Yayoiken Sannomiya — Restaurant in Kobe

There was a queue for dining in when I visited on a weekend evening. You could buy a meal ticket and wait patiently in the seating queue till a seat was assigned to you. Thereafter, your meal ticket would be collected from you for the meal to be freshly prepped. It took about 15 minutes before I got a seat and my meal took about 30 minutes to arrive. Despite the wait, the food was totally worth it!

I ordered a Eggplant Miso Pork and Grilled Mackerel rice meal with an additional salad and opted for a top up to five-grain rice. It must have cost around 1180 JPY. Free flow of shiso-pickled mustard leaves and white rice were available at the self-service bar.

The Miso Eggplant totally hit the spot with the right balance of sweetness and savoriness. The eggplant was nicely seared with a not-too-tough skin and fragrant bell peppers. The pork was nicely cooked and tender, with the right leanness to fat ratio. I broke into the crispy skin of the Grilled Mackerel, savouring its fatty and tender flesh. Pairing it with a dollop of grated radish kept the fishy taste at bay. No complaints about the salad, and the tofu was firm and fresh. Although the rice was a little sticky, the grains were firm and gave a nutty aroma.

Revisited again in June 2025, the ramen broth was thick and milky without being overly salty and there was plenty of cabbages in there to soak up the flavour. The mackerel was still as good with a crunchy grilled skin but this time, they tried to hide half a bowl of white rice underneath the mixed grain rice that I have ordered. That's kinda sneaky but the taste is still good.

Place was really clean and pleasant, though you may have to share tables with patrons of the same gender due to the capacity. Wait staff were really professional and polite.

Thank you...

Very quick and cheap Washoku (Home style) food like Tonkatsu/Rice/Miso or Fish/Rice/Miso and you'll only be paying $6-12.

It's quick. You go in, you pay at the machine, you sit wherever and give your tag. Food will magically arrive. You eat, out in less than 10 minutes.

Food quality is average for restaurants in Japan (which is pretty good). Rice smelled excellent and Mackerel was nice and juicy inside while crispy on the outside. The value (630 yen for a Saba Teishoku) is BEYOND EXCELLENT!

I took a star off because of how crowded and busy this one is. The location is conveniently located next to the Sannomiya train station so you may be waiting or sitting next to someone else. I was told to pick any seat and there were only 2 seats at the counter left. The guy I sat next to looked a little inconvenienced when I sat next to him. They were also out of oshibori...

Fabulous late lunch at 3pm with my family of 5. They were able to seat us together quickly, though at first it seemed we would have to split our party as it seems like a popular location. We were easily able to order our meals on the machine after selecting English. Beautifully balanced set meals, we had a beef set, two types of fish set, chicken katsu and stir fried pork set, and a tonkatsu don I believe. Free flow rice if you wish, and the hot tea was very welcome on a cold day. Wonderfully clean place, and very kind staff who were attentive. Thank you for the wonderful experience! We will be sure to come back on our future...