I was doing some work down off I-10 on Elliot road about a year ago and every time I’d go there, I’d pass Kobe Teppan & Sushi. Despite a long-standing interest in Japan and things Japanese, my interest has never extended to the food.
I remember one of my Japanese teachers telling me that the first thing she did when returning to Arizona from a visit to Japan was to stop a Mexican food place to get some food with flavor. Ah, the facade is ripped aside. The Japanese like to think that (a) Nihongo(Japanese) is to difficult for Westerners to learn well and (b) the flavors of their food are too subtle for western tastes to fully appreciate. But my teacher’s confession tells me that they really know it hasn’t got any flavor, either.
All stereotypes of Japanese food aside, I do appreciate teppanyaki. It’s still not very strongly favored food, but grilled meat is grilled meat. It tastes pretty good no matter who is cooking it.
I had the Kobe Steak at about $40. Irene had the “Osakaâ€, which sirloin and lobster for about $36. We both choose the chicken fried rice option which ups the price $2 more. Irene had a Kobe Tofu appetizer which she thought was delicious.
Not the tofu fan myself, I tried some nonetheless. Must be a flavor I’m immune to because it tasted rather like flavorless mass marinated in an only slightly flavored sauce and then deep fried.
Teppan dinners are a set progression and a bit of a stage show. The chef, who works right at your table, not only prepares your food in front of you, but puts on a show juggling, spinning and just otherwise entertaining with the food, the spatula, the spices and, most worryingly, the very sharp knife.
The dinners are a set progression, they start with the soup (miso) and a salad (ginger dressing). The miso soup was just that, miso soup. The salad dressing was pretty good. I’m not usually partial to ginger dressing, but this was good.
Fried rice was prepared next and it was good, although not nearly as good as Benihana’s fried rice.
Each meal comes with the three grilled shrimp and they were just fine.
Finally the meat and seafood items are cooked, simultaneously, some green roughage, onions, mushrooms and the like are grilled.
My Kobe steak was good. It was properly prepared and very tender, but it wasn’t the most flavorful cut of meat. I snuck a chunk of Irene’s sirloin, and it was much more flavorful. I didn’t have any of the lobster, but Irene tells me it was really good.
All in all, we enjoyed out dinner. It was both filing and entertaining.
I will take a moment to say that both Kobe Teppan and Benihana’s (the only two Teppans I’ve been to in the US) are nothing like those I’ve been at in Taiwan. In Taiwan every department store basement has one (or more) teppan places, but those I’ve seen have all been very matter-of-fact and skip the entertainment portion of the show. They are also immensely cheaper, reaching the level of fast-food prices. Irene tells me they do have the entertainment style teppan also. Perhaps on our next trip there I’ll talk them into taking me.
Kobe Teppan & Sushi (receipt says Kobe Steakhouse)
1125 W. Elliot Road
Tempe, AZ
(Corner of Elliot & Hardy)
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