WanderLex

Category: Kobe

  • Japan’s Kobe Beef: The Special Cut

    Japan’s Kobe Beef: The Special Cut

    Kobe Beef (神戸ビーフ) is widely regarded to be the best tasting beef in the world so how can we not have it when we are at its city of origin? It would be like coming to Singapore without trying Hainanese Chicken rice. Ok ok, I know some will say Chili Crabs but you get what I mean…and yes, Kobe Beef was the main reason why we ended up in Kobe.

    The most popular Wagyu brand in Japan is well-known for its exclusivity and quality, and that reflects in Kobe Beef price. We got to taste of the legendary cherry red meat twice on the same day – lunch and dinner even though my wallet was yelling at us lol. All I can say is that this expensive delicacy is worth every yen.

    Kobe Beef is, without a doubt, the best beef we had!

    Kobe Beef at Kobe Brand Tei

    The Kobe Beef restaurant where we had our first bite was Kobe Brand Tei in Mosaic Mall. Lunch crowd, if any, would already be long gone given that we were having our lunch close to tea break time. We quickly made our orders and waited in great anticipation.

    Kobe Brand Tei Restaurant

    Signboard at Kobe Brand Tei

    Inside Kobe Brand Tei Restaurant

    Finally, the Rolls Royce in beef world made it to our table. Just look at those exquisite marbling of fat on that meat!! It’s so clear to see the difference as compared to a regular slab of beef.

    Kobe Beef at Kobe Brand Tei

    Close Up Shot of Kobe Beef

    Next to follow is the Kobe Beef Steak, when being cooked in this form, we were told that it cannot be cooked further than medium rare else its unique flavour would be gone.

    Kobe Beef Steak Set.jpg

    Kobe Brand Tei Kobe Beef

    What about the taste then?

    IT’S SUPER DUPER GOOD!!!

    It’s hard to describe Kobe beef using any adjective, it’s just THAT good. The unique buttery texture and melt-in-your-mouth goodness is simply out of this world!!

    Kobe Beef at Kissho Koubegyuu

    We were still talking how superb our lunch was while walking around Chinatown. And before we know it, we came across this Kobe Beef speciality shop at one corner of the street. The posters and medals displayed outside Kissho Koubegyuu (神戸牛の元町 吉祥) were urging us to go straight in…we couldn’t resist of course.

    Kissho Koubegyuu Restaurant

    Kissho Koubegyuu

    Inside Kissho Koubegyuu

    The price at Kissho Koubegyuu is rather steep when compared to Kobe Brand Tei so we only ordered one plate of seemingly ‘lower grade’ of Kobe Beef to share. We were trying hard not to burst our budget for the remaining trip.

    But we changed our mind once the meat was served – the Kobe Beef here was even better than the one we had for lunch! Yummy!!

    Kissho Koubegyuu Kobe Beef

    So we decided to order another plate of Kobe Beef and…to hell to budget haha

    This time round, we asked the waiting staff to recommend, she pointed at one picture in the menu and gave us a thumb up. The price is thumb down but we went ahead with her recommendation nevertheless.

    Here’s the plate which the waitress gave a thumb up.

    Kissho Koubegyuu Set

    And she was so damn right!! Wow!! This Kobe Beef taste heavenly!!! All thumbs up!!! The lean and sweet meat just melted away in our mouth.

    Kissho Koubegyuu Beef Texture

    While we were busy savouring the beef, the waitress came back to our table and presented us a certificate. The paper is a proof of authenticity that the slab of meat we ordered was from one of the certified cows.

    This is the very BEST BEEF we’ve ever had.

    Kissho Koubegyuu Kobe Beef Certificate

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    Kissho Koubegyuu

    https://www.koubegyuu.com
    Getting here: They have quite a handful of outlets in Kobe, find one nearest to you at their Kissho Koubegyuu.
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  • Kobe Kobe!

    Kobe Kobe!

    After the wonderful visit to Himeji Castle, we are on our way to meet Kobe. Hello Bryant!!

    Huh…not the NBA Superstar? Haha…this blogpost is of course talking about the Japanese city well known for its legendary Kobe Beef, but a Google search on Kobe will fetch you results of both the hoop star and the harbour city anyhow.

    Kobe (神戸市) is commonly known to be among the few pioneer Japanese ports to open up its door to foreigners. The foreign ships that berth not only trade commodities but a great cultural exchange also took place, shaping Kobe in becoming a cosmopolitan port city with an international flavour.

    And so, the first place we visited in Kobe is its charming HarborLand.

    Welcome

    Inside

    Harborland in Kobe

    Harborland is a shopping and entertainment district which boosts a nice promenade overlooking the port. The most notable and iconic symbol of Kobe is of course the bright red Kobe Port Tower. But…but the tower was covered by scaffold and undergoing some maintenance while we were there…sigh…why like that.

    Port Area

    Ship at Port

    Else I would make it a point to stay around the promenade until it lights up brilliantly in the darker sky. Better luck next time I guess…so we went back to check out Mosaic mall.

    Kobe Brand in Mosaic Mall

    The two nearby shopping malls are Canal Garden and Mosaic but we only visited the later. Mosaic is one pleasant looking shopping mall with wide selections of fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants. There is also a Ferris wheel at the end of the mall.

    Canal Mall

    Mosaic Mall

    Mosaic Mall

    But the majority time was spent in this Kobe Brand shop where we browsed through the different variety of Kobe related products and souvenirs.

    Kobe Brand Shop

    WARNING!! You may end up splurging like us. Like all well packaged Japanese gifts and souvenirs – they make people empty their pockets willingly…

    Chocolates

    Products 2

    Products

    Products

    There’s one thing in the shop you gotta try, and that’s Kobe Pudding.

    Really really good!!!

    Delicious Pudding

    Pudding

    Chinatown in Kobe

    We wanted to soak in the festive mood of Chinese New Year while away from home, so we make our way to the bustling and fully themed Chinatown, located within walking distance from Motomachi station.

    Heading to Chinatown

    Motomachi Sign

    Also known as Nankinmachi, the whole Chinatown area was filled with festive crowd during our visit. It was so darn crowded until walking became a chore.

    Chinatown Main Gate

    Chinatown Crowds

    Crowds at Chinatown

    Super Crowded Chinatown

    The streets are home to Chinese restaurants, food stalls, shops selling anything from handicrafts, clothing to novelty items. The food stalls are selling takeaways like steamed buns, fried chicken, noodles and many more.

    Chinatown Steamed Buns

    Squid Bun at Chinatown

    Steamed Bun at Chinatown

    There was some scheduled lion dance performance near the pavilion with stone carvings but it was mission impossible to get near it. Not a deal breaker since we got to experience the wonderful festive atmosphere in Kobe Chinatown while having a great time.

    Chinatown Pavilion

    P1020668

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    What are your thoughts about Kobe? Leave a comment and share it with me.

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