Best steak I have ever eaten.

I shall digress.

I read about a new restaurant in Los Angeles, focusing on meat which is unusual in the land of body conscious vegans and vegetarians.

It is in Beverly Hills which is not my favorite place to eat…usually all show.

Another obstacle…my husband does not eat meat.

Yet, when I get an itch, I need to scratch it.

So last week we had a 5:30pm reservation at Matu.

We were able to find metered street parking in front of the 60-seat restaurant.

We we’re warmly welcomed. The dark, atmospheric meat centric restaurant was empty and we were seated as requested in an isolated corner because I have not eaten indoors in almost two years.

I had not had alcohol in one month so I ordered a Chopin martini and David chose a house special margarita.

I had read about the $78 five course tasting menu (changes nightly) so I went with it.

Every course was stellar starting with Beef Broth made from simmering Wagyu bones for 24 hours and was rich and surprisingly satisfying (a la carte $6).

The next course was Hand-cut Tartare with a Japanese accent which I found surprisingly good since I am not a raw beef fan ($18).

The “47” Salad, which signifies the owners street address, with baby gems, a savory vinaigrette and parmigiano was tantalizing ($14).

The phenomenal Filet cooked over the wood fire was indescribably light in flavor, not at all gamey and only available on the special menu.

An amazing final course consisting of an 8-hour Braised Beef Cheek over celeriac puree was a truly sensational finale (a la carte $48).

My pescatarian partner ordered the meaty, mouthwatering Lobster Tails cooked over the wood fire with yuzu-kosho garlic butter ($58).

He also indulged in the Maitake Mushrooms with butter and thyme cooked over the wood fire. These were delectable and not wet and oily like so many mushroom dishes ($12).

Matu is the invention of Sugarfish cofounder Jerry Greenberg and team along with KazuNori, Uovo and HiHo Cheeseburger.

Matu is a different kind of beef-forward restaurant. All of the meat is sustainably raised, beautifully marbled, omega-3-rich, grass-fed Wagyu from First Light Farms in New Zealand (which Greenberg co-owns).

When you go you must order the $78 five-course beef tasting main event.

The food is truly fabulous overseen by former private chef Scott Linder, the atmosphere relaxed and gracious service.

Whenever normal programming resumes I can see the Matu bar being a place where we could drop by for a drink and a bite.

BTW, we enjoyed a delightful bottle of DAOU Cabernet Sauvignon  from Paso Robles at a reasonable price point.

It appears we just missed social distancing dining with JLo and Ben Affleck.

Matu 239 South Beverly Boulevard Suite 100 Beverly Hills, California. Open daily 5:30-10pm. Valet and street parking. Reservations on Matu website.