Favorite Summer Dessert In Japan

Yes! my favorite summer dessert - in Japan - but ironically i wasn’t introduced to this when I was living in Japan - it was in Malaysia - in a cafe at Daimaru that I first at this dessert called Azuki Shiratama.  You see - i had some online coupons to this restaurant and anything free or discounted is great right - especially for a student then.  Yes ! i was only 17 years old and had gone there with a friend to try this summer dessert.  Never did I think that 10 yrs later - i would be sitting in Osaka having the same dessert in a small little cafe - I hear it’s a favorite summer dessert for a lot of Japanese as well.  Consisting of red beans, green tea ice cream, glutinous rice, jelly at the bottom, fruits and lots of brown sugar syrup.  Glad that there were the online coupons for me to go try this wonderful dessert.

Famous Miso Katsu In Nagoya

Miso Katsu is very famous in Nagoya - therefore if you are there - you have to try it out.  While most restaurant would just pour tons of miso sauce onto your Katsu - you can definitely ask for them to have the sauce on the side.  They even have Miso cutlet on a stick - pretty yummy and a must try according to everyone - even the pamplet at the tour desk recommends it.  For those who are not aware of what a Katsu is - it’s pork deep fried in bread crumbs - really tender inside and crispy on the outside - sinful?  yes - very!  but what the heck - you don’t go to Japan everyday right.

Yokohama Festival

Yokohama Festival was last month and I’ve only been there once - many years ago.  They celebrated their 151 years since opening its port in July 2010. Going to Yokohma from Tokyo wasn’t really too difficult if you car didn’t break down like ours did - hahha!! but luckily we had a local with us - a co-worker and he had gotten roadside assistance - so we were quickly on our way.  Yamashita Park is located in Yamashita-cho, Yokohama and is close to Yokohama Chinatown.

Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan about 3.6 million people in this place - full of history and very clean too - but Japan in most part is clean. This archway leads to a park -  and the first picture is Yokohama Chinatown - there are 7 or 8 chinese restaurants that you can choose from to eat.  Don’t forget to visit the famous Ferris Wheel and the Cosmo Clock while you are there - it’s just next to the Intercontinental Yokohama Grand Hotel - you can’t missed it.

Food in Chinatown.

check out some of the activities i found on u tube on the festival.

People’s Bar aka Izakaya

My girlfriends in Tokyo calls it a People’s bar but this well known Izakaya is featured on tv - the internet and all sorts of tourist books and books too find good food in Japan.  I haven’t been in Japan for too long - yet I know this place.  But like all non- Japanese i would have preferred some contemporary coffee tables and don’t let my co-workers hear it because they loved the authentic Izakaya so much - nothing could deter them from coming here every evening.

The one that we so often go to is the one near the Shinjuku line at the Morishita Station - it`s very near to our office and anyone taking the subway - is only 2 mins away.  3 storey high as you can see in this picture - there isn`t very much seating in the entire house.

One of the very famous food we like to order are these skewers - chicken -  Yaki -ton - it goes so well with beer - or any cold drinks - we just can`t stop eating.  But it`s not only the Yaki ton that is good - Yamariki has a huge menu but like any izakaya - you could expect the freshest here.  I heard that because the owner had worked in some good french restaurants before - therefore - one can find some pretty good eats that are not Japanese here.

You see why I say i prefer the contemporary coffee tables?  Yes ! not as cozy eh as one would expect - when these Japanese spends hours after work here.  They also have a loud intercom - that they use to communicate between floors - it gets annoying after an hour.

This dish is called Nikomi - i heard it was cooked with some special sauce aged for 40 yrs - and they also have bbq pick intestines - i didn’t try it but a co - worker who did loved it.   Overall, if you are looking for a authentic japanese dining experience - a Izakaya - or a People’s Bar is the place to be and the Yamariki is well known - try that out yourself.

Okonomiyaki In Tokyo

Everyone I know wants to there Okonomiyaki when they are in Tokyo - I myself wasn’t any different when i first arrived.  Oknonomiyaki is like a pancake with all sorts of ingredient in it and an incredible sauce on top of it.  At the Shibuya district - you can find gret Okonimiyaki restaurant there. If you take a short walk from the Shibuya JR line,  you can find several there - i won’t say anyone is better than the other but it’s pretty good.

Cheapest Vending Machine In Japan

This hello kitty vending machine is not only cute but cheapest I’ve seen all over Japan - found this in Osaka and had forgotten all about it.   They may not have moyoberry juice but for 50 Yen - about 60 cents here - you cannot really ask for more.  They did have a good variety of drinks to choose from - and Japan being very expensive - whether you are on vacation or like an expat like i was for 6 months - i got quite fascinated by this cheap vending machine.  Why can’t everyone have this vending machine all over Japan instead of having us pay like $2.00 for a drink - right even in the middle of nowhere.

Japanese Eats Weird Stuff

Yes!  the Japanese can come up with some strange concoction for their food - seaweed in their buns - or squash or sweet potatoes - pickles! mannn! i’m asian but when the girlfriend sent this picture of the food she just had as a snack when she was on trip to an island around Hokkaido - i had to tell her - that I won’t be able to stomach that - thank you very much.   If you ever wonder why I never put on much weight when i was in japan - well it was definitely not the best weight loss product one can find in Japan but the more healthier choice of food and the weird ones of course that we won’t touch.   I know, i know ! i said i would eat anything once - but really!  seaweed???? blah!

Eating Pizza in Japan

Like all foreigners in another country we craved for the food we are used to - well, of course - the Japanese eats western food like pizzas and Macdonald and subway as well.  But a pizza night can actually break one’s bank in Japan for they are more expensive than my  acne treatment gel at about US$30 for a pizza.   Pizza Hut was one of the most popular pizza joint in Japan because we are so familiar with it - plus you don’t want to order pizza from your regular western grill because you will sure be getting some japanese mayo and hotdogs in them as well.  So yes! if you crave for pizzas in japan - make sure it is a discount night else - you certainly need to go to the bank to get some cash out.

Ice Cream Scallop

No way ! i hear you screaming but way to go - Japan! they do have dried scallops as snacks commonly sold around Japan - so why not scallop flavored ice cream.  Some friends who were with me tried and and loved it and while you are at it - try the squid flavored ones.

Spicy Ramen In Morioka

Morioka is the  the capital of Iwate prefecture and one can really find some good eats like this  spicy cold ramen there. It actually tasted more korean than Japnese and true enough it was made of kimchi broth but we were told that this was adapted such to cater to the korean community that lived there. Loved my soba ramen wtih kimchi, apple, cucumber and a piece of char siew and green onions.