Delicious both in summer and winter, “creative oden” is the signature dish! Japanese Cuisine in Aoki

We visited the Japanese-style izakaya “Kuon” (Higashi Nada-ku, Kobe), located a short walk from Aoki Station on the Hanshin Electric Railway. We visited the restaurant where you can enjoy a wide variety of dishes including creative oden.

The beautiful plates and arrangements of the dishes make them enjoyable to the “eyes” as well.

The restaurant will open in 2020. Although there are many residences in the area, they chose Aoki because they wanted a locally-oriented restaurant where they can see their customers’ faces. On the blackboard in front of the restaurant is the recommended menu of the day, using seasonal ingredients.

Oden assortment (6 kinds)” 1,400 yen

The signature dish is “creative oden,” as the sign says. The key to the flavor is the use of mixed dashi (soup stock) such as kombu (kelp), katsuo (bonito), and iriko (dried sardines) instead of soy sauce.

The plates and serving dishes are also carefully selected. Kutani ware from Ishikawa Prefecture, the owner’s hometown, is used, and the plates are also beautifully decorated with arare and tobiko (small fish roe)! It makes you look forward to eating it even before you have it!

The fu and other ingredients used in “Kanazawa oden” can be enjoyed only at this restaurant. I actually tasted it, and the flavor and aroma of the gentle broth spread softly in my mouth, giving it a relaxing taste.

The restaurant offers seasonal local sake, with about 10 varieties available at any given time. The sake is served differently depending on the season, so you can enjoy a different sake each time you visit.

The restaurant also offers “chilled oden” only during the summer season. It is said to be a refreshing way to eat summer vegetables such as okra, eggplant, and tomatoes, so be sure to check it out!

Five kinds of appetizers” 1,540 yen On this day, we had “Hamachi no Namero”, “Umaki”, “Tsubugai no Umani”, “Smoked yellowtail with potato salad”, and “Homemade pickles”.

The restaurant also offers a variety of dishes that one would expect to find in an oden restaurant! The restaurant also offers a variety of menu items in addition to oden, hoping that customers will enjoy the “unexpectedness” of the menu.

Uji Kintoki” 880 yen

Shaved ice, which is rare in an izakaya, is available year-round, and there is a wide variety of shaved ice! There are also sake-flavored and fruit-flavored shaved ice, which is a must-have for the coming season!

In addition to the counter, there is also table seating for families.

The restaurant is open from daytime to nighttime, so please come and spend a relaxing time drinking without worrying about the time,” says the owner, who also hosts an event called “Ogi Ekimae Night Market” in front of Aoki Station in June.

Location

Kyuen
(101 Pier Festa Aoki Ekimae, 6-6-16 Aoki, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Japan)
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