I saw the review and google and other article online, then I decided to give a try. I arrived around 6 pm, and got a seat at the bar table. It’s a small restaurant, and staff are friendly. I ordered the less expensive one because I didn’t want to eat too much beef fat. I ordered medium rare cooked Kobe beef(normal grade) Appetizers were great , restaurant atmosphere was good as well. Then my beef came. Beef was cut into small pieces, and cooked as medium rare. I did not expect it melt into mouth as I didn’t order highest grade. Once I put into my month, the beef was chewy :( . I had to use my finger to help and tear it with my teeth. I hoped that was only 1 piece like that.... but 9 out of 10 were like that... I am not sure why, but for around 13000Yen, the beef should not be chewy. After finished the beef, my jaw was tired....

The service staff and chef were kind and lovely, and they made sure the atmosphere inside was delightful. The food however was extremely disappointing. I don't know if everyone is convincing themselves of an experience that doesn't exist or if I just got a bad batch, but the beef was about as mediocre as it gets. It was better than grocery store beef, but that's about it. Certainly no "melts like butter mouthgasm" that I was hoping for. Compared to the rest of the food I've had here it was a 3 or 4 out of 10, which feels pretty bad to say after how nice they were.

Introduction: First off, we totally ran into this place by chance! We saw that the restaurant we were initially heading to had a large line and decided to peek our heads into this restaurant to see if we could get a seat here instead. The staff immediately waved us over and asked if we had a reservation, when we said we didn’t instead of asking us to leave, the staff checked the reservations and found that they had room to seat us then and there. (I would extremely recommend you set up a reservation ahead of time as we just happened to be lucky enough to get a seat and it is extremely worth it). The Digs: The restaurant itself is pretty small and can be really tight especially for two large people like myself and my father, but once we got seated we fell right at home. The Staff: The staff were very kind and accommodating, their English was very good and provided us a small introduction to the menu and food prior to our order. You are also provided with a membership card that provides a discount and benefits the next time you visit. The Order: Admittedly, i may have under estimated how much meat came with the 300g order as this was almost too much for my father and myself, i would recommend the 200g or 250g if you’re really hungry. The Meal: The set came with 300gs of Kobe beef, rice, a cup of soup, and a small salad. The meal also came complete with a wide assortment of flavor profiles to add to the steak including Garlic, Pink Salt, Wasabi & a savory steak sauce. The meal was pre-pared on a stone slab and had a beautiful presentation (see attached image). Eating: First the soup was flavorful and rich, it came with corn red onions & green onions served in a cup with a spoon. The steak was cooked perfectly Initially, I was concerned there was no option to choose how the steak was cooked but Chef Okumoto presented me with a beautiful medium rare steak. The beef was delicious and the multiple flavor profiles I was able to experiment with kept the meal fresh and changing. The rice was great and saving the sweet and savory salad till the end brought an even close to the pallet at the end of the meal. Conclusion: Before we left the staff offered us an in-house taste of their whiskey and we had our pictures taken with the charismatic chef Okumoto. Chef Okumoto and his staff at Meriken Hatoba run a wonderful restaurant, with a pleasant rustic atmosphere. When I come back to Kobe i will properly make a reservation and find a seat back in front of Chef Okumoto.

We came here on the strength of the restaurant's overall score but I wish I had read the tripadvisor reviews in more detail, especially the recent ones. Everything was exactly as someone described it below - obsequious service, funky bells and whistles (like the small flag of our country on our table), the choice from what appeared to be a long list was limited to the most expensive items, anything else was "not available". I asked about beef sashimi, I wanted to try it raw, it was "not available", but, as we were about to get up and leave, they sensed our hesitation and were suddenly able to serve it. They poured sake and served duck magret which they claimed to be complementary but they must have somehow found their way into the bill because the total did not add up. There was no way of checking the bill - as per the Japanese custom, they only give the final number, not the list of items we had actually ordered. The bill came to over 140 US dollars, with one beef set dinner, one beef sashimi, and one flight of sake.

