Driving into Dundee off the bridge I couldn’t help but look at Kobee’s shiny, glassy exterior and think “I haven’t been there in a while”.
Sadly, the place no longer does teppanyaki with the chef cooking it in front of you and calling you names – an experience I’d enjoyed on my previous visit when celebrating my future wife’s birthday, despite her surviving having food chucked into her hat without getting egg on her face.
I didn’t think I would miss being called “sexy boy” by the chef as I ordered my dinner but I guess I did…
It is, though, still a place to enjoy some good meat, even if you can’t say it’s the cheapest place in town – a once-in-a-while choice for those living on a budget.
Eating on a Monday night, getting a table wasn’t a hassle and we even managed to get plonked down next to the window to watch Dundee life passing by.
The excitement and wonder of the teppanyaki show disappearing was a disappointment when we recalled how much we’d enjoyed it.
However, we resolved to make our own fun and had an enjoyable night out on the town.
The first order was to get the drinks in – a pint of Pravha for me (£4.50) and a 175ml helping of Malbec for my wife (£4.50).
Then it was on to figuring out which of the mouth-watering options we were going to opt for from the Teppan grill.
Eventually I made my choice of Surf and Turf (£26) with Angus sirloin and king prawn in either spicy or teriyaki sauce.
A solid choice, I thought, and one I would stick to no matter what.
Well, for a couple of minutes anyway.
© DC Thomson
My partner made the same choice and couldn’t understand why us having the same meal would make for a rubbish review.
So I changed to Kobee Delight (£28) which gives duck breast with Angus sirloin for a couple of bob extra with spicy sauce rather than the honey option.
I do love duck so I couldn’t claim it as much of a hardship, despite doing just that to justify stealing prawns from across the table.
On the side we added salt and pepper chips (£4) to share between us.
For a place that prides itself on the quality of its meat the food was just fine – but I couldn’t help having a tinge of disappointment along with it.
Harking back to my previous meal there probably isn’t fair but it was a memorable night, not just because of the chef’s antics but the incredible quality of the prawns and steak that night.
This just didn’t live up to that high standard, though it was good in its own right.
The duck was lovely and the steak just fine, with the spicy sauce not too bad on the hotness.
It was an enjoyable meal, only spoiled by my own previous experience.
My wife’s choice went down just the same, too, with the teriyaki-covered prawns sweet and tasty.
There was still time for me to watch her down some ice cream to finish, too (£3) – I’m not much of a puddings man when there’s no sticky toffee option.
Overall it’s a decent meal and an enjoyable one but, for the prices charged, decent won’t have me back too soon even if the new chef calls me “sexy”…
