Katsukura, Kyoto

Katsura is a restaurant specializing in tonkatsu. There are multiple branches in Kyoto. I went to the Shijo Teramachi branch. There is counter seating on the top floor and table seating on the lower floor.

Katsukura prides itself on using high-quality pork and ingredients.

There are three categories of zen sets (Sangen pork tonkatsu, tonkatsu, and assorted) and an a la carte option on the menu. All pork zen sets come in 3 sizes (80g, 120g, and 160g), and each zen set comes with barley rice and miso soup.

There are 3 pots of sauce on each table. I was given a bowl of white sesame seeds, which I had to grind with the given wooden pestle before adding the desired sauce, and an information sheet of each sauce. One pot contains the yuzu (citrus) dressing for the shredded cabbage, and the other two pots contain two kinds of tonkatsu sauce, one milder and the other stronger.

I ordered the Sangen pork premium loin cutlet zen-set. It cost 1,300 yen for the 80g cutlet. The pork was crispy and fluffy on the outside and succulent on the inside. The pork itself had a natural sweetness to it, and it did not have the so-called “pork” taste. The tonkatsu sauce accentuated the taste of the pork, giving it a lovely, sweet flavor. It was delicious! The 80g size was perfect for me.

The shredded cabbage with the yuzu dressing was refreshing and perfect for the deep-fried dish.

The rice, cabbage, and soup are unlimited, so you can ask for as many refills.

If you are looking for a good Tonkatsu place with good quality pork in Kyoto, I highly recommend this place.

Katsukura Shijo Teramachi

Website: http://www.katsukura.jp/

Opening hours: 11am to 10pm (Monday to Sunday)

Telephone: +81 75-221-5261

Address: 604-8042 Kyōto-fu, Kyōto-shi, Nakagyō-ku, Higashidaimonjichō, 寺町通四条上ル

Zen Cafe, Kyoto

I was looking for a cafe near my hotel in the Gion district to have Japanese dessert and tea. I was browsing through Google Maps, and this cafe caught my eye. The cafe is under the long-running confectionery shop “Kagizen Yoshimura,” established during the Edo period. I missed the chance to try the dessert at the Kagizen main store the last time I was in Kyoto. I’m not about to miss that chance again. The café was located just behind my hotel (Kyoto Granbell Hotel). From the pictures, the atmosphere looked serene, an ideal place to relax.

The cafe is located in a modern minimalist building in one of the alleyways in Gion. The interior was modernly decorated with some Japanese touches. There is a small Japanese garden inside the cafe, with counter-seats available facing the garden. There are two spaces with shelves stocked with books for those who want to have some alone time to read and enjoy the food. There is also a semi-private space that can accommodate 4 people.

It’s a good place to have a break from the crowd. Definitely what I needed after spending days with crowds of people.

I ordered the café’s signature dessert, “Kuzu Mochi,” and hojicha (1200 yen). Kuzumochi is a mochi made from arrowroot powder. The staff was warm and friendly. There is an English menu available with pictures of each dessert. The menu is limited; it only had 4 types of desserts available. Apparently, the confectioneries on the menu change according to the season.

The Kuzu Mochi is served with kinako (soybean flour) and kuromitsu (black sugar syrup). I like that the black sugar syrup and soybean flour came separately, allowing me to add them to my liking. The mochi was soft with a jelly-like texture. The sweetness of the syrup and the subtle nutty flavor of the soybean flour complemented the mochi well. The hojicha and mochi were a great pairing.

I would recommend this cafe to enjoy good Japanese confectionery and for those who need some ‘zen.’ 🙂

Zen Cafe

Website: http://www.kagizen.co.jp/store/#zenCafe

Opening hours: 11am to 6pm (except Monday, if Monday is a national holiday, the store will be closed the following day)

Telephone: +81(0)75-533-8686

Address: 570-210 Gion-machi Minami-gawa Hana-machi, Higashi-yama-ku, Kyoto

Arabica, Arashiyama

Arabica has been dubbed one of the best coffee shops in Kyoto. I visited their Arashiyama store. This is a hipster coffee shop on the banks of the Hozu-gawa River. The only available seating in the store is a cubicle which can accommodate 4 adults but with a charge of 1000yen/ 30mins. There are seats outside the store where you can enjoy the view of the river. It’s a great place to get a pick-me-up while exploring the area. I would recommend going early in the morning as there are fewer people. I got there around 9am.

