When in Kobe, Eat Kobe Steak

Day 19, Grand Asia 2018

Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, Kobe, Japan:

There was a time when I wouldn’t eat a meal ashore while on a cruise. After all, I had “paid” for my meals on the ship, and they generally are very good.

Today I not only ate ashore, but I also spent almost $100 on the meal. It was worth every yen.

We docked in Kobe, which is just west of Osaka, where we stopped last year. The city is best known for its 1995 earthquake, which killed 6,000 and damaged much of the port city’s infrastructure. It’s also known for Kobe beef, and that is what eight of us had for lunch. A fellow passenger researched the best places to eat on Trip Advisor and chose Steak Aoyama on Tor Road. The tiny restaurant only has one large grill-top table, so we had the undivided attention of the Chef Shuhey and his family.

We puzzled over the size of a 150-gram steak, and decided to go for it. First we had a salad with tastes of tuna, salmon and roasted chicken and a wonderful cream soup. After Shuhey cooked the accompanying mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, tofu and peppers on the immaculate grill, he started on the two-plus pound steak.

He briefly grilled one side and then started breaking it down into smaller pieces – first eight slices, then splitting each slice further and further until he had bite-sized pieces. As he suggested, we ate it with dried garlic slices.

It did indeed just about melt in our mouths. And the Japanese beer I had was perfect for washing it down. Having lived in Kansas City and Dallas for much of my life, I know a good steak. This was one of the best.

 

After lunch I noticed a Tokyu Hands a few blocks away. This Japanese chain store carries a variety of crafts, gift items, toiletries, etc. I had wanted to visit one since last year but never found a convenient location. This store was built on about six stories, each with sections a few steps up or down. I found an English store map and headed for 5C – the art supply floor. I didn’t really need any art supplies, but that didn’t stop me from spending a happy hour browsing. I bought a couple of paint palettes – one in pearlized silver, pewter and gold and another with a variety of blacks – yellowish, blueish, greenish, etc. I’m not sure if the latter is watercolor paint or calligraphy ink, but it will be fun to play with.

Earlier, the release of colorful balloons marked our 9 a.m. arrival in Kobe. The terminal had a convenient train station, but we took the provided shuttle to the middle of a shopping district, anchored by a large department store much like a Nordstrom or fancy Macy’s.

I walked about 10 minutes to Meriken Park to visit the Kobe Maritime Museum. Frankly, it was a disappointment. A replica of a wooden boat was the only thing visitors are allowed to photograph. Otherwise, the museum was full of models of ship – mostly 20^thCentury ships. I even saw the Titanic, which as far as I know had no connection with Kobe. I generally find maritime museums are a good way to learn about the history of a port city, but not this one. Oh well, it only cost about $5 to enter, and it’s sweeping design made for a good sketching subject.

Nearby was the Earthquake Memorial Park, which preserves part of the severely damaged waterfront. Groups of touring school classes ate lunch all over the grassy areas of the plaza, using their chopsticks to eat from little bento boxes. A Frank Geary-designed fish sculpture adorned a restaurant. I admit to stopping in the Starbucks to use the strong WiFi to make a couple of calls back home.

After my big lunch, I just had a light bite in the Lido for dinner as we sailed away. We have two more Japanese ports before our next sea day, so I’m committed to catching up on my blog before bedtime.