Lovely cosy little restaurant with a quirky chef (who loves to get a photo with you) and loves golf, specialising in Kobe Beef. We found the service very friendly and if we are ever in Kobe again we will sure to be back. The beef was great however no grading which seems to be a thing in Kobe. The meal size was large and included salad, rice and a delicious potato soup.

Very small restaurant with friendly staff and Mexican wrestling masks and old golf clubs for decor. Food is excellent good wine. Make a reservation as it is small.

The most anticipated meal of my Japan trip, but unfortunately, the most disappointing, leaving unfulfilled. The Kobe beef meat cut IS NOT guaranteed. You may be given parts which are suboptimal - although it was warned at the start by the polite waitress (and also in the menu), it was to an extent, not acceptable given the price point. One would only imagine that the cut was just SLIGHTLY differ given the quality. Given it’s an A5 Kobe, the meat tenderness, etc was poor. Unable to finish the meats as it was overly chewy. Meat seems to be pre-marinated. Also another slightly annoying point, if you are given the counter seat, there is inadequate space for crossing by the wait staff and you will have to constantly make way during your meal.

Definitely a tourist trap. We felt robbed! The service was great but the A5, chef recommended Kobe steak left alot to be desired. It was tasty but so chewy! Our previous experience of Kobe steak had melted in our mouths like butter(£45 per steak), so this was not what we expected for £65 per steak! We were then forced to take a photo with the chef with our own camera before leaving. Something tells me they were rubbing their hands together as we left!

To be fair I’m writing in the perspective of an student where money is quite important. We paid for our beef around 8000yen per person. All over all I would not recommend going there back. The meat was good but also not that what I expected. Unfortunately you can also not see the chief cooking the meat which is I think always very nice to see. Would not go there back !

The meat was high quality and the side dishes were good. Excellent service but did not get that "meat melting in your mouth" experience with the Kobe beef there. Overall, a bit disappointed and I think it was too pricey for what I got. Would not recommend.

Came to know about this place through Google as it was recommended by several guides. Food portion was huge and generous. Beef was of good quality but did not get the melt-in-the-mouth experience that everyone talks about when discussing A5 Kobe beef. Wait staff that attended to us was friendly, but I felt it was a bit too much by the end of the night and was slightly uncomfortable. We did not get much hospitality from the chef either, apart from the initial hello and a quick check if the food was delicious. The place was nice and the toilet was the cutest toilet I've seen so far in Japan, complete with carpet floors. All in all, we paid 21000¥ for 2 dinner set meals, which I feel was pretty steep. No regrets for my first Kobe beef experience but I won't be back.

Easily one of the worst customer service I’ve experienced in Japan. The waitress got our order wrong, and the chef and other worker were very rude and passive aggressively made comments to me about it. I was shocked, and the experience left a bitter taste in my mouth. There are hundreds of other restaurants around serving Kobe beef - save your money and go elsewhere.

Highly recommend this restaurant specialising in Kobe Beef! Found this restaurant after reading an online article of recommended restaurants serving Kobe beef. The chef and wife are very warm and welcoming. Lunch set with a taco and salad is 3800JPY. Oh and the Kobe beef is just delicious! Tender and juicy, nothing else like it!

What should i say. I have no words. The best is only "WOW" what for a experience. I took the 130g A5 Kobe beef set, whit a soup and salad. It was the best food i ever had. The price is also not that high for this quality. And the best is the chef, he is the perfect cook and entertaimer. I was so sad that i must go back to Tokyo, when not i will eat there every day. The restaurant is not that big, you should make a reservation. All hail to the chef!!!!!

Charismatic chef and wonderful front of house staff. Delicious kobe beef well worth the money. The red wine salt was my favourite. The potato soup was moorish. Great sides too. All yummy!!

