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| Wakkoqu |
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| Front facade of the resturant |
In our travel, eat local was the logical thing to do. This trip, our base was at Kyoto and Kobe was just a tempting hop away. Only 30 minutes by shinkansen ( bullet train ) and we had a valid 2-week JR Pass :))
Why not do something cliche-ish like eating Kobe beef in Kobe. Bragging rights I supposed was the motivator. With the help of our Lonely Planet Guide, we settled for Wakkoqu, a kobe beef restaurant near the Shin-Kobe station.
Will let another couple describe the first time kobe beef experience in the link below. Incidentally, we went to the same restaurant. Good memories flowed as we read their blog.
http://www.idelish.com/2011/03/10/japan-mouth-watering-kobe-beef-%E7%A5%9E%E6%88%B8%E8%82%89-kobe-niku/
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| Chef Yasuhiko |
We were seated around a teppanyaki style setting, our cook in full view. Our cook presented his credentials by handing us his name card. Exchanging name card was their custom and we duly reciprocated. Perhaps it was a way to gauge your station and standing in life.
Our chef, Yasuhiko Matshushita, was a tall man, almost 6 feet tall. He happened to be the manager of the restaurant. What a privilege!
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| View of restaurant from where we sat |
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An 'L' shaped configuration
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We chose the set meal which was supposed to be of good value. It was not cheap though. The raw Kobe beef was "ushered in" on a wooden slab and we were asked whether we approve of the meat. We gave a hesitant nod of consent, more like ........ ok lets get on with it. The marbling on the meat was amazing, lots of fat that the red meat looked pink and unreal. Flashes of beer-gulping cow being massaged on by the farmer came to mind.
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| A treat it was ... yummmmm |
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| Pair of delight |
The condiments served was simple. dainty pieces of aubergene aka eggplant aka brinjal, bell peppers, japanese tofu and konyaku jelly. The seasoning was a delight to food purist comprising sea-salt, black pepper, mustard and garlic. In addition, there was an accompanying plate of vegetable salad sprinkled in olive oil. Extra virgin I hoped.
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| Our salad in olive oil |
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| Cooked Kobe with 4 type of seasonings |
Whilst we started to dig into our veggie salad, our chef prepared the condiments. The tofu, peppers, eggplant and konyaku were quickly seared and served onto our plates. Next came the beef. A few martial art like strokes with the knife and our beef was in perfect bite sizes. Must be "Kai" brand knives. All the action, eagerness to sink our teeth into the beef, distracted us. We forgot to snap a few shots.
Overall, a fantastic experience!!!
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| Veggies was given a quick sear and served |
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| Veg done and ready to be eaten |
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| Paying the bill was the only unmemorable thing that day |
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