We headed over to Kobe on the other side of the bay from Osaka. It was a subway trip and then a JR Semi-Express train into Kobe. We were drawn here by two items, Kobe steak and cherry blossoms. Kobe wagyu beef was the main attraction. The restaurant, Meriken Hatoba, was highly rated so we made reservations far in advance. The reservation process was quite firm about late arrivals and cancelations. So we left early and made sure that we got there with time to spare. The subways come regularly but if we get to the station as a train is leaving, we have to add an additional five minutes to the trip. Add a potential five minutes for each station and suddenly we could find ourselves 20 minutes later than we had planned. Of course that did not happen and we found ourselves with an hour to wander around the Chinatown of Kobe. First we found the restaurant's location to be sure where it was exactly. Then we had great fun, looking at all the street food stalls and breathing in all the tasty scents. We also went into a few Chinese shops looking for tea and funky bits. We returned to the restaurant and the Chef was outside making a call. The restaurant was quite tiny and seated 10 people at most. We were seated and given two tiny US flags to sit in front of us. We noticed a Mexican flag in front of the folks to our right. Our steaks were fantastic, juicy, tender and super flavorful. They were served with a small portion of cold mashed potatoes, roasted garlic, sea salt and some pineapple. One dish has three different cuts and the other was a rib eye. Yummy indeed. The second attraction that drew us to Kobe was a famous park that was absolutely packed with cherry trees. However no blossoms yet so we did not stop there. We started off to the herb garden found up on the hillsides but it started raining as we were about to get on the bus. A rain in 45 degree weather is uncomfortable ar best miserable at worst. So back to Osaka we go.
The Yodo River is quite large and is the main river through Osaka
The train passed swiftly over the river
Many bridges to cross as we passed over additional rivers
Good to see birdlife in this urban setting
Big bridges and small everywhere
Tall mountains right on the edge of the city
Thanks for the welcome!
Dolphin!
A group of young men, only one had the traditional outfit, you can see his sockless feet as we was wearing the traditional sandals
An odd spiderman looking for spaghetti
A covered shopping district kept us dry when the rain started
Lanterns lining the street of Chinatown
A temple with statues of the Chinese zodiac circling the center
Steamy. tasty and fragrant
An homage to pork
Lots of folks in the narrow streets
So much to choose from
Even cute little dumplings
Yes Chef, we see you
Nice flowers in every nook and cranny
Top Round, Chuck Rib, Top Round, Rib Eye and H-Bone
A funky "neon like" sign
Many places were so popular that the line stretched out for a block or more
Snakes in a Jar!
Nice lanterns
The Chinatown Gate in Kobe
Fewer folks here at the end of the street
These orchids were real!
You say potato chips, I say tomato chips
Tempting headgear
Aint no bull!
The chef is taking calls
The reservation system was very clear about timing and late arrivals. Since it is so small of a restaurant, this explains why
It seems that these are actual functioning whiskey barrels
S quick reminder that when it comes to steak, "well done" does not mean done well
The story of the Kobe Beef cow, from conception to harvest
Scissors were provided instead of a knife. If the knife wielding arm's elbow is out into the tiny passageway there could be trouble
A fine award
This sample platter has three different cuts all cooked to perfection
Then we ordered a 200 gram ribeye
A fancy flask etched with St Andrews Golf Course data
Getting friendly with the chef!
I needed to get in between the chef and Leslie
Leslie passed on these vintage dresses
Another Kobe man hole cover
A pet store with a little Frenchie in the window
So cute
Vintage hats
It has been 1 year and 290 days since we began our Migration
