Located along the exotic Tor Road, just a 15-minute walk from Hankyu, Hanshin and JRSannomiya Stations, this 30-room urban auberge hotel reopened in June 2000 as Kobe Kitano Hotel. The hotel’s classical British-style architecture and interiors create a refined atmosphere, but it is Chef Yamaguchi’s "supreme French cuisine" that truly captivates the hearts of its guests. After training at prestigious hotels in Osaka, Chef Yamaguchi traveled to France, where he worked at several renowned restaurants in Paris before studying under Bernard Loiseau, a titan of the French culinary world, at La Côte d'Or (now known as Relais Bernard Loiseau). There, he mastered the revolutionary "Water Cuisine," which emphasizes purity and freshness of ingredients. Upon returning to Japan, he became the head chef at La Côte d'Or Kobe and later played a crucial role in the post-earthquake restoration of Kobe Kitano Hotel. In 2000, he established Japan’s first urban auberge, Kobe Kitano Hotel, where he continues to oversee all operations as General Manager and Executive Chef. In 2016, he was awarded the Order of Agricultural Merit by the French Republic, and in 2018, he received the Medal with Yellow Ribbon from His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. He has also been appointed as the Ambassador for the Hyogo Prefecture Field Pavilion at the upcoming 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.

At the hotel’s French restaurant, Ash, guests can enjoy a luxurious dining experience, with a five-course lunch and dessert or a seven-course dinner with dessert. The carefully selected ingredients, including Halal-certified Kobe beef, are brought to life by Chef Yamaguchi’s skillful techniques.
With extensive knowledge gained through Halal training, Chef Yamaguchi explains, "French cuisine traditionally does not rely heavily on pre-made seasonings. Instead, it draws on the concentrated flavors of dashi made from vegetables, beef, fish, and other ingredients to create sauces." He adds, "The dishes we serve here are referred to as water cuisine because we use fresh ingredients without unnecessary seasoning. We avoid heavy makeup such as excessive use of pre-made seasonings, butter, or cream. This is a style of cuisine that is particularly suited to modern times. For instance, when preparing steak sauce for beef, we sauté the meat, then add a small amount of vegetables and water, extracting and concentrating the flavors to create a refined sauce."

One of the appetizers in the lunch course is a "Salad of House-Smoked Salmon Marinated in Herb-Infused Dressing," with a plant-based vinegar and oil used for the marinade. The fish course is a quenelle of fish served with a shrimp sauce, garnished with chervil. For the main dish, a Halal-certified filet steak is served with a jus-based sauce, accompanied by crispy potato fries and lemon butter. All dishes are prepared without the use of pork, alcohol, or fermented seasonings. Chef Yamaguchi assures, "By strictly adhering to Muslim guidelines, we ensure that everyone can enjoy our French cuisine. The dishes, which incorporate Japanese ingredients and French techniques, create a new kind of Japanese cuisine—a uniquely Japanese interpretation of French dining. We invite you to relax and savor this exquisite dining experience."

Course

Lunch

9,500 JPY

Dinner

19,000 JPY

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