Cliff(y) Goes Dining

Eat or don't: the store sells only one dish! When strolling through the lively district of Dotonbori in Osaka, Japan, it's probably hard to overlook the sight of at least one dragon holding a bowl of noodle. Established in 1928, Kinryu (lit. Golden Dragon) Ramen has got a few branches in the area. Be it day or night, you can satiate your ramen cravings anytime as they're open 24/7.

Certainly way better than being no. 18 in the market! Takoyaki , the celebrated Japanese octopus balls, stands as a quintessential street food experience in Osaka. I recall having pretty good ones from Kukuru in my previous visit to the lively Dotonbori district many years ago. This time round, I was drawn to another famous shop that calls itself no. 18, but the origin of the name remains a mystery with no clues provided on their website.

Abalone-topped sushi, anyone? Founded in 1995, Kura Sushi is the second largest sushi restaurant chain in Japan, trailing only behind Sushiro (スシロー). Having more than 450 outlets in the country, it's since expanded its presence to international locations, such as Taiwan and the USA. While visiting Osaka, I decided to drop by the branch located at the vibrant district of Shinsekai.

Limited buffet spread in a crammed lounge... The day when we'd be leaving Japan finally came. As we'd be flying with a Star Alliance airline in the Business Class, we were granted access to ANA lounge at Kansai International Airport. The not-so-spacious lounge was really crowded that morning, but thankfully we managed to get some seats to have a quick breakfast.

Appetisingly fragrant char-grilled 'oyako don'! We've finally come to the last dinner in Japan during the December 2019 trip. As we'd be leaving Japan from Kansai International Airport, my BFFs and I left Kobe with a heavy heart for Izumisano in Osaka Prefecture. For the very first time, I noticed a branch of Nakau, a chain of quick service restaurants owned by Zensho Holdings that also runs Sukiya .

Beef bowl with three varieties of cheese! The war of beef bowl is a continuous one in Japan. It's said that as of 2008, Sukiya has established a total of one thousand branches not only in Japan, but also overseas. The one located in Kansai International Airport opens 24 hours everyday. We went there for breakfast before catching our flight back to Singapore via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Burger, fries, salad and pasta under one roof! Finally, the time to head for Kansai International Airport had come. Before entering and spending a night at the comfortable KIX Airport Lounge, my BFFs and I decided to have supper first. First Kitchen is a fast food restaurant chain which has been around since 1977. To differentiate itself from its business competitors, it has been expanding its menu to include dishes not typically found in fast food joints, like Italian pasta. Note that there's no English menu available.

Yummy udon with crunchy tempura flakes! It felt really great to be back in the Land of the Rising Sun for the second time in 2013. I took Malaysian Airlines (the review will be coming soon) to Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan via Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. While waiting for our flight to Hokkaido with ANA, we had a simple lunch at Goryo, one of the restaurants in Terminal 1 of the airport. Note that there isn't any English menu available, but ironically, the restaurant name is written in Latin alphabets.

Melt-in-the-mouth deep-fried wagyu beef! Have you ever tried kushikatsu (Japanese deep-fried skewers)? The Shinsekai neighbourhood of Osaka is famous for that. Besides the mandatory visit to Dotonbori, indeed I walked down the road to try kushikatsu for the first time in my life. There are several branches of the eateries located not so far away from one another, and unfortunately, I'm not exactly sure which branch did I go to. 

Creamy octopus balls rich in taurine! Thanks to the Japan Rail pass that allowed me to travel from Nara to Osaka in no time, I managed to cover the iconic Osaka Castle on the same day. The evening was spent wandering around the famous Dotonbori area. Immersed in the lively atmosphere with illuminated signboards and neon lights everywhere, I stopped by at one of the most popular takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls) shops.