Weekly Wishes / 07

September 24, 2014

YAY! Finally found time to continue this. I was just thinking while I was at work this morning about all the stuff I needed to get done, and found that this Weekly Wishes segment played a huge role in organising my muddled thoughts. I realised that I actually got shit done when I have the obligation to follow up the next week. Heh.

THIS WEEK’S WISHES:

1. Get back my duffel bag of goodness.
Before I left Japan two weeks ago, I decided to send my bag from my hostel in Asakusa to the hotel I normally stay at for work in Narita. It was such a hassle to carry such a fat bag around, plus I was too cheap to purchase check in luggage for my flight home. I was supposed to have been to Narita a week ago, but you know.. shit happens. I hope it’s still there, or I’d cry because it contained a whole stash of stuff I hoarded from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

2. Eat sushi
Believe it or not, throughout my 10 days spent in Japan, I managed to stay away from sushi the whole time. There’s so much more to Japanese food than sushi to be honest, and I enjoyed trying them all. Now that I am back at work, I’m hoping for some 100yen sushi fix after a long, long, loooong flight.

3. Complete Kyoto travelogues
I have about 1100 unedited photos of my Japan trip that I need to filter through and edit. HALP. I’ve published posts as I finished editing the photos, so most of my posts are sequential. I have many, many more photos to plough through, and I hope in between work and sleep… I get to at least finish up my Kyoto part before continuing on to Tokyo.

My goals this week is mostly Japan-related. I just have another week at work before getting to spend the rest of the following week at home. Which means, I get to celebrate Hari Raya Haji at home! WHOOOPEEEEE! God knows how depressed I was celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri at home, I’m glad He granted me time at home with my family this time round.

Hope your week’s awesome so far!

Issen Yoshoku and nights in Kyoto

September 23, 2014

Having woken up close to 2 in the afternoon and had a bite of onigiri and my daily dose of ocha in a bottle before setting off on my exploring for the day, needless to say I was STARVING. I couldn’t afford another kaiseki meal so I walked past those, and I didn’t feel up for sushi or udon… so I decided to go for a dish that originates in Osaka. OKONOMIYAKI!

Okonomiyaki is essentially a savoury Japanese pancake containing various ingredients. The name derives from the word ‘okonomi’ means ‘what you like/want’ and ‘yaki’ means grilled.

Issen Yoshoku is one of the popular establishments serving okonomiyaki at pocket-friendly prices. Located in Gion, in a street just off the main road it was pretty easy to find because of its kitsch shop front decoration. Upon entering the restaurant, we were presented with a menu. Eager to see what they’ve had to offer, we flipped it open and stared at a huge picture of an okonomiyaki. Just one. Yep, they had an elaborate menu for just one dish they served in the entire restaurant. Well played.

The okonomiyaki served here consists of a wheat-based flour batter cooked like a crepe on the griddle, with scallions, shrimps, konyaku jelly and egg as some of the many ingredients stuffed into one yummy pancake. When I requested mine with no pork, they said they didn’t use any. Whoopee! I wasn’t entirely sure about the addition of konyaku jelly in my okonomiyaki, but it was a unique experience. The egg is hidden under the batter and is still runny, bordering on raw, but that’s the way I like it. It was PERFECT. This delicious monstrosity priced at just 630 yen (SGD7) is worth every penny and sure to keep you filled till breakfast. (if you’re not constantly hungry like me)

Check out the yolk porn, you drooling yet?

Kyoto after sunset is no less magical when it’s bright out. The streets are clean and safe, just don’t venture into any dark, formidable looking alley alone and you’d be fine. I walked into Pontocho and it was a really long and narrow stretch of road of restaurants serving food at both street and high-end prices.

