Kobe - Kyukyoryuchi Cafe 旧居留地珈啡庵

One of the many things I love about visiting Japan is the coffee.  For a nation of predominant tea drinkers, they take their coffee seriously.  And Kobe is no different.  In fact, its significance historically as an international port means that it has a very credible heritage with cafes, patisseries and could pass off as any cool European city, only much cleaner.  

We went in search of the alternative to Kobe's Nishimura since we like supporting the underdog from time to time.  From what little information we could find, Kyukyoryuchi has been around since 1971 roasting beans everyday.  Its motto of “being better, not bigger” certainly resonates with me, so off we went, in search of it, literally, since we were not well equipped with a good map and google maps was just not doing its thing.

The silver lining to getting lost is appreciating the city and its architecture, a thing that's easy to do when you're not trying to rush for a meeting.  

Stained glass inside a mall

An old temple right in the old settlement area

Old buildings in old European colors and style

Turns out that the building Kyukyoryuchi Cafe is in is a pretty new commercial building with swanky shops.  But tucked away in the basement, it manages to retain its old world charm with old wooden furniture, and very dim yellow lighting that French cafes from days gone by boast.

My Brazilian

I order a Brazilian at the recommendation of our smiley server and like any good Japanese cafe, it is served in fine porcelain (don't think this was bone china) with a little muglet of cream on the side.  A well balanced cuppa with just the right amount of acidity and has a smooth, almost sweet finish.

French Toast

But the biggest surprise was the French toast.  This is easily the best French toast I've ever had in my life.  The use of a Danish-like bread that was fluffy yet dense (almost scientifically at odds with each other) was a wonder in itself.  The egg coat was gorgeous with a light glaze and strawberries with icing was exactly what they were - icing on the cake (bread).  It's been 3 weeks and I still think of it and when I will get another chance to eat it.

Kobe city has a really good vibe to it and 6 hours just didn't cut it.  Will definitely have to make plans to visit and stay in the city next time.

Kobe Chuo-ku Akashi-cho 31-1 
TESTA Kobe 
Kyukyoryuchi Building, B1F
Tel: +81-78-3311070

Kobe - Arima Onsen Hotel Kinzan 欽山

It was ominous the day we arrived.  The freak typhoon that would claim 4 lives in Japan this spring was upon us.  Ok, great.  No Mount Rokko, no sightseeing.  I was thinking - this was the divine intervention forcing me to relax.  Stuck in a ryokan, there is nothing to do except soak in the onsen, eat like an emperor, watch the rain pelt down on the bamboo garden. Very Zen....

Bento Lunch

All this internalizing while I eat my humble bento box lunch.  I was expecting a plastic boxed lunch to go.  I was happy to be wrong.  Promising start already.

Fresh brew of green tea and sweets of red bean jello and soda crackers

As we settle into our room, and discovering the unexpected joy of wi-fi in a ryokan (albeit an unsteady signal), tea is served.  This is the life.  Fresh cuppa with Japanese traditional sweets of a red bean jello and soda crackers (Tansan Senbei) made with water from the region that is high is carbon dioxide.  It's probably more accurate to refer to them as wafers given their texture.  Quite addictive, they now add a variety of flavor offerings, including ginger, sesame and seaweed.  It's also become more international with brands like Kobe's Fugetsudo offering chocolate, strawberry and vanilla also.  All this while the aroma of tea leaves seethe over the heat of tea lights, giving off a scent that's pleasantly soothing and not at all intrusive.

Source of the Carbonated Water

The Arima onsen town isn't big and you can just about cover the essentials in a matter of the better part of a day.  But like all onsen towns, and Arima is the oldest of them all, they are pretty in a traditional Japanese sort of way and it's great to soak in the relaxed atmosphere of old businesses still plying the trade in the same shop their families have been in for generations, from making soda wafers to making pickles or other foodie goodies.

Temple in Arima onsen town

Of course, if you like temples, every town has at least one significant one where you can clap your hands and say a prayer or catch a sip of holy water, all for good luck.

View of hotel's bamboo and koi garden

But mostly, we like the sanctuary of the ryokan and of course soaking in its onsen (hot spring) where clear and "rust" colored waters have their respective healing properties.  It's just relaxing to soak before a big meal.  Might be psychological or I'm just plain greedy but I swear that a 10 minute soak does wonders in opening up the appetite.

Dining in a ryokan is almost always Kaiseki style, a traditionally multi-course dinner in Japan, and designed to balance the body's various nutritional needs.  The Kaiseki way of dining is likely originally from Kyoto, since that is the old capital.  Kinzan's solitary Michelin star does not let it down and the food is impeccable and extremely low in oil and salt, allowing the natural flavors of the fresh local produce to come through.

Starters

And of course, presentation is plain pretty.

Agedashi bamboo in a shrimp and sea cucumber broth

And innovative combinations so simple yet so flavorful.  This dish of a lightly battered Agedashi bamboo (seasonal) in a shrimp and sea cucumber broth is naturally sweet that I could not help but lick the bowl clean.  Good thing we dine in the privacy of our own room.

Assorted Pickles with rice

Even the pickles are of the highest quality with a focus on preserving taste rather than just killing the vegetable with an overdose of salt.

Since we were staying 2 nights, we chose a different menu for the second night.  And since we were in the Kobe area, it would be wrong to leave without having the city's world renowned beef.

Sliced Kobe beef for Sukiyaki

So we were treated to a Kaiseki meal focusing on beef sukiyaki the second night.  And this has to be one of the best beef experiences my entire life.  So marbled, so soft, so tender, yet so full of beefy flavor.  The way beef was meant to be eaten.

The biggest difference between a resort and a ryokan is the latter's focus on meals and the set times at which meals must be served.  One cannot just show up and eat.  There is a preparation process which entails precise time keeping.  So there is a set time for tea, dinner and of course breakfast.

A full-on traditional Japanese breakfast

But if this is what you can get to tuck into every morning, the regimen isn't so bad.  So if you can endure disciplined relaxation with perfect Japanese hospitality, check into a ryokan and your tired body may be forever grateful.

1302-4 Arima-cho, Kita-ku, Kobe, 

Hyogo 651-1401

Japan

Tel: +81-78-904-0701