Hanshin Tourist Pass: Steakland, Kobe Animal Kingdom & Takoyaki

During our trip to Kansai, we made a side trip to Kobe by the "Hanshin Tourist Pass" (700 yen).

Kobe is located at Hyogo Prefecture. It is a cosmopolitan port city. With the Hanshin Tourist Pass, we were able to plan a day trip to Kobe from Osaka to enjoy Kobe beef, feed penguins and indulge in dessert in the afternoon!

1. Kobe Steak Land

The major reason for us to stop by Kobe is to have Kobe beef!

First thing first, we've decided to have brunch at "Steak Land". It is one of the places where you can eat Kobe beef at an affordable price. We had the lunch set and it was definitely value for money!

We've arrived at 11:30 to avoid the crowd. This place was filled at people at around 12:00. There is a Kobe beef certification in front of the shop. We're in the right place.



A set consist of Kobe beef, stir fried bean sprouts, fried garlic slices, rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, green salad and a drink (orange juice or coffee). You can find the menu and price here. A Kobe beef lunch set is now 3180 yen.



The steak is cooked in front of you by a chef in front of a hibachi table. After we placed our order, the beef was shown to us before it was cooked.



The chef keep asking if we're happy with the beef (of course we are. Mine were cooked rare and it was juicy and tender). We were really happy with the meal and would recommend this restaurant to all of you.



Kobe Steak Land (ステーキランド神戸店)
Address: 神戸市中央区北長狭通1-8-2 宮迫ビル 1F・2F (google map)
Hours: 11:00 am - 10:30 pm

2. Kobe Animal Kingdom

For our next destination, we went to a less popular destination: Kobe Animal Kingdom. This place is ideal for children and seniors. You can feed penguins and take photographs with owls.

In the afternoon, there are interactive shows with the animals. The atmosphere is very relaxing and we found many locals spending quality time here.









Kobe Animal Kingdom (神戸どうぶつ王国)
Address: 7-1-9, Minatojimaminamimachi, Chuo-ku Kobe-shi, Hyogo, Japan (google map)
Hours: 10:00 - 5:00 (Weekdays). 10:00 - 5:30 (Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays). Closed on Thursdays
Admission Fee: 1500 yen (1100 yen for 65+, 800 yen for children)
Access: Kei Computer-Mae Station (京コンピュータ前駅). Take the Port Liner from Sannomiya Station
Official Website

3. Motomachi Cake

Since Kobe is a port close to the sea, its desserts are highly influenced by Western merchants. One of the classic sponge cake is called Motomachi cake. It is a regular sponge cake with cream and a strawberry on top.

I ordered the classic item and a pudding with coffee. Unexpectedly, the pudding is quite delicious!




Motomachi Cake (ママのえらんだ元町ケーキ 元町本店)
Address:  兵庫県 神戸市中央区 元町通 5-5-1 (google map)
Hours: 8:30 am - 7:00 pm. Closed on Wednesday
Access: Around 10 minutes walk from the West Gate, Motomochi station (元町駅), or Exit 2 of Nishi-Motomachi Station (西元町).

4. Takoyaki Tachibana

This "Takoyaki Tachibana" has a 40 year old history. It is rumored that this "Akashi-yaki" is the prototype for the world famous Takoyaki in Osaka. 

The difference is that "Akashi-yaki" is cooked with fluffy eggs. According to the owner, there are three ways to eat this: you dip it in a hot soup stock to eat it, brush it with a Takoyaki sauce then eat it, or eat it without any sauce.

You will be surprised at how many of these you can actually eat! The price is 620 yen for 10 pcs.

Takoyaki Tachibana (たこ焼たちばな さんプラザ店)

Address: 兵庫縣神戶市中央區三宮町 1-8-1 (google map)

Hours: 11:00 - 19:00

Access: 4 minutes walk from Hankyu Kobe-sannomiya Station 神戸三宮駅（阪急）

5. Kobe Kitano Ijinkan-gai

Next we went to the China Town. We hopped on a bus and soon arrived at the Kitano-cho Plaza.

Kitano-cho Plaza (北野町広場) is a area where foreign merchants and diplomats settled after the Port of Kobe was opened in 19th century. It is an area with many Western buildings. Admission fee in each of these building varies.

The most popular building is Kazamidori no Yakata (風見鶏の館). Admission fee is 500 yen for adults.





Kobe Kitano Ijinkan-gai (神戸・北野異人館街)
Address: 兵庫県神戸市中央区北野町３丁目１０−２０ (google map)
Hours: 9:00 - 18:00
Access: 15 minutes walk from JR Sannomiya Station (三ノ宮駅) or Hankyu Sannomiya Station (阪急三宮駅)

6. Kazamidori Honpo

The classic cheesecake from this store is fluffy and delicious. We purchased a box and ended eating it up as breakfast tomorrow!





Kazamidori Honpo (北野・風見鶏本舗)
Address: 兵庫県神戸市中央区北野町3-5-5 (google map)
Hours: 9:00-17:00. Closing time varies.
Access: 15 minutes walk from JR Sannomiya Station (三ノ宮駅) or Hankyu Sannomiya Station (阪急三宮駅)
Website

7. Kobe Harborland

Kobe's night view is beautiful. The illumination in Marine Museum and Port Tower is absolutely gorgeous.

You can travel to the Kobe Harborland (神戸ハーバーランド) to see the umie mosaic and the ferris wheel at night. If you have time, you can eat dinner at Eggs n' Things and do some shopping!


Credit: Pixabay

Kobe Harborland (神戸ハーバーランド)
Address: 兵庫県神戸市中央区東川崎町1-6-1 (google map)
Hours: 10:00 - 19:00
Access: Near JR Kobe Station, or Kobe Rapid Transit Line Kosoku-Kobe Station