Komago

Located in Nishinomiya — about halfway between Kobe and Osaka and easily accessible from both — the upmarket Koyoen neighborhood is one of the most desirable residential areas in the region. Here you can enjoy fine Japanese dining at Komago, a kaiseki restaurant which used to be a traditional hotel, under the care of a third-generation owner-chef. Chef Kenichi Fujiwara cooks a range of kaiseki set-course meals for a range of budgets, with a very reasonable mini kaiseki available at lunch. All of them include fantastic seasonal seafood, meat, and vegetables. The walls are decorated with flower arrangements and calligraphy scrolls, setting a relaxing, traditional atmosphere. For a traditional kaiseki meal this good, it’s worth making the short trip to this lovely part of Kansai.