Small, very good restaurant. The staff is extremely nice (they also speak English) and chatted with us quite a bit, took pictures with us etc. The Wagyu Kobe Beef (A5 cut) was very tasty and priced fairly - we paid 5,500 per person for 100g beef with rice and soup. Definitely recommend coming here!

Would recommend. Had bottle of awesome local wine and sashimi and 150 g of rib-eye. Not the cheapest place but service was top notch. Very friendly service. Pictures with the chef for free in the end. I had a good time… Also they ask you where are u from and then put your flag on the table … since i am from quite small country and the had our flag … defo plus points.

Incredible experience! The chef enjoys Mexican food and made one of the best tacos I’ve ever had to go along with the Kobe. The Kobe beef is high quality and melts like butter in your mouth. Chef gave us complementary aged whisky and just made the experience that much better. Highly recommend this place I will be back!

Too expensive compared to the quality of beef, abt ¥10000 per one with 150gr of beef steak come with 1 side dish and drink. Good service. I came here cause it got 5 star on trip advisor, maybe a marketing trick Not recommend, you can easy to find another restaurant near by with average price and more excellent beef

Amazing Kobe beef experience! Love everything about it from personalised and super accommodating service, lip-smacking fatty Kobe beef steak, the tight cozy space! We thought they were fully booked but decided to try when they reopened at 5:30pm and they gave us two counter seats!!! Special touches: 1) they ask you which country you’re from and place a flag of your country at your space; 2) chef comes out personally to ask how’s your food and gives a complimentary dram of Japanese whiskey from the barrels… plus a photo opp!!! Super awesome… would recommend to anyone who wants to try! They accept visa, master, amex.

Awesome! Had a great lunch with kobe beef and taco set. Taco was a nice touch, and kobe beef was definitely the star of the show. Really delicious, would recommend! Good to call ahead and make a reservation as they have only about 10 seats.

The staff was extremely friendly and kind... They were very patient and caring about all we need. You must order at least one dish per person and this are a little bit expensive, making the restaurant not accessible for everyone, but the meet tasted amazing! The meet seemed to melt inside the mouth, the dressing was really good and the meet was cooked perfectly! If you are up to try the best beef in Japan and you can afford this prices, is a luxury you should take while in Japan 🇯🇵 I'm sure you will not regret.

I don't know what can I say about this place that hasn't been said already. But I'll do my best. One of the top places to go to in Kobe, for the mystical Kobe beef. The food is so damn good. The steak is done so perfectly that it literally melts. Although it is on the expensive side of things, which makes sense when you meet the owner/chef, Sonoshi Okumoto. That man is a legend. Very friendly and can speak Japanese (duh), english and pretty good Spanish. They'll put up the flag of your country where you sit and at the end, Okumoto San will hand you a cardboard cutout of Kobe steak and take pictures with you. Great hospitality and amazing food. 10/10.

Best steak I have ever had. Period.

Amazing beef and soup! The chef is so energetic, cultured, friendly and loves people. Offered us free Japanese whisky (soooo smooth) and played the American national anthem when we left 😂. The restaurant gave off a family run vibe with the husband/wife duo. Super kind and cool people. Amazing food to boot and the meat melts in your mouth. Will be back!

I decided to make a stop here after researching options online for high quality and affordable restaurants in Kobe. The food was very well flavored and the portions were decently sized. It was my first time eating Kobe beef and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. The meat was extremely soft and rich, so different from the beef I’ve had back home in the U.S. Overall, an excellent experience. The staff and the chef were very attentive and inviting. The chef even gave me a hug and autographed an ad he was featured in as a present for me. Highly recommend if you’re ever in Kobe!

This place is outstanding in every aspect. The food is incredible, every bite was delicious, and the chef and waitress were super friendly. When somebody asks me about what is the best thing I’ve eaten in my life, Kobe beef at Meriken Hatoba is definitely going to be in the list. I’m super happy I found this place and will never forget this great experience. Hope to come back one day. Thank you / Gracias !

