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Paris: Kobe Style

By Sam Zipursky

Bonjour, and welcome! Fashion, style, gourmet foods, and more – the port city of Kobe has it all. Over here at JKI (Japanzine Kansai Intelligence), we met up with Kobe-based restaurateur and entrepreneur extraordinaire, Emanuel Azzouz. Emanuel has been working hard over the years to bring French food, culture, language, and much more to the Kobe scene, and his passion for those subjects is palpable. He recently met up with us for some caffeine abuse, and by the end of the interview, we had to be reminded that we were in Kobe and not Paris.

Emanuel, why’d you choose Kobe? What’s so special about this city?

Well, first off, Kobe is beautiful – easy to fall in love with. Like many of the other port cities in Japan, such as Nagasaki and Yokohama, Kobe has had foreigners living and doing business here for more then 100 years. This directly relates to how the residents of Kobe openly communicate with people from other countries – a great place to do business, and the people of Kobe make you feel comfortable from day one. Another thing that’s good about Kobe is the Kitano area; it’s actually where I’ve set up most of my restaurants and cafes. Kitano reminds me of the famous area of Paris called Montmartre, with its hills, narrow streets, cafés, boutique shops, and many friendly tourists.

Is French culture and food popular here?

Japanese people tend to love French food and culture and are open to learning about it in many ways. Also, as you’ve probably heard, France is known for fashion and style. Kobe is, too. It has some of the best breads, cafes, and fashion boutiques in Japan. It is also the city that introduced French foods and culture to Japan, or at least to the Kansai area, in a big way.

What kind of events do you plan and organize for the French community here?

I run three French restaurants and cafes in Kobe and I’m also the head organizer of the Franglais Club – a French speaking club. The idea behind this club is to give people a chance to practice speaking French and experience French culture at the same time. We also have wine and cheese parties, accordion events at the restaurants, and more. The people that come out are from all over the world and anyone is welcome! If you want, please come to our next musical and cultural event on June 21st – La Fete Du La Musique. Also, check out aperitif days on June 6th - 8th at Bistrot Café de Paris.

You mentioned that you have different French cafes and restaurants. Tell us a bit about each of these shops.

Ok, well the first restaurant we opened is called Bistrot Café de Paris. It’s our most popular shop, located in the heart of Kitano on the tree-lined street of Kitanozaka. The shop brought a lot of flavour to this area, with its huge outdoor terrace and truly French setting. You can always hear people speaking French in here, and it’s an amazing atmosphere. The second, more upscale and chic place I opened is called Café Terrass de Paris. It’s located in a beautiful building designed by one of the most famous architects in Japan. There is an outdoor and indoor enclosed terrace with great night views of Kobe City. This is the spot for an elegant dinner – we have lots of wedding parties, dates, etc. Last, but not least, is our newest addition, Café de Paris, which was opened last December in Kobe on the north side of Motomachi station. It’s a cozy little shop that brings a true Parisian café to the heart of Kobe’s business area. This is the perfect place for a nice afternoon coffee and baguette, or a slow-paced, after-work dinner and wine - just as the French do!

I heard you brought your chef all the way from Paris! How did you convince him to come out here?

Well, on one of my trips back to visit Paris I met up with my old friend, a French chef that had been working at the same restaurant for 14 years. I basically convinced him to come to Kobe, even though at first he was hesitant. As soon as he saw the hills, ocean, and experienced all the French speaking and atmosphere of Bistrot Café de Paris, he was here to stay!

Lastly, how can the readers find out more about your shops, and also about the French cultural events that you put on?

You can call us anytime on 078-241-9448, or find out information about events, our restaurants, and much more online.