So .... I've definitely eaten more than 26 kinds of food in Japan, but this should be a good enough reason for you to visit this foodie's paradise!
No trip to Japan would be complete without eating Japanese food. Usually, I do not write a separate post on the food scenario in a country that I visit, however for Japan, I'm making an exception. I need to convince people why they should visit Japan. I may have not known the names of all the things that I ate there (because it was all written in Japanese) or the names of all the restaurants that I dined at, however, I do have some mouth-watering pictures to share. Any info. I have about a food joint will be shared along with each picture.
1) Creamia - This is one rich, creamy and full-fat milk flavoured thats very common in Japan. Even the cone if made from Japanese wafer.
2) Gyoza - Probably a very common Japanese food. However, in UAE, I'll have to pay atleast four times the price to enjoy 6 pieces. I stopped at a random food joint at Namba station in Osaka just after I landed, and I got this treat for a steal!
3) Rikuro's Cheesecake - This wobbly piece of heaven has been making rounds on the internet, and I was determined to try it out. Its light and fluffy but does have a strong smell of egg. We bought an entire cake and both of us had half each for brekkie the following day.
4) Okonamiyaki - This Japanese style pancake is available throughout Japan. Everyone boasts that theirs is the best. In order to know the reality, we tried them in every city. Just watching them prepare it is an art.
5) Takoyaki - These crispy octopus filled balls are a popular street food in Japan. They taste really good! Just make sure not to pop it into your mouth immediately!
6) Oysters - I have never had a cooked oyster in my life, that was until I visited Japan. The first one I had was in Miyajima, and there was no turning back. They cook them in various style - char grilled, deep fried, etc. In some of the markets in Japan, like the Omicho Market ... they have entire stalls dedicated to oysters. Each size in priced differently. Just pay for it, season it and pop it in!
7) Fish cake- A maple leaf looking thing which is a popular street food in Miyajima.
8) Cream Puff Pastry - I have no idea what they call these in Japan, but I had these in Kyoto. Its a pastry filled with cream. We tried the ones filled with matcha, sakura and something else!
9) Ichigo Daifu - Mochi is very common in Japan. We had this one while we were on our way to the Todaiji temple in Nara.
10) Green Beer - Because ... how many people get to have a beer thats green? We had this somewhere in Kyoto.
11) Sushi - This is something we all associate Japan with. Sushi train restaurants are very common in Japan, and while the regular fishy sushi is available everywhere, some of the restaurants even have them with meat. The meat ones are really good!
12) Grilled Bamboo Shoot - We usually have little slices of bamboo shoot in Chinese or Indian cuisine, however, I've never had a big chunk all by myself. We tried this in one of the little stalls at Maruyama Park in Kyoto.
13) Grilled Rice Balls - We found this at the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto, however, you'd probably find it anywhere. They are basically rice balls, brushed with sweet sauce and dusted with soy bean powder.
14) Gold Leaf Ice cream - Only in Kanazawa, will you find an ice cream thats covered in real gold leaf. You're sure to feel like a million bucks!
15) Omurice - I became a fan of this dish when I had it in Kanazawa. Its basically an omelet stuffed with whatever you choose and smothered in a sauce of your choice. Omurice = Omelet + Rice!
16) Japanese Curry - You do not need to be a fan of curry to try out Japanese curries. They are different from other curries and are really comforting. We tried one at the Shirakawago bus station and another in Tokyo. In some restaurants in Japan, you can choose your fave curry from a machine thats located outside the restaurant, pay for it and then enter. Make sure you try out the hashed beef curry!
17) Dumpling looking things! - I have no idea what these were called or what they're filled with. We saw a long line at a certain restaurant at Yokohama Chinatown and knew that we had to try it. Its got a dumpling texture on top and a pastry texture at the bottom. We burnt our tongues when we tried to stuff one in our mouth. Its filled with hot soup!
18) The actual dumplings - Okay, these were normal dumplings that we found at Yokohama Chinatown. They're there everywhere!
19) Tokyo Banana - The cutest little cakes shaped like a banana and filled with banana cream, choco- banana cream, etc. They are available at a couple of stations in Tokyo and even at the airport.
20) Ikinari Steak - When in Tokyo, make sure you visit this steakhouse. They are so welcoming and the steak is to die for!
21) Totti Candy Factory - for the largest, fanciest and most colourful cotton candy you'll ever see ... atleast for me. They are located in Harajuku, Tokyo.
