand steak. Chateaubriand is the meat from the center of the fillet below the waist. Only two pieces (4 to 5 kg each) can be harvested from one cow, and when the sinew is removed, the weight is reduced to almost half. Chateaubriand is an extremely rare part of Hida beef.

We have served this steak to about 2,000 customers so far, and it is now such a popular menu item that some people come back for it.

We heard some people say, ``I've never had a steak this delicious in my life,'' and some people were too entranced to say anything.

At the Japanese Embassy in France, Hida beef steak was served with freshly grated wasabi and delicious Japanese soy sauce. Masato Kidera, a former ambassador to France who was a professional diplomat and had a strong passion for dining, thought, ``I want everyone in France to enjoy the deliciousness of steak served with wasabi and soy sauce.'' After that, it was decided to add yuzu pepper to give it a different taste. This was very popular with celebrities such as the late singer and actress Jane Birkin and pastry chef Pierre Hermé, so I offer it in the same way at my salon.

When I come into contact with the best ingredients and try to get to the essence of them, the cooking methods and seasonings I choose become infinitely simple. This is because we want you to enjoy the material itself, not your own technique or personality. Hida beef humbles chefs and forces them to return to basics. It seems that there is such power.