X

Kobe Sizzles in Style

Features Inside Feature

June 4, 2011

Story By: Dining Out Team |

Even after nearly three decades on the job, teppanyaki chef Fujio Kawashima still gets a kick out of watching customers’ faces light up with anticipation and intrigue as he prepares fresh steak, seafood and vegetable dishes at Kobe Japanese Steak House & Sushi Bar. He flashes a big grin as the sizzling selections go from the flat top to the plates fronting the eager guests.

  • Kobe Japanese Steak House & Sushi Bar offers mouthwatering entrees for the steak and seafood lover.
  • Edamame with Garlic ($5)
  • With 26 years of teppanyaki experience, teppanyaki chef Fujio Kawashima slices and dices a Kobe's Emperor Steak.
  • Ahi Poke Salad ($10)
  • Kobe Scallop ($10)
  • Steak & Shrimp ($34.95) with Garlic Fried Rice ($4)
Image of

Modeled after a rustic Japanese inn, Kobe serves up authentic Japanese cuisine in a comfortable family-style setting. As the skilled chefs prepare fresh teppan meals, the distinct aromas mingle throughout the eatery.

“When everything’s cooking, you can smell the garlic and butter throughout the restaurant,” says general manager Roy Nakamura.

Praised by visitors for its teppanyaki-style cuisine that turns dinner into a nightly show as the chefs deftly chop, slice and toss the fresh ingredients on the hot flat top grill, and popular among kamaaina who come back routinely for the generous portions and friendly service, Kobe has remained a dining mainstay for more than three decades in its location in Waikiki between the iconic Ilikai and the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Kobe’s Emperor Steak ($36.95) literally rules one’s plate as the choice cut of prime beef is “specially selected for the hearty appetite.” As is the case with Kobe’s dinner entrees, the dish comes with an assortment of fresh vegetables including mushrooms, onions, zucchini and bean sprouts.

The Steak and Shrimp ($34.95) combines the ideal surf ‘n’ turf selections in the perfect marriage of steak and seafood. According to Nakamura, the combo is one of Kobe’s most poplar dishes because, simply, “they love the shrimp.”

Sticking with fresh seafood, Kobe offers a succulent Lobster Tail ($47.95) cooked fresh before one’s eyes. The whole cold-water lobster tail is cut into bite-size pieces and seared gently to lock moisture into each bite.

Kobe’s lounge serves up a vast array of appetizers that present the perfect prelude to a big dinner, or simply pau hana pupus. The Kobe Scallops ($10) are a hit, and come served with a wasabi yuzu sauce that infuses hints of citrus with the large, juicy scallops. The Ahi Poke Salad ($10) features fresh fish prepared in house to ensure the highest quality possible. The Edamame ($4; $5 with garlic) is another local favorite that Kobe takes to the next level with the addition of fresh garlic.

As a special treat for all the dads and (big hint!) their favorite sons and daughters, Kobe is reintroducing its Rib-eye Steak ($45) Father’s Day weekend from Friday, June 17, through Sunday, June 19. The hearty dish includes a prime 12-ounce cut of tender, juicy beef and is served with a shrimp appetizer, garlic fried rice, vegetables and green tea. According to Nakamura, the dish may be added back on the regular menu if it proves popular.

“It’s an old favorite; everyone loved it,” Nakamura says of the rib-eye. “People started asking about it, so we thought Father’s Day would be a good time to add it. We’ve had a lot of requests for it.”

To make reservations for dinner or the Father’s Day special, call 941-4444.

Kobe Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

  • Where
    • 1841 Ala Moana Boulevard
    • Honolulu, HI 96815
  • Call
    • (808) 941-4444
  • Hours
    • 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
    • Open nightly for dinner
    • Lounge opens at 5 p.m.
  • Notes
    • The popular Rib-eye Steak returns Father’s Day weekend (June 17-19). The 12-ounce cut of USDA choice beef comes with a shrimp appetizer, garlic fried rice, vegetables and green tea.

[cetsEmbedGmap src=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Kobe+Steakhouse,+Honolulu,+HI&aq=&sll=21.294523,-157.841799&sspn=0.008047,0.012424&g=661+Keeaumoku+Street,+Honolulu,+HI&ie=UTF8&hq=Kobe+Steakhouse,&hnear=Honolulu,+Hawaii&ll=21.284546,-157.836059&spn=0.007798,0.012424&z=17 width=300 height=300 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0 frameborder=0 scrolling=no]

Ilima Awards
Hawaii's Best