.donut Sannomiya Main Store (Kobe, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

It’s my third trip to Kobe (神戶), but only the first time staying near Sannomiya Station (三宮駅), so I was pretty hyped for it. In the end, this area turned out to be one of the buzziest neighborhoods in Kobe making our 16 hours in the city especially memorable.

I managed to sneak out for a short while while everyone was enjoying their delicious skewers. My destination? Another doughnut shop just outside Sannomiya Station.

.donut is an incredibly popular fresh nama doughnut specialty brand based in Kobe, Japan. They’re especially known for their signature “Kobe dot donut”, which features a fluffy, soft, and slightly chewy texture. The brand focuses heavily on local ingredients sourced from Hyogo Prefecture, and it often rolls out seasonal flavors made with fresh produce.

While the brand currently operates four outlets across Kobe, its main shop located right outside the west exit of Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station (hidden inside Kobe New World) remains arguably the busiest. The best part? It’s just a stone’s throw from our dinner venue.

After forcing my way into the end of the lineup, I waited patiently to be served and it was finally my turn. As it turned out, it wasn’t going to be a tough decision. There were only two flavors left: chocolate and cherry 🍒.

Chocolate donut (390 yen) — The brioche-like dough was flavored with chocolate, which matched the chocolate custard filling perfectly.

Needless to say, chocolate flavors were front and center. Just look at the amount of rich chocolate custard in the filling!

While .donut prides itself on being a nama donut specialist, I thought the texture of its dot donut sits somewhere between a traditional yeast donut and a nama donut. It’s definitely bouncier, and the “structural airiness” feels a little different from that of I’m Donut?.

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: Kobe New World (Outside West Exit of station), 1-1-1 Nagasadori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0012, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Sannomiya

Tel: +81 (0)78-325-5524

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 9:00pm daily

Chocolat Republic Sannomiya 三宮本店 (Kobe, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

I didn’t have any specific dessert shop planned for our stay in Kobe so this was more about destiny. As we were leaving the parking arcade to head back to our hotel, there it was: my first dessert stop in Kobe.

Originated in Kobe, Chocolat Republic (ショコラ リパブリック) is a French patisserie best known for blending classic French pastries with a modern Japanese twist.

This multi-story flagship features a dazzling takeout pastry counter on the ground floor, plus an elegant café in the basement and on the second floor. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to sit down for a drink and a piece of cake.

Ispahan (700 yen) — Honestly, it wasn’t the presentation I expected from an Ispahan without the vibrant raspberries. 

The rose-flavored nama chocolate cream, shaped like a flower, sits on top of a slightly chewy chocolate tart. There were also hints of lychee and raspberry to make it more interesting. 

It wasn’t bad, but it unfortunately needed some brighter fruitiness to really bring the flavors all together.

Food Rating: 5.4/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 4-8-7 Kanocho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0001, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Sannomiya

Tel: +81 (0)78-321-3666

Website: http://www.chocolat-republic.com/

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 12:00am (Mon - Sat), 11:00am - 10:00pm (Sun)

Eggs 'n Things Mitsui Outlet Park Marine Pia 三井アウトレットパーク マリンピア神戸店 (Kobe, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

Little nugget decided he wasn’t going to do any shopping at Mitsui Outlet Park Marine Pia (三井アウトレットパーク マリンピア神戸) today. Instead, he wanted to spend his time somewhere he could sit down and watch YouTube. He ended up dragging mom and me to Eggs ‘n Things for a quick bite.

This isn’t the first time we’ve enjoyed a meal at this Hawaii-themed restaurant. Ironically, last time we were here, we were also on a shopping spree at a Mitsui Outlet Park — only then it was in Shiga (滋賀).

The mix of comfort food and tropical flavors really goes hand in hand with the menu. This guy wanted a soda to cool off while we waited for the food to arrive.

Garlic shrimp (1,600 yen) — We started off with some beautifully cooked garlic shrimps first. Very tasty and aromatic.

Loco Moco (1,350 yen) — Smoky beef patty and fried eggs are always a timeless combination, especially when paired with smoky homemade gravy. Bravo!

Keiki teriyaki chicken (755 yen) — This likely came from the kids’ menu, judging by its portion. Small pieces of teriyaki chicken with potato and egg — perfect with the steamed rice.

Mitsui Outlet Park Marine Pia is one of the smaller outlet malls I’ve ever visited. Despite its compact footprint, it had everything we were looking for — and then some. It’s a shame we didn’t have more time to explore it further.

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: Shop 1320, 1/F Mitsui Outlet Park Marine Pia, 12-2 Kaigandori, Tarumi-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 655-0036, Japan

Tel: +81 (0)78-798-5880

Website: https://www.eggsnthingsjapan.com/24110601.html

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 9:00pm daily