Kobe's Japanese Cuisine

Kobe's logo

Kobe's, with its grand opening in 2009, is the restaurant I hold accountable for Fargo's sushi explosion. Yuki Hana was the only sushi restaurant at that time, but this was the first restaurant in the area to feature Hibachi cooking, also known as Teppanyaki, a style of preparing food items on a large heated plaque.

Hibachi cooking is thought to have been inspired by a former Japanese wrestler named Hiroaki. His desire to combine ancient Japanese cooking methods with American entertainment inspired him to move to New York to open his first steakhouse in 1964.

According to manager Kiki Rizky, the length of training for a Kobe's hibachi or sushi chef depends on how passionate the aspiring chef is and how much practice they put into it. "I would say in six months to one year they can at least become a sushi helper," he said. He also stressed the importance of training on a daily basis to master the art of entertaining guests.  

Riszky added, "All of our fish are fresh and our executive sushi chef orders them accordingly. We always maintain fresh fish to be used on all of our sushi bar orders. " He added that every single delivery is documented according to health department standards. 

Doug Jensen, a Registered Sanitarian with Fargo Cass Public Health said, “Each restaurant in Fargo-Moorhead is inspected at least once a year to make sure the food they are serving is safe.” He added that area restaurants follow the 2009 FDA Food Code in addition to the “Requirements for Food and Beverage Establishments” established by Fargo Cass Public Health.

He said, “There are no specific sushi guidelines, but the sections on parasite destruction and proper holding and cooling temperatures would certainly apply to those restaurants.” For example, any raw, raw-marinated, or partially cooked fish must be frozen and stored at a temperature of minus four degrees Fahrenheit or below for a minimum of one hundred sixty-eight hours in a freezer. 

Parking in the last row of the jam-packed parking lot, on a Saturday night, I thanked my friend, Ty, for making a reservation. After maneuvering through the crowded waiting area, we checked in with the hostess and were led to our table. 

She pointed out the drink list, so Ty and I perused the sake menu. Neither of us had sampled sake before so we each ordered raspberry sake and a chocolate martini to share.

  Raspberry Sake and Chocolate Martini

The sake arrived in two pouring vials with mini shot glass-like cups. Not enjoying its bitter, dry taste, I was happy that we had ordered the smooth, creamy chocolate martini. 

This was Ty's first sushi experience, so I explained the menu to him. Seeing the fear in his eyes, I described the non-fresh fish options. He chose the California - cooked crab meat, avocado, and cucumber- and sweet potato rolls, jokingly adding they would the least likely to send him to the hospital. Spicy yellowtail and Spicy salmon -$5.95 and $5 respectively- were my rolls of choice, and I also ordered us some edamame and miso soup, - soybean paste broth, dry seaweed, tofu, and scallion.

When the edamame arrived, Ty gave me a quizzical look and asked, "How do I eat this stuff?" After showing him my method of biting the pods to get the beans out, he did the same.

                             Steaming edamame 

The sushi took about 25 minutes to arrive, but it was well worth the wait. Attempting to improve upon the impressive plate presentation, I garnished my sushi pieces with ginger before taking the first outstanding bite. 

                  spicy yellowtail and spicy salmon rolls

Ty struggled with his chopsticks and eventually resorted to picking up the pieces with his fingers. After we finished our meals, our waiter returned with the bill. We paid and he thanked us for choosing Kobe's and requested we come back for another meal.

Overall, the food, drinks, and service were excellent.  I will certainly eat here again because the food is wonderful and the prices reasonable, with the regular rolls costing around $5. I am glad Hiroaki moved to America because without him sushi might not have reached Fargo.