I got myself a medium-sized cappuccino for 500 yen. There are 3 sizes available – small, medium, and large. The coffee was smooth, creamy, and milky, different from the ones bought at more popular chain stores such as Starbucks, Tully’s, and Costa. I really liked it!

Open from 8AM to 6PM

*On a side note, I recommend that anyone visiting Kyoto visit Arashiyama. It’s a really beautiful and serene place. Do go early to avoid crowds of tourists. I also recommend exploring sites that are further away from the more popular destinations, such as the bamboo forest and the Tenryu ji temple. My brother and I visited the Gio-ji temple, which was a 30min walk from the randen arashiyama station. We took the richshaw from the bamboo forest to the temple and then returned to the station. There was hardly anyone there. It was perfect! I was able to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the temple without the interference of a crowd. The walk back to the station was peaceful also.

Here are some pictures that were taken during my trip 🙂

My first meal in Kyoto

My first meal in Kyoto was dinner at this small, homey Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) restaurant on Sanjo-jingu-Michi (Okonomiyaki Bonbori).

. The owners were a lovely elderly couple. The menu was simple, with a variety of Okonomiyaki, noodles, and stir-fried dishes. There is no English menu available. Luckily, my sister could read and speak Japanese.

My sister and I were tired after a day of traveling, so we did not order too much. We ordered a stir-fried vegetable, fried kimchi udon noodles, and a seafood Okonomiyaki. The fried kimchi udon noodle was better than I expected. It is a mixture of sweet, salty, and sour (from the kimchi). The pork slices in the fried udon were incredibly tender and savory; they had absorbed all the different flavors.

It was our first time having Okonomiyaki. It was intriguing watching the man make it. We were full of anticipation. When the Okonomiyaki was placed in front of us, we were like two children who could not wait to dig into a bowl of cookies. 🙂

I could only taste the sweetness of the Okonomiyaki sauce on my first bite, but as I ate, the other flavors (the vegetables, egg, shrimp, and squid) began to present themselves. It was a savory pancake indeed and also very filling!

This is an excellent place to eat if you are in the area and looking for something less commercial.

Okonomiyaki Bonbori (permanently closed)

Horie Meijiken

image via https://tabelog.com/osaka/A2701/A270201/27001834/dtlrvwlst/B208949884/

Meijiken is a Western Japanese restaurant located in Shinsaibashi. This restaurant serves omu rice (omelet rice), cutlets, curry rice, soups, and steak. There are English menus available, but they do not include all the dishes on the Japanese menu, and they do not accept credit cards. There was a waiter who could speak sufficient English when we were there.

My sister ordered the omu rice with a chicken cutlet. She enjoyed it; she thought it was delicious. For me, it just tasted like tomato rice and egg. It was decent, but nothing special about it. That is just my personal opinion. The chicken cutlet was nice and crusty outside, but the inside was pretty flavorful.

I ordered the steak set with a soup (of your choice), salad, and bread/rice. I ordered the creamy corn soup, which was light and creamy. The salad came with a Thousand Island dressing. The bread was lightly toasted, fresh, and warm, with a hint of sweetness. I ordered my steak well done; it came with a brown sauce, which I was not too fond of; it did not agree with my taste buds. The steak, however, went really well with the two pastes served on the plate – mustard and pepper (I think).

Nearing the end of our meal, my sister was craving something more. So she ordered the beef stew. The stew was hearty and delicious! It was full of flavor. The potato, carrot, and beef pieces were tender. It would go lovely with rice.

