Hyogo's Posh Penguin Cafe
Less than two hours outside of Osaka, in Hyogo Prefecture, you'll find a unique dining experience. Though not featured on most tourist's itineraries, Ballantaine is known to locals as a place with great food, delicious desserts, and a whole peck of penguins.
My fiancé and I ventured there one weekday afternoon. He likes being the navigator-- he'd researched our route from Osaka Station, transferring to the Kobe Electric Railway (which featured delightfully decorated trains), and finally to Ebisu station, a tiny platform serving onto a single train track. From there we walked, mountains in the distance, houses interspersed with fields, until suddenly I saw the sign. Cafe & Sweets Ballantaine, a great regal penguin looming before us.
There was a courtyard in front, tables and chairs in front of a large window, but we headed inside and were lead to the best table, right in front of the penguins. The glass was thick enough that you couldn't smell or hear them, but there they were, waddling about, as penguins do. I counted at least nine African penguins, with possibly more hiding in the nest boxes.
I was enthralled, but also hungry, so my fiancé and I ordered food. The menu was sizable, with pasta, pizzas, salads, cakes, even a quite satisfying burrito (my choice-- my fiance got the carbonara). The food was delicious, and it was clear that the penguins weren't the only thing drawing customers. After we ate, I did some more penguin watching and a little sketching, but the cafe was busy for a weekday afternoon so we didn't stay too long.
Outside, we peeked a bit more through the big window at the penguins, and watched as a woman held her dog up to the glass-- both penguin and dog seemed quite curious of each other!
Overall, it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.