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Article: Kobe Beef Is Back, but America's Version Is Sizzling
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- January 15, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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For the first time in four years, authentic Japanese Kobe beef --
a gourmet extravagance -- is allowed back into the United States.
The question is whether anyone will care. An American Kobe-style
brand has taken its place on restaurant menus.
"We cannot meet demand," said Todd Hatoff, president of Chicago-
based Allen Brothers, which sells high-end beef to restaurants. "I
don't see it going away, ever. It's not a fad."
Kobe beef is the essence of fine dining: The meat bursts with
flavor, and the fat melts like butter and coats the mouth with
velvety richness. An American Kobe-style steak can cost $80, $90,
even $100 at high-end steakhouses. A Kobe-style hamburger can cost
$40.
It tastes ...