Day trip to Kobe - we accidentally found the Starbucks that Exo Suho went to (How to go, where to go, and where to eat)

The first time we went to Kobe, everything was closed.

We didn’t know that it was a holiday and the majority of the restaurants were closed. We had to wait for around 2-3 hours so that we could have lunch.

We made sure that didn’t happen the second time around.

For this trip, my dad and I checked Japanese holiday dates before planning when should we go to Kobe, to avoid what happened during the first time.

Places we went to around Kobe (in order)

1. Ikuta Road
2. Kitano Ijinkan Starbucks
3. Kobe Harborland

*2023 update*

I’m adding a new area that we were able to go to in Kobe! It was where luxury stores were and we saw it by accident! My friend only suggested heading towards Blue Bottle in Kobe to grab some coffee! We also had dinner at a restaurant that specializes in Chicken Karaage.

I’ll write about it after Kobe Harborland below! The area was actually across Kobe Harborland so it was the other side of Kobe.

We decided to head over to the place in Kobe that’s filled with restaurants serving Kobe Beef – Ikuta Road.

How to go to Ikuta Road:

1. Get down at Kobe-Sannomiya station
option lines –

2. Get out of “West Exit”

view as soon as you get out. Restaurants serving Kobe Beef everywhere!

If you head towards your left, you’ll end up at Ikuta Road

there are also more restaurants serving Kobe Beef on the right. Steakland is on the right

After walking around, my dad and I decided to have lunch at Kobe Beef Mouriya (MOPR).

since we didn’t have any reservation, we were placed at the non-teppan area

My dad and I decided to order from a set menu!

DSCF5730 — they’ll show you the steak first before cooking it

DSCF5729 — super good mushroom with bacon soup

After having lunch, we decided to take some photos by the Ikuta Road arc since we noticed that our restaurant was featured there.

Once we had the perfect photo (lol), we decided to walk around the area and we ended up discovering this beautiful Starbucks place.

Thanks to Google Maps, and my friend who recognized the place, I discovered what this Starbucks was called. It’s Kitano Ijinkan Starbucks.

Prepare to be amazed~

DSCF5772 — I mean wow! this is my first time to see a Starbucks like this

I realized a few months after that Exo’s Suho went here as well
(check out his Instagram photo below)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SUHO (@kimjuncotton)

Okay, back to my photos.

we found a room with a beautiful study room

DSCF5776 — of course I asked my dad to take my photo!

After taking a break and enjoying the unique Starbucks that we came across, we headed to Kobe Harborland!

How to go to Kobe Harborland:

1. Get down at Kobe Station (we rode the JR Kobe Line from Sannomiya station)

2. Get out of Central Exit – follow the signs

easiest way is to follow the signs to Anpanman Children’s Museum & Mall

view when you get out, just keep on walking straight

YAS YOU CAN SEE THE FERRIS WHEEL FROM AFAR (the ferris wheel is part of Kobe Harborland)

Kobe Harborland is actually a space filled with stores and restaurants.

one of my all-time favorites is Frantz. We came across this shop many years before

I love their white truffle and strawberry snack

Before sundown, my dad and I decided to go down to get a glimpse of the Kobe Port Tower as we weren’t able to appreciate it during the day before.

We wanted to try and eat Kobe Beef that will be cooked in BBQ and not teppan style, and we were able to find one restaurant in Kobe Harborland.

The restaurant’s name is Ryu-en.

After having dinner, we went around Kobe Harborland and took a last look at the night view.

asking my boss for some angpao (only a few of my friends will get this 🙁 )

all photos taken using an iPhone / Fujifilm X-T20 18-55 mm

*2023 update regarding the Ferris wheel above! My friends and I rode the Ferris Wheel so I’m just going to insert the price*

Thank you, Kobe! You were so chill, as always!

*2023 update – explored a new area and ate at a restaurant that specializes in Chicken Karaage*

After having lunch at Kobe Mouriya, my friends and I wanted to grab some coffee. They didn’t want to go to the Starbucks I went to before so my friend suggested Blue Bottle instead.

We could commute to the place but the weather was nice and windy so we decided to walk towards there. I followed my friend that time since he was taking the lead but we just used Google Maps to find the place.

We were so glad that we decided to walk towards Blue Bottle because we saw a different side of Kobe!! I didn’t even know this area existed.

I MEAN??? this area reminded me so much of Shanghai AND I LOVE IT

We stayed around the area for a while since we went inside those luxury stores 🥹. There’s a tax refund if you decide to buy any! After going around, we decided to head quickly to Blue Bottle.

we finally made it to our destination hahaha after getting side-tracked

we were supposed to drink coffee at the cafe but we were running out of time so we decided to have the coffee on the go

Coming from Blue Bottle, we had no choice but to walk from there to Kobe Harborland. Thankfully, the weather was good but it was a bit of a walk! I was glad we tried a different path because of the view heading there.

We stayed for a while to take photos on the bridge that would take us to the other side.

If it’s not your first time in Kobe, I’d suggest trying out a different route around the city!

For dinner, my friend told me he wanted to try this Chicken Karaage restaurant because he saw it on TikTok. The restaurant is actually in the same place as the station. It’s inside Sannomiya Center Street. I also want to explore this area one day!