Not much sightseeing could be done after dark as the temples would have closed by then, but the nightlight in Kyoto is vibrant. Though not as impressive as Osaka’s Namba, Kyoto at night has its own charm too. The Kyoto station is huge and a great place to be at if you want to do some shopping at an established shopping mall. There’s also Kyoto Ramen Koji on the 10th floor of the building, where there are restaurants specialising in a different regional style of ramen. It’s a ramen haven for all you ramen lovers. Plus, you get to choose your ramen out of a vending machine, that makes a good story to tell too!

If you’re as obsessed with rice cakes like I am, you have to try chigiri-mochi, a miso-flavoured rice cake wrapped in seaweed. I came back to Gion area on my last night in Kyoto JUST for this. I’m a huge glutton, I know.

There were many places and temples I couldn’t visit while I was there and I hope that work will roster me some nights in Osaka so I could clear them all. My sister recommends the Nishiki Market for all your fresh food and street food goodness. I was bummed I didn’t get to go there, because I was covering the harder to reach places, but if you’ve been there… do let me know how it was!

The stroll to Gion

September 22, 2014

The hostel I stayed for 3 nights in Kyoto was located literally a stone throw away from the Central Business District. That meant tall buildings, main roads, cars and renowned banks lining the street. Turning away from the hustle and bustle of the city I could associate with back home, I walked towards Gion, the famous geisha district of Kyoto. The walk was long, but I loved what I saw.

The city was a mixture of old and new. Walking through the alleys, I encountered a really old-school convenience store and bookshop, and when I turned into the main road, I saw the swanky Takashimaya and large, branded stores. I made a u-turn back into the alleys. I preferred the old Kyoto charm than the busy city atmosphere I was so used to.

The Kamo-gawa separates the CBD from the Gion district and is arguably the most famous river in the whole of Kyoto. While it doesn’t look as significant as it would be in spring when all the blossom trees are in full bloom, it makes a good dating spot. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a bicycle with me or I would have loved to ride down the river and take in the sights.

Riverside restaurants nearby offers a beautiful view of the river, which I didn’t get to experience first hand, but I would imagine one would be paying more for the view than the food itself. I shall be contented with what the street has to offer, considering my very limited budget. In the evening, the Kamo-gawa makes an even more romantic spot to chill at, with the lamps lighting up the path.

Turning into Hanami-koji Street from the main road, I’ve stepped into a whole different world altogether. Built as a district to cater to the needs of visitors to the Yasaka Shrine during the Middle Ages, it has developed into the most exclusive, and one of the most well-known Geisha districts in Japan.

Traditional Japanese shophouses called machiya lined the streets and some of which were restaurants and ochaya (Japanese tea house). There was something about Japanese restaurants that seemed prim and proper on the outside and a whole different kind of wild once you gathered enough courage to slide open the door and cross the threshold. Tourists, armed with their cameras were everywhere along this street, hoping to catch a glimpse of a Geisha. What I’ve noticed was, where there was a whole mob of people with the cameras up, there’d be a Geisha.

I came to Gion with the intention to soak in the atmosphere of the place, and hopefully to see a geisha up close. Lucky for me, I did! I was standing right in front of the door to the machiya she was visiting, trying to decipher a map and when I looked up, there she was. We had a brief eye contact and she smiled at me before disappearing into the machiya. I was still too shell shocked to smile back or to register what I’ve just seen. The stranger next to me went, “Why didn’t you take a picture? You had your phone in your hands!” Sorry mister, I’m not as jakun (read: mountain tortoise) as the rest of you are to take a photographic evidence to show the world that I’ve seen a Geisha. I’ve seen one, right in front of me with my own two eyes and that’s enough for me.

Getting bored of the Geisha-chasing crowd, I wandered away from the main street of Gion and into the streets less trodden. The architecture blew my mind away. Occasionally, I’d see an oba-san in a kimono shuffling to her house, or kids kicking a ball or playing their game consoles on the streets. Later, I walked past a man in a suit flirting with a pretty woman in a kimono while she was watering the plants. I couldn’t understand a word they said, but from the way the man gazed at the woman, and her coy smile, I knew what was happening.

