September 16th, 2008
It's been a while since my last real critique so there are a few things I would like to address before I get into this week's review. A good friend of mine, whose name will remain undisclosed due to confidentiality reasons, has created a rival blog to that of the J-Spot. It is unfortunate that he/she has a hard time seeing other people in the spotlight, such as myself, and needs to recapture the attention of peers by creating a blog to review my own reviews. I welcome the constructive criticism with open arms and I wish them luck as they will soon see how demanding and arduous having a blog can be.
Now onto the
As my date and I rushed over to make our 7:30 p.m. reservation, I had not realized that something had dropped on me from up above. When we were seated, I noticed a grey/black residue on my shirt. At first, I was puzzled, so I excused myself to the bathroom to check it out. Alas, a bird had shat on me. Surprisingly, this was not what I had in mind during my celebratory dinner for passing Level 2 of the CFA. I figured it was a funny start to the night and that the audience would enjoy hearing an embarrassing story about yours truly.
After I cleared up the whole bird shit mess, I was finally able to start enjoying my first experience at the Kobe Club. We were seated in our own little cocoon, which was very cool. Aside from the music, I really enjoyed the décor and vibe of the restaurant. My idea of fine dining does not include hearing Beyonce and Alicia Keys; however, I must admit, when they come on the ipod, you will see those hips start to shake. The feeling I got in Kobe Club was similar to being at a very posh, expensive nightclub (where I don't belong).
One more thing I should mention is that we ordered off of the restaurant week menu (which is available until late November)
Now onto the most important part, the food……
APPETIZERS:
"High Class"
As most of you know, I love when the waiter comes out with unexpected treats from the kitchen. It came wrapped in a flaky crust and was served with homemade mustard. Even though it was a bite size portion, the gourmet hot dog was very tasty and was a great precursor for things to come.
American "
To be honest, I was expecting a lot from this dish. The flavors were there, but the sauce was just too overpowering. It was dark brown and drenched the pleasantly placed raviolis. The homemade pasta was cooked to perfection, and the meat filling was tender and savory. Each ravioli was bursting with full flavors, but, as I mentioned before, was covered in the thick meat sauce which may have even taken the ravioli's by surprise.
ENTREES:
I highly recommend ordering off of the restaurant week menu. It's a great deal economically and the entrees they offer are superb, especially the sirloin which I will discuss more in detail.
A 12oz. sirloin in a wagyu Japanese sauce served in a cast iron skillet with Vidalia onions and roasted bacon. Dare I say more? By far, the best sirloin I have ever had. This piece of meat could easily be mistaken for a filet because of the tenderness and juicy flavors which were flowing out of each bite. I am not a huge fan of bacon, but I can assure that any meatatarian would thoroughly enjoy this dish. The steak came in the shape of a burger (trust me, I would have loved to throw a piece of cheese on there) which was a little odd, but it did not disappoint. The onions were soft and translucent and were a perfect compliment to an already flawless dish.
My date and I (who will continue to remain nameless) got a great recommendation from a one, Steph Rosen (first shout out in J spot history) to try the Kobe Club Parmesan Truffled French fries.
They tasted even better than they sound. The fries were smothered in truffle oil, fried to a crisp and sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and parsley leaves. This dish was a perfect compliment to sirloin, not for the filet, though. The sirloin had the consistency of a burger, so the fries were a great addition and perfect for sharing. It is a pricey side ($15), but what isn't expensive at Kobe Club.
If you are a fan of restaurant week and love trying places that you wouldn't dream of going to if it weren't restaurant week, then Kobe Club is for you. The regular menu is absurdly overpriced; even if I had the money I don't think its worth those prices, since there are so many other great steak places in the city who have the same or better quality beef. With that being said, the restaurant week menu at Kobe Club is being extended into late November and is the perfect opportunity to try this overpriced, posh steak house. My recommendation would be to get the 3 course price fix ($35) and order the following: Tuna Tartare as the appetizer, the Kobe Sirloin as the entrée, the sorbet as dessert and the truffle fries as a side. I made the mistake of upgrading my price fix in order to get the Kobe Beef filet (not worth the extra 40 bucks). I have provided a link to the menu and Kobe Club location below.
| | Restaurant Review Rating Scale | | ||
| | | | | |
| | | | Total Points Available | |
| Food | 9 | | 10 | |
| | | | | |
| Service | 7.5 | | 10 | |
| | | | | |
| Ambiance | 8.5 | | 10 | |
| | | | | |
| Bang for the Buck | 6 | | 10 | |
| | | | | |
| Overall | 8.5 | | 10 | |
| | | | | |
| | 39.5 | | 50 | |
| | | | | |
Phone: 212-644-5623 http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&restaurantid=41797&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=61
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