Interview with Manager Kono
Curry House Kobeya is tucked into a corner of the shopping arcade, in a brick building with a nostalgic, retro atmosphere.
It offers an extensive menu of curries loved by men and women, adults and children alike.
We interviewed third-generation manager Kono.
The origin of the shop’s name
The shop’s name includes “Kobeya.” Could you tell us where it comes from?
Kono (honorifics omitted)
The first-generation owner moved from Hiroshima City to Kurashiki and opened a butcher shop called “Niku no Kobeya” in 1936.
There apparently weren’t many shops around at the time, so it did well.
They probably added “Kobeya” in the hope of benefiting from the name of Kobe beef.
When you hear “Kobe,” you think of meat, don’t you?
They kept “Kobeya” when they turned it into a curry shop, too.
But I don’t know why my father, the second-generation owner, decided to make it a curry shop.
Commitment to quality meat
Since this used to be a butcher shop, do you take special care with the meat?
Kono
I cut the meat myself and take care to prepare it properly.
We coat the meat in breadcrumbs and fry it after an order comes in.
The trick to frying it is not to overcook it.
We let it sit for two or three minutes so it cooks through in the residual heat, so it takes longer to prepare than it used to.
We peel the shrimp for the fried shrimp after an order comes in.
Flavors cherished since the shop opened and newly created menu items
Is your dressing popular, too?
Kono
We also make our Japanese-style soy sauce dressing in the shop; it’s homemade.
Before the second-generation owner started the curry shop, he also ran a pub-style izakaya near Kurashiki’s Ichibangai and the former Daiei store.
They served salad at that pub, using this dressing.
Customers who used to visit the pub still come to Curry House Kobeya today.
Do you have any newly created menu items, too?
Kono
Milkshakes and cream soda are new menu items.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought, “I have to do something!” and came up with them.
We’re taking on new challenges one small step at a time and adding new items to the menu.
They’re quite popular.
Thoughts about the shop
What kind of shop would you like this to be for your customers?
Kono
I don’t want to make any major changes to the shop.
I want to be able to keep an eye on our customers as much as possible.
I want this to remain a shop that’s still here, unchanged, when local people who have moved outside the prefecture return to Kurashiki.
It’s important to keep showing how much we value each and every customer.
That’s what brings them back.
From the Writer
I had visited Curry House Kobeya several times before writing this article, but much about it—including the origin of its name and its history—remained a mystery.
Through the interview, I got to experience the feeling of finally solving a long-standing mystery.
It takes a great deal of effort to remain beloved for around 40 years as a curry shop.
Curry House Kobeya preserves the flavors supported by its many fans while also creating new menu items.
If you’re curious, stop by and try the curry or hayashi rice.
Curry House Kobeya details
| Name | Curry House Kobeya |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-7-1 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-0298 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m. (last order 8 p.m.) |
| Closed | Monday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Seating | 21 seats Counter seats: 6 Tables: 4 |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Website | Curry House Kobeya |
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