Admiring the machiya and local houses, watching the slow-paced lifestyles of the locals made me feel like this wasn’t 2014. Such calm is hard to find in a city as developed as Japan. I was glad Kyoto retained its old-school charm. People I met along the streets were friendly, and I wished I took up Japanese back in school instead of the brief stint I had with Korean. I would have loved to strike a conversation with them, one that doesn’t involve asking if they wanted beef, chicken or vegetarian… or woulld they like sugar and milk with their coffee and tea.

KITTEH!

September 18, 2014

Now don’t say I didn’t warn you. The next 10 or so pictures are going to overload your senses. CATS. CATS. CATS!

I’ve had the pleasure of encountering the -supposedly- first cat cafe opened in Osaka. Neko No Jikan just a minute off Ame-mura, and you must possess eagle eyes to spot the sign or you’d just walk past it like I did at least 4 times before I found it. It was a Sunday, and the cafe closes early on Sundays and Mondays hence I was so lucky to have found it in time. I was even luckier because the place wasn’t packed with people like most parts of Shinsaibashi was that day. Mostly, I had the cats to myself.

Kittehs did what all kittehs do. They mind their own business. They hardly care that we were there, strangers fleeting in and out of their lives, because they were very used to it. I encountered the most aloof cats, the cuddly ones and the downright strange ones. For 1250 JPY you get a drink and an hour with these furry little darlings.

I was sitting on the floor watching a wrestling match between two cats when I felt eyes boring into the back of my head. I looked up and I saw this. A kitty silently judging me for all the dumb things I’ve got into that day.

My favourite kitteh was obviously the aloof black cat. He didn’t pay me much attention, but got jealous when I pet his other friends. This kitty reminded me of a human I know. Hahaha. My second favourite was this little kitty with long body and short legs. I wondered how her parents looked like.

I enjoyed my one hour of peace in this sanctuary with the cats, not having to weave in and out of crowds and squinting at Google maps trying to look for a particular place. With all the cat cafes that are sprouting back home in Singapore, I wouldn’t mind taking up a part time job looking after the furry lil monsters.

A Crabby Kaiseki Lunch | Kani Doraku Honten

September 17, 2014

You can’t possibly miss this huge ass crab upon walking into Doutonbori Street. I saw it the first time I came to Namba, and wondered what was so awesome about the multi-level restaurant that one would have to take a queue number just to get in. This time, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to get a queue number (and kill time at F21) to see what the hype was all about.

Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course Japanese meal. Depending on the restaurant, it could be simple… or extravagant. Lunch is usually much, much cheaper than dinner. I personally enjoy a variety in my food and in small quantities, so a kaiseki meal is perfect for me. Let’s begin!

Course #1: Boiled Crab Claws

It was a simple and fresh start to an elaborate meal. I love how easy it was to get the meat out, and while chopsticks were provided, I wasn’t afraid to use my hands to get through the difficult to reach bits. The meat was flaky, chewy and rather flavourful. I preferred it on its own than dipping into the light, tangy sauce that had been served with it.

Course #2: Crab Sashimi

As much as I love my sashimi, I was a little hesitant with these. I love crabs, but.. raw crabs? Oh what the hell, this was Japan. If I could eat raw shellfish that was still moving on the plate.. I could handle some raw crabs. It turned out to be my favourite dish of the lot. The meat melts in your mouth, and it was sweet, slightly salty and just pure heaven. Even now, 10 days on I can still feel the texture on my tongue and that is bad. Real. Real. Bad. I WANT SOME CRAB SASHIMI NAOOO.

Course #3: Chawanmushi

After a heavenly experience with the sashimi, the chawanmushi was quite a letdown. There was nothing entirely special about the egg custard, more than I am used to anyways. It was like every other chawanmushi, soft, silky and savoury. I do enjoy the two ginko nuts hidden somewhere in the cup.

Meanwhile, the rice in the steamer cooks.

