The Marbled Truth

What makes Kobe beef Kobe beef, how the grading system works, and where to eat it without overpaying - or overcooking

There's a moment at teppanyaki restaurants when the chef places your Kobe beef on the iron plate and it starts to sizzle. You have about forty seconds. Maybe a minute. The fat renders fast - that's the whole point of the marbling - and if you're busy taking photos or waiting for your dining companion's piece to finish, you'll miss the window. By then you've paid ¥18,000 for what amounts to a well-done steak.

I learned this the hard way in Sannomiya. Now I eat it the moment it leaves the griddle, still practically mooing, when the fat is suspended in the meat rather than pooled on the plate.

What Makes It Kobe

Not all wagyu is Kobe. Wagyu just means Japanese cattle - four breeds qualify. Kobe beef is wagyu from the Tajima strain, raised in Hyogo Prefecture, meeting specific yield and quality grades. About 3,000 cattle per year make the cut. That's it.

The requirements: born in Hyogo, raised in Hyogo, slaughtered in Hyogo. BMS (beef marbling score) of 6 or higher. Yield grade A or B. Meat quality grade 4 or 5. Each certified carcass gets a ten-digit ID number you can trace back to the individual animal.

The myths - beer-fed cattle, daily massages - are mostly marketing. Some farmers do play music in the barns. Whether the cows appreciate it is unclear. What matters is the genetics and the finishing process: a careful diet in the final months that produces that distinctive fat distribution.

Understanding the Grades

The Japanese grading system has two parts. The letter (A, B, or C) indicates yield - how much usable meat you get from the carcass. A is highest. Most Kobe beef is A because the whole point is efficiency.

The number (1-5) indicates quality, based on four factors: marbling, colour, firmness, and fat quality. Grade 5 is highest. Within grade 5, BMS scores range from 8 to 12 - and BMS 12 is essentially more fat than muscle. Some people find it overwhelming.

A5 is the top grade. It's also the most expensive and, arguably, not always the best eating experience. All that fat can be cloying after a few bites. A4 or even A3 often provides better balance - you taste more beef and less rendered fat.

Where to Eat in Kobe

The obvious answer is the source. Kobe city has dozens of restaurants serving certified beef. Prices vary wildly depending on format.

Teppanyaki is the prestige option. Counter seating, a chef working the iron plate in front of you, course meals that build toward the beef. Wakkoqu and Mouriya are the famous names. Expect ¥20,000-50,000 per person for dinner courses. Lunch sets run cheaper - ¥8,000-15,000 for a smaller portion with sides.

Yakiniku (Korean-style BBQ) gives you more control. You grill thin slices yourself over charcoal or gas, dip them in tare sauce, eat them with rice. Less formal, more interactive. Restaurants like Kobe Plaisir in Sannomiya offer certified Kobe beef yakiniku from ¥6,000 for a lunch set.

Steak houses split the difference. You get a slab of meat cooked to your specification, usually with garlic chips and mustard on the side. Less theatrical than teppanyaki, more substantive than yakiniku. Steak Aoyama does this well.

Gyudon and burgers exist for budget options. Kobe beef bowls run ¥1,500-3,000 at casual spots near Motomachi. You won't get A5 at these prices - more likely B4 or offcuts - but it's still certified Kobe.

How to Eat It

Kobe beef needs less cooking than you think. The fat has a low melting point - around 25°C, close to body temperature. That's why it dissolves on your tongue. But it also means overcooking happens fast.

For teppanyaki: the chef knows. Trust them. Eat each piece as it comes rather than letting it sit.

For yakiniku: flip once. The edges change colour within seconds. When you see pink remaining only in the centre, it's done. Don't wait for the sizzling to stop.

Dipping sauces are optional. Salt and wasabi work well - they cut through the richness. Soy-based tare sauce is traditional for yakiniku. Some purists eat it plain, arguing that sauce obscures the beef's natural sweetness.

Other Wagyu Worth Knowing

Kobe gets the international fame, but Japan has over 200 branded wagyu varieties. Some notable ones:

Matsusaka beef from Mie Prefecture commands similar prices and prestige. Only virgin female cattle qualify. The fat is slightly sweeter.

Omi beef from Shiga Prefecture has the longest history - over 400 years of documented production. Harder to find but worth seeking out.

Hida beef from Gifu Prefecture is excellent and slightly more affordable. Good availability in Takayama if you're visiting the old town.

Miyazaki beef won the Wagyu Olympics in 2022. Miyazaki Prefecture, down in Kyushu, has been quietly improving its cattle program for decades.

They're all Tajima-strain wagyu with similar genetics. The differences come from feed, climate, finishing practices. Blind tastings produce mixed results. Brand loyalty is regional pride as much as anything.

The Reality Check

Is Kobe beef worth the price? That depends on what you're paying for.

At ¥25,000 for a teppanyaki dinner, you're buying theatre as much as food. The sizzle, the knife work, the attention. The beef is almost secondary to the experience. If that appeals to you, it's worth it.

At ¥3,000 for a beef bowl at lunch, you're just eating good meat over rice. No ceremony. The quality is lower but still noticeably better than standard beef. This is how most locals actually eat Kobe beef - casually, inexpensively, without treating it as an event.

Somewhere in between - a ¥10,000 yakiniku dinner, say - gives you genuine A4 or A5 beef in a relaxed setting where you can eat at your own pace. That's probably the sweet spot for first-timers.

The one thing not to do: buy Kobe beef as a souvenir and overcook it at home. I learned that the hard way.