We were introduced to Ristorante 245 Gion by our Kyoto hotel, Hotel Mume. The restaurant is conveniently located on the same street as Hotel Mume on Shinmonzen Dori (several streets behind Gion) which meant that we could get ourselves totally
Tokyo: Otafuku Oden In Asakusa
The husband loves oden. So do I. It is simple comfort food, best eaten in cold weather (for me) with a mug of beer. Usually, we eat oden in an izakaya in Japan. This time, I wanted to visit a
Osaka: Sushi Dokoro Isshin Hanare (鮓処一心はなれ）
A friend recommended us to Isshin, a small local sushi joint that is yet to be discovered by foodie-tourists. She tells me the food is excellent and the price is beyond reasonable for the quality. I always trust her food
Osaka: Hanamaruken Ramen & Other Ramen
I love ramen but with age, I don’t eat it very often because I can’t eat the amount of carbs in a bowl of ramen, not counting the slurp-worthy broth that is packed with so much calories. However, it was hard not to
Tokyo: Maisen Tonkatsu In Omotesando
I cannot believe that I have not heard of Maisen, this popular tonkatsu restaurant until recently! From what I have read and heard, Maisen is housed in what used to be a public bath-house, and is practically an institution in
Tokyo: Takano Fruit Parlour
Besides pancakes, the other two things that I really wanted to eat in Tokyo were fruit sandwiches and a fruit parfait. Oooohh, I love sandwiches made with soft white Japanese bread and filled with fresh fruit and whipped cream. I
Tokyo: Under The Yurakucho Tracks
We had a reservation at Shin-Hinomoto in Yurakucho on our second night in Tokyo. It was a rainy day, and the rain continued into the night. We were 30 minutes early for our 7pm reservation and had to wander around the
Tokyo: Kissako Kaiseiken In Ningyocho
One of the first Japanese words that anyone learns in a beginner Japanese class is ‘kissaten’ – meaning ‘coffeeshop’, or ‘tearoom’, or ‘cafe’. In my mind, I have always associated ‘kissaten‘ with a modern (the popular word nowadays being ‘hipster’)
Tokyo: Tamahide Oyakodon in Ningyocho
If you are a big fan of oyakodon and you happen to be in Tokyo, you should give Tamahide a try. I read that this famous restaurant in Ningyocho, founded in 1760 (or thereabouts), is the birthplace of oyakodon. What
Tokyo: Abura Soba
I was writing posts of my Japan trip in sequential order. Then I got a little bored with doing so, became distracted with doing a bunch of other stuff, and now I am trying to get back to finishing up
Kyoto: Unajyu At Hirokawa In Arashiyama
If you are planning to visit Arashiyama and love unajyu, please include Hirokawa in your itinerary! Having been around since 1967, the famous traditional eel restaurant is now located in a beautifully designed sukiya (wooden architecture) building right across the street from
Kyoto: Tofu Dinner At Tousuiro (豆水楼)
When I was researching on what to eat in Kyoto, a tofu kaiseki meal kept popping up. So I wrote to Hotel Mume, the hotel where we were staying at in Kyoto, to ask them to recommend us a good
Kyoto: The Nishiki Market
At the famous Kyoto Nishiki food market. The market is a long, narrow, and covered walkway flanked by little shops selling cooked food, fresh, frozen and pickled food, Japanese snacks and groceries on both sides. We visited the market on