Report: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s Tasty Time in Gastropolis Kobe – Kobe Beef & Nada Sake Edition

02.December.2022 | FEATURES / FOOD / SPOT

Kobe is filled with famous sightseeing spots like the nostalgic Ijinkan neighborhood and port. The city is packed with fashionable shops and restaurants and is highly regarded for its Kobe beef restaurants and tasty local spirits.

 

Facing the Seto Inland Sea, Kobe is surrounded by rich nature and produces plenty of tasty veggies while also bringing in tons of fresh fish. The port city, with over 150 years of history, has fostered a unique and diverse culinary culture.

 

Recently, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu began starring in a series of promotional videos for the Gastropolis Kobe project. The artist traveled to the city to partake in plenty of delicious fare, and MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON tagged along. Let’s take a look at her top picks!

 

Kobe beef is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name of this Japanese city, right?

Teppanyaki restaurant Tajima, located in the Kobe Portopia Hotel, serves Kobe beef along with other Japanese black beef, seafood, and seasonal vegetables.

Kyary ordered the Kobe beef loin and seasonal grilled vegetables, watching with excitement as the chef prepared the meal in front of her. The steak is made from carefully selected Kobe beef and melts in your mouth. Tajima has private rooms as well as counter seating, making it a perfect location for everything from a family get-together to a first date.

 

Teppanyaki Tajima

Address: Kobe Portopia Hotel 2F (6-10-1 Minatojima Nakamachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe)

Hours:

11:30-14:30

17:30-21:30 *Open at 17:00 on weekends and holidays

Open Daily

Official site:https://www.portopia.co.jp/restaurant/detail/tajima/

 

What goes better with Kobe beef than local sake? One area of the city, Nada Gogou, has an incredibly high concentration of sake breweries.

 

Nada Gogo Sake Brewery opened in April 2022 in a renovated building that was formerly the location of Kenbishi, a long-established local sake brewer with over 500 years of history.

 

Visitors can enjoy sake and cuisine from 26 breweries in the area under the themes of ‘Seasonal, Local, Compatible, Fermentation.’ Here, Kyary ordered the Nada Gogou Set which includes the best possible food and drink pairings. Limited to 100 servings each day, the set includes five different sake and three seasonal small plates perfecting for pairing. The drinks and food offerings change with the seasons, allowing guests to enjoy tons of unique flavors from the region no matter what time they visit.

Nada Gogou Brewery

Address: 3-11-2 Mikagehonmachi, Hagashinada-ku, Kobe

Hours: 12:00-21:00 *Opens until 20:00 on Sunday and holidays

Closed Monday-Thursday

Official Site: https://nadagogo.com/

 

GOCOCU is an all-day buffet restaurant in the Kobe Portopia Hotel where guests can enjoy dishes using carefully selected ingredients from the five Hyogo provinces (Settsu, Harima, Tajima, Tanba, and Awaji) with a spectacular view of Kobe. Visitors can enjoy the chef’s specialties including roasted and grilled dishes cooked in a custom-made stone oven. The restaurant is also known for its selection of alcoholic beverages, and Kyary enjoyed the Fukuju Junmai Ginjo. This particular sake has won many awards in Japan and abroad, including a gold medal at the National Sake Competition for three consecutive years. Popular for its smooth rice flavor, this well-loved brand uses rice and rice malt grown in Hyogo Prefecture. Adults can enjoy this and many more delicious beverages during buffet hours and cocktail hours after 8:30 or 9:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

 

GOCOCU ~Blessings of the Five Kingdoms~

Address: Kobe Portopia Hotel 30F (6-10-1 Minatojima Nakamachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe)

Hours: 7:00-10:30, 11:30-15:00, 17:30-21:00, 20:30-23:00

Open Daily

Official Site: https://www.portopia.co.jp/restaurant/detail/gococu/

Founded in 1659, Kiku Masamune is a leader in the sake industry. We visited the Kiku Masamune Sake Factory, opened to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its handy barreled sake, perfect for allowing customers to enjoy barrel-aged sake at home easily. Visitors can enjoy browsing sake barrels, with many created using traditional barrel making techniques that are still used today. They can also enjoy an exhibition of Yoshino cedar, the material used to make the barrels. Tours are by appointment only. Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis, so early reservations are recommended!

Kiku Masamune Sake Factory

Address: Uozaki Nishimachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe

Tour Times: 10:30~, 14:00~, 15:00~ (Each tour is approximately 30 minutes.)

Closed during New Year’s holidays.

Official Site: https://www.kikumasamune.co.jp/tarusake-mf/

*No outside food or beverages are allowed inside the factory. Tastings are available at the Memorial Hall after the tour.

 

After reading this, you’re interested in coming to Kobe, right? Enjoy some of this savory fare the next time you’re in the area. 

 

Kobe Beef Version:https://youtu.be/-HrNq6JGO3A

 

Nada Sake Version: https://youtu.be/cd9_f59NWIw

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    Immediately after, the popular singer performed Candy Racer and Dodonpa from her newest album, with the festival-like anthem Harajuku Iyahoi quickly following in a nonstop DJ mix. The crowd’s excitement reached a fever pitch, and fans began chanting along with the familiar tracks. Isshin Doutai, Perfect Oneisan, and Kyary’s debut track PON PON PON quickly followed.

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    Heading towards the concert venue inside the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, it was no surprise to see the line for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s show snaking through the halls to wrap around the building. Anime Central–the largest anime and manga convention in the midwest United States–played host to the concert, and fittingly, plenty of fans were clad in over-the-top cosplay, while many others proudly wore past Kyary concert tees, touting their steadfast devotion to Japan’s most kawaii pop princess.   This would be the third stop on Kyary’s first world tour in five years, following successful shows in New York and Los Angeles.   Since her debut over a decade ago, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has steadily amassed a global following, bringing new fans into the fold with every catchy tune and feast for the eyes she releases. 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