Course #4: Tempura

Next up, I was served a plate of tempura. There was crab leg, sweet potato and ginger (with a pink tip). The sweet potato was the only thing I didn’t like, but that’s because I am not the biggest fan of it. The ginger was yummy, sweet and crunchy while the crab leg was what crab legs were. Yummy.

Course #5: Pasta and Cheese with Grilled Crab

I getting a little full at this point and was horrified when they brought in a bowl of carbs. Great. The pasta and cheese dish was served in a hot plate that kept it nice and warm till the last bite. The best part about this dish was the grilled crab. One bite, and the flavour exploded in my mouth. I wish it was cheesy crab bits instead of pasta. That would be PERF.

Course #6: Kani Claypot Chazuke

More carbs. -insert horrified expression here- This dish was the hardest work. I had to scrape boiled crab meat onto the rice and give it a good mix… and also, I was really, really full. I didn’t want to waste any food for the price I am paying for this lunch so I had to finish every single bit of rice in my bowl. The process was simple. Scrape some meat on the mountain of rice in your bowl, pour a generous serving of tea, add pickles… EAT!

Course #7: Matcha Ice Cream

A perfect closing to a perfect lunch. Nothing too heavy, and I love that it wasn’t too sweet. The matcha tasted so good, I couldn’t help but to slurp it all down after I was done with the ice cream. It had a slightly bitter aftertaste, but I LOVE it.

It was overall an interesting experience, sitting through a 7-course lunch. The food may not be as mind blowing as I expected it to be, considering I paid about 4,700 yen (SGD 55) for it, but I walked out of the restaurant feeling really satisfied. Plus, it kept me full way past dinnertime too, so I got to save some cash. Heh heh. The experience was enjoyable, and the view of the shopping street below was great to look at. I finally can say that I’ve dined in one of the iconic restaurants in Namba.

Osaka City

September 16, 2014

Sunday, 7th September 2014

After recuperating from the flight and the build up fatigue prior to the flight, it was time to go out and explore the city! My initial plan was to head to Universal Studios Japan today, but went against that idea because it was a weekend and it sure as hell going to be crowded. Hopped on a train to Namba city instead, hoping to find some food at Dohtonbori.

It turned out I’ve already been there once before, with my crew during Christmas time. We didn’t spend a lot of time there, heading to Shinsaibashi for the beautiful Christmas lights. The atmosphere was warm and vibrant, the streets were teeming with people. There were lots to see, and lots to window shop (at least for me). The Forever 21 and H&M stores were MASSIVE, I had to exercise strict self control not to splurge on beautiful but unnecessary clothing.

Made a pitstop at the Pokemon Center at Osaka Station, found it waaaaay bigger than the one that we went to in Tokyo. Still, I couldn’t find the Togepi I’ve been searching high and low for. Sigh.

After lunch, walked down the crowded shopping street of Shinsaibashi with the intention of heading to Amerikamura, the place I’ve only read about but never got to see. It’s a shopping district in Osaka that featured alternative lifestyle and fashion. You can find stores that sell vintage clothing, cool skate sneaks, and the overprice American Apparel store here. People here were more expressive in terms of their fashion. Girls and guys had coloured hair, mismatched clothes and crazy cool accessories. It was like Harajuku of Osaka. Triangle Square sat in the middle of the district, and it was the most convenient meeting point, or a place to catch a breath, eat takoyaki etc.

I spent almost half my time at Ame-mura, exploring strange shops like Alice on Wednesday. It was an Alice In Wonderland-themed shop, selling the cutest accessories and heart shaped lollies and cheshire cat-shaped cookies. Despite the clamp I had on my wallet, I couldn’t resist getting a tote bag that said EAT ME. Too cute.

I started making my way back to Namba when it got dark (and I got hungry), queued like a typical Singaporean at a famous Takoyaki store. Waited almost half an hour for 8-pieces of takoyaki that was so-so, but I made a new friend while queueing. Leo was a solo traveller from Malaysia, and I’m jealous he gets to spend more time in Japan than I could.

