Snake River Kobe Beef ?

[big A]

Anybody know if it's possible to get any locally. Probably not but I thought I'd ask.

[GQBalla]

Only place I know that has Kobe beef is lounge burger but its not wagyu and its mixed with regular ground beef

[l/l/rX]

Originally posted by GQBalla
Only place I know that has Kobe beef is lounge burger but its not wagyu and its mixed with regular ground beef

he's asking where he can buy some to cook at home. But just as a FYI...downtown food has a wagyu platter :drool:

[ExtraSlow]

Not sure where to get the snake river stuff, but there are several ranches that raise wagyu in alberta, as well as the wagyu/angus cross that's more commonly marketed as "American Kobe"

A quick google search will reveal several options, but the only one I've used is Hoven Farms.

[ercchry]

bite in inglewood carries local wagyu... but they arent open right now

[big A]

Thanks for EVERYTHING so far guys.

[89coupe]

http://www.brantlakewagyu.ca/sales-ordering/

[Traffic_Cop]

You may want to read this:-

http://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2012/04/27/kobe_beef_in_canada_isnt_what_you_think_it_is.html?app=noRedirect

[rage2]

It's pretty much impossible to get authentic Kobe/Wagyu in Canada due to import restrictions. Any high end restaurant serving the stuff will be serving Australian Wagyu. While very good, it doesn't compare to the real Japanese stuff.

There are a few restaurants in the US that imports it legally since last year. The amount being exported from Japan is very small, and pretty much only high end restaurants are getting their hands on it.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/09/28/kobe-beef-is-back-new-rules-allow-some-japanese-beef-in-u-s/

I've had the chance to try it in Asia, as well as in the US before it was banned, and yea, nothing compares to the real thing from Japan.

If you want Australian Wagyu, Koiji Restolounge imports it regularly out of Vancouver. Not sure if you can buy it straight from the supplier yourself, but you can call True World Foods in Vancouver and find out:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/166756_10151342166996937_1859604407_n.jpg

[rage2]

Oh, and hashtag #foodporn :rofl:

[taemo]

Originally posted by rage2
It's pretty much impossible to get authentic Kobe/Wagyu in Canada due to import restrictions. Any high end restaurant serving the stuff will be serving Australian Wagyu. While very good, it doesn't compare to the real Japanese stuff.

There are a few restaurants in the US that imports it legally since last year. The amount being exported from Japan is very small, and pretty much only high end restaurants are getting their hands on it.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/09/28/kobe-beef-is-back-new-rules-allow-some-japanese-beef-in-u-s/

I've had the chance to try it in Asia, as well as in the US before it was banned, and yea, nothing compares to the real thing from Japan.

If you want Australian Wagyu, Koiji Restolounge imports it regularly out of Vancouver. Not sure if you can buy it straight from the supplier yourself, but you can call True World Foods in Vancouver and find out:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/166756_10151342166996937_1859604407_n.jpg

:drool:

what do you need to order in Koiji to get a piece of that?
I don't see any reference to beef other than AAA Alberta beef ternderloin on their menu.
love their salmon skin roll though

[SuperG3]

Costco.ca sells Canadian Wagyu

[rage2]

Originally posted by taemo
:drool:

what do you need to order in Koiji to get a piece of that?
I don't see any reference to beef other than AAA Alberta beef ternderloin on their menu.
love their salmon skin roll though
It's off menu. Call them and see when they'll have some in, and order some.

[big A]

I've learnt allot while researching it and realized you need an inside source or give up or settle with costco.

http://www.costco.ca/CatalogSearch?langId=-24&storeId=10302&catalogId=11201&keyword=KB0209&sortBy=PriceMax|1&EMID=CA_EN_2013_0710_BackyardSolo

[googe]

Originally posted by rage2
It's pretty much impossible to get authentic Kobe/Wagyu in Canada due to import restrictions. Any high end restaurant serving the stuff will be serving Australian Wagyu. While very good, it doesn't compare to the real Japanese stuff.

