Wakkoqu — Restaurant in Kobe

What an incredible experience. The restaurant only has 7 grill spots and is very small. It is outside of the touristy "steak zone" where huge signs and employees try to hound you inside. Wakkoqu is nestled in a small building with a simple entrance and nothing fancy. From traveling I know that pictures outside on the street are a bad sign. Good food and word of mouth will bring people in without issue.

The restaurant had 3 grills filled with people and we headed in without issue at 130 on a Tuesday with reservation. The lunch menu special is A4! Only the top left and bottom left are actually A5 Kobe. They are very straightforward about prices and grades and speak "Ok" English but not a lot. They have bathrooms in the back that are clean and high quality.

I went as a group of 4 and we had the A5 tenderloin (tall round cut) and sirloin (traditional marbled "slab"). I reccomend them both as they taste completely different. We split and shared them. Beware the A5 expense. With a single beer and single sake, with 4 portions of beef fried rice, the total for 4 people was roughly $390 US dollars. For A5, if you split 1 dish per 2 people, it should be $100 per person. They do take all major credit cards with no issue including our Amex and Chase Sapphire. It is NOT cash only. Tipping is not required as this is Japan.

Phew, on to the food.

The chef starts with your meat displayed proudly on a wood stand so you can see the beautiful marbling.

The first thing on the grill is the thinly sliced garlic you will later eat with your steak.

After the garlic crisps up the meat goes on for the first session of deliciousness. They put salt, pepper, hot mustard, soy sauce and ponzu to dip your steak in, they reccomend dipping into soy sauce that had hot mustard mixed in. I tried some with only salt, some with garlic, some in soy, etc. The chefs will guide you but feel free to play around.

The vegetables, tofu, and sides are delicious but aren't really the star here. The steak, both tenderloin and sirloin are incredible. The A5 does indeed melt in your mouth and just explodes with flavor after adding salt and soy. A slice of garlic on top just blows the mind.

The chef will trim the sirloin and save the fat and some other bits to make fried rice. He adds perfectly minced carrots, mushrooms, chives, and a few other vegetables. No American style egg is added. The clear rendered beef fat makes the mouth feel of the rice something that I've never experienced before. You NEED to try the fried rice. It is only 10 dollars per person.

The meal was finished with some absolutly amazing coffee and tea with ice cold cream resulting in the wonderful pictures.

The only thing I'll knock them for is pretty crazy drink prices. 7 dollars for a Coke is a bit much but a minor quibble for a meal so grand.

If you are visiting Kobe, make a reservation a few days or even a week in advance. You can call and they do speak English. Everything was absolutly amazing although expensive. Stay away from the tourist traps on the main mall and small odd side streets with someone outside. That shows they don't have the reputation to have...

I visited for dinner and ordered the premium Kobe A5 wagyu sirloin and tenderloin sets (~200g each), along with a side of fried rice — total cost around ¥44,000 after service charge. Given the reputation and price, I had high expectations.

The beef was cooked with technical skill and served at the right doneness. I understand that tenderloin is naturally a leaner cut, but even so, the marbling on mine seemed below expectations for A5-grade Kobe wagyu. I’m no expert, but compared to other A5 cuts, this felt underwhelming.

What disappointed me more, though, was how rushed the entire experience felt. We arrived a bit early for our reservation, yet the chef had completed cooking the full meal in about 40 minutes, and everything was over in under an hour. It was almost faster than a casual meal at Pepper Lunch — and if I were dining for speed, I likely would’ve just gone there instead. There were no introductions to the cuts, and while I understand there is a language barrier with myself being a foreigner, the chef seemed more focused on moving the dinner along than creating a memorable experience. The pacing was uncomfortably fast — even as it was clear we were struggling to keep up.

This lack of engagement and hospitality seems to echo what other reviewers have experienced. It felt cold and transactional — not what you’d expect from a high-end wagyu meal in Japan.

That said, the dining room had a retro, old-school charm that I appreciated. However, with no other guests during our Thursday evening visit, the atmosphere felt empty.

I’ve had many memorable dining experiences throughout Japan, but unfortunately, this stands out as one of the more regrettable in terms of service or value for money. Maybe we caught them on an off night, but if you’re looking for a relaxed, thoughtful wagyu experience in Kobe, this may not...

I have been to this restaurant over the years, but this was my last visit. It’s not worth the hype, and the experience has declined significantly, especially considering the price point.

I made a reservation in August and took my family for dinner. Right away, I noticed there was no AC inside, and it was really hot. We told the cook, but he just acknowledged it without taking any action.

When he started cooking, his hands were shaking non-stop. I asked if he was okay, and he mentioned he has high blood pressure and the heat from the griddle makes it worse. At that point, I was sweating profusely, with my face red and my back wet, and we hadn’t even started eating yet.

Eventually, he asked another cook to take over.

Throughout the dinner, we kept mentioning the heat, but it remained unbearably hot and sweaty.

The quality of the meat was disappointing this time. It wasn’t as tender as it used to be, and the service was subpar, compounded by the extreme heat inside the restaurant. Additionally, the server, while polite, did not speak Japanese fluently, which was unexpected for a fine dining establishment.

Before we left the restaurant, some older Japanese businessmen entered and went into a back room. Suddenly, the restaurant started feeling cool with AC. I am Japanese live in America, but my husband and son are not Japanese. It felt like they don’t care about tourists as much as locals. We paid over $600 for 4 people. Not worth it.

We will try AOYAMA STEAK in Sannomiya,...