American World Traveler Fall 2016 Issue

12
The Enticing Flavours of Kobe
Article & Photography by Steve Gillick
Sake Yasiro is a small bar in the
Sannomiya District of Kobe city,
where dinner reservations are a
must. However, if you arrive in the afternoon,
they may be able to assign a table
with a time limit so you can check out all the
sakes in the display case and order your
favourite otokozake, literally ‘man’s sake”.
While only a descriptive term, otokozake is
the pride of Kobe’s famous Nada sake brewing
district, one of Japan’s major sake production
areas. This is where mineral rich
“miyamizu’ or mountain water co-mingles
with the cold winds from the Rokko
Mountains and then, when combined with
Yamada Nishiki, a high quality sake rice, the
result is the crisp, dry flavor that is the hallmark
of Kobe sakes.
For the record, the sakes from Kyoto, about
a 75 minute train ride away, are referred to
as onnazake or ‘female sakes’, based on
their wonderful mellow, fruity quality.
While most people associate Kobe with the
famous marbled beef that bears its name, a
visit to this engaging city reveals so much
more. It’s a blend of intriguing flavours that
take in many of the special interests that
travellers rank high on their menu of ‘mustdos’:
culinary (food, drink), history, crafts,
culture, as well as an impressive array of
visual treats.
Our flavourful adventure began as soon as
we finished checking into the Tokyu Rei, a
very comfortable business hotel in Kobe’s
Motomachi area, known not only as the core