Today, I made a rare visit to Kobe on a weekday, and it had been quite a while since my last trip.I visited "Kitanozaka Kinoshita". I had heard that it was a place with a three-year waiting list, so I thought it was out of reach, but I managed to secure a reservation for the omakase course.On the day of my visit, a typhoon was approaching, and the weather... More
Today, I made a rare visit to Kobe on a weekday, and it had been quite a while since my last trip.I visited "Kitanozaka Kinoshita". I had heard that it was a place with a three-year waiting list, so I thought it was out of reach, but I managed to secure a reservation for the omakase course.On the day of my visit, a typhoon was approaching, and the weather was quite rough. The local trains were suspended and delayed, making travel difficult. Fortunately, the Shinkansen was running on time, and I arrived at the restaurant about ten minutes before my reservation. The entrance to the building was equipped with an auto-lock, so I informed the intercom of my reservation and was allowed inside. I was guided to the counter seat at the back, right in front of the grill where Chef Kinoshita usually works. I enjoyed watching the chef prepare the dishes while I dined.△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼☆ Pairing drinks (6 glasses for JPY 7,000) and post-meal beverages1. Dishes☆ CHAMPAGNE HENRIOT Brut Souverain 1. Smoked caviar and aromatic vegetables on crostini → The smoky aroma and moderate saltiness of the caviar paired perfectly with the crostini. It was a fantastic start when enjoyed with champagne! 2. Steamed kernels of "Dolce Dream" corn, chilled soup made from the husks and cores, topped with grilled corn gelato → Given the season, I often have corn puree, but Chef Kinoshita's version is something special! Enjoying the sweet "Dolce Dream" corn in three different ways is a treat! The soup and gelato make you feel like you're eating the whole corn.☆ Ashton Hills 2025 Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 3. Grilled scallops with a shiso sauce, topped with Shimane Prefecture's Jurokushima nori sauce → For me, this was the highlight of the day. The smoky aroma from the grilled scallops and their fibrous texture were delightful. The shiso pesto sauce was also exquisite. Paired with the oaky Chardonnay, it was simply the best.4. Steamed clams with clam essence espuma → I was so happy to have more shellfish! The clams were prepared without their innards, eliminating any unpleasant odors, allowing the clam's flavor to shine. The cooking was perfectly tender.☆ Schonleber Blumlein Rheingau Koshu Mittelheimer Edelman 2022 5. Capellini soaked in fish broth with additive-free purple sea urchin from Omura Bay and Oma → This capellini was also exquisite! Using two types of pure purple sea urchin from different regions was a luxurious touch. Enjoying the contrast of flavors while pairing it with the German Grand Cru Koshu was fascinating.6. 900g+ hairy crab from Ishikawa, topped with crab legs and claws, with crab miso mixed in, served with a tangy rice salad → Despite the typhoon, the hairy crab arrived fresh from Ishikawa at 10:30 AM. What a treat! The luxurious use of crab made me smile.☆ Ishikawa Prefecture Sogen Brewery Sogen Junmai Omachi Unfiltered 7. Zuppa di Pesce. A soup made by slowly simmering hairy crab, red shrimp, and aromatic vegetables, then straining it → With such rich ingredients cooked without sugar or salt, it’s impossible not to be delicious! The broth had a dashi-like quality, perfectly paired with the Omachi.8. Abalone briefly cooked in aromatic oil, risotto with French wild asparagus, and seaweed sauce → A parade of special ingredients! The refreshing and slightly bitter taste of the wild asparagus was delightful. Adding lime enhanced the flavors.9. Charcoal-grilled Nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) with a salad of tomato extract and new onions → The Nodoguro was grilled with charcoal directly applied to the skin, enhancing its smoky aroma. The rich flavor of the fat was evident in this dish.☆ Domaine Montanet-Thoden Bourgogne Vezelay Blanc Le Galerne 2023 10. Pasta with surf clams and fruit tomatoes → Chef Kinoshita showed me the pasta made only from durum wheat and water, and I specified the amount. I ordered two, thinking it would be a little large, but I regretted not ordering three after tasting it! The dish featured five large surf clams, bursting with umami and sweetness from the tomatoes.☆ Lou Dumont Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021 11. Mita Wagyu Chateaubriand with charcoal-grilled bell pepper puree from Shizuoka → This was also delicious! I haven’t been eating much meat lately, but the rich, flowing fat from the Mita Wagyu was exceptional. The generous portion left me completely satisfied! The bell pepper puree added a nice flavor accent.12. Risotto with swordtip squid and seafood made with "Dragon's Eye" rice → A light risotto made with saffron. The rice had a great texture, and the flavors absorbed from the seafood were wonderful. I regretted not ordering a larger portion!13. Kinoshita cheesecake → A gluten-free cheesecake made without flour, tasting like high-quality cheese.14. Basil gelato with a strained sauce of marinated pineapple, topped with passion fruit → A harmonious blend of three ingredients, resulting in a refreshing and delightful finish.☆ Espresso△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼It was a great meal. Wow! It was amazing. They gather seasonal special ingredients from all over Japan, valuing the flavors of the ingredients and maximizing them with optimal seasoning and excellent cooking techniques using charcoal and wood. Each dish allowed me to truly savor the deliciousness of the ingredients! I was particularly impressed by the scallops!The pricing for the drink pairings was also friendly for drink lovers. Each glass is about 60cc, and an additional glass costs JPY 1,000, which is a clear and reasonable setup. The pairings were thoughtfully considered with the dishes, and the selection of German Koshu was excellent!The service was also commendable, with detailed explanations of the dishes and thoughtful gestures. Given the approaching typhoon and my long-distance visit, they were considerate about my return time and expressed gratitude for my visit. I had a lovely time chatting with Chef Kinoshita during and after the meal; he was very friendly and shared many interesting stories.This is definitely a place I must revisit! I hope to create a connection here.It was a great meal! (´∀｀) Less