There are a few restaurants in the US that imports it legally since last year. The amount being exported from Japan is very small, and pretty much only high end restaurants are getting their hands on it.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/09/28/kobe-beef-is-back-new-rules-allow-some-japanese-beef-in-u-s/

I've had the chance to try it in Asia, as well as in the US before it was banned, and yea, nothing compares to the real thing from Japan.

If you want Australian Wagyu, Koiji Restolounge imports it regularly out of Vancouver. Not sure if you can buy it straight from the supplier yourself, but you can call True World Foods in Vancouver and find out:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/166756_10151342166996937_1859604407_n.jpg

I think there was no "before the ban" in the US. Such a time never existed. I was also lied to. In fact, the noodle place in Caesar's Palace is still lying on their menu. The servers working there also lie. The chef eventually said it's "American Kobe", which is of course not a thing.

http://www.kobe-niku.jp/contents/export/index.php

Exports only started for the first time in late 2012. Early 2012 the first ones went to Macau and HK, but the first one to hit the US was August.

[UndrgroundRider]

Originally posted by rage2
It's pretty much impossible to get authentic Kobe/Wagyu in Canada due to import restrictions. Any high end restaurant serving the stuff will be serving Australian Wagyu. While very good, it doesn't compare to the real Japanese stuff.

There are a few restaurants in the US that imports it legally since last year. The amount being exported from Japan is very small, and pretty much only high end restaurants are getting their hands on it.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/09/28/kobe-beef-is-back-new-rules-allow-some-japanese-beef-in-u-s/

I've had the chance to try it in Asia, as well as in the US before it was banned, and yea, nothing compares to the real thing from Japan.

If you want Australian Wagyu, Koiji Restolounge imports it regularly out of Vancouver. Not sure if you can buy it straight from the supplier yourself, but you can call True World Foods in Vancouver and find out:


This is the truth.

I've had real Kobe twice in my life, once in Japan and once in Hawaii. It was unbelievable. I have tried many different brands of Wagyu all across the US, and I also tried a few other japanese brands of Wagyu. None of them compared to real Kobe beef.

I tried to get a group buy going on Beyond here probably 6 years ago when it was still legal to import. There was a guy in Vancouver who imported it, but he would only sell it by the box. Or crate, or whatever unit they come in. Unfortunately someone deleted my thread because it was an unauthorized group buy.

[UndrgroundRider]

Originally posted by googe


I think there was no "before the ban" in the US. Such a time never existed. I was also lied to. In fact, the noodle place in Caesar's Palace is still lying on their menu. The servers working there also lie. The chef eventually said it's "American Kobe", which is of course not a thing.

http://www.kobe-niku.jp/contents/export/index.php

Exports only started for the first time in late 2012. Early 2012 the first ones went to Macau and HK, but the first one to hit the US was August.

I'm fairly certain I had the real deal in Hawaii in Dec 07. I ate at DUO at the four seasons in Maui when they had Kobe on their menu (has since switched to Kobe-style). I spoke with the chef before ordering because it was ridiculously expensive ($200 for an 8 oz steak). He assured me it was real Kobe from Japan. He said they only stock it because of the number of Japanese customers they get. It is still possible that he lied, but it tasted authentic to me as well. And I'd feel confident taking pepsi taste test on kobe vs other wagyu.

Also I had searched this extensively at that time, because I knew real Kobe was virtually impossible to find. I found a number of reputable sources that said DUO was serving real Kobe.

After doing a quick search it looks like the Wikipedia article is the only source stating that Kobe wasn't exported prior to 2012. But the source it gives is a web app on the Kobe website showing export amounts which only date back to 2012. That doesn't really mean they didn't export prior to that date, only that they haven't put that information into their web app. Which is likely the case if that web app was developed around 2012.

[rage2]

Originally posted by googe


I think there was no "before the ban" in the US. Such a time never existed. I was also lied to. In fact, the noodle place in Caesar's Palace is still lying on their menu. The servers working there also lie. The chef eventually said it's "American Kobe", which is of course not a thing.

http://www.kobe-niku.jp/contents/export/index.php

Exports only started for the first time in late 2012. Early 2012 the first ones went to Macau and HK, but the first one to hit the US was August.
That's Kobe. There's been Wagyu exports prior to the ban, where people referred to it as Kobe.

