Best Guide to Buying Wagyu for Asian BBQ, Shabu Shabu and Yakiniku in Perth
Buying wagyu for the grill or the hotpot is a different job from buying a steak. The meat cooks in seconds,
Every wagyu label carries a number, 6-7, 8-9, 9+, BMS 11-12, and that number tells you more about what ends up on your plate than the brand name or the price. Here’s how the marbling score works, how the Australian and Japanese scales differ, and how to choose the right one for the way you cook.
Australian beef, including wagyu, is graded under the AUS-MEAT system. The chilled carcass is cut between the ribs, usually the 12th and 13th, to expose the eye muscle. A qualified grader compares the intramuscular fat they can see against AUS-MEAT reference standards and gives a marbling score from 0, no visible marbling, to 9, abundant marbling.
Wagyu regularly marbles beyond what that scale was built for, so the industry uses 9+ for carcasses well above a 9. Because grading happens at one point on the carcass, the score is a guide to the whole body and individual cuts vary. When you see “Score 8-9” on one of our product pages, that’s the AUS-MEAT marbling score.
Japanese wagyu is graded differently. The Beef Marbling Score, or BMS, runs from 1 to 12 and rewards both the amount of marbling and how finely it’s spread. The quality grade of 1 to 5 also covers meat colour, firmness, texture and fat quality. To qualify as A5, a carcass needs the top quality grade and a BMS of at least 8, and most A5 sold in Australia sits between 10 and 12. Our Kagoshima A5 from Akune Gold is BMS 11 to 12, the top of the scale.
The two scales use different reference standards, so a 9+ Australian score doesn’t convert neatly into a BMS number. Our Scotch Trio Set puts a Kagoshima A5 scotch fillet next to Lotte L’Grow and Stone Axe scotch fillets at 8 to 9+, so you can taste the difference.
Score 0/3. Supermarket beef sits at the bottom of this range and entry level crossbred wagyu at the top. Juicier as the number climbs, but still a steak first and a wagyu second.
Score 4 to 7. The all-rounder. Buttery, tender, and rich enough to notice without overwhelming a full steak. Our Margaret River Wagyu sirloin at 6 to 7 is where we point first time buyers.
Score 8 to 9. Special occasion steak. Dense, even marbling, a caramel and cereal aroma, and a texture that melts. Lotte L’Grow and Stone Axe scotch fillets sit here.
Score 9+. The most marbled Australian wagyu. At this level the fat does most of the work, so the meat is best thinly sliced for shabu shabu, sukiyaki or yakiniku. Our Stone Axe shabu shabu and rib blade slices are 9 to 9+.
BMS 11 to 12 (Japanese A5). As rich as beef gets. Share a 200 to 250 g piece between two or three people.
The score tells you what’s on the carcass, the breed type tells you the genetics behind it, and both are on our labels. Fullblood wagyu is 100 per cent wagyu genetics, traceable to Japanese bloodlines. Purebred is 93.75 per cent or more. Crossbred wagyu is described by generation: F1 is 50 per cent wagyu, F2 is 75 per cent, F3 is 87.5 per cent and F4 is 93.75 per cent.
So “Local Wagyu F1-F4, score 8-9” and “Local Full Blood Wagyu, score 8-9” describe similar marbling from different genetics. Fullblood usually brings finer marbling and deeper umami, crossbred a familiar steak character with wagyu softness.
Match the score to the dish, not the biggest number you can afford.
A weeknight steak or your first wagyu. Score 6 to 7. Margaret River Wagyu sirloin.
A special occasion steak. Score 8 to 9. Stone Axe or Lotte L’Grow scotch fillet.
Korean BBQ and yakiniku. Score 6 to 9. Karubi plate, short rib, oyster blade and Asian BBQ slices.
Shabu shabu, sukiyaki and hotpot. Score 9+. Shabu shabu and rib blade slices, seconds in the broth.
Burgers, Sausage, braises and slow cooking. The score matters less. Wagyu brisket, oxtail and burger patties bring flavour from the cut.
The full Japanese experience. Kagoshima A5 at BMS 11 to 12, in small portions.
Every product page in our online shop lists the breed type, origin, marbling score and Halal status. All our Australian wagyu is Halal-certified and our Japanese A5 imports are not. If you’re not sure which score suits the meal, the team at 5/11 Malcolm Road, Maddington helps home cooks and chefs choose every day.
The marbling score is the most useful number on a wagyu label, but it’s a guide to richness, not a ranking. Read it with the breed type and the dish you’re cooking: 6 to 7 for the pan, 8 to 9 for the occasion, 9+ for the pot.
No. A higher marbling score means the beef is richer, fattier and usually more tender, but it does not automatically mean it is better for every person or every dish.
For example, an MB 9+ steak can be extremely rich and may feel too heavy as a full 300–400 g steak for one person. However, the same highly marbled Wagyu can be excellent when served in smaller portions or sliced thinly for hotpot or yakiniku.
For many customers, MB 6–7 gives a very good balance between Wagyu richness, beef flavour and the amount you can comfortably eat. MB 8–9 or 9+ is better suited when you want a more luxurious, melt-in-the-mouth experience.
So the best marbling score depends on how you are cooking it, how much you are eating, and your personal preference.
No. MB 9+ is an Australian Wagyu marbling grade, while A5 is a Japanese carcass grade. In Japan, “A” refers to yield grade and “5” refers to the highest meat quality grade. Quality Grade 5 can include BMS 8–12.
At Lux Wagyu House, however, our Japanese A5 Wagyu is selected at a minimum of BMS 10, and the marbling score can be verified by the official Japanese carcass certificate supplied with the beef.
So while Australian MB 9+ and Japanese A5 can both represent very highly marbled Wagyu, they are different grading systems and should not be treated as exactly the same grade.
No. The score only describes marbling. At Lux Wagyu House, all Australian wagyu is Halal-certified, the Japanese A5 imports are not, and the Halal status is shown on every product page.
High heat, less time than you think, and a proper rest. Wagyu fat has a lower melting point than the fat in most beef, so an 8 to 9 scotch fillet needs only a hard sear on each side to reach medium rare.
At Lux Wagyu House, every cut, Australian or Japanese, comes with its marbling score, breed type and origin disclosed. Visit us in Maddington, order online for delivery across Perth, or call 0416 969 303.
Buying wagyu for the grill or the hotpot is a different job from buying a steak. The meat cooks in seconds,
Buying wagyu online calls for a little more care than most purchases. Product descriptions and photos do not always provide enough
