[Kobe City] The old post office building has been beautifully renovated to create a popular cafe that evokes nostalgia: “Kobe ozo cafe 901”

• Table of Contents
• Renovation of the former Osawa Post Office building
• Popular monthly lunch courses
• I want to eat the sweets menu and go home.
• Selling delicious vegetables and rice
• basic information

Renovation of the former Osawa Post Office building

A building with an atmosphere that was built about 87 years ago

Osawa, Kita Ward, Kobe City. The cafe, located in an area with a name that is difficult to read, is a renovated former Osawa Post Office building built in 1936.

It opened in 2014. The owner, Takanari Maeda, used to run a restaurant and bar in Kitashinchi, but changed his career after he turned 50. I've always been a foodie, and I like going out to eat at various restaurants. I started a blog around 2004 to also record that experience.

He thought it would be great to open a cafe, but at first he was looking for one in Mita and Tamba-Sasayama, where he lives. There was also a candidate property in Kasai, but talks did not proceed. After he came across this building in November 2013, he closed the bar in Kitashinchi at the end of the same year, and talks quickly progressed toward opening a cafe.

The wood stove also has a strong presence.

The interior of the store conveys the warmth of wood

The building was built in 1936 (Showa 11) and was in use until about 40 years ago, but the inside was quite rundown, and his wife Akiko was against it at first. The couple decided to build the house themselves and made all the tables and chairs DIY.

Although the rooms were divided into smaller sections, they considered making them all on one floor, but they deliberately kept the atmosphere as it was in the past. There are 20 seats inside the restaurant and 12 seats on the terrace.

DIY terrace table and chairs

This is a popular terrace seat. This table and chairs are also handmade. You can enjoy delicious food and cafe menus while looking out at the peaceful countryside.

Owner Mr. and Mrs. Maeda

The owner is Takanari Maeda and his wife Akiko. The door on the left is the entrance of the former post office, and the office space for the office staff is in front of you across the counter.

Initially, the idea was to use this door as the entrance to the store and create a kitchen in the back, but they went with the opposite idea and renovated the lobby area, which was used by post office customers, as the kitchen. The entrance was at the back.

Entrance at the back of the store

The telephone room door can also be used as a toilet door.

Nostalgic documents remain as they were back then.

The "telephone room" was located in the space on the far right of the lobby, which is currently used as a kitchen. We used that door as the door to the bathroom near the back entrance. Additionally, the board with the counter hours and the documents used at the time are still intact. It brings back nostalgia, doesn't it?

Popular monthly lunch courses

The handmade menu is also cute.

Mr. Maeda, who used to be a Western food chef, prepares one lunch course for 1,850 yen. This monthly changing course is popular, and there are many regulars who come here every month.

Assortment of 3 types of hors d'oeuvres

The 3-piece assortment of tomato jelly, liver pate, and onion toast is a lineup that will make you want to order alcohol. All of them have a mild taste and are very delicious.

Today's soup

It's mushroom soup. A cream-based soup with bacon, enoki mushrooms, and shimeji mushrooms.

Various seasonal salads

As the name suggests, it is colorful and packed with vegetables. On this day, as many as 12 types of vegetables were used, including eggplant, zucchini, radish, publica, carrots, tomatoes, and turnips. This was my first time eating yacon, a member of the potato family. This is my first time eating eggplant raw. This is because the vegetables are fresh.

The homemade soy sauce-based dressing was also delicious and I could really taste the deliciousness of the vegetables.

Main dish

And the main dish is the ``special hamburger demi-glace sauce''. The meat is soft and juicy. Is it because of this atmosphere that it has a somewhat nostalgic taste even though it is authentic? The rice served in the bowl was also so delicious that I wanted to have it replaced.

The repertoire of main dishes is diverse, including sole meuniere, gratin, doria, hashed beef, and white fish poire, and they seem to serve meat and fish alternately. The main feature of our courses is that they are carefully prepared by hand, mainly using local and home-grown vegetables.

``There are some people who come every month and have been perfect for a year,'' says Maeda. The lunch course is limited to 20 meals and reservations are guaranteed. You can also add drinks and sweets as an option.

I want to eat the sweets menu and go home.

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"Dessert plate" 600 yen

The sweets menu, which is managed by his wife Akiko, is also popular. The ``Dessert Plate'' comes with 3 types of brûlée, pound cake, and soy milk rare cheese, which are also mildly sweet and have a comforting taste.

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"Seasonal Tart" 600 yen, "901 Blend Coffee" 500 yen

``Seasonal Tart'' topped with seasonal fruits. At the time of our interview, it was a strawberry tart made using local strawberries. The coffee is an original blend from Coffee Cabin, roasted in-house, and served in large cups that can hold about two cups.

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"Homemade red shiso squash" 500 yen

The syrup made from red perilla grown in the field is kept frozen, so this menu can be served all year round. It is a popular menu item that is mildly sweet, refreshing and easy to drink.

Selling delicious vegetables and rice

sell vegetables and rice

In the space right after entering from the back entrance, we sell delicious local vegetables and rice that we serve with our dishes.

We also sell handmade products and Tamba ware.

Handmade processed products and homemade dressings are also displayed next to the checkout area. These are items that you can tell are delicious even if you don't eat them.

Cutlery rests and coasters made by customers.

The cutlery rests, chopstick rests, coasters, etc. made by customers are wonderful, and you can clearly see that the store is loved by everyone. The charm of this restaurant is not only the deliciousness of the ingredients and food, but also the personality of the owner and his wife, the nostalgic and comfortable atmosphere of the building, and the rural scenery surrounding the restaurant.

(Writer Utami)

*This article is information as of June 2023. Prices include tax. Product contents and prices may change.

basic information

kobe ​​ozo cafe 901

Address: 901 Nakaosawa, Osawa-cho, Kita-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture

Phone number: 078-223-7678

Business hours: 11:00-17:00

Closed: Thursdays and Fridays

Access: Approximately 7 minutes by car from Rokkokita Toll Road Osawa IC

Parking lot: 7 spaces

HP: http://blog.livedoor.jp/kobeozocafe901/

SNS: Instagram