Osteria Enoteca (Italian)

Lapport 2F, 6-5 Koshiki-Iwa-cho, Nishinomiya/0798-73-3808/11:30-14:00(LO)17:30-21:30 (LO)/Closed on Wed(Holidays open)/Yen15000-30000/6 pickles

Italian haut cuisine boasting the biggest Italian wine selection in West Japan.

(Revised 2004.05.05) At a time when overly casual and Japanized Italian restaurants are mushrooming, attempts at "ristorante" level cuisine are always welcome. Despite a rugged Italian country decor, Osteria Enoteca promises an experience worthy of its reputation as one of the top Italian restaurants in Kansai - but does it deliver? The chef is a well-known and very capable sommlier. He'll also makes fresh pasta right in front of you, but on a busy night you might prefer he stay in the understaffed kitchen. Table service is not very professional either, but maybe that's what keeps Enoteca from seeming stuffy. But the big down side is that it is quite costly. Though some consider Enoteca the pinnacle of Italian cuisine, others feel it is highly overrated. As for us, well the truth is we had a respectable dinner there several years ago but honestly haven't been motivated to return. For this kind of money we expect extravagant ambience, prime service, and really spectacular food. Nevertheless, for those with pockets deep enough to explore it, the cave seems awe-inspiring.

Food: 7.5 Service 5.5 Ambience: 6 Total: 6 pickels

HOW TO GET THERE: 2nd floor of the 2nd building towards Kurakuen from Kurakuen Ikari Supermarket - next to the flower shop.

Orfeu (French)*

The45th10F, 45 Harimacho, Chuo-ku, Kobe / 078-334-7622 / 11:30-14:30 / 17:30 - 21:30 (LO) / Yen 13000 / 8 pickels / ¥¥¥

Fine French Dining in a modern & stylish ambience next to Daimaru

After our first 2 visits we were confident of having discovered one haven for epicures. Creative French cuisine, almost flawlessly prepared and well presented in a modern and elegant ambience made this place our fine dining favorite. On our 3rd visit we weren't so sure any more. Obviously the fact that the place was packed, whereas on our previous visits it was quite empty, made a difference.

Even if the food at Orfeu might lack in consistency, it still is a 'Major League' player, with the great ambience and a professional service. For dinner you may select among 3 course menus priced at Yen 5000, 8000 or 12000, or a la carte. The wine list includes a good choice of reasonably priced bottles from both old and new world.

Bilingual menu French/Japanese. Some English spoken.

Food: 7.5 Service 8 Ambience: 8.5 Total: 8 pickels

HOW TO GET THERE: Watch out for GAP (1st floor) to the south-east of Daimaru Department Store. Orfeu is on the 10th floor.

Website: http://restaurant-orfeu.com/

The House of Pacific (Ethnic)

1-5-10 Kitano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe / 078-262-8180 / 18-23:00 / Yen 7000 / 7 pickels / ¥¥

Multicultural cuisine in a South Pacific setting in Kitano

The House of Pacific certainly has a southern feel to it. Warm colors, dimmed lights, wood. They call it South Pacific, some may call it SE-Asian. If you are wondering what exactly the ambience reminds you of, the menu will only add to your confusion. It's a 'wild' fusion of Western, SE-Asian and Japanese food.

You may order a la carte, but the course menus are a much better deal, starting from Yen 2500. We took the Yen 3500 course, which gives you a free choice of 2 appetizers, sushis or pastas, a main course and a dessert. The wine list is fairly large and includes rather decent ones by the glass too.

As confusing as the place may be, we were never disappointed. The food certainly is creative, also in presentation, and can be very good, though not always perfect. Add to this the great ambience and an attentative service, and you'll be amazed that you'll end up with a bill that keeps you wondering whether the waiter made a mistake.

English menu available. Some English spoken.

Food: 6.5 Service: 6.5 Ambience: 8 Total: 7 pickels

PS: This place is also a very popular wedding venue.

Pre Catelan (French)

16-25 Hinoike-cho, Nishinomiya/0798-73-7336/11.30～23.30/Closed on Tue/10000-20000yen/7 pickles

A gourmet's parlor in Kurakuen.

Pre Catelan always tries hard, and usually succeeds. In part because on many nights you may find yourselves to be the only customers, and in part because of the quirky decor, one feels like a house guest when first seated in their small dining room. Any awkwardness of this sort is quickly forgiven as the delicious and well-timed courses emerge from the kitchen. The best dishes at Pre Catelan rival those of the better French restaurants in Kansai, and even the misses have a nobility about them. Wines and service are equal to the food. The fussy might quarrel with the price point, and it definitely is not cheap; but like kids drawn to the home of a quirky aunt, we secretely look forward to our next visit.