The total was around 5300 yen. I would say this is a restaurant worth exploring.

Horie Meijiken

Website: https://meijiken.crayonsite.net/

Opening hours: Daily 11:30 p.m. – 21:00 p.m., closed on Wednesdays

Telephone: +81 0665398250

Address: 1 Chome-14-30 Minamihorie, Nishi Ward, Osaka, 550-0015, Japan

Japanese confections

Here are a few Japanese confections that I liked during my trip to Osaka and Kyoto:-

Warabi mochi

This was one of my favorite confections to eat when I was in Osaka. Unlike the traditional mochi, which is made of glutinous rice, warabi mochi is made of bracken starch covered in kinako (toasted soybean flour). Its texture is more jelly-like and translucent.

Matcha ice cream

If you love matcha and ice cream, then you have to try the matcha ice cream! It is sold pretty much everywhere.

Mitarashi Komochi

Mitarashi komochi is a famous mochi in Osaka. The mochi is filled with mitarashi (a sweet syrup made from soy sauce). An important note about the mochi is its relatively short shelf life. I was unaware of this and kept a box for almost two weeks before opening it, only to find out that it had already expired. So pay attention to the expiry date! I bought this at a shop in Dotonbori.

Mon Loire financier

I first got a box of Mon Loire financier as a gift from a friend who traveled to Japan. The one given to me had three flavors – matcha, plain, and chocolate. The cake was light and moist. The cake finished within a day (I shared some with friends), leaving me wanting more. When I finally planned my trip to Japan, I made sure that it was on my itinerary. I bought mine from the Takashimaya department store in Osaka. Mon Loire specializes in chocolate. If you want to try out their chocolate, you can look up their store locations on their website https://www.monloire.co.jp/shop.html. Also, note that not all stores sell the financier.

Soda crackers (tansan senbei)

image via http://feel.kobeport.org/_ch/shopping/spot/?sid=367

Tansan senbei is a specialty of Arima onsen, a famous hot spring area in Kobe. These crackers are fragrant, savory, sweet, crispy, and crunchy and taste a little bit like a waffle cone. They are lovely with a cup of tea or coffee. I bought mine at Mitsumori Honpo, which is along the path on the way up to Rinkei-ji temple. We were looking at the making process of the crackers, and the guy came over and gave us each a freshly baked cracker to sample – nothing like a freshly baked cracker. A few other popular stores are selling tansan senbei along that path – Izumido factory and Yunosato Honpo.

Wired Cafe

The Wired Cafe is located on the 7F of the Lucua mall at Osaka station. It is a vibrant, cozy, and work-friendly cafe, also a perfect place to chill and hang out. There are power sockets and free WIFI available. There is also an outdoor smoking dining area that overlooks the inside of the station.

The cafe offers a rich menu of rice bowls, pasta, soups, sandwiches, desserts, and various drinks. Set meals are also available.

The cappuccino was not how I liked it. It was somewhat bland, and the taste of the milk was overpowering. I am sorry to say I did not enjoy it.

The nachos came with beef sauce, sour cream, lime, corn, tomato, and lettuce. The nacho chips, paired with the beef sauce and sour cream, were delicious.

The clam chowder soup set came with bread, ham, and salad. The clam chowder was decent. I would say this was an average dish.

The cafe offers a variety of interesting rice bowls. I ordered the white gravy hamburger steak combo. I was impressed that it had a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables. The potato chips were good; they had a natural potato sweetness to them. The vegetables were lightly sauteed and seasoned with salt. The white gravy wasn’t too rich; it went well with the rice, egg, and steak (that’s how I ate it).

Some dishes here are good; I would recommend the rice bowls. The atmosphere is definitely a plus.

Wired cafe

Website: https://www.cafecompany.co.jp/brands/wiredcafe/#shop8

Opening hours: Daily 11:00 a.m. – 20:00 p.m.

