Currently on a business trip in Kobe!Ranked 2nd in the nationwide Tabelog curry category, I finally visited Hashimoto Ya, which has been quite a challenge for Tokyo residents like me to access during weekdays!They start distributing tickets at 10:30, so I anticipated needing to line up an hour and a half early! This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I couldn't afford to lose this battle!! I woke up at 4:50 AM, took the first Shinkansen (departing at 6:00 and arriving at 8:22), transferred to the Midosuji Line, and arrived just before 9:00 AM, being the first in line! It seems many people aim to arrive exactly at 9:00, as five more arrived just one minute later! The strategy is to arrive 10-5 minutes before the target time for the best chance!! Tickets were distributed at 9:55 AM!! By the time the reception opened at 10:00, there were already 27 people!!! I entered the restaurant at 11:10 during the first round!Despite being an extremely famous restaurant, it surprisingly turned out to be a recently trendy rental curry shop!!!I opted for the Chicken Curry with Rich Flavor.You can choose the amount of ingredients and the spiciness level (1-5)!Since I was on a business trip, I went for the regular portion. The default spiciness is 2, but I was told that level 3 makes you sweat quite a bit, so I went for the spiciness level 3!!!The spiciness was perfectly balanced for my taste—pleasant on the tongue, yet I was sweating profusely!This curry, reminiscent of the rich bonito and kombu chicken broth curry from Hachioji Wakka in Tokyo, had a punchy flavor thanks to the adjustable spiciness. It wasn't just about the delicious broth; the spices, sweetness, heat, acidity, and bitterness were all well-balanced, and the flavors matured beautifully from being simmered in a clay pot! When it comes to evaluating curry, I also place great importance on whether the meat and vegetables are tender and infused with flavor. Given that it was cooked in a clay pot, it exceeded my expectations by a large margin!!!As expected from a restaurant ranked 2nd in the nationwide Tabelog curry category, earning a bronze medal!!! I believe the rich flavor of the broth curry, which resonates deeply with the Japanese spirit, is the main reason for its high rating!Personally, I prioritize punchiness, so I would rate it lower than Osaka's Higobashi Ghar, Saitama's Sengen-dai Mokuro, and Fukuoka's Watanabe-dori GARAM!Nationwide Tabelog Curry Rankings:24/3043/5074/100I visited this restaurant!!!Additionally, this review marks my 100th bronze review on Tabelog at the main store!!I started writing reviews around the end of 2023, and including the places I visited before I began writing, I have reviewed 25 gold, 113 silver, and 210 bronze establishments!