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BBB and Kobe Beef? — Brooklynian

BBB and Kobe Beef?

gigi
gigi
edited November -1 in Park Slope
The posts under Bar Minnow were getting too long and seemed to have moved on to comments on burgers so...

I almost ate at the new BBB in its place yesterday afternoon as I've never had a Kobe beef burger and was intrigued b/c I hear how great Kobe beef is. I mean, what's the big deal with Kobe beef? Could it really be that good that I am missing out? After reading the posts, I think I'm glad I didn't spend the $18. In response to Flexi's curiosity about Helio's, I did eat there once or twice. The owner claims to have the best burgers around. I actually thought that they were among the ickiest burgers I've had. The patty was far too perfectly shaped (like those big frozen ones you get in a pack) and it tasted like it had other ground parts in it. Based on recommendations here, I liked Bonnie's burger the best too. I'll add that the burger at Two Boots surprised me. Not bad. I tried a "new" rib place on 6th (Brooklyn Ribs?) too. The pulled pork was OK, the bread was so stale, and the ribs were frightening. I should feel awful for posting negative comments about some of these establishments especially when the staff is nice, but my stomach hurts today so I guess I don't feel that bad.
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Comments

  • bougiesis
    bougiesis
    Thanks for the Helio's update....Try 12th St. when you get a chance and let's see what you think.
  • escap
    escap
    BTW, just so you know, what you'll be eating is not really Kobe beef. It is American cattle raised in the style that they raise Kobe beef. Not that it's not good, but you might just want to be aware of the facts. Every other steakhouse nowadays claims to serve up 'real' Kobe beef, but in fact I just recently visited a cattle farm in Kobe, Japan, and they said definitively that except for a few select instances done on an individual basis, no Kobe beef is exported outside of Japan.
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    escap wrote: BTW, just so you know, what you'll be eating is not really Kobe beef. It is American cattle raised in the style that they raise Kobe beef. Not that it's not good, but you might just want to be aware of the facts. Every other steakhouse nowadays claims to serve up 'real' Kobe beef, but in fact I just recently visited a cattle farm in Kobe, Japan, and they said definitively that except for a few select instances done on an individual basis, no Kobe beef is exported outside of Japan.
    Yeah, actual Kobe beef is over $100/lb, so if you're seeing stuff in a restaurant that's called "Kobe beef" and costs less than the raw materials would, you have to know it's not the real thing.
  • idlewild
    idlewild
    American Kobe is called Waygu, or some thing to that effect. I'm surprised the kobe industry hasn't gone after Waygu for copyright infringement.

    The Nathan's that used to be at the Home Depot in Gowanus used to make great burgers. Maybe the flagship Nathan's makes 'em good? Does anyone know?
  • anonymous
    anonymous
    Flexichick wrote: Thanks for the Helio's update....Try 12th St. when you get a chance and let's see what you think.
    I live down the block from 12th St. and although their burger is quite good, I have to admit I think the one at Johnny Macks across the street is just slightly tastier. Honestly, it's my favorite in the 'hood - even better than Bonnie's Grill.
  • michaelkeys
    michaelkeys
    Carnivore wrote: [quote=escap]BTW, just so you know, what you'll be eating is not really Kobe beef. It is American cattle raised in the style that they raise Kobe beef. Not that it's not good, but you might just want to be aware of the facts. Every other steakhouse nowadays claims to serve up 'real' Kobe beef, but in fact I just recently visited a cattle farm in Kobe, Japan, and they said definitively that except for a few select instances done on an individual basis, no Kobe beef is exported outside of Japan.
    Yeah, actual Kobe beef is over $100/lb, so if you're seeing stuff in a restaurant that's called "Kobe beef" and costs less than the raw materials would, you have to know it's not the real thing.

