Korean fine-dining restaurant Hanu in Dubai is reporting growing demand for hanwoo, or Korean beef, as customers increasingly choose it over Japanese wagyu. The trend is gaining attention not only for hanwoo’s taste but also for its role in reshaping how traditional Korean cuisine (hansik) is presented in the Middle East. For the past five years, chef Moon Kyung-soo has worked to obtain halal certification for imported hanwoo from Korea, which is now the most ordered meat at the restaurant. In an interview, Moon says hanwoo differs from wagyu in that it is “not as fatty,” with flavor described as coming from its juice and aroma. He adds that early diners were skeptical, but preferences shifted quickly. The restaurant cites examples including a table ordering 25 servings of hanwoo in one meal and notes that more than 90 percent of guests prefer hanwoo over wagyu. It also states that wagyu suppliers reported a slowdown in consumption. Hanu imports hanwoo sourced from a slaughterhouse in Hoengseong County, Gangwon Province, described as the only meat processor in Korea with halal certification.