Food 7.5; Service 7.5; Ambience 6 Total 7 pickles

French/Japanese menu available

How to get there: If coming by car from Ashiya, take Iwazono tunnel. Turn left at the first big crossing after going through Iwazono tunnel. Pass the first traffic light and go 50 m. It's on your left (before a bridge over a small river).

Ah-bon (Japanese/kushi)

6-8 Kusunoki-cho, Ashiya/0797-22-2030/18～21/Closed on Wednesday/JPY8000/7 pickles

A nook near an Ashiya train-crossing specializes in Japan's most overlooked, casual cuisine - kushi.

If fried food makes you think of chicken or chips, you may be missing out. Kushi, consisting of skewers of fried delicacies, is not so well known abroad as other Japanese food traditions, but it sure is good - at least once in a while. And, Ah-bon is one of the best kushi places we've found. There is only one course here; but its great. For 5500 yen you can enjoy 20 varieties of kushi - served a skewer or two at a time and progressing like a fireworks display to a finale. You'll be amazed what Ah-bon will fry and even more amazed at how light and tastey the result can be. Why, they even deep-fry fruits for dessert. There is not much of a wine selection; but beer is arguably a better match anyway. This very popular restaurant has only one counter and one table, so a reservation is a must.

HOW TO GET THERE: If you're coming from Ashiya on Route 2, turn left at Kusunoki-cho crossing (the crossing before KFC). It's just in front of the JR crossing.

Seta Tei (French)

15-7 Minamikoshikiwa-cho, Nishinomiya / 0798-73-0777 / 11:30-14:30 17:30-21:00 (LO) / 9000 Yen / 7 pickels / ¥¥/¥¥¥

Hints of excellence in this small 'Franco-Japonaise' restaurant in Kurakuen.

Seta Tei is run by the owner and chef, Mr. Seta, and has been around for 20 years now, an eternity in restaurant's terms. Not surprisingly, as we found out. Seta Tei has only 6 tables in an ambience that feels more like a living room than a restaurant. The wine list is small and offers French Wines from Yen 6000.

You can choose among 4 different course menus, priced from Yen 3500 to Yen 10000. In what Mr. Seta calls "Franco-Janponaise", you may expect predominantly French cuisine, with Japanese influences, ambitious and partially innovative. The Yen 5500 course includes 2 appetizers, one main course, a sorbet and desserts from the trolley. Some dishes can be surprisingly delicious, others are less exciting, though never bad.

At Seta Tei the focus clearly is on the food, although neither service, nor ambience disappoint. Since the restaurant usually caters to Japanese customers, don't come too late. Otherwise you'll be served 6 dishes in 50 minutes, like on our last visit.

No English menu, no English speaking staff.

Food: 7 Service: 6.5 Ambience: 6.5 Total: 7 pickels

HOW TO GET THERE: If you come from Ashiya, turn right at the 3rd traffic light after Iwazono tunnel into Kurakuenguchidori. You will find Seta-Tei after ~ 150 m on the left.

L'avenir China (Chinese)

Shukugawa KS Bldg 1F 10-21 Hagoromo-cho, Nishinomiya/0798-26-3656/11～14.30/17.30～22/Closed on Monday/>JPY5000/7 pickles

A nouvele Chinoise find less than five minutes walk from Hankyu Shukugawa.

L'avenir serves up high-quality, spicy Szechuan - a rare pleasure in Japan. But far from being confined by tradition, the chef also creates sensational fusion dishes by exploring such un-Chinese ingredients as fresh basil and the cheek of tuna. No matter how adventurously we order, we unfailingly finish with L'avenir's fabulous spicy noodle soup. To wash it down, there is a fine selection of Chinese liquor and teas, and even a few wines that suit the food surprisingly well. The decor is modern. Spare white walls with beige brown accents are hung with a series of paintings featuring oddly engaging effusions of color and figuration. But there is no english menu and the chalkboard of specials will test your Japanese. The service, though sincere, is discrete bordering on inattentive. Perhaps there aren't enough staff, or they are shy - though they needn't be. This place is good and fills up quickly.

No English menu, no Enlgish speaking staff available.

Food 8; Service 6; Atmosphere;6

HOW TO GET THERE: Turn right from the main gate of the Hankyu Shukugawa and proceed up the hill. The restaraunt is on the street behind the church, before you reach the small railroad overpass.

Au Limo (French)

6-14 Kasuga-cho, Ashiya/0797-21-1234/11：30～14：00(L.O)17：30～22：00(L.O)/closed on Monday/5000yen/6.5 pickles

An authentic French bistroquet offering a cosy and friendly atmosphere to all comers.

