European Cuisine Mon

A little south of Ikuta Shrine in Kobe’s Sannomiya district is a retro Western-style restaurant called European Cuisine Mon. Originally, the restaurant had a strong presence among Kobe residents, but about 10 years ago, Jimin, a member of the Korean idol group BTS, visited the restaurant, and the popularity of the restaurant spread among young people.

One day after running some errands in the morning, I suddenly realized that I wanted to try Kobe’s famous beef cutlet for lunch… so I visited European Cuisine Mon, which is located near the station. Actually, the beef cutlet at this restaurant is made from Kobe beef, a famous brand of beef, but I ordered it without knowing it at the time and was shocked later…

A place where you can feel an extraordinary atmosphere like a high-class Western-style house from the early Showa period… European Cuisine Mon is a restaurant like this…

European Cuisine Mon is a long-established Western-style restaurant established in Kobe in 1936. It has been a family-run business for more than 80 years, and now a young chef, the fourth generation, is in the kitchen. While many popular restaurants close due to the lack of successors, this restaurant is in good hands for a while to come! It seems that this restaurant will keep going for some time to come.

The restaurant is a four-story building with a total of nearly 100 seats on all four floors. I was guided to a counter table on the first floor, and the interior of the restaurant was a sophisticated space that made me feel like I was in a high-class Western-style house from the early Showa period, and I was excited by the extraordinary atmosphere. The furnishings are also quite historical, and the restaurant has a “hefty weight” that you don’t find in trendy restaurants that are popular on the Internet.

Beef cutlet: I was surprised by the shocking meat quality! What does a beef cutlet made with Kobe beef taste like?

Let me introduce the beef cutlet I ordered at European Cuisine Mon (priced at 2,860 yen including tax). About 5 minutes after ordering, the beef cutlet appeared in front of me…

Unlike other popular restaurants I have eaten at, the beef cutlet came out uncut. It is better to have it pre-cut for easier eating, but it is also nice to put the knife in yourself for added enjoyment. Yes, this beef cutlet is ordered as a stand-alone item, so you must order rice (price: 280 yen including tax) and miso soup (price: 120 yen including tax) separately if necessary. However, a mini raw vegetable salad seems to come as a set with the beef cutlet.

Let’s take a bite of the beef cutlet… A few seconds after putting it in my mouth, I noticed something unexpected. The meat was extremely tender. Without exaggeration, it was as if it melted in your mouth. The meat loosened up on its own without having to chew it with your teeth.

Moreover, not only is the meat tender, but the juices are abundant and sweet (can you see the shiny cross section of the meat in the picture above?) ). ) After taking a bite, I felt that “this beef is not just any beef…”. After finishing the dish, I looked it up on the Internet and found that the beef cutlet at European Cuisine Monon is made from Kobe beef fillet! I had always thought that Kobe beef could only be found in the most prestigious and exclusive restaurants, but I never thought that I would be able to find Kobe beef here.

On the other hand, the demi-glace sauce on this beef cutlet is mainly made with the flavor of Fon de Beau, and has a light bitter and sour taste. It is not a simple taste that will appeal to small children, but a deep taste with a sense of quality. I heard that this sauce is slowly simmered for four weeks. Since it is to be served with Kobe beef fillet, it is impossible to use a simple sauce.

I was surprised that the beef cutlet at European Cuisine Monon was one rank higher than the beef cutlets at popular restaurants I have eaten in the past. To be honest, I was skeptical at first about the price, which exceeded Grill Suematsu’s beef cutlet… but when the meat used was Kobe beef, it was a different story. Thank you, thank you, thank you for keeping the beef cutlet made with Kobe beef filet within 3,000 yen per plate. But if possible, I’d like to have rice and miso soup together for less than 3,000 yen at lunch time… that’s what I really want to do.

Other menu items at European Cuisine Mon (prices include tax)

• Special Helle Steak 7,400 yen
• Beef Stew 3,100 yen
• Pork Chap 2080 yen
• Specialty Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) 1820 yen
• Macaroni au gratin 1480 yen
• Omelet Rice 1380 yen
• Curry rice 1320 yen

How about taking out a beef cutlet sandwich as a souvenir? To get to European Cuisine Mon, walk 3 minutes from the nearest station, Kobe Sannomiya Station on the Hankyu Kobe Line.

At European Cuisine Mon, most of the menu items are available for takeout, except for gratin. One of the most popular sandwiches (beef cutlet priced at 2,380 yen including tax). The beef cutlet sandwich here is known as a popular Kobe souvenir, and sometimes 100 pieces are sold in one day. If you are reading this article, why don’t you take one home as a souvenir of your visit to Kobe?

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

It is a 6-minute walk from Sannomiya Station on the JR Kobe Line.

P.S. If you are looking for delicious European style food in Kobe, please stop by this article below…