On the morning of Saturday, December 11, I suddenly felt like seeing the Kobe Luminarie. It is apparently an event that has been held every year to commemorate the Great Hanshin Earthquake, and figuring that if I skipped it this time I might never get another chance, I drove straight to Kobe. By the time I got into the city it was lunchtime. After some thought about what to eat first, I went to Est Royal, the patisserie in Nankinmachi (Kobe’s Chinatown) that I always used to visit.
The streets of Kobe
This is in front of the Daimaru department store. There are still autumn leaves even in December.
Nankinmachi
So many people.
Café 2ème
A little Christmas tree decoration. The Christmas season is back again this year, right on schedule.
The Gascogne set
As I remember, it had prunes and apple inside. It tastes even better with the ice cream. The ingredients and the craftsmanship are the real deal, but the sweetness went just a bit past the level I like. Also, the ice cream at the bottom was coffee flavour, not chocolate.
An upgraded Marron Gascogne..
When I asked if they had the Marron Gascogne, they said they had a slightly pricier one a step above it, so I ordered that. Hmm.. once again it was subtly different from the taste I like. Whether it is a supply issue or not, the pastries I like are not always available, which is a bit of a shame. As long as I have a wonderful substitute in Dominique Saibron, I found myself wondering whether there is any reason to come all the way to Kobe to visit again.
Grapefruit juice
The juice came with the set. Having two desserts before lunch somehow killed my fighting spirit. So what do I eat for lunch now, and then what for dinner..