While Japanese omakase
restaurants in Atlanta (traditionally multi-course tasting menus of the chef's
choice of the finest cuts of seafood, sushi and sashimi) are having a "moment,"
another upscale Japanese offering has created its own waves in the hallowed ground
of former Restaurant Eugene space. Prefecture
Japanese Steakhouse (a prefecture is one of the 47 different territorial
districts on the island of Japan) features Wagyu steak dishes of your dreams, a
series of #tooprettytoeat plates from chef Sean Park who operates Norifish (an
aforementioned sushi omakase experience) and ramen soup spot, Okiboru (located in
the same complex as Prefecture). The space
feels like a sexy, dimly lit speakeasy with cherry blossoms crawling along one
side of the dining room. The omakase menu ($175) trots out eight courses,
the highlights being the zabuton chuck center (Waygyu from Snake River Farms),
a buttery A5 ribeye cap, a delightful sashimi spread served over crushed ice alongside in a scallop shell, a
silky A5 New York strip and a decadent truffle wagyu slider topped with a sunny-side-up quail egg. The portions are
perfect for a long epicurean journey and the service brilliantly paces the
dishes. A worthy splurge and a perfect
primer for a wagyu steak newbie.
