Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Japan May 2007 : The Grub

Since I was travelling alone for most part, I didn't manage to get many pictures. Very susah travel alone... no one to carry my bags! LOL!

Plus, I was meeting quite a few customers for the first time for lunch, I had to be the serious me.
As usual, I rarely get disappointed with food in Japan. This time, I chanced upon an all-chicken restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo where I ordered flame grilled chicken thigh with raw spinach salad, washed down with a bottle of Asahi Premium Draft beer.

I was also brought to a German restaurant in Kobe where we feasted on Kobe beef, sausages from Kobe beef, Kobe wine (sweet) and one of the best baked Camembert and cheese platter I've ever had!

In between, I had Petit Plus almond chocolate cookies from their 24 hour convenience store AM/PM for breakfast while commuting in the subway/Shinkansen and Italian pizza dinner (how can?, you ask - I say can cos the chef is Italian and ingredients flown in from Italy) in Osaka.

The breakfast at hotel in Tokyo (I have to admit I did skip subsequent days' breakfast - unfortunately, sleep had taken precedence).


Lunch at Fujino, all-tofu restaurant in Tokyo : www.kyotofu.com.jp Visit the site if you understand Japanese. Yudofu is actually a specialty in Kyoto but I had it in Tokyo.

It was supposed to be a refreshing and light lunch but after the 3rd course, I was full to the brim. Was good quality soy products, soft & silky. Tofu ice-cream was delicious with the cookies!





Lunch of beef curry with rice and pickles at Granvia Hotel's coffee house, Kyoto - a quickie as I had to rush back from Nijo Castle to meet my colleague who traveled from Fukuoka. And was expensive too! About USD30 with orange juice. Saving grace was that it was yummy. I have to add that Granvia Hotel is convenient for Kyoto as it's on the same building as Kyoto train station (Kintetsu Line, Shinkansen and subway)
Lunch in Nara - seared tuna and sashimi moriawase, with Kirin beer and sochu

Dinner in Kyoto - Restaurant Mimiu - check out the superthick unbleached toothpicks!

Street vendor selling buns in Kyoto
Japanese sweets on display in Kyoto - the one wrapped in leaf is kashiwamochi (mochi wrapped in oak leaf), I believe.
Lunch at Nara Train Station - Shrimp Okonomiyaki (my worst meal in Japan - I prefer small and light bites and this okonomiyaki was just huge and heavy - octopus was alright though hideous in form).

Yatsuhashi - a type of sweets, triangular-shaped - Kyoto specialty. This one is made of black sesame. OK, I know the 2 pieces of black triangular thingy doesn't look appealing but don't be fooled by its glum look. If you like black sesame glutinous rice balls, you will like this. Due to limited bag space, I couldn't buy more than I wanted to.
Sushi roll (maki sushi) and chakin sushi 茶巾寿司 in the MAS plane to snack on just before landing from Kansai Airport to KLIA - this time I didn't bother with the pictures as I have already done quite a bit of onboard pictures taking here and here. And I totally zonked out the moment my bum hit the seat due to lack of sleep.

All I can say is that I am getting to be more adverse to plane food but am learning to appreciate the satay in MAS flights. Malaysia bolehlah!
Non-food pictures later!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yer right..! food is rarely a disappointment in japan..!

Diary of Kay El said...

and whatever shortcomings in taste is almost always compensated by great service (and packaging). Yea, I am sucker when it comes to nice wrappings.