Chinese in Kobe – Konan Shun
When you think Chinese in Kansai, one tends to gravitate towards Kobe’s Nankinmachi (Chinatown) near Motomachi station. But let me tell you unequivocally, one need not go that far west. In fact, you’ll not only be pleased with the food and service at Konan-Shun, you’ll also avoid the Chinatown crowds, especially on the weekends.
According to Oh-san, the Owner/Manager of Chinese restaurant Konan-Shun, near Sannomiya in Kobe, “Konan” refers to a place of great food bounty and “Shun” to that of a famous poem. Self-fulfilling prophesy or not, Konan-Shun supplies both, a bountiful menu full of truly poetic Cantonese-style cuisine. A Kobe native, Oh-san has been running Konan-Shun for 10 years. In that time it has become a favorite for locals, many with Chinese ancestry. Their English menu is fairly new, but they are very open to welcoming foreigners and helping them to experience their exceptional fare.
Our experience began with a Chinese standby, gyoza. As it turns out, Oh-san’s family started a gyoza shop in Chinatown—a long-standing favorite—before opening Konan-Shun. Today, the same recipe and techniques are employed at both places. Unlike most Japanese gyoza, which are fried, Konan-Shun’s gyoza are boiled. They also come with a variety of ingredients inside. Ours were a mix of scallops, shrimp and octopus (350 yen for 3 gyoza). The gyoza were firm on the outside and offered a moist flavor explosion on the inside. They were served without any sauce. And indeed, none was needed.
We next moved on to a couple of entrees. The Braised Beef (1,800 yen), a house specialty, came with 7-8 large squares of beef next to a few pieces of bok choy. It was served in a thick sauce very typical of this sort of dish, but without the typical sweetness. The sauce had a very subtle spice to it and the beef was first rate and cooked to tender perfection. For health conscious individuals feeling guilty about eating red meat the dish was also cooked with antioxidant-rich Goji berries—about 4-5 of them were floating in the sauce.
Next, we were served Mapo Tofu (1000yen). This common Chinese dish of tofu and minced pork was served very uncommonly at Konan-Shun. It came to our table boiling and sizzling in an earthenware pot, like one you might see sukiyaki served in. It was rich, peppery and a bit spicy. And it was the perfect size for sharing between two, especially if you’re not partial to spicy food.
Our last dish was an elegant and simple one. Negi Ramen (650 yen) came with bok choy and very finely sliced green onions. The noodles were not too firm, not too soft, and the broth was subtle, but a perfect finish after the rich dishes we just ate.
In the end, we didn’t sample even a fraction of the restaurant’s extensive menu. But what we had will bring us back. Konan-shun offers set menus from 3000 yen to 15,000 yen (840yen and 1260yen for lunch) and ala carte dishes of fish, beef, pork, chicken, rice, noodles, tofu and more. The drink menu was also complete, with a large selection of beers, wines, and shochus. As a specialty, they also import ShoKoChu, a Chinese version of shochu. Konan-Shun also has plenty of places to enjoy its food. A small dining room on the first floor accommodates regular dining, and two floors above are reserved for larger parties and banquets of up to 50 people.
Konan-Shun
Tel: 078-325-8725
Address: Kobe shi Chuo-ku Kita-Nagasa Dori 2-8-6
Open : Mon-Sat 1130am-200pm, 530pm-900pm Sun. Holiday 1130-900pm Closed Wednesday. Reservations recommended.
Getting there: Closest station Sannomiya. Walk down Ikuta Road west. Pass Tokyu Hands. Turn left (south) on first street past Don Quixote on south side of street. Walk one block. Located on southeast corner.
Find Konan-Shun online at www.engmenu.com
