Kobe Sushi Hibachi — Restaurant in Madison

Took Friday off so I could have a four day weekend and then made the drive out to Madison to grab my ShakeIt Boba fix and some carry out lunch -- Kobe wound up being my pick for that.

I used their website to order online. It was very easy to navigate and its clarity removed any questions or concerns about my order. I could tell exactly what I was getting and could change it to my specifications with great ease. Also, you can order things for their lunch special prices on their website, which I've found isn't always the case with other places -- sometimes they'll only do lunch specials for dine-in only. Not Kobe. Because of that, we got two lunch specials (so an entree with our choice of soup or salad) and an appetizer for about $21 before tip. Great value!

My order was placed for 12:15. I arrived a little early, so it wasn't ready quite yet. The super friendly employees offered me a chair to sit while I waited. Food came out at about 12:17. The small staff was effusive, kind, and running a tight ship. There were a couple people dining in, though they were seated very far apart. All employees were masked, and most were gloved.

My food was boxed very securely, with not a crumb out of place when I arrived home. They even used cardboard to separate the soup containers from the styrofoam boxes to prevent slippage.

The food was pretty good! I got my usual vegetable hibachi and pork gyoza, while boyfriend opted for chicken hibachi this time. The veggie hibachi consisted of carrots, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, and zucchini (I think - possibly cucumber). The soup was a clear soup with a couple of slices of mushroom. The veggies were flavorful and the yum yum sauce was very good - closer to one of my favorites. Will ask for extra if I visit again. Boyfriend said his chicken hibachi was "pretty good," and polished all of it off. The soy dipping sauce for the pork gyoza was tasty and a bit thicker and more complex than your standard soy sauce. My only complaints are that the veggie hibachi was a little oily, and the pork gyoza themselves were a little too chewy for me. I like them a bit crisper.

At any rate, this is another affordable, friendly, tasty, and well managed spot for Chinese and...

I always love this place. The sushi is very competitively priced. The agedashi tofu trumps I Love Sushi's for sure (and I used to work at I Love Sushi, so I'm very much familiar with their items). They only serve beer and wine, but honestly that's kind of nice because I'm not as tempted to blow $30 on drinks. The servers are nice and remember you. The sushi is rolled well, which is refreshing because many of our local sushi options don't have chefs with good rolling skills. The proportions of ingredients to rice are satisfying and they have many intriguing options on their special rolls list.

I haven't tried the crab legs because I'm addicted to sushi and WILL order it if it's available and I'm not in like a gas a station. I would like to try them though! Service is generally prompt and I've never had to wait for a table. They package to-go items pretty well, too.

My favorite menu items are: salmon nigiri, Alaska roll, Kobe roll, Madison roll, agedashi tofu, ginger salad/miso soup, and shrimp shumai. I will say that I prefer I Love Sushi's tuna tataki dish, but that's just a seasoning preference. The quality is nice.

If you like I Love Sushi, this place is comparably priced, less reliant on a "sexy" atmosphere, and I have way more respect for the owners. I don't think I'm legally allowed to get into it, but ILS has much to learn about caring for their employees and following legal, moral, and ethical business practices.

I Love Sushi has its perks as a customer and may have a more "chic" feel, but I am now a Kobe regular. Give it a try! You won't regret it. You'll spend less money and know that you're not supporting morally deficient business owners. Kobe...

The portions for the hibachi steak plate are very well balanced. They didn't over burden the plate with vegetables, and they offered more protein than I see at many hibachi places. The rice was a little bland for my taste, but the steak more than made up for it. They didn't seem to have a ginger sauce from what I could tell, though.

Service wise, they were very kind and welcoming. I was very grateful that they left me in peace to eat rather than checking on me every so often. They were attentive, though, and offered a box before I had idled with my plate very long.

I visited at 5pm on a Wednesday. It was not very busy - there was only ever one other customer inside while I was there. The lighting is not bright, but neither is it too dim; I would call this place very sensory friendly in that regard. It was also relatively quiet other than the ventilation from the kitchen, which was decently muffled by the wall separating it from the dining room. It was a bit warm, but that's to be expected with the kitchen in such a small space. Even so, the dining room is not overcrowded. The tables are very nicely spaced in a way that feels cozy but not cramped.

Overall, I had a very good experience here, and I'm glad this is the hibachi/sushi place I visited when I...