    Thanks for the heads up, guys. Good to know.
  • doctorj
    doctorj
    Why would anyone burgerize Kobe beef? I guess some people have too much money, and enterprising individuals are standing by to help them out of it.
  • escap
    escap
    Idlewild wrote: American Kobe is called Waygu, or some thing to that effect. I'm surprised the kobe industry hasn't gone after Waygu for copyright infringement.
    Strangely, the Japanese word "wagyu" translates literally to "Japanese beef", which makes it odd that this is the word we've chosen for American Kobe. I think that, since real Kobe beef ranchers don't sell their beef into the American market, and American ranchers don't sell wagyu in Japan (I assume), they don't lose anything by allowing this infringement. If anything they probably like the cachet that Americans have brought to their beef--like a kind of free advertising.
  • gigi
    gigi
    Thanks all for the information. I would love to try a Kobe steak then.
  • cabaki
    cabaki
    Check out what i just walked by this afternoon:

    image
    image

    And speaking of which, here's another unrelated car-advertisement one i saw in the city last week:

    image

    Now, who on earth would want to adverstise with a company that can't even spell "Your" right? #-o
  • anonymous
    anonymous
    GiGi wrote: Thanks all for the information. I would love to try a Kobe steak then. If I could only meet someone that would splurge!
    Kobe Beef and foie gras are kind of comparable on the cruelty to animal scale. Well, the cows are force fed beer several times per day instead of corn mash, although it is followed by a massage so I guess things could be worse.

    Before I knew that I did have Kobe steak in Japan and it was tasty but it was a steak afterall.
  • leeho
    leeho
    When I was in Japan I ate some raw horse meat and couldn't believe how amazingly tasty it was. The Kobe beef is also really nice. Mindblowingly expensive but excellent and tender.

    Turtle meat is also awesome!
  • escap
    escap
    LeeHo wrote: When I was in Japan I ate some raw horse meat and couldn't believe how amazingly tasty it was.
    I second this. It really is delicious.
  • drano
    drano
    escap wrote: [quote=LeeHo]When I was in Japan I ate some raw horse meat and couldn't believe how amazingly tasty it was.
    I second this. It really is delicious.

    I predict that this discussion is about to take an interesting turn.

    I've never tried horse, but moose isn't bad. Avoid bear meat at all costs.
  • leeho
    leeho
    Anybody have rattlesnake meat? Weird, like frog legs kinda....

    Also, in Nippon, had fried bees that had been de-venomed (is that a word?) in shochu for about a year and then fried in a skillet. Great stuff and it activates your inner sex-drive! :-'

    Why is bear meat not so good?

    I bought some aligator/crocodile meat in Chinatown a few years ago and sadly, it was nasty. Perhaps I didn't prepare it right. I grilled it like a steak and was really disappointed.
  • escap
    escap
    Well, if we're going down this road, last year in Japan I ate raw chicken brain dipped in raw chicken egg yolk. :mrgreen: Definitely one of my most exotic meals.
  • gigi
    gigi
    This is all really going to help me drop those last 5 pounds I can't seem to get rid of! It seem like just about any creature can be consumed?
  • leeho
    leeho
    That is a pretty crazy one. Was it good?
  • leeho
    leeho
    I'm assuming little green smiley means probably not so good.
  • drano
    drano
    LeeHo wrote: Why is bear meat not so good?
    It's a really fatty mess - even if you cook it to hell. Goes with the hibernation, or whatever it is that bears do scientifically speaking. It would be difficult for me to try horse meat because I cared for some really great horses when I was a teenager, but you guys do tempt me...
  • escap
    escap
    LeeHo wrote: That is a pretty crazy one. Was it good?
    No, not particularly.

    (note to mod, the "sick" icon doesn't work): :-&
  • whyfi
    whyfi
    Drano wrote: [quote=LeeHo]Why is bear meat not so good?
    It's a really fatty mess - even if you cook it to hell.

    Maybe if it were braised...?
  • anotherdayinbkln
    anotherdayinbkln
    escap wrote: [quote=Idlewild]American Kobe is called Waygu, or some thing to that effect. I'm surprised the kobe industry hasn't gone after Waygu for copyright infringement.
    Strangely, the Japanese word "wagyu" translates literally to "Japanese beef", which makes it odd that this is the word we've chosen for American Kobe. I think that, since real Kobe beef ranchers don't sell their beef into the American market, and American ranchers don't sell wagyu in Japan (I assume), they don't lose anything by allowing this infringement. If anything they probably like the cachet that Americans have brought to their beef--like a kind of free advertising.