[googe]

Originally posted by rage2

That's Kobe. There's been Wagyu exports prior to the ban, where people referred to it as Kobe.

Meh, to me that's like saying Yamazaki Whisky is scotch. If it isn't from Scotland, it isn't scotch. If it isn't from Kobe (or Hyogo) Japan, it isn't Kobe Beef.

Also there seems to be confusion between Wagyu export/import bans and Kobe export. From what I understand, there was a ban on Japanese imported beef, which stopped Wagyu from coming in entirely. Aside from that, there was also an effective ban on Kobe specifically. I'm just going off of what journalists have said so I might have some details wrong.

Supposedly this is due to until 2012, the slaughterhouses in the Kobe region were not approved by the USDA, so imports were disallowed. It wasn't so much a ban, but a lack of approval, making it illegal by default.

So there's no way to prove that nothing in the US has ever been real Kobe (until last year), but whoever was serving it would probably have to keep it on the DL. Everyone involved in moving it to the US and serving it would be facing pretty stiff fines, but it wouldn't be totally surprising if a few of them had deals for people with money. Journalists insist it hasn't happened, but rich people get banned stuff in all the time. Though the region is actually physically quite small, and there are not many cows there, so that itself is the main limiting factor. Something like 3000 a year, which mostly go to Japanese consumption.

"American-style Kobe" isn't simply the same cow but raised in the US (even if it was, the resulting meat would still be very different due to feed and lifecycles). It's a different strain of Wagyu than is raised in Kobe, and it's cross-bred with Angus.

Not that Kobe is necessarily the best or any other Wagyu can't be just as good or better, just that most places are being intentionally deceptive and adding a premium to trade on a brand you aren't actually getting.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/food/12-26-12-the-270-six-ounce-steak-real-kobe-beef-finally-hits-houston-brings-taste-and-wallet-shock/

$270 for a 6 oz steak for the real stuff now. If anyone thinks they had it before when it was illegal under the slaughterhouse rule, which was always, and they didn't pay significantly more than what it costs to get legally, and it was on a menu, they probably didn't have it.


http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/04/12/foods-biggest-scam-the-great-kobe-beef-lie/



Before 2010 you could import only boneless fresh Japanese beef, but none was real Kobe. Under Japanese law, Kobe beef can only came from Hyogo prefecture (of which Kobe is the capital city), where no slaughterhouses were approved for export by the USDA. According to its own trade group, the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association in Japan, where Kobe Beef is a registered trademark, Macao is the only place it is exported to – and only since last year. If you had real Kobe beef in this country in recent years, someone probably smuggled it in their luggage.


Originally posted by UndrgroundRider


After doing a quick search it looks like the Wikipedia article is the only source stating that Kobe wasn't exported prior to 2012. But the source it gives is a web app on the Kobe website showing export amounts which only date back to 2012. That doesn't really mean they didn't export prior to that date, only that they haven't put that information into their web app. Which is likely the case if that web app was developed around 2012.

The website addresses that specifically in the FAQ:

http://www.kobe-niku.jp/english/contents/faq/#a10



Is Kobe Beef exported out of Japan?

Kobe Beef started to be exported to Macao for the first time in February, 2012.

[hachiroku]

Just came from living in Japan (Osaka) and I agree with Rage that all these ones in Canada are mostly Aussie beef. The Japanese don't export much Kobe beef at all and are extremely prideful of their beef. But it is delicious and anyone that is in the Kansai region must go to Kobe to try the beef. It is expensive but well worth trying it once.

[rage2]

Originally posted by googe
Meh, to me that's like saying Yamazaki Whisky is scotch. If it isn't from Scotland, it isn't scotch. If it isn't from Kobe (or Hyogo) Japan, it isn't Kobe Beef.
Ya, I've probably been guilty of calling it wrong many a times. The beef I've tried was Japanese Wagyu, which isn't Kobe. Same thing but from a different region. Kobe isn't the best of the Japanese Wagyu, but its by far the most famous.

[UndrgroundRider]

Originally posted by googe
The website addresses that specifically in the FAQ:

http://www.kobe-niku.jp/english/contents/faq/#a10

http://onthemf.com/AgentGill.gif

[Mibz]

Aaaaaand downloading Hackers.

