Star of the hit cooking show Iron Chef, Hiroyuki Sakai, has put fresh Queensland grown ingredients at the front and centre of the menu at his Japanese restaurant. In partnership with Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Queensland Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister Mark Furner hosted an industry lunch in Tokyo yesterday at Iron Chef Sakai’s restaurant La Rochelle.

Mr. Furner said it was an honour to see the best Queensland produce, beautifully prepared by Chef Sakai, being served up to Japanese diners.
“Chef Sakai is world renowned as an Iron Chef and already has close ties with the Sunshine State. He is the honorary TAFE Queensland culinary ambassador to Japan and also appeared at Beef Week earlier this year.” Mr. Furner commented “Yesterday’s lunch highlighted the high quality of Queensland food that is exported to Japan and the main course served up delicious Queensland grown beef. Queensland beef remains a family favourite in Japan, and yesterday’s lunch ensured that title remains at the forefront of importers minds and taste buds.”

Mr. Furner said Queensland’s long-standing trade and investment ties in north-east Asia are only getting stronger and would be boosted by the meetings and representations made during this week’s trade mission to Japan and South Korea.
“The pure fact is that the Japanese can’t get enough of our mouth-watering beef,” Mr Furner commented “It is our most significant agricultural export with a value of almost $1.4 billion, which is 84 per cent of Queensland’s total agricultural exports to Japan. Of the 76 countries Queensland sends beef to, Japan is our most important customer.”
Mr. Furner explained that this is why the Palaszczuk Government is so keen to support our producers, processors and feedlotters to boost our exports to Japan and attract more investment in the industry. The more people in Japan that eat Queensland beef, the more jobs will be created in rural and regional Queensland.”

Menu:

Appetiser: Smoked Australian Salmon topped with Queensland watermelon radish, salmon roe and tomato relish

Entrée: Oven-baked Natural Japanese sea bass with Queensland macadamia nuts and lemon scented verbena

Main: Queensland beef fillet poêle drizzled with truffle scented red wine sauce, served with Queensland broccoli and beetroot

Dessert: Queensland Capilano macadamia honey and fromage blanc mousse served with peach and vanilla ice cream