Kobe Japanese Steakhouse

[Chris Cognac]

My wife Martha and I went to Kobe Japanese Steakhouse in Seal Beach last night for my birthday dinner. I was excited to try another Tepanyaki place besides Benihana or Hamada of Japan.

Inside was pretty nice with a good size sushi bar as well as a "normal" dining area along with two Tepenyaki rooms. I was suprised as the decor was just kinda "stone" with no Japanese influence. It looked like it could have served anything from pasta to fried chicken.

I ordered the Steak and Lobster ($31) and Martha had the Chicken ($19), each came with soup, salad, shrimp appetizer. The soup was a mushroom onion which was ok, but the broth was not as subtle as others I have tried and the onions were scarce. The salad was a standard type with ginger dressing, I though was a little heavy on the diakon radish or horseradish but not bad. The shrimp appetizer was prepared by the chef on the grill, it was not cut into pieces you were just given 3 whole shrimp plopped onto your plate. There are two sauces, a spicy mustard which was quite spicy and a ginger which was very good.

The main course was pretty good, I thought the quality of the beef was very good and my Steak was tender and delicious. I was dissapointed in the Lobster as it was just kind of heated up and set on the plate, no spices, no lemon, not much taste, plus it was not cut up well and that made it difficult to eat with chopsticks. My wife's chicken was ok, although she did not finish it. I must say that I was impressed by the "Onion volcano" that was set on fire....I guess that there have not been too many lawyers eating there!

The bill for dinner, 2 drinks which were "ok" and a large Saki was 77 bucks. Would I go there again, yea, it was not as good as Benihana or Hamada of Japan but better than some other Teppanyaki rooms I have been too.

I asked the manager about the beef, where it came from and his answer was "Newport Beach"....that pretty much said it all!

Edit:cold house, cold fingers no type well

Edited February 21, 2004 by Chris Cognac (log)

[melkor]

Who knew ya could raise Kobe beef in Newport Beach

[Chris Cognac]

Who knew ya could raise Kobe beef in Newport Beach

Yea, that was a pretty lame answer....I was not impressed..too bad the place is out of my papers circulation area...But I still get to rate it for the Caifornia Restaurant Writers Assc....

[monkeymay]

Who knew ya could raise Kobe beef in Newport Beach

Are you sure he didn't say Newport Meat? They are based in Irvine, and one of the largest meat distributors on the West Coast, specializing in certified Angus and Kobe style beef.

Although it would be lovely to think of beer fed cattle grazing and being massaged on the beaches of Newport.

Probably wouldn't be that much different from what it looks like there now.

[mongo_jones]

isn't benihana already second-rate benihana?

[Katherine]

isn't benihana already second-rate benihana?

It's the "Japanese steak house" concept that is inherently bastardized. Benihana is merely the most prominent perp.

[Chris Cognac]

People rag in Benihana but I dont think I have had a bad meal there. Its a great place to take people for a special night out