(Japan, Kobe) Hello
This is a Kobe lunch
After a subway ride
We made it to Arima Onsen
one of Japan's most famous hot springs
and enjoyed a relaxing morning soak
The good thing is
today is just a weekday
so it wasn't very crowded
So when you come to Kobe
visiting Arima Onsen would be really nice
Yes, that's right
The price is pretty reasonable
And if you take the subway
It takes about 30 to 40 minutes
to directly come to this area
That's right
Apparently
place around here are famous
for Akashiyaki
Yes, that's right
They say
this is a must-try spot
when you're in the area
Perfect for a meal
after enjoying the hot springs
whether it’s lunch or dinner
- Yes - The timing is just good
And if maybe
you don't have time to visit the hot spring
You can just dip your feet in
at the spot next door
Right, right
(Atmospheric street)
Actually, right now
there are really many restaurants open around here
But it seems like only here there's a line
I know
It's crowded only here
(Endless line)
I've been waiting for over an hour and 10 minutes now
Yes, we waited about that much
I hope it's worth the wait
Me too
(Got in after 1.5 hours)
Actually, Akashiyaki is
unfamiliar to us
Yes
I've heard a lot about Takoyaki
Yes, that's right
So I found out what it was
actually similar to takoyaki
but without the sauce, right?
Yes, that's right
And it started in the Akashi region
so it's called Akashiyaki
You dip it in the sauce
and then eat it
You dip it in
a clear broth-like sauce
And there's this kind of sauce here too
Isn't this for dipping too?
Yes, that's right
The business hours here are
from 11 AM to 5:30 PM
If you're coming to the Arima Onsen
as we've realized now
you need to come here first
That's right
Honestly, it's best to get here before 11
line up
eat this
and then head to the onsen
Don't wait an hour and a half
like we did
(Preparing Akashiyaki)
(Adding octopus)
(Flipping)
The first dish is out
It's just fried tofu
So here
you add some green onions
This is ginger
add a little bit of it
And this must be soy sauce, right?
Actually, I'm so hungry right now
I'm so grateful this came out first
It's too hot, right?
(Urgent hand gesture)
It's clean and delicious
But what's really interesting is
there's this kind of fried tofu in Korea
There's this kind of fried tofu in Hong Kong
and there seems to be this kind of fried tofu in Japan too
[Main menu served]
(Kind explanation)
So, for this
we waited an hour and a half
Everyone
this is Akashiyaki
It looks really plain like this, actually
Yes, yes
Because there's no sauce at all
It's very plain
Right
They gave broth
You have to dip it in that
I didn't understand Japanese, but
From the lady's gesture
You have to pour this here
and then dip here
You have to dip it
It's really clear like water
(Clear broth)
We ordered a set
So rice comes with it
Like this, fish rice
This is kind of anchovy rice
Indeed, it's anchovy
This is raw
Ah, this is stir-fried, and this is raw
This is raw
(Smelling)
It's really soft
I can't quite imagine it
What it tastes like
Have you tried it?
How soft it is inside
(The ultimate)
It's so soft that
It lost its shape a bit
It burst like tofu
When you eat takoyaki
You can only taste the sauce, right?
Right, right
So it's really interesting when you eat this
Eating it for the ingredient taste rather than the sauce
The you get to enjoy
the fresh dough flavor
The egg taste inside is strong, too
Oh, right
The first taste was a bit like rolled omelet
(Another dish arrives)
(Dumplings)
I also tried ordering Japanese-style siu mai
Looking next to me
They ordered one of this and one side menu
We ordered two of this and
two sides
Yeah
Personally
I want to try this dipped in sauce
I don't even know what this sauce is
This looks a bit like
takoyaki sauce
Oh, it's similar
If I have this with this sauce
it's a takoyaki, right?
Right, takoyaki
- The one we know... - Is it the sauce we know?
Yeah, yeah
So the good thing about this is
the sauce can just be
dipped as I please
I think it's nice that you can dip as you like
Why don't they sell this kind of akashiyaki in Hong Kong?
I think this might be a bit divisive
It's pretty plain on its own
so not everyone might like it
(Preferences)
Because there are people who eat for the sauce flavor
Yeah, yeah
Takoyaki is really
sold even at the supermarket near my house
(Difference in popularity)
I just tried the rice for a moment
It has a bit of an anchovy-like taste
It's a bit sweeter
So when eating this, it gets a bit greasy
If you just take a spoonful of rice
It feels balanced again
If you visit Kobe
You must try this
You absolutely have to eat it
Even if it's not this place
You have to try akashiyaki
It has a unique characteristic
Don’t expect it to be
like the takoyaki you’re used to
(Differentiation)
I have no idea
what to expect from this
Feels like it might be really fishy
Really?
They say it's the same as mine
I think this one has the soy sauce already fried
This one is raw
So they seem to have fried the soy sauce
Eat first
(Eating first)
Is this raw anchovy?
Raw anchovy
It is much softer
Since this is fried, it doesn't have that taste
Right, this is crispy
Plain is..
okay when you eat it with soy sauce
It even has wasabi in it
and lime
There's inevitable slight fishy taste
So with wasabi and lime
it would taste good
When you add wasabi, the fishy taste is greatly reduced
(Reason discovered)
There's a reason they gave that
We should try this too
Japanese-style siu mai
Even the name is siu mai
I'm curious
Remember that in Hong Kong
we learned that siu mai came from Mongolia?
Right
I wonder
if it's from the same place
At first glance, it looks exactly the same
It really looks the same
They even use pork inside
Just like us
(Tilting head)
I thought it was Hong Kong
It's the same
There's no difference
It has a slight gyoza taste
And there's a lot of meat
richly packed inside
Hong Kong siu mai
has meat siu mai, but
there are also many shrimp siu mai
But it seems like there's no shrimp
They even gave wasabi together
To eat it with siu mai?
Yeah
Not wasabi, but mustard
Mustard siu mai is
truly the first time in my life
(First experience)
It's good
Yeah, it's good
That greasiness is gone
Yeah, yeah
This mustard seems to play the same role
as wasabi with sushi
I'm continuously eating akashiyaki
Personally
rather than dipping it in the broth
I think it's better to dip it slightly in the sauce
(Personal preference)
Maybe
I'm stuck thinking about takoyaki
I've had about five
and it's starting to feel a bit greasy
At first
I thought, wow, it's really creamy and delicious
Soft and creamy
I thought like this
But now it feels a bit greasy
Now that I've come to Arima
enjoyed the hot springs
and had a really delicious meal, I feel good
I really think this is a must-recommend place
That's right, that's right
It's incredibly unique
and a place where you can enjoy food in a new way
You just have to come before 11 AM
if you don't want to wait in line
and can enjoy eating right away
That's right
(33,271 KRW) The price came out to be 3680 yen
We actually ordered quite a lot
That's right, actually
Looking at the Japanese people around
they usually order just one main menu
and one side menu
But we ordered two main menus
and two sides
Even so, here..
since it's a tourist spot
the price is certainly
a bit more expensive than in the city
That's right
So we'll continue our Kobe trip
looking for more delicious places
Bye bye
(HKL's three-line review 1. Akashiyaki different from takoyaki 2. A restaurant near Arima Onsen 3. Why you have to come before 11 AM)
(Hong Kong Lunch)