Telephone: +81 661511329

Address: Japan, 〒530-8217 Osaka, Kita Ward, Umeda, 3 Chome−1−3 7F LUCUA

Marufuku coffee (Sennichimae branch)

Marufuku Coffee is one of the oldest coffee shops in Osaka. I found this place by chance. I was getting some groceries the night before at Life Foods Market near Namba Walk. Before heading to the cashier, I stopped by the pudding section to pick up some. A particular one stood out – Marufuku coffee pudding. What caught my attention was “since 1934”, and I thought, “Let’s see how good this pudding is.”

I tried the coffee pudding the next day after lunch and absolutely loved it. It was creamy and sweet, with a hint of bitterness from the coffee. I looked up more information about the brand and discovered that it has a long history, and they have coffee shops in Osaka. My sister suggested we try it, and I quote, “We’d be a fool not to try it.” We went to the main branch in Sennichimae.

Marufuku Coffee Shop is a short walk from Dotonbori and Namba station. When we entered, we were greeted by a strong presence of cigarette smoke. There is no non-smoking area in the shop. I would have walked straight out if I weren’t adamant about trying the coffee. The interior was old French cafe style.

My sister ordered a set with a cup of blended coffee, coffee pudding, and two kinds of cake. I ordered the Ice Cafe au lait (milk coffee) and the cheese toast (Marufuku’s specialty). The blended coffee was sharp and strong. It had a kick to it. The iced cafe au lait had a well-balanced flavor – smooth, fragrant, and bittersweet. The cheese toast was a delight! The bread was ultra-soft and fluffy. It had the right amount of cheese that did not overpower the natural flavor of the bread. The bill came to slightly over 3,000 yen.

If you enjoy coffee and want to try something different, visit this cafe. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Marufuku coffee

Website: https://marufukucoffeeten.com/store/sennichimae/

Opening hours: Daily 8:00 a.m. – 23:00 p.m.

Telephone: +81 0662113474

Address: 1 Chome-9-1 Sennichimae, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0074, Japan

Tsuruhashi Koreatown

Tsuruhashi Koreatown in Osaka is the largest Koreatown in Japan. You can pretty much find anything Korean there. It was not part of my itinerary to visit this place because there are many Korean shops and restaurants in the city where I currently work (Beijing) due to the large population of Koreans working and residing there. I would prefer to explore more local places. My sister, who currently lives in Malaysia, craved Korean food. So I said I will take her there for dinner. We got to Koreatown around 6:30 pm, and many shops (except the restaurants) were already closed. It was raining, so we couldn’t really explore either. We just found a random restaurant to have dinner. We also got to sample various Korean pickles. My favorite is kimchi, and there was a store with pretty good and spicy kimchi, so I bought some to take home.

For those unfamiliar with or enjoying Korean food, this is a good area to visit.

Kaiseki, Negiya Ryofukaku, Kobe

One of Japan’s specialties is Kaiseki, a traditional multi-course meal known as Japanese haute cuisine. The prices vary depending on where you dine. Lunch is cheaper, ranging from 4,000 to 10,000 yen, and dinner from 10,000 yen onward. I had my first Kaiseki experience at a Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in Kobe. I initially planned to have a Kaiseki meal in Kyoto, but I decided to try it since it was part of the Ryokan package.

The Ryokan I stayed at was the Negiya Ryofukaku at the famous hot spring town – of Arima Onsen in Kobe. The Kaiseki dinner is served in the room, and breakfast is at the public dining hall. The Ryokan provided a set of yukata for my sister and me to wear during our stay. It was so comfortable and wearing the yukata while dining made the experience extra special. The staff who served us our dinner was amiable and warm. She introduced every dish to us. The presentation of the food was simple yet enticing. The ingredients used were fresh. Some dishes were an acquired taste for us, and some were delicious. My favorite was the tempura and matcha jelly with cream. The shrimp tempura was scrumptious! The shrimp was cooked perfectly; the outer layer was crusty and crispy. The outer layer of the tempura was different from what I usually have. It was flaky and reminded me of deep-fried wontons. The baby eggplants were so cute!