573351 Tue Nov 18 15:30:46 -0800 2008 7 45 Japan 0 4184156 Hey Tokyo Fourmers! I will be travelling to Tokyo soon and staying in the Shinjuku area. I'm very interested in trying some Kobe beef. So I have a few questions, first of all ...... where should I go? Looking at the maps of Tokyo it seems very hard to find a specific restaurant if I don't know the area or know the language. Secondly . . . are there specific cuts I should try or what are the basics I need to know? Is it served raw like sashimi or served like a steak? and what are the prices that we are looking at? is it easy to order without knowing any japanese? I would perfer to NOT go to the best place in all of tokyo, but somewhere I can just try it for a reasonable price. Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated!! THANKS EVERYONE IN ADVANCE! Tue Nov 18 15:30:46 -0800 2008 106010 bobthebuilder 1 4195228 I'm sure others will be able to help you here more than myself, but i'll give you my opinion on what to eat. Matsuzaka Gyu is better than Kobe beef. Supposedly you can get Kobe beef from Japan in the states, but most or all if not noted of the "Kobe" beef you will see in the US is from the US, and the taste completely different. The price is also very different as the japanese stuff is way more expensive. Your chances of eating it for a "reasonable" price are pretty slim, Kobe as well. I think i bought a 70 gram steak in a department store there for about $100 uncooked. I think the best way of tasting this type of beef is a ribeye type or other cut that is not too lean (ie fillet mignon) about 3/4" or so thick that is grilled medium rare so that enough of the fat melts. Salt and maybe pepper, thats it. You will be able to get it for less if it is sliced very thin, but you will not get the same flavor of the beef, and it is a very different taste and experience. Sat Nov 22 21:36:02 -0800 2008 4184156 242608 sean k 2 4195264 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/517711 This should shed some light. Sat Nov 22 22:21:48 -0800 2008 4195228 242608 sean k 3 4740122 Nice Wed Jun 03 15:03:34 -0700 2009 4195264 434815 A GUY 1 4195281 Kobe beef that I tried in Tokyo is served Shabu Shabu style, that is very thinly sliced beef that you dipped on a hotpot. Extremely delicious, it literally melts on your mouth. I am not too sure what you mean by "reasonable price" since Kobe is known as top end and very expensive; be prepared to pay about Yen 10-15,000 per person for shabu shabu with kobe beef. One that I will recommend is Seryna; it has a branch at Shinjuku: http://www.seryna.co.jp/en/restaurants/shinjuku/index.html Sat Nov 22 22:46:59 -0800 2008 4184156 130720 FourSeasons 2 4199557 I was at the New York Grill last week and the Kobe there is JPY 19,000 and it was a sirloin cut. We went for the Sendai Filet at JPY 17,000 and it was really really quite good. Also, the NY Grill is in western shinjuku. Bear in mind, it's not very japanese at all, but it is fun. Mon Nov 24 18:53:47 -0800 2008 4195281 101545 lost squirrel 1 4740058 Try Shabu Shabu and try thick cuts. It is more juicier Wed Jun 03 14:43:20 -0700 2009 4184156 434815 A GUY 1 4757579 I've had really amazing wagyu at Imahan in Nihonbashi. It's a teppanyaki place with a butcher shop next door bearing the same name, and you can order a la cart or their set menu. I think some grades of the beef was reasonable, but the top quality is pretty expensive, almost $100 for 100g. Tue Jun 09 14:46:50 -0700 2009 4184156 275722 nohofoods