RESTAURANTS:

 

 

CADIZ (Otesuji 1-3-4. Tel: 088-826-6018)

Cadiz has a strange atmosphere with mexican cowboy style decorations and punk music blaring in your ear... but yet the Italian like food is so scrumptious. I highly recommend the pumpkin seafood cream sauce pasta, brushetta, and spinach gorganzola pizza... I am hungry just thinking about it. Vegetarians be sure to ask for the pumpkin pasta with no bacon (it doesnt say it's in there on the menu). They also have an English menu! Expect to pay about 3000-4000 yen for two, depending on if your order wine or not.

(Nicole Taddeo)

GARDEN (Masugata (towards Sakura no Yu onsen).

The first thing you'll tell about this little bar and restaurant is that it is decidedly gaijin-friendly, as advertised by the massive English menu pasted on the wall. Garden serves a variety of largely Western cuisine, including Mexican-style tortilla wraps, taco rice and the best burgers in town starting at only ¥400. The funky decor and good music contribute to the fashionable atmosphere fostered by Shinji and Kyoko, its young patrons. The beer's good, too; draft Malts never tasted better.
Open lunch till 11pm weekdays, 1am Saturday nights. Vegetarian friendly.

(Tom Plant)

 

FLOPSY'S KITCHEN (Nijudai 15-19-2F. Tel: 088-871-3155)

Behind Otemae High School, opposite church.
If you are a strange enough gaijin ever to feel an urge for the foreign foodstuffs of your barbaric homeland, there is no better place to succumb than Flopsy's. They serve an extensive range of fine dishes, including those meats that you cannot normally find here, and do so with flair and originality. Imagine pork steak in a blueberry sauce, smoked duck, beef carpaccio with fresh basil and garlic, French rack of lamb in balsamic or prawn harumaki with real coriander, and you're imagining a typical night's fare. Nor is it overpriced; you can come away exceptionally well-fed and wined for •3000. Good place to take the parents. Stylish retro decor, a piano and good jazz in the background make every meal memorable.
Open till it closes, dinner only. Meat lovers' paradise.

(Tom Plant)

SAKURA (Honmachi 2-2-19. Tel: 088-825-3439)

As is often the case, the restaurants that look the least obvious from the outside are really excellent inside. Sakura is one of these places, displaying its name “Sakura” in Hiragana and a brown noren (a curtain in the entrance way) only. Behind this humble façade is a soba restaurant with a stylish and relaxing atmosphere and excellent food. At lunch time their speciality is obento (lunchbox) sets, which include your choice of soba along with two onigiri (rice balls) and some Japanese style stewed vegetables. In the evening, the restaurant turns into a izakaya with a pleasant stylish atmosphere, a large selection of sake and various interesting dishes. This is a restaurant that you will go to again and again once you discover where it is.

 

BUNKICHI (Masugata 1-22-1. Tel: 088-823-0697)

Opposite the new Court House is a popular udon restaurant with a busy atmosphere that serves a variety of udon noodles. The shop is only open until 7pm, so you can have lunch, an afternoon snack, or an early dinner here. They serve the usual udon varieties, and also have their own ‘special udon’, which has various delicious additions to the soup noodles.

 

MASALA (Obiyamachi 1-2-3, Epoka Takao Bldg.B1. Tel: 088-825-0065)

This is the only Indian-style restaurant in Kochi and is well worth a visit. Being an Englishman, I miss Indian curry greatly, and this friendly restaurant fills that empty space from time to time. At lunchtime, they have a variety of set menus that you can choose from. They all include the day’s curry and your choice of rice, naan, tandoori chicken or salad (have them all if you are hungry), for prices ranging between ¥700-¥950. In the evening you can choose from a wider range of curries, breads and condiments to satisfy every curry-lover. With Indian chefs and a friendly and lively atmosphere, this is a restaurant suitable for most occasions from a romantic dinner to a larger party.

HAKUSHIAN (Honmachi 1-2-12 Tanibuchi Bldg. 2F. Tel: 088-824-5004)

This is a soba restaurant that specializes in cold handmade soba with a variety of options. You can have sets that include rice balls and stewed vegetables, or tempura or other side dishes. It has a good atmosphere and the soba is well worth tasting.

 

MAMMA ITALIA (Nijudai Machi 4-4. Tel: 088-873-3131)

When you walk into this restaurant you will notice a traditional wood-burning oven, that is used to make this restaurant’s renowned pizzas. The chef studied the art of Italian cookery in the homeland, and so the taste is really very authentic. For lunch, there is a very good value set lunch that gives you the choice of a pizza or pasta, with salad and coffee. Later on you can choose from a wide range of dinner dishes and I would recommend that you have the delicious tiramisu. This is a restaurant that has a comfortable atmosphere and authentic Italian food.

 

KUROSHIO ICHIBA (Harimaya Cho 1-6-1, Harimayabashi Shotengai.)

