Cliff(y) Goes Dining

Not a single visit to Japan without 'ekiben'! A portmanteau of eki (lit. station) and bento (Japanese meal box), ekiben  has long been an icon of Japanese culinary culture. I know the meal boxes are served at room temperature, but I'm always drawn to them, thanks in part to their exquisite presentation. My family bought some from Ekiben Tabi Bento situated within Kyoto station to savour them for lunch, not inside a train, but in the comfort of our hotel room.

Came for the parfait, but even more amazed by the 'cha soba'! Kyoto is synonymous with that finely ground green tea powder known as matcha . In the heart of Uji, a town distinguished for producing high-quality matcha , lies a traditional tea house called Nakamura Tokichi that's been around since the Edo period. Though we didn't have the chance to visit the main outlet, my family and I managed to get a table at the Isetan branch that's conveniently linked to Kyoto station.

Fancy some winter-exclusive soup curry? Although CoCo Ichibanya can be found in Singapore, I've always been interested to try it in Japan. Started from a shop in the suburb area of Nagoya in 1978, the restaurant chain specialising in Japanese curry has grown to over a thousand outlets, going as far as Hawaii and Los Angeles in the USA.

Deep-fried 'hamo' (lit. conger eel), anyone? Kyoto was the first destination on our eagerly anticipated family trip. After dropping off our luggage at Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Hachijoguchi, we made our way to the food court at the basement level of Kyoto Tower. Among the various options, it was the stall by Nishiki Uoriki, a restaurant founded in 1919 at the bustling Nishiki Market, that piqued my interest the most.

Japanese style mapo tofu ramen and 'Tianjin rice'! I've always been curious of the perception of Chinese cuisine in Japan. When I went to the Chinatown in Yokohama back in June last year, I was impressed by the number of Chinese eateries (and the price tags of each dish), but I didn't try any. In January this year, I dropped by one of the Gyoza no Ohsho, a huge chain primarily known for its gyoza (Japanese dumpling filled with minced pork and vegetables), branches near Pontocho, Kyoto.

Omelette art in the making! Look at the picture below. What do you see? A volcanic eruption? It was taken when I patronised Kichi Kichi, a small Western eatery located at one of the alleys of Pontocho, Kyoto. I got to know about its existence from a video which was pretty viral on my Facebook newsfeed sometime ago.

Huge grilled squid during new year! Since young, I've been a fan of this manga (lit. Japanese comic) called Kobo-chan written by Masashi Ueda. It encapsulates the daily life of a Japanese family in a light and humorous way, from which I've learnt quite a bit about Japanese culture. I recall reading a part when Kobo went to a temple during new year where lots of food stalls were set up, and the most notable was the grilled squid stall.

Nishin soba - a popular Kyoto dish! After an hour of leisurely walk, along with buying all those snacks and tidbits along Matsubara Street, we finally reached Kiyomizu Temple. As the area is pretty big, we didn't have to jostle with the crowds coming for  hatsumode (first shrine or temple visit during the new year). Afterwards, we went for a simple lunch at Sakura which is also situated at Matsubara Street.

Okay cream puff, but rich-in-coffee green tea tiramisu! Matsubara Street is really bustling with a lot of small shops selling not only snacks, but also souvenirs. Upon seeing people queuing for cream puffs at Kiyomizu Kyoami, we decided to give the custard flavour a try. Not only that, you can also take a look at the beautiful colours of the green tea tiramisu we ordered.

Highly chewy grilled dango and mochi! Still along Matsubara Street leading to Kiyomizu Temple, we stopped by as soon as a heady aroma of grilled dango (Japanese skewered rice dumpling) stimulated our olfactory glands. Yes, we took quite a while to reach the temple, not because of the long way up, but the fact that we succumbed to the temptation of various snacks along the way. :P

Chinese buns filled with beef, anyone? In the morning of 1 January 2014, we decided to pay Kiyomizu Temple, a part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto UNESCO World Heritage, a visit. Along the small Matsubara Street leading to the temple, we found a seemingly popular Chinese bun shop.

Chewy udon rolled with juicy beef! Walking along Pontocho, an alley lined with restaurants and bars near Gion in Kyoto, brought back memories. When I came to Japan in June last year, I didn't walk to the other end of the alley, and had quite a sumptuous dinner at Izumoya . That night, I decided to walk further with my BFFs. We eventually came across Mimasuya which bears a Trip Advisor sign on its facade, specialising in innovative tapas -style dishes.

Trio filling of rice cake, green tea cream and red bean paste! Having said goodbye to the snowman we made in Hokkaido, we finally reached Kyoto. I found myself back in Gion, that district famous for geisha (Japanese female entertainers), where I stayed in Hotel Sasarindou in June last year. It was 31 December; the streets were full of people, citizens and foreigners alike, including police to deal with the crowd and rowdy individuals. In the midst of absorbing the festivity, I succumbed to the temptation of taiyaki (Japanese sea bream-shaped cake).

Vegetables galore during my Shinkansen ride to Tokyo! Just like most tourists coming to Japan, I succumbed to the temptation of ekiben , a term used to which refers to boxed meals sold in railway stations throughout the country. On my trip from Kyoto to Tokyo via the bullet train known as Shinkansen, I enjoyed my lunch which I got from one of the shops in Kyoto station (which, unfortunately, I have no idea how to describe the location).

Colourful breakfast of vegetables, beef balls and omelette with rice! When I was in Kyoto, I stayed at Hotel Sasarindou (3*) which is just 5 minutes away from Gion Shijo subway station. For a Japanese hotel, the guest rooms are pretty spacious not to forget that there's a big jacuzzi inside some, if not all of them.

Red bean sweets with gold flakes! I had the chance to visit the Temple of the Golden Pavilion when I was in Kyoto. Having the top two stories covered with pure gold, the pavilion is integrated within the verdant landscape in an artistic way.

Vegetable-centred lunch set with super sweet onions! Literally located on the second floor of the famous Kanematsu vegetable shop at Nishiki market, Yaoya no Nikai only serves one set lunch everyday. Going by the name of 長寿ランチ ( chouju ranchi , lit. longevity set lunch), it features seasonal gourmet vegetables. If you can read Japanese, you can find out the ingredients used for the day from the small slip of paper placed on each table. I still have it with me for reference.  

Cheese crackers went along with sake! I stayed for one night at a small ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) within the Fushimi ward of Kyoto, a relatively serene area away from modernisation. It was a pity though that I didn't have the time to visit Fushimi Inari Taisha, a famous shrine of the God of rice. To complete the experience of Japanese living, I dropped by an izakaya (a type of Japanese establishment serving alcohols and food to go along with).

Fuwa fuwa egg omelette! Welcome to Kyoto, Japan! Formerly the capital of the country for more than a millenium, Kyoto is the place to experience traditional Japan with its preserved architecture and thick culture. I visited Pontocho, a district famous for geisha (Japanese female entertainers) and had a fulfilling meal there. Kyoto cuisine is the highlight of today's review.