Kyoraika (French)*

Orchid Court 1F, 2-7-3, Nishiokamoto, Higashinada-ku, Kobe / 078-431-8117 / Yen 10000 / 8 pickels / ¥¥/¥¥¥

'Nouvelle cuisine francaise' at its best in Sumiyoshi

Due to the name of the restaurant one may expect some kind of fusion cuisine, but don't be mislead. This is pure French food, and we are glad to say at its best.

Kyoraika offers both 'a la carte' and set menus at Yen 3500, 6000, 8000 and 10000 that change every month. We took the Yen 6000 menu, consisting of an amuse geule, 2 appetizers, fish, a sherbet, meat, a small cheese plate, desserts from the trolley and coffee or tea. Not bad for Yen 6000! Especially considering the quality of the food. It's flawlessly prepared and some of the dishes are true delights.

The wine list offers a well-chosen selection in various price categories. Unfortunately the half bottle that we chose and the red wine by the glass were out of stock. But they made more than up for it by opening a full bottle instead and serving us half, and letting us choose another red wine from the list and serving it by the glass. This episode already gives you an indication of the level of service to expect. At Kyoraika everything is there in the right place at the right time without noticing it, and this is what good service is all about.

If there is something to criticize, then it's the ambience. Modern, clean and stylish, it however feels a bit cold and empty with the high ceilings, especially when there are few diners as in our case. But all in all a very pleasant dining experience.

Update Sep. 04: Kyoraika seems to be an example of consistency. We can gladly confirm our rating, which places Kyoraika right at the top of Kansai's fine dining places. We've yet to find better food here, especially at such price.

Food: 8 Service: 8.5 Ambience: 7 Total: 8 pickels

Bilingual menu French/Japanese. Some English spoken.

HOW TO GET THERE: On route 2 at Sumiyoshi River, coming from Ashiya turn right into the street just before the river (from Kobe turn left just after crossing the river). Turn right after crossing the JR line and look for the 'P' sign at Orchid Court. When you found the car park, Kyoraika is right next to it.

I Venticelli (Italian)

1F Adole-Kurakuen, 24-16 Hinoike-cho, Nishinomiya / 0798-74-0244 / 11:00-14:00 / 17:30-22:00 / Closed on Wed / Yen 9000 / 6.5 pickels / ¥¥

An interesting Italian dining option in Kurakuen

Takuji Asai, the chef at I Venticelli, lived and worked in Italy for 2 years after being educated at renowned Italian restaurants in Japan. It shows, not only in the food. You'll immediately be able to spot him in the open kitchen.

The ambience is modern and the food ranges from classic Italian fare like delicious home made Spaghetti with lamb ragout to more adventurous creations, including Italian-Japanese fusions. Although you may be in for a culinary surprise, his quest for creativity may also result in dishes pleasing some palates, but which to the majority of diners lack harmony and balance.

Nevertheless, we usually went for the Yen 4500 course (plus surcharge for some dishes), which included appetizer, pasta, main course and dessert, and always left the place satisfied. The service is good and friendly, patiently explaining you the special menu, which unfortunately is available in Japanese only. The regular menu is bilingual Italian / Japanese. The wine list boasts an adequate selection of Italian wines.

No English spoken.

Food: 6 Service: 7 Ambience: 6.5 Total: 6.5

HOW TO GET THERE: If you come from Ashiya, go through the tunnel and turn left into the small street just before the traffic light. Go straight. I Venticelli is on the corner of the 5th street to the right, just before you come to Hill Side Lane on the left hand side.

Saigon Saigon (Vietnamese)

2-4 Nishiyama-cho, Ashiya/090-52600475/18:00～24:00(L.O23:30)/Closed on Monday (if Mon is holiday, open & close next day)/3000-4000yen/6.5 pickels

Genuine Vietnamese in Ashiya.

Thirty years after chasing out the Americans, Ho Chi Minh's revolution has happily spread to the banks of the Ashiya-gawa in the form of the anachronistically named, "Saigon Saigon," a tiny room of lurid vermilion emblazoned with the big yellow star of the people of Vietnam. But what food!! Saigon Saigon is always overflowing with noisy enthusiasts of Vietnamese food the likes of which are almost impossible to find in Japan, let alone in Ashiya. There are no Japanized dishes here - the chili sauce could destabilize the entire region. For those who seek authentic cuisine in its savage state, Saigon Saigon is the sizzling Heart of Darkness in lemon grass. Everything we tried was good; but you may need to ask the owner, who is reputed to speak some english, for recommendations. For the adventurous, we suggest a glass of NepMoi, a strong cinammon accented liquor made from jasmine rice that matches the food much better than you think. Saigon Saigon is not for the dainty, and the service is fast and furious; but the food is heavenly. Best of all, its cheap! Atmosphere 4, service 6, food 7 pickles.

How to Get There: a five minute walk down the shopping arcade from Hankyu Ashiya, on your left.

Daiten Zushi (Sushi)

Hinoike-cho, Nishinomiya/0798-71-2116/11:30～& 16:00? closed when sold out/5000/6 pickles

No-nonsense sushi at a very reasonable price.

Unless your company is picking up the tab, it takes nerves of steel to order top-notch sushi. But at Daiten Zushi in Kurakuen you can find good sushi at a fraction of what it costs in Ginza. For that reason it has been long been a favorite of local Japanese. The restaurant opens at 3 PM and by 5 PM it is packed - especially on weekends. By 7 PM most of the "neta" (fish) is gone and they close the store. Connoisseurs report that, relative to top-notch Edo-mae (Tokyo-style) sushi, Daiten's "shari" (rice) is a bit sweet and the balance of neta to shari is ever so slightly off. Whatever. Even for those few on whom such subtleties are not lost, the terrific value more than offsets any shortcomings. In addition to the most finicky fish lovers, Daiten Zushi can also satisfy big appetites, fast eaters, and even kids (provided they eat sushi at all). Although there's no English menu, or English speaking staff, if you bone-up on basic sushi words like "toro" or "uni" you will do fine.

Food: 7 Service: 5 Ambience: 5 Total 6

HOW TO GET THERE: from Hankyu Kurakuen go straight the big street towards west. Go 50 m after passing the second big junction. It's on your left. Parking available.