Tel: 088-885-9640

In this stylish Japanese-style izakaya, stands a special straw-burning oven (warayaki) to make the local speciality, katsuo no tataki (half-smoked bonito fish). The restaurant serves all the local fare and many other delicious Japanese foods as well. The atmosphere is very cheerful and the large restaurant is filled with chatting adults every evening. I am sure this has a great deal to do with the three types of draft beer they have and a wide range of sake. If you are in Kochi for a short time and wish to try Tosa (old name for Kochi) food, look no further than this restaurant. It is a personal favourite of mine, as well as most of Kochi, so book before trying to get a table, as you will be disappointed.

 

ORANKUYA 3 (Obiyamachi 1-2-15. Tel: 088-822-0194)

Orankuya 3 is the best of a chain of Kochi sushi restaurants. The seating is at counters around the sushi chefs, so you have an excellent view of them making your sushi. When you sit down, a bamboo leaf will be placed on the counter in front of you, and a pile of pickled ginger (this kills any bad bacteria in the raw fish) placed at one end of the leaf. You then shout your order to the sushi chef, choosing from the available sushi shown on the wooden tablets above the sushi chefs. He will then make your sushi fresh and place it on the bamboo leaf in front of you. The real sushi connoisseurs pick up the sushi with their hands, dip it in the soy sauce and pop it in their mouth without the use of chopsticks, so if you are not the most proficient chopstick handler, the expert’s method will be for you. The restaurant is not open for lunch, but is open from 5pm-2am, so if you need a late-night sushi fix, this is the place for you.

 

KUROSHIOTEI (Otesuji 1-6-3, Chikami Bldg 1F. Tel: 088-872-7234)

Kuroshiotei izakaya specializes in the freshest possible fish in its sushi and sashimi, and this is obvious in the taste of its dishes. It is quite a small, but the atmosphere is very lively in the evening. They have counter or tatami seating, and a fresh fish tank behind the counter. It is reasonably priced for the quality of food, and has a wide choice of dishes.

 

SASAKI SHOTEN (Honmachi 1-1-14 2F. Tel: 088-873-2648)

This is a European cavern-style restaurant with arching ceilings and dim lighting. It serves Japanese-European fusion cuisine, and its speciality is croquet potatoes in sasaki shoten house style. They also serve an interesting selection of salads and meat dishes. It is a good place for couples because of its romantic atmosphere and selection of reasonable wines.

 

RIN (Harimaya Cho 2-8-4. Tel: 088-884-1118)

Standing outside this restaurant, you will notice the elephants betraying the ethnic asian style inside. The ground floor dining room has tables and chairs and a very stylish décor with various statues and interesting wooden objects adorning the walls and horizontal spaces. Upstairs, they have tatami rooms separated with intricately carved wooden doors. The food ranges from the usual izakaya dishes, to Korean and other continental cuisines. They also have an extensive range of sake. This is an excellent place to take a date, but be sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

 

TENDAN KAZOKUTEI (Asahimachi 3-1-6. Tel: 088-872-6030)

This yakiniku restaurant is good value and well organized, making it ideal for families. It is also renowned as being a hangout for the local Korean community, and since yakiniku is a Korean food, you would expect them to visit a restaurant with decent food. They serve the usual dishes with various qualities of meat and some interesting vegetable mixes. It has a lively atmosphere and also a nomihodai (drink-as-much-as-you-can) menu for larger adult parties. It is easy to find because of the good smells emanating from it. Just follow your nose!

 

MILANOTEI (Harimaya Cho 1-17-1. Tel: 088-884-8866)

This is a very popular pasta restaurant. They pride themselves in cooking their pasta fresh, so be prepared to wait for 10-15 minutes after ordering to get your meal. You can choose from a wide variety of sauces, and if you are hungry you can size up once (omori) or twice (young omori). The latter option will satisfy even the most ravenous Westerner. They also have pizzas and lunchtime sets.

 

CAKE (Obiyamachi 2-1-29 Danryu Bldg. 3F. Tel: 088-822-6028)

Cake is a very good value restaurant offering various Eastern and European-style dishes. The atmosphere is warm and dark, with the extensive use of wood and drapes. They have excellent nachos and my personal favourite is their Thai curry, which is really quite authentic. The draft beer is excellent and the service is competent but not fussy. This is a good place for a date or a larger party.

 

CHEZ CADEAU (Nijudai Machi 15-8 Toraya Bldg. 2F. Tel: 088-871-1695)

This restaurant is famous for its extensive list of house cocktails with names like “shotgun” or “bazooka”. As the names suggest, these drinks are only for the more adventurous and alcohol-tolerant of customers! However, they also have a wide selection of delicious fruity cocktails for the more sensible. The food is varied and delicious. It does not follow one particular cuisine, but is based on European cooking, with various injections from the orient. I would recommend the venison carpaccio.

 

NONNA (Obiyamachi 2-1-29 Danryu Bldg. 1F. Tel: 088-871-2675)

Situated overlooking obiyamachi park, this Italian restaurant is good value for its excellent food. They have homemade breads, pastas and desserts as well as a good choice of beers and wines. In the evening you can choose from a number of dishes in set menus of varying sizes and prices. The à la carte menu has a good variety of genuine Italian dishes as well as delicious post-prandial coffee. Nonna has a stylish atmosphere and looks quite high-end, so it would be a good place for a special occasion.