Best experience and super tasty Kobe beef!! We splurged for total of 550g which the price is still reasonable. The shop owner and waitress are so friendly. No.1 Service. My family has an enjoyable lunch!

Had a great lunch here with friends. We came to Kobe for the afternoon to have steak and this did not disappoint. The staff was super friendly and accommodating for our large group of 7. The restaurant has limited seating so they made us a reservation for 30 minutes after we initially arrived. This gave us time to check out the local shops around the restaurant. The food was amazing. They had a sashimi Kobe special that melts in your mouth. I got the 300kg option and savored every single bite. The owner was really nice and even took a picture with us after the meal. I will definitely come back next time I'm in Kobe.

Very small but cosy place, but the service was great. Staff were friendly, also got to take a photo with the chef after the meal! In terms of food quality, the meat was delicious and provided different ways to pair with the meat (my favourite combination was their signature sauce + garlic chips). The cost of eating Kobe beef here is definitely reasonable. It is worth a try if you ever come to Kobe and are looking to try Kobe beef. * Note: Remember to book in advance to secure seats, there are few seats in the restaurant.

The owner who is the chef, cooks every plate himself and the taste was stunning!! English communication is good but the services are better. By the way, you need to reserve before.

I never had such a great meal in my entire life. Amazing!!!

The best 5A Cobe meat.

Recently visited the restaurant and got probably the best steak I ever had. Worth checking out

Absolutely incredible meal! And the chef was such a sweetheart - he cooked the food, came out to make sure it was ok, poured my friends and I shots of sake, and just had a nice conversation with us. The meal was incredible and so worth the money. I will return next time I'm in Japan!!

(Translated by Google) Simply fabulous staff !!! Cozy throughout, explaining the menu and advising you on the pairings. Superb meat melts in your mouth and also excellent side dishes. If you want to taste the typical koba meat you can only stop here! In the end, they also offered us the typical kobe sake (Original) Semplicemente personale favoloso!!! Accogliente in tutto, spiegandoti il menù e consigliandoti gli abbinamenti. Carne superlativa si scioglie in bocca e anche i contorni ottimi. Se volete assaggiare la carne tipica di koba non potete che fermarvi qui! Alla fine ci hanno offerto pure il saké tipico di kobe

Meriden Hatoba is a lovely restaurant. The staff made me feel at home. The food was outstanding and the price was very affordable for Kobe beef! This is where you want to go for an affordable taste of Kobe.

First time having Kobe beef.... Best experience ever..... The meal comes with a few dishes that is not on the menu and it's free too....

Sharing this I’m hopes that no one goes with the wrong idea. I got the 100g C set, and disappointed is the nicest way I can say it. There seemed like less meat than I got at another location with their 80g set, and this place handled it so poorly. They say A5 wagyu, but I have doubts as this was chewy. It also appears that the chef cuts the meat before cooking it, which in part defeats the point as all the fat escapes into the pan. The remaining beef is over cooked and not at all tasty as there is not fat. It is also overpriced and does not inform you of the 10% tax added at the end. Only reason I have a second star was the good decor and English level of the hosts. But if you want to experience Wagyu, go elsewhere. I highly recommend finding a place on an upper floor as they typically get you more value and have to overcome their lower visibility with high quality.

Excellent food with good wine and sake pairing. The staff and chef was nice. A bit pricy but well worth it. Try ordering rare as medium rare will be a bit more cook than American style. Highly. Recommended

4.5/5 food was great. Got to try some Kobe Beef, which was a pretty good experience. I've had better meat before hence the 4.5. I got the oyster combo with 100g kobe beef for dinner. It came with a variety of sauces, fruits and dips to choose from, which was nice. The oysters were delicious and overall price was reasonable compared to other places close by. Luckily, I ate some meat buns beforehand in the China town markets closeby. Otherwise, it probably wouldn't have filled me up. Best to book because I arrived at 3pm to book for 5pm and by the time I got there it was all reserved and there aren't that many seats. The manager and workers spoke English and were very welcoming. I even got to take a photo with the chef and got a shot of whiskey on him. 5/5 service/personalized experience.

