I’m sure you all know what the star of this post is going to be. After all, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Kobe? If you said Bryant or Paras you’re wrong because it’s BEEF.
During our last trip, we literally travelled to Kobe just to eat beef before heading back to Osaka a few hours later. Even though we decided to do more tourist-y things this time around, the Kobe beef was still the main attraction.
Last time, we ended up in a restaurant that was quite fancy, with soup and salad courses, and thin slivers of beef that, while good, weren’t completely satisfying. This time we chose a homier and more casual-looking restaurant called 8 Eighth Beef, located on the ground floor of Mosaic, Harborland.
The Kobe beef was quite expensive, at almost ¥6000. But I was so glad that it came in thick cubes, as opposed to the thin slices we had before. I could better appreciate the tenderness of the meat and the umami-rich taste. It was served with a highly addictive sweet-savory dipping sauce, a small serving of mashed potatoes, a few roasted vegetables, and some sort of pickled relish that tasted like horseradish, a welcome flavor that cut through the richness of the beef. I was in heaven.
My family got the cheaper Shoulder Steak, which was around ¥1300. It was actually incredibly tender and tasty as well. In fact, if I hadn’t tried my order beforehand, I would’ve mistaken it as their expensive specialty – it was that good. Their orders also came with free reign over the salad bar.
Overall, I was extremely satisfied with my order and it’s a food memory I will cherish forever. But if I come back, I will probably just get the Shoulder Steak, or any of the other cuts (more expensive, but still cheaper than the Kobe beef). If you’re on a budget, I highly recommend it. Unless you’re a steak connoisseur, you might not even know the difference! And even if you are, I’m sure you’ll still enjoy it.
After lunch, we took a cable car up Mount Rokko to enjoy the beauty of Nunobiki Herb Garden. I loved the different displays of flowers and herbs, even categorizing them as ‘Cooking’ herbs, ‘Fragrance’ herbs, etc. My favorite part was the herbal foot spa, with a beautiful view overlooking the city. There were also hammocks placed in various areas, encouraging everyone to just relax and enjoy the scenery. Seriously, look at that view!
Before we left, we tried this berry dessert at The Veranda, a two-storey café making the most of the breathtaking view. I’m not much for sweets, but I absolutely loved this! The tartness of the berries balanced the sweetness of the cream perfectly, and the bits of cake and crunch added a wonderful texture.
My sister also got this lavender ice cream cone on our way down. I like that it wasn’t too sweet, and the hint of lavender was just enough to give it a unique taste without being too overpowering.
TL;DR
– the Kobe beef was heaven but maybe not worth it the second time around
– the berry dessert from The Veranda was so good!
Check out the rest of my Japan 2019 series! After all, the best part of traveling is the food ❤️
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