    American Kobe is called US KOBE and is bred mostly in Nebraska. WaGyu is beef directly imported from Japan, most famously from farms in Kagoshima prefecture.

    Why don't you come up to my restaurant in MidTown and grill your own Kobe beef by the ounce at your table? we have like 5 different Kobe cuts including TONGUE. yum. I work at Gyu-Kaku, Japanese bbq on 50th and 3rd.

    We also have WaGyu sirloin, which is premium beef flown in directly from a farm in Kagoshima, Japan. (served over dry ice because it's so fucking buttery it melts).

    I bet you'll LOVE IT. we just opened for dinner last night. sorry for the promoting!

    I heard Kobe Club that just opened in Manhattan has some amazing Kobe choices as well, maybe a tasting of US, Australian, and Japanese Kobe too on the menu?
  • anotherdayinbkln
    anotherdayinbkln
    escap wrote: [quote=LeeHo]When I was in Japan I ate some raw horse meat and couldn't believe how amazingly tasty it was.
    I second this. It really is delicious.

    I don't think its 100% raw... i think its treated the same way beef in a carpaccio is treated. At the conveyor belt sushi place by my old apartment in Osaka they had the horse meat.. but i think its "cooked" in acid or vinegar first like a cevice or carpaccio. i could be wrong but i think thats why the sushi chef told me when i asked him
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    Anotherdayinbkln wrote: Why don't you come up to my restaurant in MidTown and grill your own Kobe beef by the ounce at your table? we have like 5 different Kobe cuts including TONGUE. yum. I work at Gyu-Kaku, Japanese bbq on 50th and 3rd.

    We also have WaGyu sirloin, which is premium beef flown in directly from a farm in Kagoshima, Japan. (served over dry ice because it's so fucking buttery it melts).

    I bet you'll LOVE IT. we just opened for dinner last night. sorry for the promoting!

    I heard Kobe Club that just opened in Manhattan has some amazing Kobe choices as well, maybe a tasting of US, Australian, and Japanese Kobe too on the menu?
    That definitely sounds worth checking out. What is your role there? Are you a cook?
  • idlewild
    idlewild
    If it is indeed real Kobe I'd be in. My only concern is, from what I understand Japan doesn't allow the import of Kobe to the States.
  • anotherdayinbkln
    anotherdayinbkln
    the kobe we serve, like i think all restaurants in NYC, is US Kobe-- but the WaGyu we have is from Japan. maybe there are different laws (and actually i believe the ban on beef was lifted as of august anyway... japan wouldn't accept US beef for a long time because of mad cow scare).

    I'm a server-- You are your own chef! there is a location in east village, but the midtown location where I am at has special kobe and wagyu that you can't get at the east village one.. Plus I am at midtown and that makes it better.

    www.gyu-kaku.com
    when you make a reservation at Midtown tell them you were referred by Cara and maybe you'll get a VIP seat :)
  • doctorj
    doctorj
    Idlewild wrote: If it is indeed real Kobe I'd be in. My only concern is, from what I understand Japan doesn't allow the import of Kobe to the States.
    It was the USDA who prohibited the importation of Japanese beef to the US due to BSE, but that ended a year ago. There was also a ban by the Japanese in the other direction.

    Interestingly, Japanese eat US-raised Wagyu beef because it's cheaper than the Kobe-raised stuff. Enterprising Japanese ranchers export Wagyu cattle to the US and import back the product, and are still able to charge a higher price in Japan than regular US beef.
  • idlewild
    idlewild
    Ah Okay. I thought they restricted export for the same reason like they do their rice. Or do they ban export of their rice? maybe they ban import of outside rice.
  • anotherdayinbkln
    anotherdayinbkln
    Japan imports more rice than they produce...
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