Sakura

If you’re going to make a place for first spot for a Kōbe beef experience, You’d be dumb not to come here, absolutely amazing experience from beginning to end. No matter what set you choose you won’t be disappointed, James is an amazing cook.

Visited March 2024

There are plenty of places to try Kobe Beef in Kobe, but you should choose this one. I've ate Kobe at more touristy spots and while the meat itself was still good, it wasn't as good as this and the experience not as enjoyable. I made an online lunch reservation for 11:30 on October 1. This is right... near the Ikuta Jinja down a little side street. It's easy to miss because the sign is kind of faded and small but look for the "Lion" building, as in it says Lion on it, and walk to the second floor. It almost looks like an apartment or office building but when you get inside to the dining area the restaurant is pretty spacious and nice. There was someone else with a lunch reservation who seemed lost until he saw me walk in the door and also came in. The staffed seated me at a teppanyaki table, they were very friendly and attentive at clearing dishes, and were accommodating for English speakers. Near the end of my meal another set of foreigners came in who sounded like they were possibly French and English speakers. I ordered a lunch set with the Kobe chateaubriand or loin cut and a green tea umeshu - which was probably my favorite umeshu I tried over my three weeks in Japan. The chef was fluent in English. He was very skillful, watching his cuts and the care he took. I think he had a Tsubaya knife and mentioned he's been a chef for 12 years starting off as a sushi chef. He took the time to explain the dishes and the best way to eat them. There was a wagyu roll that you dip in egg then Himalayan salt. For the Kobe steak itself he trimmed the fat and cooked it separately to top the rice with it and it's presented with wasabi, soy sauce, garlic chips, and Himalayan salt. I personally don't think it really needed anything extra but eating it with the wasabi and garlic is pretty good too. Like many places there is a 10% service charge. My total came out to ¥20,810. I think that's reasonable based on eating at fine dining restaurants over my three weeks in Japan and experiences here in the U.S.

Visited October 2023

We ate the sirloin lunch course and it was perfect from the starters, the Kobe beef to the matcha tea at the end. Our chief SYU NZAI U could speak english and has explained us what we were eating. He cooked the meat in front of us, it was very impressive and professional. Thanks a lot for this uniqu...e experience, we recommand it, arigato gozaimasu 😉

Visited June 2023

We got very nice starters, with fish, vegetables salad and already a Kobe beef roastbeef. The highlight was an A5 Wagyu tenderloin steak that was fried exactly to our wishes: Medium-rare for my wife and medium for me. It was the most tender meat I had in my life! We had a glass of decent Spanish red... wine with the meat, I tasted Cabernet grapes, not the usual Tempranillo. The service was very friendly, the meal was prepared right in front of us and the atmosphere very enjoyable. Highly recommended!

Visited April 2023

The meat is really delicious, the chef are very nice ! I would recommand it for the incredible Kobe fillet 👌🏼

Visited November 2022