In February of this year, Salt Consortium opened "engawa," the UK's first Japanese restaurant specializing in Kobe beef, at the Ham Yard Hotel in London's Soho district. Their kaiseki-style service and sake bar, featuring a selection of Japanese sake, have earned them a reputation among British celebrities, sparking a "wagyu (Japanese beef) boom" in London. On the 11th, Salt Consortium opened "The Innocent Carvery Wagyu Specialty Labo & Restaurant," a yakiniku restaurant offering an international perspective on wagyu beef, in Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo. "Carvery" refers to a restaurant that carves and serves meat, and the façade features a display case displaying fresh meats and a butcher's lab. Guests can select their preferred origin, rank, and cut of beef, and the restaurant offers a wide selection of champagne and wine, aiming to create an "innocent" yakiniku restaurant, as the name suggests. "We are often asked by guests from overseas to recommend restaurants where they can eat Wagyu beef, but they themselves have no knowledge of yakiniku or Wagyu beef, ordering is difficult, and there are no restaurants where they can enjoy a casual meal. That's why we decided to work with two people who are experts on Wagyu beef," says Morio Inoue, president of the Salt Group, explaining the background to the opening. The two are Hisato Hamada, a Wagyu beef coordinator who coordinates Kobe beef engawa (engawa) and exports Japan's top brand Wagyu beef to 20 cities around the world, connecting chefs from top restaurants with Wagyu beef producers, and Kenichiro Okada, former owner and chef of "Chanto.", who has worked at Ken's Dining, Ginza Daiya, and Porter House. "At our restaurant, we don't call it meat, we call it 'niku' (meat), and we don't call it beef, we call it 'gyusan' (beef). We want to propose a new, elegant, and casual style of yakiniku," says Okada. "Just as you can compare the tastes of five major chateaux in a parallel wine tasting, I envisioned a restaurant where customers could compare brand-name Wagyu beef. Just like wine, the terroir of the land determines the quality and flavor of the meat, and the producer's passion is embedded in it," says Hamada, who left his Hollywood film career to take up his current position after becoming captivated by Wagyu beef. Following Engawa in London this fall, Salt Consortium will open a Japanese restaurant, PEN YEN, at SOHO FARMHOUSE in Oxford, England, run by SOHO HOUSE, a British members-only club known for filming "Sex and the City" and whose members include Kate Moss, Madonna, and Al Pacino. The restaurant, which includes an equestrian club and 100 acres (4.2 million tsubo), also features an ice skating rink and restaurant.