Divine Bovine

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Geo: 34.68, 135.17

Why is Kobe beef so exquisite - because the cows drink sake, and are given daily massages? Is it because they are fed sushi with the sake, and the massages are given by geishas, and culminate in happy endings? Without a doubt, Kobe beef is the most famous in the World, with a reputation bordering on the mythical.

Today, we went to Kobe for one reason, and one reason only - to see for ourselves how good, or possibly disappointing, Kobe beef is! In life, rarely will you find something that lives up to the hype, and we were fully expecting Kobe beef to be nowhere near as delicious as its reputation suggests it is. However, an even greater rarity is finding something that actually exceeds the hype, which is what we pleasantly found today in Kobe.

Simply put, Kobe beef is phenomenal, and unlike any beef you will find anywhere else in the World. Its texture and taste are unique, causing your mouth to start watering the moment it hits your tongue, so tender and well-marbled that it magically dissolves on your tongue, turning into a pool of pure flavour and bliss! Words cannot do it justice - it's a sensation that must be experienced to be believed.

The meat is so rich that you can't eat too much of it, which is a good thing, considering how outrageously expensive Kobe beef is. While I love tucking into a massive t-bone as much as the next guy, this isn't something you'd want to attempt with Kobe beef, as you'd probably end up feeling quite ill after eating a large portion of it. It's truly one of those splurge experiences in life that you'd only want to do on certain occasions, lest your heart burst with clogged arteries.

Not having done any research into specific restaurants prior to arriving in Kobe, we simply wandered around in search of some good eats, something that would normally be risky in a place like Kobe - being so famous for its beef, it was entirely possible that the whole city was full of touristy rip-off joints. However, one thing we've learned so far in the region of Kansai is that it's very difficult to find a bad restaurant - perhaps it was luck, or perhaps it was divine bovine intervention, but we backtracked on our original decision to try a place called Steak Land and ended up at Ishida, for one of the most memorable meals of our lives.

We quickly realized that reservations are a necessity at Ishida, obvious because of the packed dining room despite our arrival well after the typical Japanese lunch hour. Luckily for us there were no seats in the main dining area, so we were eventually seated in a little private room, having it all to ourselves. It's possible that the staff did this as a favour to the rest of the guests, as our giddy anticipation surely would have annoyed the hell out of them!

Today wasn't just about the food, but also the entire experience - as much as I love the food and production of the teppanyaki-style restaurants found in North America, our experience today blew that out of the water, making that choreographed and rehearsed experience seem nothing more than a pale comical imitation of the original. There were no shrimp acrobatics or juggling of pepper mills by the chef - it was only about the food, and the spectacle of watching a highly-skilled and trained chef carefully and expertly prepare the finest of beef. The chef's every maneuver was deliberate and with purpose, all executed with the precision of a surgeon, with no wasted effort or movements.

The way the chef precisely mounded different types of salt and mustard on our plates, the way he carefully carved up the beef and seared every single edge to ensure maximum caramelization, the way he drizzled rendered fat over top of the vegetables for flavour, the way he ensured the guys received just a little bit more beef than the girls, the way he finished up such a heavy meal on a lighter note by serving us grilled bean sprouts (albeit, with chunks of crispy beef fat) ... the Japanese are famous for their attention to detail, and today's meal was no different, from the moment the steak was first placed on top of the teppan (sans oil, as it's not required for such fatty beef), to when we finished our meals, completely satiated by Kobe beef goodness.

Though Kobe beef is now available in many North American steakhouses, I can't believe that it would be anywhere near as good as what we had today, which appeared to be prepared in a traditional style that highlighted the beef's unique and delicious characteristics. We were left in awe of this Divine Bovine, and the experience of dining at a Japanese steakhouse.

While Kobe is a neat city that is definitely nice to visit, it's worth coming here simply for the type of experience that we had at Ishida. Hell, it's worth coming all the way to Japan just to sample such fine ass beef!

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Photos

Certified Kobe Beef ...
... this place must be good, it's got a certificate! It's just like all those restaurants around the World that proudly boast "Voted Top Restaurant" or "Best Burger in the City!", right??!?!!

Kobe Beef Teaser ...
... chilled, thin slices of Kobe beef along with a bit of smoked salmon. The smoked salmon was ... wait, who gives a shit about smoked salmon when you're eating Kobe beef??? The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender with an almost buttery feel, and would make the ultimate roast beef sandwich. Sweet and delicate flesh, this portended even greater things to come ...

Who Cares? ...
... we were given a salad between courses. While the presentation was lovely, this was merely a distraction from the beef that we came here for!

Foie Gras ...
... Kenny and Long had ordered this in addition to the Kobe beef, with two massive portions costing less than what a small foie gras appetizer in Calgary would have cost. Japan is definitely a pricey country, but it's actually not that bad overall when compared to expensive Calgary. The chef's attention to detail was incredible - each portion was sliced into four pieces, with each piece carefully seared on every edge possible, and topped with a slice of apple.

No Wastage ...
... at first, we noticed how the chef carefully trimmed all fat, taking some chunks of meat with it as well, thinking what a huge waste it was. However, he later made great use of it by rendering the fat and drizzling it over top of the slices of eggplant, sweet potato, bell pepper, and an odd potato-based gelatinous substance. The fat made for some killer grilled vegetables, and the remaining cubes of fat eventually became crispy and very flavourful, and were then served with bean sprouts.

Best Miso Soup Ever ...
... never been a fan of miso soup back home, but the ones we've had so far in Japan have been awesome. Miso in Calgary seems to simply taste like salty water, but there is a depth, richness, and sweetness in the kind they make in Japan. Sooo good ...

Cute ...
... the Japanese not only love, but also try to make all things cute, including these miniscule creamers we were given with our rich, delicious, and extremely expensive Japanese-style coffee.

Meticulously Packaged...
... I've never seen food items packaged so carefully like they are in Japan - these individually-wrapped eggs weren't the best example, but do give you some idea of the care that the Japanese put into everything they do. The best example we've seen so far may be the individually-packaged strawberries that are carefully placed inside of little transparent plastic boxes.