Kyoto (2010): Nakamura-Ro Kaiseki

This is the continuation of our trip in Japan (ancient post, I apologize for not posting this sooner for those that asked about Kyoto/Osaka ; _ ; ). We went to Kyoto after Tokyo by Shinkansen. This time we took the fastest Shinkansen - Nozomi - and it took us just a little over 2 hours to get there (waaaay faster than the Kodomo Shinkansen we took to see Fuji-san and thankfully no delay due to earthquake that time).


Right after we arrived, we set off to our lunch place - Nakamura-Ro, which started as a teahouse and is now said to be one of the the oldest restaurant (more than 400 years). The restaurant is basically inside Yasaka-jinja's ground (one of the must-see places in Kyoto).

The view from our seats.











The season's menu.
We wanted to try two different set of kaiseki - a bigger one (¥ 8,100, if I am not mistaken) and a smaller one (¥ 6,100). Unfortunately, we were told that we can only order the same set so that they can serve it at the same time (or something like that). In the end, we settled for the middle one (¥ 7,100) - which was apparently what most of the customers ordered.

First up, Hiyashi-bachi (served only in summer, literally means chilled bowl).

-Grill tomato, okra, lotus root in tosa soy sauce

A mouthful of flavor - sweet, sour, tart, and bland. Not to mention different textures too - soft, gooey, and crunchy. Definitely a wonderful dish to start off with.

Even now, I can still remember the flavor and texture...mmm....I can almost taste it....




Next, Sakizuke (bite-sized appetizer).

- Paper-thin egg rolled with snapper dipped vinegar

- Japanese sweet potato

- Shredded potato and sliced salmon

The egg with snapper is absolutely amazing.

Yokohama, Japan (2010)

Our trip to Yokohama, Japan's second largest city. Our main destination - Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum.

Yamashita Park

Goddess of Water, Yokohama Marine Tower, and Hikawa Maru ship.

Chinatown

Try the manju!

Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum





Admisison fee for adults are 300 yen, but print out the promotion from the website or use the coupons from brochure/map (can't remember which) and you'll get 50 yen off. 

Inside, it's the recreation of Tokyo's old town (around 1958). There are 9 ramen restaurants, each from different region of Japan. Besides that, there are old-style bar and a few stalls selling traditional snacks and food.

We targeted a few restaurants but ended up trying two only. D= Partly because we kept eating on our way here - our "light" breakfast and while walking around Chinatown - and partly because of the long queue.

You'll have to purchase the tickets for your order(s) from the vending machine outside the restaurant before entering but of course, you can order more once you are inside the restaurant. Each person must at least order one ramen dish (but I am sure they won't mind for some cases <.<). The restaurants also offer mini-size ramen so that visitors can try out different ramen.

The first restaurant we tried was the Taihou Ramen (from Fukuoka region). We ordered two mini-size ramen and gyoza (pot stickers). They serve tonkotsu (pork-based) ramen, which broth are usually thick and creamy. I am not a fan of pork because of the smell but I usually don't mind eating tonkotsu ramen. However, this ramen is definitely not for me. The moment we step into the restaurant, I can smell the pork flavor. The pork flavor is very strong even my Sis commented on it. If you are a fan of tonkotsu ramen, I am sure you'll want to try this. One thing I can comment on is the noodles, they were cooked just right. I finished off the noodles and left the pork for my Sis.

Next is the Ganjya Tsukemen (from Saitama region) which was recently open in 2010. It was one of the restaurants with longer queue. D= They serve shoyu (soy sauce) ramen. We ordered two mini-size tsukemen with egg and extra chashu (barbecued pork). It was absolutely delicious! We love the thick noodles and the lean, chuncky chashu. The soup is just perfect for dipping, flavorful, not too thick nor too thin. And just look at the egg! Wished we had ordered the full size ones. Highly recommend this!

Ramen fan, you'll definitely have to visit the museum. It was a fun (and not to mention informational) experience for us.

What We Ate in Tokyo, Japan (2010)

Pictures of food we had when we visited Japan in 2010.

JAL in-flight meal:


Appetizer: Prosciutto, cheese sticks with pesto garlic dip.
Snacks: Senbei and dried fruits



Starter. We loved the shiraae (mashed tofu salad).



Dessert: Panna cotta. I even finished up Sis'.



Main course. Chicken for Sis. Fish for me.



When everyone was asleep. We were up and...eating.

Caffeine fix for me and tea for Sis
Coffee with jelly....very good.



Sakura Ebi tamagoyaki from Tsukiji market.

 


GIOTTO's Fruits Roll Cake and Summer...Honey....something...


Then we went to Izuei Honten that specialize in unagi (eel). I read about it from Paul's Travel Pics but did not had the chance to visit the restaurant when we went to Japan in 2009. I made sure we had time to go there this trip. >D

Daiwa Sushi @ Tsukiji Fish Market (2010)

On our second trip to Tsukiji Market, we decided to try Daiwa Sushi and we were so glad that the queue at Daiwa was moving faster. Suprisingly though, both Daiwa Sushi and Sushi Dai have less people than usual (even the queue at Sushi Dai wasn't that long). Anyways, were got in line, waited a few minutes, and we are in! Sis was so happy.

Ordered the "Omakase" set. If I am not mistaken, it is cheaper than Sushi Dai but there are less sushi.

