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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Kyoto Food Adventure


During our Kyoto trips, most of the times, we just walked in to any restaurants along our paths. I recalled all of them were thumbs-ups! From excellent service (as most establishments in Japan) to the good food we had.

In Kyoto, you will encounter that majority of restaurants are serving hand-made/home-made dishes compared to easy fix like in Tokyo.

The dishes we had were tasty, fresh, healthy and authentic style. I let the pictures below speak for itself.

Loving Kyoto more after encountering all these great restaurants beside the beautiful city and the people.

Just wander around and walk-in to any traditional/modern restaurants and you will not regret it!

Don't worry if you don't speak any Japanese, most of the menu will be in picture and if not, there will be display set next to entrance which you could point to the staff for ordering. And Enjoy!

This was a Green Tea/Matcha Ice-Cream parlour we passed by, near Kiyozumi-dera area. It was packed on that late afternoon and turned out, all the ice-cream was still made using traditional method of making matcha ice-cream..


From this side

From the other side

So pretty...and yummy for sure..

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This was located at Esta building/on top of Kyoto Train Station. A speciality in Tonkatsu and it was a popular restaurant from the look of the crowd that noon. It was more to traditional way of serving instead of the regular Tonkatsu restaurants. Great tonkatsu, excellent service and even though, it was a tight place but you still got a box below your table to put your belongings..Loved it!


Our appetizers..arranged in a compartmental wooden box, so nice...



Tried the Katsu Don..
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On the basement area of Esta Building/Kyoto Train Station, there are plenty of restaurants. One restaurant caught our attention due to its Washoku Style display on the entrance and long queue on lunch and dinner time. So, we managed to get in on last day in Kyoto by beating the crowd before dinner time. It is always like seeing an art when you are having washoku style, the intricate and detailed dishes that being presented to you are just wonderful. If you would like to experience authentic washoku in affordable and convenience spot, this will be the good choice.


First time having dessert with mushroom in it..tasted wonderful though..

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After going through the photos of Kyoto trip, I realized that we often had our meal on Esta Building/Kyoto Train station area, but you can't avoid it when you see the variety and number of restaurants on the vicinity, screaming 'Convenience' to you when you just going to take the train/after your journey..
This Udon/Soba Speciality restaurant was not my first option at first but then seeing how popular it was, I was intrigued. And I didn't regret trying it, especially after I bought the Soba Cha/Tea made from wheat and just tasted wonderful. They were serving the tea in the restaurant and when I drank this different taste of tea, I was loving it. And they did sell it in package of 500 Yen/Bag.




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This restaurant was located at Arashiyama, you would not miss it if you visisted the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and going to the famous river direction. It is located along the road with variety of other restaurants and souvenir shops. It styled as washoku diner with some in table and chair arrangement and some in tatami style. The staff do not speak English but just point out what you want from the window display.
I must said this restaurant had one of the best sobas and tempura I had.













Friday, March 19, 2010

24-Hr Meshiya @ Citadines Karasuma-Gojo

Staying at Citadines Karasuma-Gojo allowed me to encounter this 24-hr restaurant, the chain name is Meshiya, even though there is not any English writing in front of this hop and not even on the menu.

You won't miss it, walking out from Citadines and turn right, walking to the direction of traffic light / cross junction and this restaurant is in between other restaurants.

It opens 24-hour and it serves delicious and hot Japanese dishes, starting from your breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. 

Not to mention it IS very affordable to everyone, local and foreigner.

They also proud of their Japanese rice, Oiishi indeed and it's free flow. Ice or warm water also free flow as perhaps what we often encounter in most of Japanese restaurants.

Beside the great food, what I also loved about this restaurant is their interior. They do provide regular table and seat for 4 pax but what is interesting is the counter seats stationed at the middle. It is an example of how considerate and thoughtful Japanese is. It has partition around your face area, there is a line of sunk-in section under the partition where the shared condiments, water, chopsticks are being stationed. It gives the privacy of patrons but still able to share everything without awkwardness. Great!!!!

I had tried their breakfast and dinner and supper at this restaurant during our stay at Citadines.

