Kobe Steakhouse in St Petersburg

By Published On: July 11th, 2022

Kobe Steakhouse in St Pete

[fusion_dropcap boxed="yes" boxed_radius="0" class="fusion-content-tb-dropcap"]P[/fusion_dropcap]ublished on 7/11/22: Who enjoys teppanyaki and a good flaming onion volcano?! Did you know that Kobe Steakhouse is owned/operated by a family spanning Orlando and the Tampa Bay Area? I’m talking brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews you name it. Well, they opened a St Pete location in the last couple years and our teppanyaki loving family is grateful.

Teppanyaki vs Hibachi

I write “teppanyaki” here, though our family typically says “let’s go get hibachi tonight”. I consider myself fairly well cultured, have enjoyed authentic teppanyaki in Japan, though I’m still guilty of saying “hibachi” in casual conversation. Anyone else? The difference between the two is at bottom of post.

Kobe Steakhouse Family Business

Doi Tan Nguyen started the Kobe Steakhouse concept in 1984 in Orlando with his son Chau. Then, after his father passed, Chau took over the business with his sister and uncle in 1996. Our family enjoys Kobe Steakhouse and other apparently agree. Google Reviewers (1300+) give the St Pete location a solid 4.5/5 stars.

We very much enjoy teppanyaki, though there are very few options within close proximity to Downtown St Pete. I’m talking about the restaurants where you sit around the grill while the chef prepares. Not just prepares, but also entertains with onion volcanos, egg tosses and sometimes even opportunities to catch a flying shrimp! Who knows what I’m talking about?! My wife and I both have fond memories of these dinners growing up (ie birthdays) and are glad to share with Colt. It’s even where he wanted to go for his birthday dinner this year.

Yes, I might be straying a bit from my typical local posts…

I know some may say I’m stretching ‘support local’ here, given the Nguyen family now essentially has a chain, but that can also been seen as a credit to their success. Still family operated to this day.

As to the difference between hibachi and teppanyaki. Hibachi grills are technically small, portable grills made from cast iron. They have an open-grate design and commonly use charcoal as their heating source. Where-as teppanyaki uses an iron griddle with a flat, solid surface to prepare food in restaurants in front of guests. Without the grates, chefs can prepare items such as rice, eggs and veggies.

Google Reviews: 1330 reviews with a 4.5/5 average

Address: 2773 66th St N, St. Petersburg

Phone: 727-273-001

I’m a St Pete and Tampa Realtor, Florida native and know our area well! You’ll receive up to $10K at closing when you use my LovingStPete Team to buy or sell a property! I started LovingStPete on Facebook and Instagram to help clients and others learn about our area. It’s now followed by over 25K people! If you have any real estate questions, simply contact me. My past includes developing a vacation rental advertising company, which I ran for a decade, and then sold to HomeAway/VRBO.

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Written by : St Petersburg Realtor, Mike Braswell

Mike Braswell is a Tampa Bay Realtor, serving St Petersburg, Clearwater, all nearby beaches and more. Mike and his 6 year old son started LovingStPete in October of 2020 after a difficult year took its toll on local businesses. After being cooped up for portions of 2020 (lockdown) they decided to get out and explore, helping spread the good word about the local area he loves so much. Often even doing gift card giveaways to support local. LovingStPete is now followed by over 27 thousand people on social media! The majority of posts are informative on fun parks, activities, day trips, great restaurants, and in general provide a comprehensive tour of the area! His 6 year old son generally helps him gather the info, providing his wife some 'child-free' time in the process! A win-win, with his son being exposed to many great events and activities in the process.

Soon after receiving his bachelors in Management Information Systems, Mike developed and then operated a vacation rental advertising business for 10+ years as CEO/Owner. The business was eventually acquired by HomeAway/VRBO.

When not spending time with his beautiful wife and energetic son, Mike enjoys boating and is also an avid tennis player. An interesting fact about Mike is that he grew up on an avocado farm with over 15 varieties, some of which you can find in our local Publix/Winn Dixie as his dad still farms the same farm at 87 years old!

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