[Tram Common]

As tasty as Kobe beef is, I preferred Yonezawa beef when I was living and working in Japan...

... and really, Alberta beef is every bit as good, if not better, when you buy it from the right farmers.

[rage2]

Originally posted by taemo
:drool:

what do you need to order in Koiji to get a piece of that?
I don't see any reference to beef other than AAA Alberta beef ternderloin on their menu.
love their salmon skin roll though
You better go today or this weekend if you want some. Won't last long.

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc475/rage2amg/null_zpsd6e2687b.png

[taemo]

Originally posted by rage2

You better go today or this weekend if you want some. Won't last long.

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc475/rage2amg/null_zpsd6e2687b.png

thanks!
I called them on Tuesday to let me know once they get some and they called me today at 4pm.
We went there for an early dinner at around 4:30 and ordered a 7.5oz wagyu beef steak medium cooked.
BTW it's 15$/oz so the 7.5oz was around $112.5

is it worth it? heck yes, at least once in your life time.
flavor wise, IMO it's the same as a regular steak but it's the texture that can't be matched.
It's like the otoro of a bluefin tuna where the meat is full of fat.
btw looks like Koiji gets some once in a while and I told them to let me know as well, as I love otoro.

here's a pic of what a $112.5 wagyu steak looks like
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4884/6baw.jpg

[The_Rural_Juror]

Why would they serve a steak cut up like that?

[Mibz]

Originally posted by taemo
is it worth it? ...at least once in your life time.
flavor wise, IMO it's the same as a regular steak but it's the texture that can't be matched. This is exactly what I said after a wagyu steak in Toronto. The flavour is nothing special, it's the fact that you have to cut it between char lines, otherwise it just collapses. Definitely something I'm glad I had, but likely wouldn't do it again unless I could get authentic Kobe. Even then, it would just be so I could say I had Kobe, not because I think it's worth a gorillion dollars for what I was eating.

[googe]

I just grabbed a flat iron (american) wagyu from the store. What's the best way to bbq it? Worried about overdoing it because of the higher fat content.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by googe
I just grabbed a flat iron (american) wagyu from the store. What's the best way to bbq it? Worried about overdoing it because of the higher fat content.

A quick sear should suffice.

[ExtraSlow]

Fattier cuts are actually harder to ruin if you overcook them, so don't stress out. But I agree with the poster above, high heat, sear is probably how I would do it.

[hurrdurr]

I had the Australian Waygu at Vintage a couple months ago, I think it was $10/oz. I love fatty steaks but I wasn't actually a huge fan of it. Neither myself or my girlfriend finished ours. YMMV I guess, would love to try authentic Kobe or Waygu in the country of origin.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by hurrdurr
I had the Australian Waygu at Vintage a couple months ago, I think it was $10/oz. I love fatty steaks but I wasn't actually a huge fan of it. Neither myself or my girlfriend finished ours. YMMV I guess, would love to try authentic Kobe or Waygu in the country of origin.
Whoa, to the point of not even finishing it?

I enjoyed it, but it wasn't anything spectacular. Rare tenderloin is still my favorite.

[lilmira]

Originally posted by googe
I just grabbed a flat iron (american) wagyu from the store. What's the best way to bbq it? Worried about overdoing it because of the higher fat content.

If I'm to spend 100bucks on a piece of meat, I'd rather let the pro handle the cooking, otherwise, that's like buying an AMG and hiring someone on Kijiji to put protection film on, wait a minute. That's just me. ;)

[Disoblige]

^^ So basically, lilmira = the human equivalent of Kijiji :rofl:

But seriously, one notable thing I loved about the Wagyu I ate was the fatty outer crust. So if I was to cook it, I'd let cook it in a flat grill so it can cook in its own fat which will create that delicious outer fatty crust. You don't want to lose any of that fat!

[flipstah]

I'll just leave this here... :poosie:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BRTtZnhCcAAYZSC.jpg

[taemo]

so we were in T&T and saw this
http://s29.postimg.org/4lxwqg2hf/wagyu.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/4lxwqg2hf/)

:eek:
so tempting