Amazing experience! Staff and chief gave us a warm welcoming and were so nice with us. Food was the best we had!! 150g of Premium A5 grade Kobe beef with the soup, rice and salad is way enough. They even gave us a free cup of sake and some duck slices meat (which was evenly incredible). Would give more than 5* if possible. Thank you so much! (From Canada-Quebec)

The moment I had my first bite to an A5 Olive Kobe Beef- a top quality, hard to get meat from a toasted Olive peels-fed cows- it was obvious that it stood apart from all others. Meriken Hatoba Restaurant caters to only 10 customers for lunch and dinner. We need to make a reservation and lucky us, we all have the place to ourselves. Aside from his impecable cooking skills, the owner and chef was also gracious enough to have an adorable photo op. He also gave me an autograph! 'twas really the best gastronomic experience I had by far.

Walked up without reservation and were able to get a table for for for lunch. I wanted a Kobe beef steak and rice I picked the lunch set and it came with smoked duck appetizer, salad, vegetables,rice,miso soup, potato salad and that delicious beef A5 Kobe 150 grams 9400 yen wife had the less expensive waygu 150 grams 8500 both delicious.we all enjoyed our meal and drinks.

Staff went above and beyond to deliver exemplary service, despite a steep price (expected from a5 Kobe,was 5800yen for 130g~) the experience was magnificent and would definitely recommend. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the interaction with the chef, worth a visit.

Awesome service and atmosphere. The chef is super friendly and fun even though we don’t speak the same language.

Excellent beef, but an even better host/owner. Seats about 12. After you are seated your countries flag is place near you. They even have a wine named after me. Good stuff.

Not one to write reviews but I left incredibly disappointed. The staff is very accommodating but you have no idea what you’re eating. The pieces of meat came from all parts of animal were cut very inconsistently. When I asked what cut I had they couldn’t tell me. Some pieces were tender but others quite tough. Not a single Japanese in the restaurant. This place is a complete tourist trap!

Staying in Osaka we decided to make a small Lunch trip to Kobe to have some Kobe beef. We arrived a bit early but were immediatly greeted by the chef who took some pictures with us. We both ordered the A5 Kobe and it arrived fast. The beef was extremly tender and the composition with the sides was ideal. The chef and the staff were friendly and helpful, overall a great experience.

Tombé par hasard en juin 2018 sur ce petit restaurant en plein coeur du Chinatown de Kobe, l’occasion de tester enfin le fameux boeuf de Kobe. Le prix est dans la gamme de ce qui est pratiqué et le menu comprend de mémoire un repas complet avec entrée et accompagnement même si l’attraction principale est évidemment le boeuf. Super tendre et fond littéralement sur la langue. Petite attention du chef qui s amusait à placer les drapeaux des nationalités des clients devant les plats et à passer l hymne. Lol

The food and locale was amazing, but what really made the evening special was the personality of the owner. He kept us entertained through out the whole experience and made the high price well worth it.

(Translated by Google) Please feel the high quality of meat at this restaurant. The image of a chef at a steakhouse that you think of is an image of fresh meat being grilled in front of you. But it wasn't. In this shop, chefs carefully cook the food behind the scenes. So that's it. I understand. "In the first place, if it's high quality meat, you don't have to resort to visual production," he says. Isn't it shitty? It is taught that food is important for food, but the origin is taste. (Original) ぜひこちらのお店で、お肉のクオリティの高さを感じてみてください。 みなさんが思い浮かべるステーキ屋のシェフの姿って、目の前で新鮮なお肉をジュージューと焼いてるイメージじゃないですか？ ところがそうじゃなかったんです。こちらのお店では、シェフが裏方でじっくり調理されたものが出てきます。 なるほど。理解しましたよ。 「そもそもクオリティの高い肉であれば、わざわざ視覚に頼った演出なんてしなくてもイイ」って事なんですね。 シブいじゃないですか。料理は視覚も大事ですが、原点は味覚だと教えられました。

Went to Kobe earlier today just for this. It was worth the trip! Chef and staff were so friendly. The Kobe Beef we had was amazing. It was tender and juicy.

