Cliff(y) Goes Dining

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.

Time for okonomiyaki with three main ingredients! From Kyoto, let's move to Nara. On my day trip there, I went to Todaiji Temple to see the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana. I also took a stroll at Nara Park, not forgetting to buy some shika senbei (lit. deer crackers) to feed the cute and adorable creatures roaming freely around the park. Before saying goodbye to the city, I had lunch at an eatery along one of the main roads to the park.

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.

Granny Smith made her way to a mooncake! Let's take a short break from Japan eateries, and indulge in mooncakes. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! This year, I've decided to give the ones prepared by Regent Singapore a try. To tell you the truth, I've been eyeing on their snowskin mooncakes since last year.

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.

Huge, yummy beef meat and tendons! September is here, and that means two things. Firstly, I should start hunting for mooncakes, and secondly, my birthday is coming soon! Anyway, this shall be the last review of the series of eateries in Taipei for now. Heralded as the eatery serving the best beef noodle soup in Taipei, Yong Kang Beef Noodle has been thriving in business since 1963.

That huge crispy chicken with a video of me eating it! :P Shilin Night Market was actually the first out of the three night markets I visited during my 4D3N trip to Taipei. Often considered to be the most famous night market in the city, it's the place where you can get the crispy chicken everyone has been talking about. Enjoy this last entry of the month!