Au Limo has firmly established itself as the most authentique and friendly bistro in the area - great for couples, friends, and even for families. With consistently good taste at very reasonable prices, it is a cornerstone in the restaurant rotation of many a local foreigner. A 3,800 yen course consists of a choice of entre, main course, dessert, coffee/tea, and bread (add a few hundred yen for delicacies like foie gras). Servings are ample - except perhaps for the cheese plate, which was a bit sad. You can also find decent wines at practical prices. Perhaps Au Limo's biggest plus is the personal touch of Thierry, the owner/manager, whose friendly suggestions in several languages are almost always spot-on. The menu is in English, Japanese and, of course, French.

Click for Au Limo's homepage

Food 6.5 Service 7 Ambience 6

HOW TO GET: 5 min walk from Hanshin Uchide Stn (North side). By car from Kobe, turn right at Kusunoki-cho crossing (楠町）, then turn left at the second crossing at the traffic light. It's on your left.

Ashoka (Indian)

Osaka Maru Biru B2F 1-9-20 Umeda Kita-ku Osaka/06-6346-0333/11:30-14:30,17:00-21:00(Sun -20:30)/Closed on 3rdMon/JPY5000/5.0 pickles

An unpromising basement room in the Maru building serves up some of the best Indian in Kansai.

There are a few stylish and elegant spots near Umeda (honest!); but I think we can all agree that the basement of the Maru building is not one of them. Not at least in many years. Yet, it is in this very spot that the venerable Ashoka serves up some of the tangiest Indian food to be found on our side of this mild and muggy island. Oh, the room is overflowing with the usual subcontinental knickknacks, and the service is ordinary to gruff, but the tandoori is great and the mutton sagwala is heavenly. It is well know that Indian food is essential to an urban diet; yet it is surprisingly hard to get good curry in Japan. Having dined at Ashoka, you'll never again want to eat at any of its many lesser look-alikes. It is no wonder that this humble room fills up so quickly in the evening.

Food: 6 Service: 5 Ambience: 5 Total: 5 pickles

English menu available & English speaking staff

HOW TO GET THERE: The 'marubiru' is the tall cylindrical building next to the Hilton in Umeda.

Il Passo (Italian)

Quarter Barrel 2F, 11-11 Kizuyama-cho, Nishinomiya/17:00～26:00(25:30(L.O))/
0798-71-5572/Closed on Wed/JPY5000-10000/7 pickles

Il Passo is one of our favorites, a tiny Italian grill with only about 10 counter seats in Shukugawa/Kurakuen.

(Very unfortunately, this restaurant will be closed by the end of March 2004 and re-open in Osaka in May 2004.)

Il Paso has none of the pretension or anxious ambition of a big restaurant. There are only refreshingly simple and expertly executed dishes served in a casual counter setting. This is the work of serious foodies, for serious foodies. At this tiny hole-in-the-wall, food preparation is a puppet show for which the counter has front-row seats. An arm's length away the chef hunches over a small charcoal grill and coaxes magic from fresh meat, fish, and vegetables - one dish at a time. It is time-consuming, but that's half the fun. The flavors here cross-fade from Lake Como to Lake Biwa, and can be delightfully original. Appetizers and pastas are never disappointing and the wine selection, though small, has obviously been compiled with the same concentrated passion as the ecstatically scribbled and nearly indecipherable chalkboard menu (if in doubt, try the lamb). The pleasure of an evening at Il Paso is almost illicit - like a lover's tryst - unless you have the bad luck to visit when boorish folk occupy the balance of the counter. Call ahead to be safe, and be prepared to order in Japanese. Chosen as one of most favorites by Zagat.
Food: 7 Service 7 Ambience: 7 Total: 7 pickels

HOW TO GET THERE: From Hankyu Kurakuen, turn left at the second big crossing. There's a building on the left corner of the second traffic light. The restaurant is on its 2nd fl. Parking available.

Lapin (Teppanyaki)

Daini Shinko Bldg 2F, 1-5-14 Okamoto Higashinada-ku,
Kobe/Tel.078-412-4649/11:00-14:00,17:00-21:00/5-7000yen/6 pickles

Gaijin-friendly and nothing if not theatrical, this Teppanyaki spot near the station in Okamoto is a crowd pleaser.

The chef at Lapin may be on disciplinary leave from Cirque du Soleil because, in addition to searing delicious cuts of beef before your eyes, he persists in regaling diners by juggling pepper grinders and indulging in eyelash singeing pyrotechnics. Think Benni Hanna. The meat is top-notch and the taste is very good, though not quite brilliant. The wooden room succeeds in being both intimate and airy; but with only about 20 counter seats, reservations are strongly suggested. Although the chef doesn't speak much english, there is an english menu and somehow everyone manages to understand one another. At any rate, we had a good time here. This one rates 6 and 1/2 pickles out of a perfect 10 - an ideal place to take sushi-wary friends visiting from abroad - unless of course they are vegetarians.

Food: 6 Service: 7 Ambience: 6 Total: 6 pickles

English menu/English speaking staff available.
HOW TO GET THERE: Located in the fashionable alleys near Hankyu Okamoto.