Tor Road Steak Aoyama — Restaurant in Kobe

If you're looking for a memorable experience for trying Kobe beef, look no further. Steak Aoyama was hands down the best meal we had during our Japan trip and the steak was the most delicious I've had in my life. Not only was this meal perfect from a food standpoint, the service was of the highest calibre, bar none. The quality and quantity of the food with respect to the price is also exceptional.

I found this restaurant while researching steakhouses in Kobe and was struck by how consistently positive the reviews were across all platforms. I noticed other English-speaking clients making their reservation via the restaurant's Facebook page so I sent them a private message via Facebook. The response time was very quick and they were able to respond in English. Be sure to make your reservation ahead of time, because it books up fully every single evening (while we were there, they had to turn away a few people).

The restaurant is located about 10 minutes away by walking from the Sannomiya JR station in central Kobe.

We arrived at the restaurant at 7PM and were seated around the iron-plate grill with 5 other people. There were 7 customers in total and I imagine that they only take 8 maximum an evening. The restaurant is small and the limited number of guests that are served in one evening makes for an incredibly special and intimate setting.

The service was impeccable from the moment we walked in. This is a family-run restaurant that has been open for at least 50 years, and the only staff working there was the chef (Chef Shuhei), his parents, and one waitress. Everyone working there was incredibly kind and attentive. They spoke English very well and were able to explain the different menu options to us clearly. Chef Shuhei was a great conversationalist and kept us entertained throughout the entire dinner. He was charming and was joking with us throughout the meal.

Since it was our first time trying Kobe beef, we went all out and got the 12,000 yen/person option with several courses, including an appetizer, salad, soup, grilled scallops, 160 grams of Kobe beef, grilled vegetables and tofu, rice, dessert, and tea. We also both got a small bottle of sake at 600 yen each. All things considered, this price is very reasonable for that quantity of Kobe beef. In Canada, you'd pay the equivalent of about 9,000 yen for half that quantity of Kobe beef, and I'm sure it wouldn't be as fresh. Plus, we got all of the additional courses, all of which were delicious.

The appetizer was a selection of sashimis, cured meats and fried seafood with a variety of different sauces and toppings. The soup, which we were told was an original recipe that had been used for the past 50 years, was a creamy potato potage that had a perfect balance of flavours. The scallops were cooked perfectly with a crisp, caramelized sear and buttery, medium-rare interior. Even the rice was delicious and of the highest quality, from the Niigata prefecture. For the pièce de résistance, the Kobe beef, it was like biting into pure, buttery, heavenly bliss. We saw the pieces of meat before they were put on the grill, and the marbling was a thing of beauty. Chef Shuhei asked us how we wanted it done and absolutely nailed the medium-rare steak. It was caramelized on the exterior and a succulent medium-rare on the inside that felt like it was melting in your mouth when you took a bite. We were given truffle salt, fried garlic chips and dipping sauce with dashi for our steaks, so it was fun to try out different combinations (however the steak was also perfect as is).

We do not even know how to adequately express how thankful we are to Steak Aoyama for such a wonderful experience. We will definitely be back one day on a future trip to Japan, and we will also recommend this restaurant to...

