Tourists flock from around the globe to eat Kobe’s famous beef. But you’re a local now, and you’ve been there, done that. It’s time to give some other local delicacies a try. Here are six tasty treats for expats to enjoy in Kobe.

1. Gyoza

Gzoya are delicious Japanese-style dumplings filled with ground meat and veggies, wrapped in a paper-thin dough. They come in three styles, just like the Chinese potstickers: pan-fried, boiled, and deep-fried.

There are various kinds of gyoza that you can find throughout Kobe, and across the country. They usually come at about half-a-dozen per serving and you dip them in a special sauce – a mix of soy sauce, vinegar, and sometimes a hit of chili oil for a kick.

You can get gyoza at just about any noodle shop or casual dining establishment. But when in Kobe, locals swear by Hyotan. The restaurant has been open for over 40 years, and they are famous for their gyoza filled with mince pork, cabbage, and leak.

Hyotan may be tricky to find if you don’t speak Japanese yet – it’s under the train tracks of the Hanshin Sannomiya station. Look out for the red noren curtains, you can’t miss.

The place is frequently packed, especially during lunch. Well worth a visit if you’re after an authentic dining experience!

Hyotan:

1-31-37 Kitanagasadori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture 650-0012 (map link)
Open: 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. (weekdays)
11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. (Saturday, Sunday & Holidays)
Tel: 078-331-1354

2. Seafood

As a port-side location, Kobe is unsurprisingly popular for seafood. You can find many restaurants serving up a wide range of dishes featuring the likes of sea bream, salmon, bonito, octopus, sushi and conger eel.
One place worth checking out is Himeji Sushi-Ichi. This high-class establishment in the Himeji area offers seasonal dishes based around catches from the Seto Inland Sea. One recommended dish is “anago no ate”, which is saltwater conger eel (anago) steamed or grilled, and served with a special sauce.

Himeji Sushi-Ichi:

35 Sakamoto-machi, Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture (map link)
Open: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; 4:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Tel: 079-222-6961

3. Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is described by outsiders as a crepe, a pancake-like concoction that’s quintessential comfort food for the Japanese. But these descriptions don’t do it justice.

The dish consists of a flour-based mixture with shredded cabbage cooked on a griddle, and you can basically top it with whatever you like (okonomiyaki translates loosely as ‘whatever you like grilled’). So while it’s cooked more like a pancake or crepe, it’s more pizza-like in the sense that you can vary the toppings. It’s also not sweet.

Okonomiyaki is famous street food in the Kansai region, particularly in Osaka where it originated. With a Kansai-style okonomiyaki, you mix everything in the bowl first and then cook on the griddle.

There are entire restaurants dedicated solely to okonomiyaki, including Kobe’s Okonomiyaki Hikari, which serves up several traditional Japanese flavors.

Okonomiyaki Hikari:

3-21-2 Higashidemachi, Hyogo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture 652-0823 (map link)
Open: 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Friday to Tuesday)
Tel: 078-671-4016

4. Akashiyaki

Akashiyaki is another street food speciality. Very similar to the Takoyaki deep-fried balls of octopus meat found primarily in Osaka, akashiyaki differ in that the frying batter is more egg-based and thus lighter and softer, plus they come with a dashi broth accompaniment. There are many places serving akashiyaki in Kobe, with Takoan being one of the most popular providers. Based in the central Chuo ward, they sell these dumplings with a variety of fillings to either eat in or take away.

Takoan:

5-3-5 Asahidori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture 651-0095
Open: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (weekends 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.); 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

5. Cheesecake Ice Cream

If you have a sweet tooth and are looking for a dessert recommendation with a difference in Kobe, get yourself along to Kazamidori Honpo in the Kitano ward. This quaint dessert house serves up two popular dessert dishes in one – namely cheesecake soft serve ice cream! It’s a standard ice cream with chunks of cheesecake. Something you won’t find in too many other places in Japan. Don’t worry if you’re not a cheesecake fan. They also have many other soft serve flavors to choose from.

Kazamidori Honpo:

3-5-5 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture 650-0002
Open: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (until 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays)
Tel: 078-231-7656
Website (Japanese): https://kazamidori.co.jp/

6. Coffee

Kobe is known for serving up delicious coffee, and the locals say the best place to enjoy it is at Nishimura. The cafe’s been open since 1948, and it offers 20 different blends of coffee, making it the best place to get a brew in town. It was also one of the first restaurants to introduce cappuccino to the Japanese public — which is now extremely popular.

The cafe is located in a German-style house that’s become a Kobe landmark in itself. Inside you’re surrounded by antiques and wooden furniture, making it a cozy place to curl up with a book, or have a chat with friends. This is where the locals hangout, and you should too.

Nishimura:

1-26-3 Nakayamatedori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture 650-0004 (map link)
Open: 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Tel: 078-221-1872
Website (Japanese): http://www.kobe-nishimura.jp

So, get eating!

While we’ve recommended some great places to try these local specialities, there are plenty of establishments throughout Kobe that serve these dishes. So get out there and explore the city, sampling these culinary treats and more.

Marcel Montes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons