A Must-Try Kobe Beef Teppanyaki in Japan – Tender Texture with Garlic Slices That’s Perfectly Flavorful!

Text and Photos by /Unrestrained

On one of my days exploring Kansai, I made a special trip to Kobe for the day. Even though I wanted to save money on lunch, I just couldn’t shake the craving for high-end Kobe steak!!! I’d always heard how amazing Kobe beef is, and it felt like such a waste to come all the way to Kobe without trying it. After much thought, I decided to splurge a bit and take advantage of this rare opportunity, choosing the bustling Kobe Beef “ステ0??楗螗捎TEAK LAND” teppanyaki near Kobe Sannomiya Station. It wasn’t exactly cheap, but the price was within an acceptable range, and I had zero regrets—it was absolutely delicious.

Let’s cut to the chase and take a look at the exterior of this Kobe steak restaurant “ステ0??楗螗捎TEAK LAND” (which we’ll refer to as Steak Land from now on). It’s not a huge place—just your average-sized shop. The store is located diagonally across from the exit toward the Kitano Foreigners’ Houses from Kobe Sannomiya Station, surrounded by other restaurants and shops. The location is pretty easy to find, though the sign isn’t very noticeable (see detailed map and info at the end of the article).

Side note: Strangely enough, many Kobe beef restaurants in Kobe serve their steak as teppanyaki, which is quite different from the typical Western-style steakhouse presentation we’re used to.

There’s a price menu sign right at the entrance.

The place has a bit of history and gives off a retro Western restaurant vibe. According to online reviews, this spot often has lines, but when I arrived around 1:30 PM, there was no wait—maybe I got lucky. The staff seated us right away and handed us menus.

I asked for an English version of the menu because otherwise, I wouldn’t have understood anything @@. The meals are divided into lunch sets, satisfaction sets, and dinner sets—not all the steaks are Kobe beef, only the ones labeled “Kobe Beef” are.

Considering the price, my friend and I ordered the “Grilled Steak Set” (¥2,880) and the “Kobe Beef Set” (¥4,880). Each set comes with rice, salad, soup, two types of stir-fried vegetables, and a drink. The rice can be refilled for free, by the way.

After ordering, let’s take a look at the dining environment. It’s similar to the affordable teppanyaki places back in Taiwan, but the decor isn’t as basic.

The table has placemats and chopsticks with the restaurant’s name printed on them.

The salad was really good—the dressing was a yogurt-based sauce, sweet and tangy, drizzled over cool lettuce, making it refreshing and light. On the left side of the salad were two small dishes with steak sauces, but I didn’t use them much because the beef tasted great on its own~~~

There was also soup—I think it was tomato beef soup—but I was too hungry and gulped down the small bowl too quickly, so I didn’t get a photo.

The chef who prepared our meal was super focused on the teppan. He had a bit of a character, actually, because he never once made eye contact with us—he just stared at the teppan the whole time, with a very serious expression. Maybe that’s their artisan spirit, or maybe it’s just his personality.

First, he cooked the vegetables—??, wild mushrooms, and cucumbers—with some salt and butter, and they were served up quickly. They looked really tasty.

Then, the chef brought out two pieces of meat—one Kobe beef and one regular steak. I didn’t get a chance to photograph the marbling, but the Kobe beef’s fat was noticeably more even and beautiful.

He placed both pieces of steak on the teppan and cooked them until the outsides were just slightly done, but the insides were still pink. Then he started slicing them into small pieces to cook further.

The total cooking time for the steaks didn’t exceed two minutes at all—it was super fast. He only sprinkled some salt on them, no other seasonings. We sat there quietly admiring the chef’s steak-cooking show, but inside we were screaming “Feed me already!” Those steaks and sides looked incredibly tempting!

When plating, I asked the chef to divide the two types of steak evenly between my plate and my friend’s. He worked so quickly that we couldn’t tell with our eyes which was which—the sliced cooked beef all looked pretty similar ORZ—but they both looked great. Besides the veggies and beef, there were also sautéed garlic slices.

After adding the steak, the chef quickly stir-fried some bok choy and bean sprouts and served them. And that was it—the Kobe beef set’s sides and main dish were complete!!

The stir-fried bean sprouts and bok choy were crispy, but not particularly mind-blowing—just your average texture, but not bad either. As for the stir-fried wild mushrooms, cucumbers, and ??, I thought they were pretty good—there was a fragrant buttery taste, not too greasy, with a bit of saltiness that paired well with rice. Delicious.

Next came the star of the day—the Kobe beef steak!! Although the Kobe beef and regular beef were mixed together and looked the same, you could tell the difference by the texture. The regular beef was already pretty good, but the Kobe beef was noticeably more tender and easier to bite into. Paired with the garlic slices, it was almost dance-worthy—I highly recommend coming here to try Kobe beef.

We ordered just the regular Kobe beef steak, but the restaurant also offers higher-tier premium Kobe beef steak sets. If the regular Kobe beef was this delicious, I can only imagine how amazing the premium version must be~~~

Aside from the usual sides, the restaurant also served some pickles commonly found at Japanese restaurants, but I’m not a big fan of those, so they were the only thing I didn’t finish. When customers finish eating, the staff will come over and ask what drink you’d like. I remember there were options like lemonade and coffee. I chose orange juice Up—it wasn’t freshly squeezed, just regular concentrated orange juice, and it was just okay.

Overall, since it’s teppanyaki, there’s a sort of front-row show vibe. As for the Kobe beef steak, all I can say is it’s delicious XD. The beef isn’t tough at all—it retains the right amount of elasticity and chewiness, but it’s also very soft and easy to swallow. The stir-fried wild mushrooms and ?? were also pretty enjoyable, especially with the garlic slices and the fluffy, distinct grains of rice. This meal was perfect!

For two people, we ordered two sets—one Kobe beef and one regular steak—for a total of ¥7,760. It’s not cheap—it’s a bit pricey—but I think it’s totally worth it, especially since a similar-grade Kobe beef set in Taiwan might cost even more. If you’re on a tighter budget, you can do what we did—one person orders the regular steak, the other orders Kobe beef, and you share.

※ Restaurant Info
Address: 1-8-2, Kitanagasa-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe City.
Whether you take the JR, Hankyu, or Hanshin lines to Kobe Sannomiya Station, just exit from the Kitano Ijinkan exit and walk left—you’ll find it. The closest station is Hankyu Sannomiya; once you exit from its west gate, Steak Land is right across the street.

Business hours: 11:00–22:00.
Kobe has three branches in total, as shown in the image below. You can also find the information on the official website linked above. This time, we visited the central Kobe branch, though the other two branches are also located nearby.

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