Renowned for its decadent menu of dry-aged and wood-fired meats, BLACK Bar & Grill & Blackmore Wagyu serve some of the finest steakhouse cuisine found in Australia. Inspired by the seasons and Australia’s premium produce, Executive Chef Dany Karam aims to showcase the very best ingredients using the utmost care, precision and skill.
Here, Dany explains where his passion for premium local produce comes from and the importance of this relationship with Blackmore Wagyu – an award-winning and internationally-renowned Australian producer of 100% Fullblood Wagyu beef.
Growing up in Lebanon, I have wonderful vivid memories of spending the summers growing vegetables in the back garden with my dad, and I clearly remember the fresh smells from my village market. It was during these years that I learnt the importance of using only the very best quality ingredients, something that is still rooted in everything I create in the kitchen today at BLACK.
Since becoming a chef, I have cultivated relationships with a range of truly amazing and inspiring producers that dedicate themselves to breeding the highest quality cattle, sourcing the most sustainable seafood and growing the finest fruit and vegetables.
Included in the list of fantastic, high quality producers we work with incredibly closely at BLACK is David Blackmore, and his son Ben, from Blackmore Wagyu. A Victorian cattle breeder, David is considered the founding father of Wagyu in Australia after being responsible for importing more than 80% of the Wagyu genetics into the country between 1992 and 2004. David’s passion and dedication to all areas of the production life-cycle has led to the creation of one of the most premium Wagyu products in the world. Now, Ben is continuing his father’s commitment to this as he takes on a larger role in the business.
The reason why we use Blackmore Wagyu is because of the unrivalled consistency in its product – it’s like nothing else on the market. Many years of passion and knowledge has been dedicated to the breeding program, including the rationing of feed, resulting in the rare and ultra fine marbling throughout all their produce. As Blackmore Wagyu has always been incredibly selective in who it partners with, especially when its cuts are available in such limited quantities, it’s an honour to be one of only a handful of restaurants across Australia to have access to its remarkable produce.
Recently, BLACK was lucky enough to access one of the rarest and most exclusive cuts of Blackmore Wagyu steak in the world. With a marble score of 9+, the ‘Five 8s Lucky Tomahawk Steak’ weighs in at an opulent 1.8kg and is named for its lucky price tag of $888.88. This is just one example of the quality cuts we can serve our guests, prepared simply with salt on the kitchen’s wood-fire grill to ensure diners are able to enjoy the tenderness of the marbled steak without other ingredients overpowering the meat. To try one of BLACK Bar & Grill’s Blackmore Wagyu steaks firsthand, book a table now at BLACK Bar & Grill.