Amazing meal and amazing hospitality from the staff!

Great Kobe beef, cooked to perfection definitely worth stopping by

A truly unique, must try experience when visiting Kobe. The owner (and chef) of the restaurant is a real character and made us feel so welcome and special!

Really nice family owned restaurant, amazing food, offered us a ton of free entrees and sake too! Definitely would recommend :)

Amazing steak! So delicious. One of our favorite places during our trip. Need a reservation because the place is very small.

Cozy place. Delicious food. Friendly chef.

Best restaurant in kobe!!!

Very nice place. Real Kobe beef. Delicious! The Master chef is so kind and accommodating.🤩👍❤️ I recommend this place to all Beef lovers.👍😍

Not child friendly, we saw a bunch of chairs available at the counter which we as a family were happy to take but they refused with a vague excuse about our three year old falling off.

Wow - that is all I can say to summarise. The meat was deliciously melting on the tongue, the staff was beyond friendly. I've never had Kobe beef before, but if I'm I'm ever back in Kobe I'm going here. This place was heaven.

Googled this Restaurant and decided to give it a go. I have to say this is some of the best Kobe meat I have ever had. We were blown away by this place. We ordered the Steak and the Shabu Shabu style and both were cooked to perfection. The steak was juicy and melted in our mouths. The chef also gave us some presents to sample which was very nice of him to do. This place is a must go for the Kobe beef but the reason we were blown away by this place apart from the food was the hospitality the chef and the server showed us. Both the chef and the server were extremely nice, (next level nice). They treated us like we were family. They gave us free items to try and also explained to us how to beat enjoy our food, gave us a travel guide for Kobe and the server even refilled my water bottle so I don’t get dehydrated in the hot Kobe weather. When we were leaving they even walked us out. This place should be a must visit for everyone venturing out to Kobe, Japan for the food and the friendliness of the staff. Would definitely come back!

Lovely steak and friendly staff. As long as you are prepared for the price tag you won’t be disappointed. We left happy and satisfied.

(Translated by Google) Excellent! The price of a Kobe beef is certainly high but for such quality, to be absolutely! In addition we were offered an entry (duck), a juice and a sake! And give great tips and delicious homemade sauces to eat Kobe beef. Excellent! The kobe beef price is expensive, but it must absolutely be tried! Moreover, they have a plate of duck, a local juice and a sake! They give great advice and very good home made sauces to eat the Kobe beef! (Original) Excellent ! Le prix d'un bœuf Kobé reste certes élevé mais pour une telle qualité, à faire absolument ! De plus on nous a offert une entrée (du canard), un jus puis un saké ! Et donnent de très bons conseils et de délicieuses sauces faites maison pour manger le bœuf Kobé. Excellent ! The kobe beef price stays expensive yes but for such a quality, it must absolutely be tried ! Moreover, they offered us a plate of duck, a local juice and a saké! They give great advice and very good home made sauces to eat the Kobe beef !

(Translated by Google) Watashi wa tabemono ga daisukidesu. I love the food! Chef Sonoshi was great! (Original) Watashi wa tabemono ga daisukidesu. I love the food! Chef Sonoshi was great!

Top notch hospitality. Steak is great and juicy; really memorable Kobe beef. Chef is very welcoming. Only downside is that the restaurant has too little tables.

(Translated by Google) Accidentally and fantastic. Amazing owners. Open to tourists. Great beef. recommend (Original) Przypadkowo i fantastycznie. Niesamowici właściciele. Otwarci na turystów. Świetna wołowina. Polecam

Best place to eat kobe beef. All the food is delicious and the owners are incredible! We had the best time, thanks again!! ありがとう ございます