Kutsurogiya — Restaurant in Kobe

The restaurant boasts an elegant environment with a Japanese-style simplicity. The signature kettle rice comes with a variety of ingredients such as sea bream, octopus, and wild vegetables, allowing the rice to fully absorb the delicious flavors of the ingredients. I opted for the one-person portion of the signature steamed Wagyu beef + seafood kettle rice set (4,500 yen). For this price, I felt it was quite a bargain to enjoy a Michelin one-star dish.

However, I think this set could be shared by two ”not so hungry” people, but the restaurant requires each person to order one portion and cannot share the 4,500 yen set. I think it would be a good idea to order a smaller portion of kettle rice instead of 2 sets of 4500Yen.

The vegetables in the steamer serve as a base, topped with Wagyu beef. When I first put it in my mouth, the fat of the Wagyu beef melted on my tongue, and the taste was simply amazing. Perhaps due to the excessive fat in the Wagyu beef, towards the end, I found the kettle rice to be even more refreshing and delicious. Although the portion of kettle rice is not large, the ingredients are fresh and the taste is just right. Overall, I was quite satisfied with the experience and didn't feel disappointed.

Note: the restaurant accepts cash in yen, no credit cards or...

Didn’t know potted rice could be so yummy! As restaurants in Arimaonsen close pretty early, diners are recommended to have their dinner early. This shop starts offering dinner at 5pm. We arrived at 530pm and there was already a long queue. We waited until we could get in at around 6:30pm. After ordering the food, it takes about 25 minutes for the potted rice to be cooked. Glad they have appetisers for me else I would be starved! The first floor is tatami area where you sit on the floor like traditional Japanese people, legs will be sore I have warned you but it is a nice experience to try dining in a Japanese way. Appetisers are fresh with variety. The rice is moist and infused with the taste of the ingredients. The steamed set has beef that will melt in your mouth, and their tofu has a very unique texture! Its soft yet a bit chewy! Overall, 10 out of 10 dining experience! Do go early else you’ll expect...

I was really excited for this meal but the person who served me forgot about me, causing the beef to be overcooked, becoming very dense and dry. Originally she checked my pot and told me to wait longer as it didn’t finish cooking, and then never came back. All others next to me already were eating after their server closed their fire and took their lid, and I was still waiting for my beef to be done. After waiting for at least an additional 15 minutes I realized that she was not coming back and had to close the fire and take the lid off myself, causing the steam to burn my hand in the process too. While I was waiting, the other customers sitting next to me seemed very confused as well since my pot was the only one that was still steaming while everyone else were told they were able to eat. Maybe I was neglected because I couldn’t speak Japanese or because I was a female...