I have to mention, I've had Kobe Beef three times now (actually advertised as Kobe, not Wagyu), and I'm totally not impressed.
The first time was at Nobu in the Hard Rock Cafe in Vegas. A cube of Kobe was sliced thin and (almost) seared with a blowtorch. Tasted not unlike any other carpaccio.
The second was at Fix in the Bellagio, also in Vegas. I fell for the "Kobe beef sliders" routine. But when you grind beef, it doesn't matter that it was well-marbled; you can always add a little fat to the grind. So it tasted *exactly* like the 80-20 burgers I make at home.
Yorkshire Pudding 1476Goomba38 snipped snipped I have seen other American postings about using large amounts of fat in Yorkshire Puddings, I wonder if this is the source of the story? The fat in Yorkshire Pudding...
The third was a strip steak at Tomaso's in Chandler, AZ. I'd just had a fantastic Prime strip at Fleming's up in DC Ranch a week before, and wanted to see if the Kobe could top it. Not even close. Tough and chewy. Select grade at best. I almost sent it back to have it cooked more (I order good steaks done Pittsburgh style these days), just to soften it up. I had a long talk with the manager about this history, and I think he agreed that the base cost of it isn't worth the lack of wow-factor. They'd make more money and get more repeat orders from USDA Prime beef.
My conclusion: Kobe Beef is a hyped-up ripoff (and Wagyu probably isn't all that magical either). Try it if you never have had it, but if you've ever had good Prime beef, don't expect much.
--Blair