Namba at night was no less vibrant. More people were out on the street, shopping, snacking on Takoyaki or okonomiyaki and cradling their Starbucks cup in their hands. The curious me wanted to venture past the famed street into the places less traversed, but my legs were begging for me to head back. I gave in to my legs and hopped on the train back. I’ll do more exploring next time.

SIN-KUL-KIX

September 15, 2014

Friday, 05 September 2014

And my journey begins TODAY! Armed with my Kanken and a relatively big blue backpack, I am ready to take on Japan! But of course, what’s an adventure without a little risk…. or getting into some kind of trouble?

I ran into my first problem even before leaving my home country. I had two flights to make that day. One was on Jetstar Asia to Kuala Lumpur, and the connecting flight was on Malaysian Airlines to Kansai International Airport, Osaka. Being an airline staff has its perks and drawbacks too.

Mistake #1: I overlooked the fact that it was Friday night, and Malaysians who worked in Singapore might wanna catch the last flight to KL that evening, so my chances of getting on the flight is close to zero. Unless there were no show.

Coincidentally, Mazlan was coming back from his long-ass trip and we promised to meet before I left. Got to greet the rest of the JQ7 crew from Melbourne at the arrival hall too. I had to think of my options, fast. To make matters worse, I can’t login to my staff travel portal to amend my booking, or to check if other flights were available for me to board. The only obstacle I had to cross was this flight from Singapore to KL, and it was proving to be rather impossible.

I had Seri on the line too, and the awesome girl helped me check out the flight availabilities. The earliest possible I could fly would probably be the next day. Which wasn’t a huge issue because I was at home ground, and could easily turn back.

I guess God prevented me from login into the portal for reasons He only knew at that time, because by His grace, there were 15 no shows on the flight, which means I could GET ON! Mazlan was jokingly telling me to miss my flight, so that we could meet up with Seri the next day. Don’t get me wrong, I love you both but… NOT A CHANCE, BABY!

And I’m off!

This was my first time on Malaysian Airlines and I loved the experience. No, I am not afraid to fly with MH after the two unfortunate incidents because let’s face it, it can happen to me on any flight I get on… even for work. Flew on an Airbus A330, a slightly different aircraft than what I’m normally used to. They had bigger galleys and impressively large toilets.

I spent the whole 6 hours catching up on Malay movies because what other airlines had Malay movies in their in-flight entertainment, while everyone was sleeping. The only thing I didn’t like about the whole thing is that there were too many announcements made, even if it was a night flight and everyone was sleeping. And the wake-up lights that came on for breakfast service came on so suddenly, I had quite a shock. Breakfast was so-so, because I had the omelette. The steward on my side hadn’t given a choice, even when I heard that there was rice.. But oh well.

It was nearly 7 in the morning when we landed in KIX. Disembarked, got my bags, purchased my train tickets and off I went to my hostel at J-Hoppers Osaka. Walking towards the station, I saw the walkway leading to the hotel we normally stay at when we’re here for work. Go that way? NOPE. Not this time! Unfortunately, check-in was after 3 pm, but they were really nice to hand me a blanket and let me sleep in the basement lounge while waiting for my bed to be ready.

J-Hoppers Osaka was very easy to find. I took a direct train from Kansai Airport Station (JR line) to JR Fukushima station. Turn left towards Mister Donut and turn left without going past the shop into a coloured street. At first, I didn’t know what they meant by that. But check out the road. It was literally coloured. The hostel is on the left of the street, two minutes walk down.

Blows off Dust

September 15, 2014

This kitteh isn’t pleased that I haven’t been updating the blog for a really, really long time. BUT WITH GOOD REASON! LEZGO Japan has just concluded, and I am now back at home…. enjoying all the time I have left before jetting off for work again. It had been a crazy 10-day trip for me, and I am super excited to share my stories with you. So please bear with me as I sort out my 3204862058623124 photos along with the mountain of laundry I have to settle….

Stay tuned!