22) Japanese breads - The Japanese sure know how to get creative with their bread. We ditched the regular breakfast in Japan and headed to bake shops to try out their assorted breads. Black bread, green bread, panda shaped breads ... they have them all!
23) Seafood in a shell - That's the best name I could give this shell filled with all kinds of seafood. I found this at the Tsukiji market in Tokyo. Trust me, its worth every yen!
24) Pablo's Cheesetart - We tried out 3 mini tarts filled with matcha, cheese and chocolate. I personally loved the chocolate tart and its no surprise why.
25) Scallops - In UAE, scallops are a delicacy that come at a price. In Japan, they're sold almost everywhere and are dirt cheap. I don't think a day passed by when I didn't eat a scallop!
26) Yakiniku - Last but not the least, I loved the concept of grilling my own meat. Japan has one of the best beef (Kobe beef) that I know of and we weren't afraid to unleash our inner carnivore.
Phew !!!!
So .... I've definitely eaten more than 26 kinds of food in Japan, but this should be a good enough reason for you to visit this foodie's paradise!
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After spending 3 days in Osaka, we were off to a new city - Hiroshima. However, before getting out of Hiroshima station, we embarked a short journey to Miyajima - Japan's scenic island. For the sake of convenience, Hiroshima will be a covered in a different post. In reality, we spend one day in both Hiroshima and Miyajima.
Using a Japan Rail Pass : We used the JR ( Japan Rail) Pass to travel around Japan. It covers all the JR bullet & non-bullet trains (except the Nozomi & Mizuho) and in addition to that you can avail many other discounts. Visit their website to know more. We ordered a 7 day pass from their website and it was delivered within 4 days. Once you activate this pass, you can use it for 7 days (consecutive). It was good for us because we didn't intend on making any long journeys after 7 days. Anyway, we activated this pass at Osaka station. To sit on one of the world's fast trains was such an exhilarating experience. They call it Shinkansen in Japan or simply a bullet train. With this pass, you can even reserve your seat for free (make sure you reserve a day in advance so you don't have to wait in line on the day of travel). We opted for the ordinary pass rather than first class and we had enough place and amazing seats! Use Hyperdia to plan your journey.
Once we reached Hiroshima Station, we decided to leave our suitcases at the station before heading to Miyajima. We saved a lot of time this way. The good thing about Japan is that all the stations have lockers ... and they come in various sizes. We left our suitcases at the station, boarded another train (free for us as we had the JR pass) and headed to Miyajimaguchi Station (takes about 25 minutes). From there we boarded a ferry (again free for us because of the pass) and headed to Miyajima (takes about 10 minutes).
Once we reached, we gave ourselves about 3.5 hours to explore the island. Here's how you can explore Miyajima by foot!
1) Take a selfie with a deer! - They're all over Miyajima and they're considered wild. But seriously, they're not that bad. Just be careful with your food, papers, maps, etc.. the deer manages to pull them off from anywhere. One of them came after my ice cream and the other behind Mr. D's map! Its safe to take a selfie with the ones that are sitting down calm and relaxed.
2) Get up close to the Itsukushima Shrine - Here again, you've gotta watch out for the tide. We were lucky that it was low tide and we could actually walk all the way upto this giant floating Torii gate. This shrine is sort of like the pride of this little island.
3) Eat a Miyajima oyster - Miyajima was the first place I devoured an large oyster. And unlike the ones we have in UAE where you eat them raw, these are cooked. And they are so yummy and cheap. They somehow remind me of mussels! You better eat as much as you can here because in Hiroshima they are a bit more expensive.
4) Admire a five storied pagoda - You'll probably find more of these around Japan depending on where you go. This one was 28 meters high and situated on top of a hill. It is said to have been built in the 15th century and combines Japanese and Chinese architectural styles. The cherry blossoms just added to its charm. Make sure you climb up the stairs upto the pagoda area to get a wonderful view of Miyajima.
5) Visit the Daisho-in - A Buddhist temple that leads up to Mt. Misen. This temple is located at the foothill of Mt. Misen and you can go hiking (if you have the time & energy). If you're lazy and short of time (like us), you can walk around the temple and admire the many little Buddha statues near the entrance. Each Buddha has a different expression and is quite a sight.
Walking through this quaint little island was such a joy. There are rows of little shops near the ferry dock that sell souvenirs, ice cream, ornaments, socks and other knick-knacks. Some of the houses and shops on this island are centuries old and will transport you back to the good ol' days. If you have more time, its worth strolling around. Sadly, we had to leave for Hiroshima. However, we did manage to tick off the main stuff on our list!
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