Chinese Restaurant Kofukugen｜Sannomiya, Kobe – Center Plaza West Building, Basement Level 1

This time, I went to eat at “Kofuku Gen,” located in the basement of Center Plaza in Sannomiya.

I was in the mood for tantanmen, and I came across this restaurant while walking around Sannomiya. It’s a Chinese restaurant located on the west side of Center Plaza, not a specialty tantanmen shop, but rather a place where tantanmen is one item on the menu.

When you enter the restaurant, you’ll see about 15 counter seats arranged around the kitchen, and you place your order verbally with the staff working inside the kitchen.

There were many different menu items, but on this day I stuck to my plan and ordered the “Tantanmen Set” (¥800).

As I mentioned earlier, the counter seating surrounds the kitchen, so while waiting for your order, you can watch the staff cooking inside the kitchen. For me personally, watching the food being prepared is one of my hobbies, so it’s really enjoyable and makes the waiting time feel effortless. I really appreciate that.

It’s a classic, “this is what tantanmen is” kind of bowl, with a strong kick of chili oil.

The noodles have a smooth, light texture, giving the bowl a slightly refreshing feel, and the noodles don’t get too coated, making it easy to eat. There isn’t an overwhelming spiciness, but since it’s tantanmen, it does have chili oil, and you can sense a hint of Sichuan pepper in the background, giving it a slight, pleasant kick.

However, it doesn’t feel as spicy as it looks, so even those who don’t handle spicy food well should find it easy to eat.

The fried rice is rich enough that oil is left on the plate after you finish eating, but the flavor itself wasn’t all that strong.

It has that classic “neighborhood Chinese restaurant fried rice” taste—something you find yourself craving from time to time. It’s the kind of dish you’d want to dig into when you’re really hungry and want a hearty meal.

I originally went in for the tantanmen, but the mapo tofu the person next to me was eating looked delicious too, so I’d like to go back again.