From Osaka, we took a subway all the way to Kobe to have kobe beef for lunch! We were deciding between Steakland and Mouriya Honten as both have kobe lunch specials. But in the end, we ended up going to Steakland. From Nippombashi station where we were staying, it was quite easy to get to Kobe-Sannomiya as you only have to hop on 1 train (Kintetsu-Nara Line) and no transfers were needed.
From Kobe-Sannomiya station, ask for directions to Steakland. There are actually 3 different Steakland locations and they are all close to each other. The first location we passed by was right on the street and it seemed like they were very busy so we skipped this branch. Upon arriving at another branch located along an alley (I think this was the main location), we had to take the elevator up to the 6th floor. It had just opened at 11am so we put our names down, along with the number of people in our party. Soon enough, there were even more people arriving! They led us to a table for 8 and inside, it was already very busy. Almost all the tables were full.
Lunch Sets
My sis and I ordered the Kobe Beef Steak Set (200g, ¥4480) and the Special Kobe Beef Tenderloin Steak Set (160g, ¥7980). The lunch sets come with soup, rice, vegetables, and a drink. The chef cooks the beef and vegetables right in front of you on the teppanyaki (Japanese flat grill). There were no special shows or tricks– it was all very fast and efficient, given that they were so busy. I still enjoyed watching the chef cook though.
Chef cooking Kobe Beef on the teppanyaki
The beef was seasoned with salt and pepper and we were also provided with fried garlic chips on the side. The beef was delicious, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. It was tender and moist, as it should be, given the exorbitant price of this high grade meat.
My plate of beef
But was it really worth it? Our total bill was a bit over ¥26,000 (~$340) for 4 people. Overall, the lunch itself was nice and it definitely was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had, but we couldn’t help but feel a little rushed. The restaurant was extremely busy and we felt that it was like a factory, pumping out orders and mass-producing hundreds of steaks a day. Sad to say, there was very little customer service involved. It was basically order, eat, pay, then leave. Don’t get me wrong, the meal was luxurious and we still had a great time. We were just looking for a little bit more service to go along with the amazing food. I feel like I didn’t have enough time to really savour the flavours and fully appreciate my meal here because we were rushed.
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