First time trying Tor Steak Aoyama in Kobe and we were blown away by the taste and melt in your mouth good steak. 3 of us each ordered the 150 gram Kobe beef set which included an appetizer of little bites of baby greens, fish carpaccio, roast beef, sausage, potato salad....a refreshing delight of small bites followed by a white velvety cream soup. We all sit infront of the flat top grill where the chef, aka Japanese Tom Cruise, would do his magic in preparing the delicately cut little veggie pieces (1 per person...shitake, zucchini, eggplant, tofu, beansprouts, and carrot). Next, you see the chef crisp up very thinly sliced garlic like paper in oil where he would reserve this garlic to be eaten with he steak. Personally, the beef is so good that I found the garlic too over powering so I put the garlic in the rice and it was so yummy. Each of us ordered the Kobe beef lunch set 150 grams of Kobe beef for 10000 yen each which included the appetizer, steak, small bowl of rice, cream soup, and coffee or hot/cold green matcha tea. We also ordered the house red wine for 3000 yen which was a French Cuvee de Michard 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon...delightfully good! We enjoyed every last drop of it with our steak. There is a choice of either sirloin or filet and the chef said the sirloin is fattier and more popular so the 2 of us had the filet with one sirloin and Tom Cruise san cooked it all up and we each had a sample of both filet and sirloin. We like our steak quite rare so be sure to let him know that so it will be rare enough. Their steak sauce is this fantastic tasting grated daikon and yuzu sauce that is the best we have tasted along with a little plate of rock salt. Every piece of the steak dipped into this yuzu sauce (same recipe from 60 years ago) then into your mouth is like magic! The beef melts in your mouth and each piece of the meat gets tastier. The sirloin is indeed more marbled and fattier and that is the tasty part while the filet is leaner but equally tender and tasty. We are so glad that the chef suggested we try both because 150 grams of the sirloin would have been too heavy for me. Mixing both filet and sirloin was the perfect combination.

Chef Tom Cruise San would entertain while educating us on Kobe beef. When you eat at Tor Steak Aoyama, you can rest assured that it is genuine Kobe beef It is a small establishment that values quality first....there are only 4 seatings a day...2 for lunch with only 6 seats per seating and same for dinner...2 seatings with 6 seats each...total of 24 guests per day. We made our reservation 3 months before arriving on Facebook otherwise you probably won't be able to get in. On our day, there was a sign on the door already saying "all booked up". We took 1:30pm which was the last seating so arrive at 1:30pm on the dot...not earlier because there is the earlier seating before and the guests need to finish and leave before we can enter. We enjoyed our time with Chef Tom Cruise and his father so much that we have already made reservation for 2026....March 20th!

If you are looking for a Kobe steak experience, then you need to come to Tor Steak Aoyama for the genuine thing!!! Bon appetit and a huge thank you to Chef Tom Cruise San, his father, and the 2 young women serving and preparing the food. Until next...

Let me start by saying that the food was indeed very good! In terms of Kobe beef, I think it probably is a good representation of what Kobe beef is. Whether or not Kobe beef is the best ever, that of course is up for debate.

My wife and I had a reservation for lunch. They have different menu options for lunch. We had 1 Japanese Beef lunch (3000 Yen), and 1 Kobe beef lunch (5100 Yen) (sirloin for both), and shared the food.

Service: excellent, friendly, welcoming, and happy to have you in their restaurant. It felt like they genuinely care about the food they serve, and want their diners to have a great experience.

The food is fresh and cooked in front of you on the grand stainless steel griddle. Portion size is small. For some reason, fine dining always appears to bring out small portion sizes. It is 3.5 ounces of meat per person. That in itself would be fine, however you only get 1 mushroom, 1 carrot, 1 piece of zucchini, two slivers of pepper, and 1 piece of tofu (picture below was for 2 people). Depending on the menu you choose, you also get a soup and a salad. I feel like for the price, giving you a couple of extra carrots and mushrooms would be appropriate, so that you don't have to leave still feeling hungry after a $100 lunch.

Beef review: I tried to be unbiased and try both the Japanese beef and Kobe beef without assuming Kobe would be better. Here was my impression: Texture: Kobe beef had a better texture, and seemed easier to chew and very tender. The Japanese beef was still very tender, but texture goes to Kobe overall. Taste: I was hoping the Kobe beef would taste better than the Japanese beef (since I was paying more for it), but at the end of the day, when comparing taste alone, I gave the advantage to the Japanese beef. No particular reason, but for my taste it came out on top. My wife liked the Kobe beef better. In any case, it was close, and for the price difference, not sure the cost difference is worth it. I am glad we did it, and we now have tried Kobe beef, in Kobe, at the number 1 rated spot.

In closing, I would say that the experience is worth it overall. The beef is good, the food is good! Is it the best beef I have ever had: no. Is it worth the price...