Chunagon Kobe Sannomiya Main Branch

Founded in 1974 by Tsutsumi Sei-ichi, Chunagon derives its name from the symbolic homage to the Heian period book, "Tsutsumi Chunagon Monogatari." Spanning over several decades and boasting five esteemed establishments, Chunagon's culinary repertoire still revolves around one thing: the Japanese ise-ebi (or the spiny lobster). Perched on the ninth floor of the Kobe Transportation Center Building, the Kobe branch serves as a point for friends and families to gather for celebratory occasions. The store diverges from the traditional banquet-style setting of its counterparts and stuns with panoramic views of the city and a fresh, modern Japanese interior. The heartbeat of Chunagon's culinary excellence lies in the near-daily arrival of fresh shipments of Japanese spiny lobster — the seafood treasure that symbolizes longevity and success in Japan. Stored within the store's aquarium, the shellfish is only taken out when it's ready for serving. Lobster is prepared a thousand and one ways — served as sashimi, boiled, steamed to perfection and fried with crispy panko. The restaurant-special salad consists of tender boiled lobster and a special dressing made with rice miso. For the sashimi, the shellfish is washed with chilled sake to enhance its texture and bring out its sweetness. Most notably, diners wait for the live grilling spectacle called 'odoriyaki', where the chef preps and cooks the lobster in front of them.