Great hotel with fantastic affordable 24-hr restaurant next to it, what not to like.

I even missed coming back here on our 2nd trip to Kyoto but unfortunately time forbid so until next time Meshiya...

Love it!

The exterior 

View after door entrance, the middle section


The sunk-in counter for shared condiments, napkins, water, etc...

See how it gives the privacy but still accessible...Luv Luv it..


The Oiishi Rice...really delicious and feel free to top up

No wonder Japanese lives long life as most of the time, they have healthy meals

See....

Lunch

Delicious...

Dinner..Luving my kaarage and salad



View of Citadines Karasuma-Gojo..fantastic serviced apartment

Such a Zen entrance


What you will likely to encounter when staying in Japan more than 1 night in the hotel.

Our Station

24-Hour Meshiya
Karasuma-Gojo
Kyoto, Japan

http://www.meshiya.co.jp/24/index.html


Friday, March 12, 2010

Washoku @ Dai-ichi Takimotokan

It was quite an adventure if you are going to Noboribetsu, which famous for its natural hot spring in Hokkaido, and staying at the largest and oldest onsen.

Noboribetsu is 2-hr bus drive from Sapporo, you have to change bus in the only stop going to Noboribetsu after 1.5-hr bus drive. Not many people stop here; local tourist maybe driving or using their personal coach.

It is a very small town with Dai-ichi as the biggest building surrounding it, it is very big indeed, with its own hot spring premise divided between female and male, a small arcade for children play and shops and its restaurant.

Our stay included dinner and breakfast; it was worth every cent as we experienced both dining in washoku (traditional) style.

Such cooking skill, intricate display, healthy and fresh with seasonal produce, private dinner in our room with excellent traditional Japanese service, it just made me in awe.

Our room was the Tatami style room, when we arrived, they explained in Japanese what facilities and service there, by end of explanation, we were being asked what time would we wanted our dinner to be served in the room. 

Exactly at 7 pm, the door bell rang and a nice friendly courteous lady came in, she prepared the table which located in our sleeping area, and one by one, she brought in our meal, such an array of washoku dishes..I recalled I could not stopped admiring it...it was like an art itself!

After we finished it, we just called the reception telling our dinner was finished. Then the same lady came in, prepared our dessert in another table near the entrance, another gentleman came in with her that turned out, to bring out our tatami bed and arranged everything in place.

It was done exactly in 10 minutes, the clearing of dishes and arrangement of tatami bed; such a precision.

Tatami bed turned out was made up with several layers and you didn't feel the hardness of the flooring as it wasn't felt that hard too and it was so comfy.

Next morning, we went down for breakfast which they also asked what time we would be coming in. At first, I thought how strange it was as I thought it was a buffet breakfast. Turned out, they did need the timing to arrange the private cubicles in the breakfast area. How amazing! 

Breakfast was again served in washoku style and what I saluted Japanese were their consideration beyond request, they thought what made it easier for customer/patron and they took initiative to make things/system better and better...

I promise myself that I'd stay in another onsen accommodation which serves washoku dining next time am in Japan.

It is such an experience...I would recommend everyone to try it when they are in Japan next time, but do find an authentic, the more remote the area, the more authentic experience you will encounter.



Our spacious room, it could accommodate from couple to family of six. We had our dinner in this table and in this section, which later being removed for our sleeping quarter.


Such Zen design




Green tea and light cookies were presented when they brought us to room upon arrival


How the table looked like, this was 5 minute arrangement by a single lady










The photos speak for itself how amazing it was....

Our dessert and a cup of green tea while we waited for our tatami bed arrangement

Breakfast individual cubicle, depending on number of pax. There was an open area for bigger group..so  glad, we got this cubicle, such an experience

Our washoku breakfast...so healthy and fresh



The orange was cut into small section to make it easier for you to scoop it out and eating it properly without the orange bits squirting out when you try to scoop it...so thoughtful!



Dai-ichi Takimotokan
55 Noboribetsu-onsen
Hokkaido
Tel : +81-143-84-2111

http://www.takimotokan.co.jp/english/index.html