Out of the dark and into the light, Kobe’s new location has gone upscale, but the food is still the same—filling average Japanese dishes fit for the Thai palate. The menu is new too: more dishes, inflated prices. Someone has to pay for the electricity bill now that they’ve left the pitch darkness of their grotto. With a teppan counter, a wall display of Japanese trinkets and other signs that the new locale is for humans, not troglodytes, Kobe is now a decent place for a hearty, faux-Japanese meal. For starters, the usual suspects are on offer. The gyoza’s taste is acceptable but the texture is way off, with its excessively thick dough. Just as off the mark is the salmon with spicy sauce, which is sashimi wrapped around steamed asparagus with a dollop of mayo and a pinch of shrimp roe. If your definition of spicy is a vague half-second tingle on your taste buds, then you might agree to the dish’s claim to hotness. As for the texture, expect a disconcerting mix of badly stored, slimy sashimi and over-steamed, feeble asparagus. But Kobe claims to be a “steakhouse,” not a sushi bar. Give them a chance and order a sukiyaki hotpot with Kobe beef. The bowl is mammoth, so you better be a hungry. Its beef is tender and beautifully cooked, with a nice balance of tasty fat and juicy meat. The broth, pleasantly oily, errs on the side of sweetness. For a fraction of the price, the Thai beef set is surprisingly convincing. The meat is tender, consistent and flavorful. The pieces of beef are well-cut choice meat, not mangled chunks of nerves and fat. For dessert, the green tea ice cream will give you a kick of bitter sweetness. This is a Japanese restaurant; did you expect a pastry chef? We don’t go to Kobe for fine dining but for its affordable and hearty set menus, which are available all day. On that count, Kobe continues to deliver with the same friendly service. With the new location, you can now even see it when they smile.
