Japan. Kobe Cuisine] Kobe Beef, A Critical Selection of Two Must-Eat Plain and High-end Kobe Beef Cuisine Restaurants

(1) ‘Snow, Moon and Flowers’: Savour Kobe Wagyu with Michelin-starred service and standards

At six o’clock in the evening, we walked to the main branch of Xue Yue Hua only to discover that it was their regular closing day, so we headed to a branch about a five-minute walk away. Perhaps because it was still early, we were able to be seated without any trouble, even though we hadn’t booked in advance. To prevent our clothes from getting stained by cooking fumes, the waiter took our coats before we sat down.

Just like at Steakland, both the sirloin and tenderloin cuts of Kobe beef are available in standard and premium versions. My friend and I ordered the more affordable standard tenderloin and sirloin steaks, along with one premium sirloin steak, and shared them all together. Even the standard versions here are of a higher quality than Steakland’s premium cuts. Furthermore, whilst Steakland simply uses ordinary butter for cooking, this restaurant utilises the natural fat from the beef itself, preserving the authentic flavour and resulting in a crispier, more aromatic finish—though, naturally, the prices differ accordingly. As for the service, they thoughtfully cooked the three cuts separately, serving one after the other for us to savour, and never rushed us to eat; they clearly understood the needs and feelings of their diners. The final dessert was a delightful combination of sweet strawberries and oranges. Perhaps due to the limited seating at the teppanyaki counter, we were moved to the main dining area to enjoy it.

We were all very satisfied with the meal; the only thing we found a little odd was that the restaurant did not specify the grade of the Kobe beef or the origin of the fruit. We experienced the difference in the quality of food and standard of service between a Michelin-starred restaurant and the more down-to-earth Steakland; having travelled all the way to Kobe, it was well worth the expense to enjoy a meal there.

(2) ‘Steakland Kobe Branch (ステーキランド 神户店)’: Savour exquisite Kobe Wagyu at affordable prices

No visit to Kobe would be complete without sampling the famous Kobe Wagyu. My friend and I headed to one of the most popular restaurants, Steakland Kobe (ステーキランド 神户店). As everyone knows, Kobe Wagyu isn’t exactly cheap. If you want to enjoy it at the lowest possible price, you’ve definitely got to go for lunch – you can get a meal for just over 3,000 yen, but you’ll have to queue for ages. So we opted for an early evening slot instead, when it’s less crowded.

The restaurant is decorated with marble in a classic Japanese-style Western dining room, giving it a rather opulent feel. There were four of us, and we each ordered the budget and premium versions of the ‘Satisfying Set Menu’ (まんぞくセツト), choosing the beef fillet and sirloin cuts respectively. The budget versions were not bad, but naturally the premium versions offered superior meat quality and flavour. The set menus included a salad, soup, bread or rice, vegetables and coffee; although slightly more expensive than the lunch set menus, they were still only a few thousand yen, and the portions were quite generous. Overall, the quality of the food and the ambience here are in the upper-middle range. If you’re looking to enjoy exquisite Kobe beef at an affordable price, this is definitely the place to come.