A Kvetch About Kobe

We cannot think clearly about things until we call them what they are. – George Orwell

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Let’s talk about Kobe and “Kobe” beef for a minute, shall we?

A FB friend (let’s call him Don) writes:

So….I was at Le Cirque the other night where they were charging an extra $140 for a wagyu ribeye which in the description was noted as “kobe” (yes, the quotes were included in the description). The waiter says this is real kobe beef. I questioned that since it is my understanding that real kobe never leaves Japan. I’m thinking I’m wrong or this waiter just thought I was some dumbass hick. Any thoughts?

Why yes, Don, I do have some thoughts and here they are:

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ABURIYA RAKU in Las Vegas Weekly

Raku’s 15-course meal plays out like a beautiful symphony

John Curtas

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 (8:55 p.m.)

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Raku’s foie gras egg custard

Photo: John Curtas

The questions I hear most as a restaurant critic are: How did you become one? How many times a week do you eat out? And how do you not weigh 300 pounds? A fourth question almost always follows closely: What’s the best restaurant off the Strip? For the record, the answers are: It’s a long story, 10 times a week, I have the metabolism of a hummingbird—and Aburiya Raku, best known to regulars simply as Raku.

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