The Sultry Straits — Restaurant in Kobe

We found this little dessert spot in Kobe by chance, and it’s honestly one of the best surprises of our trip. The owner, a lovely woman from Singapore, was so warm and friendly, chatting with us like we were old friends. She was especially great with our kids, making them smile and feel right at home, which meant the world to us.

The cakes here are amazing. We’re super picky about desserts and hardly ever order them out, but we couldn’t resist. The mango passion mousse cake was fresh and tangy, just perfect. And the basque cheesecake - so creamy and caramelized, we had to get seconds. Both were straight-up amazing. Our photos don’t do it justice.

We also tried her Singaporean kopi, which we hadn’t had since our trip to Singapore. It was rich, nostalgic, and just as good as we remembered. This place is special—not just for the amazing desserts but for the cozy vibe and the owner’s kindness. If you’re in Kobe, you’ve got to...

The Sultry Straits is a lovely little cafe tucked away behind the back streets of Shin-Kobe station such that the neighbourhood is quiet but close enough to the station that it's easily accessible. With a gorgeous predominantly white interior and classical music playing in the background, the atmosphere is very relaxing, if not even uplifting. I first had the Chilli Crab Toast, a fusion dish which authentically honours the traditional flavours of Singapore's national dish in bite sized chucks yet is extremely generous with the amount of crab meat being delivered in each bite. I then had the Kaya Toast, which came deconstructed. As a South-east Asian, I loved the nostalgic flavours of the kaya and butter on the perfectly toasted fluffy Japanese milk bread, which paired well with the Kopi Kosong that I ordered as part of the Chilli Crab set. A perfect...

Went a couple weeks ago when I was just strolling around the area. The weather was so cold that I wanted to look for a nearby cafe to have a nice warm cup of tea. That's when I chanced upon the cafe of a fellow singaporean on Google. The "singaporean dream" tea blend (if I remember the name correctly) did not disappoint me. It was so warm and soothing that I felt really at home. The ondeh mousse was rich in gula melaka flavour and the saltiness balanced out the sweetness quite well. The hae bee hiam cookies were really spicy, I'm glad the owner told me that in advance so that I was prepared when the spiciness kicked in. Overall a very cosy place to have your...