Sushi Dai @ Tsukiji Fish Market (2009)

We heard this place is a MUST when you visit Tsukiji Market. We arrived there about 7 am...it was raining...and despite all that...there were lots of people queueing. My sister saw the queue and she was like, "Let's go to the other store with less queue (refering to Daiwa)", and I insisted on Sushi Dai. And so we wait...and wait and wait...for more than 2 hours. Sis was ready to throw a tantrum. xD Luckily we had a "light" meal before heading out. Hahaha.



We placed our order before entering - there's someone out there to take the order and asked the number of people in your party as you approach the entrance. We ordered the "Omakase" sets - 11 pieces of nigiri sushi (1 piece of your choice at the end of the set) and 1 maki sushi. But of course you can order more once you are in there - which we did.



What We Ate in Tokyo, Japan 2009 (Part 3)

Our ekiben when we took the Shinkansen to see Mount Fuji.

At Asakusa:

There are lots of stores along the street (Nakamise and Shin-Nakamise) from the Kaminarimon to the Sensoji Temple. They are famous for their senbei. The fresh grilled senbei are absolutely delicious. Wish I could try each and every one of them.

Fresh dango too. Another must try! And there are some stores that sells deep-fried manjyuu. We did not try it but there was a lot of people queuing to buy it.

What We Ate in Tokyo, Japan 2009 (Part 2)

More pictures of food! =D

JAL in-flight meal

About 8 hours flight and this is the only meal @_@
I was starved D=

Green Tea Diet Coke - yum. My Sis hates it.
(I am a bias Coke fan)

Banana milk. Love it. Even my Sis that don't like milk AND banana loves it. (She's bias too - she thinks every "Japan-related" food is good)

Kaiseki (traditional Japanese multi-course meal) @ Mikura at Mark City Shibuya

We ordered two set. The largest and the smallest. xD We were very satisfied. It's a splurge though.

What We Ate in Tokyo, Japan 2009 (Part 1)

Pictures of food we ate (and saw) in Tokyo, Japan (2009). My Sis and I went to Japan for the first time and we were ecstatic! Our mission: EAT!!!

Stopover at Narita, we stayed in Hotel Nikko Narita. Dead tired but we were determined to go out and eat something!!! We took the shuttle bus to the AEON Shopping Center.

Dinner in a food court @ AEON Narita Shopping Center

Curry udon. It was okay.











Spicy tsukemen. We definitely prefer this.










Couldn't resist >.< All hail Kimura-san.


 

Mon Chou Chou

Mon Chou Chou’s Dojima Roll is by far the best swiss roll I ever had. But it really depends if you are the type to like lots of filling or not. As you can see, there’s LOTS of cream filling and that is the reason I love it so much. It was #1 in my “Things to Eat in Japan” list (yes, I make list of “Things to Eat” for places I visit).

I did not get the chance to try it during my last visit to Tokyo mainly because there was always a long queue and when there was no queue, it was because they sold out. It was very very very popular that time. But fortunately, when I went to Japan this summer, the hype about Dojima Rolls seemed to have tone down a bit – there were more competitors and during that time, the Japanese were into Baumkuchens.

I wanted to get the original Dojima Roll but I end up buying Dojima Cinderella Roll – can’t resist the fruits. The queue was not too bad (sarcasm)…considering it was early in the morning!

Tried to buy it twice but by evening, all the Dojima Rolls are sold out except for the chocolate ones. >.<

So on my final day in Japan (Osaka), I decided to wait for the store to open. And surprise surprise…I wasn’t the only desperate one….

When I had my first bite…it was heavenly. The cream is just perfect – not too sweet, fluffy, soft, and not overly rich (I don’t get cloyed even after consuming nearly half of the roll...hahaha). The fruits’ tanginess, sweetness, and sourness give it a nice balance and burst of flavors. The sponge is soft, moist, and light. It was just perfect.

Took pictures of every angle. I was obsessed with it.

The pictures does not do its taste justice!

I somehow manage to resist the temptation to finish the whole thing off (should have bought more) and bring it back to Mum. It survived the flight but was a little mangled. Mum ate the rest and could not stop raving about it every time someone mentioned “swiss roll”.

If you like lots of cream, do try the Dojima Rolls. You won't regret it. =P

I Threw My Coins

 

...into the Trevi Fountain and wished I was in Rome. Why? Because this Trevi Fountain is the replica in Las Vegas. Oh, how I wish I get to visit Rome one day and see the real Trevi Fountain.

But anyways, here's another post on Las Vegas. What I ate and things to do when  visiting Las Vegas.

Nathan's Famous Frankfurter



It was okay. Not too great, not too bad - average.

What I Ate in Las Vegas

Went to Las Vegas again earlier this year with Mum, sis, and sis-in-law (old girl power!)
Pictures of some food we ate over there. Forgot to take pictures of the food mostly...too busy gobbling them.

Buffet is like a must "to-do" thing in Vegas. We went for two breakfast buffet. But of course, most breakfast buffets are not as great when compared to the lunch or dinner buffets...less variety.

First up, The Buffet @ Aria

It's pretty new so the price was rather cheap and we heard that it was not bad so we decided to give it a try.

We are so random...look at our selection for our "Round 1" (I only took picture of "Round 1", after that, I was too busy stuffing myself)




These are actually the first thing I took. I always go to the dessert section first. Hehe.
Sugar-free blueberry muffin, moist chocolate cake, and pistachio biscotti.

We couldn't resist fresh fruits.

This slice of vege pizza was surprisingly delicious!

More muffin and pastry!

Next stop!

The Buffet @ Wynn