Altamonte Springs Restaurant Guide

I read the reviews here, and can't really comment on them because they are from so long ago!

I have been many times to different Kobe Restaurants and must admit I like Altamonte the best. The inside is pleasant with a large fish pond- but the place does become PACKED with people. Make sure you call for reservations so you aren't stuck waiting forever.

Its most always cold inside, I guess to take away from the heat of the table grill. It has always appeared clean and there is always a manager on duty if you have any issues.

Some chefs are AWESOME, and some are, well, not so great. I had one once that I couldn't even understand. I think its worst on holidays when they call in the "extra chefs" to help. I also don't like how on holidays they auto add a tip to your bill... *Once you have gone and found a chef you like you able to request him next time!

My daughter LOVES this place and the kids meals range from like $8-12. Most adult meals are $18-25, with Kobe beef being $100-well worth it claims my husband. The price includes soup, salad, veggies, noodles, meat(s), and rice. -You WILL leave FULL!

i love kobes anyone who doesnt is weird it has the best food if i could go there everyday i would you rock kobes.

I ordered the Chicken, Shrimp & Scallop dinner (~$22.00) at about 6pm on Saturday and at 3am the following morning, I began to experience nausea and diarrhea to the extent that I had to be ambulanced to the Apopka Hospital and given 2 full bags (bag=5"x10" [9ml???) of Sodium Chloride intraveniously. I don't recommend it!

Great Restaurant

We were very disappointed with this Japanese eatery. The only thing nice about this eatery was taking pictures of the kids with the eatery in the background. The building looks very pretty. The interior was a disater. An odor of old cooking oil lingers everywhere and the surfaces of the walls and chairs feel soiled. The Japanese costumes the staff wore were soiled, faded and some even had holes in them. I can only rate the food as being average. Nothing exceptional, but I guess you will not notice this fact because the cook at your table puts on a cooking show that demonstrates his skill with a cutting knife. Big deal that. The cook at our grill table spoke as if he had been drinking a few too many beers beforehand. We had difficulty enjoying our meal when the cook spoke rudely to the other staff during our meal. The prices are somewhat difficult to understand, as they will add a service charge if you don't provide a tip, or that is how we understood the hostess lady. We were put off by the fact that they don't open until 5PM during the weekday. We arrived at 4PM but had to park far from the front door because all the employees park where the customers should park. We will not dine here again when we visit the Orlando area.

For Valentines Day, I took my wife to the Kobe. VERY DISAPPOINTED. The place looks ok when you stand outside but once you get inside its just downright BAD. The place was very busy and the ladies in kimonos were runnig everywhere. The cook who prepared our meal in front of us had been drinking, he was wearing a dirty coat, his hands and fingernails looked dirty and he was rude to the customers. The food tasted fine but it was not worth the price they charged. Be careful when paying, they will add a service charge and expect a tip to. Get there early because all the employees park in the customer spaces in the front lot. Like another person said, this is the kind of joint you go to once, just to see what its all about, but you don't go back.

NOT VERY CLEAN COMPARED TO OTHER EATING ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE ALTAMONTE SPRINMGS AREA. ONE OF MY STAFF ORDERED THE SUSHI AND SENT IT BACK SAYIMG IT APPEARED TO HAVE GRIT OR SAND ON IT, MAYBE IT WAS PREPARED FROM FISH THAT HAD DROPPED ON THE FLOOR. STEAK AND SHRIMP WAS EXCELLENT BUT CERTAINLY NOT WORTH THE COST. THE CHOP STICKS HAD STAINS ON THEM AS IF THEY HAD BEEN REUSED, THEY WERE NOT HAPPY WHEN WE ASKED THEM FOR CLEAN/NEW CHOP STICKS. THE PLACE LOOKS A LITTLE BIT JAPANESE, BUT ALL THE STAFF SAID THEY WERE FROM VIETNAM. LANGUAGE IS A PROBLEM. ESPECIALLY DID NOT LIKE IT WHEN THE CHEF BARKED AND YELLED AT THE WAITRESSES AND BUS BOYS. OUR CHEF WAS RUDE TO ONE OF MY FRIENDS AND MUTTERED SOMETHING IN VIETNAMESE WHEN I ASKED HIM TO NOT YELL. INTERESTING PLACE TO VISIT ONCE BUT NOT TWICE.

The name belies the fact that this establishment is not Japanese operated. The menu lists a wide variety of Japanese dishes, but, in my opinion, they are thrown together rather haphazardly to suit the fast food tastes of the American public.

They do a good job of showmanship in preparing the beef and shrimp dishes right in front of you. However, the cooks all wore frocks that were dingy colored white. The areas surrounding the stove-work surfaces were crusted with dried oils, not very pleasant to look at. There was a heavy smell of cooked (over cooked) oil in the air, as if they were not exhausting the air all the time.

There can be language problems as the entire staff is Vietnamese and not all of them speak English well enough to satisfy me. Paying the bill, and/or interpreting the bill isn't easy either. They don't cheat you, it's just that it's not always clear what you are paying for.

Their steak and shrimp meals are by far their best selection - watching them cook it before you, you know its fresh - and it is delicious! Most of vegetable side dishes are overcooked, as if they were prepared many hours before, or maybe leftovers from the previous day.

The atmosphere/furnishings are Japanese, and the more alcohol you consume, the more Japanese it appears. The inside looks very "used" during the daytime hours - its best to view it at night.

They advertise everywhere and offer coupons for a two for one special during a select time frame each evening. The majority of guests were dressed too casual - making the place appear to cater to "traveling tourists". Definitely not a coat and tie restaurant.

Overall, I took a few business associates there once and I probably won't return. Taking people to the Kobe for diner "does not make you look good".