Planes, Thrills and Meals: SQ to Kansai, Osaka , Kyoto and Universal Studios Japan

[yflyer]

And close by, there was Kuromon Ichiba Market, a 580m long street market lined with purveyors of fresh and preserved food, both raw and cooked, with much of the fresh produce on offer available to be cooked by the street vendor and eaten on the spot.





Strolling through the market, one could get a sense of what was popular to eat in Osaka…

Octopus was popular, either on a stick or as an ingredient in the ubiquitous takoyaki…



Fugu, otherwise known as puffer fish or globe fish, was very popular, despite it’s reputation of possessing a toxin in its internal organs which is lethal if the fish is not properly prepared, and internal organs removed…

[yflyer]

Beautifully marbled Japanese beef, typically black hair wagyu, was on display at various specialty butchers, alongside premium Kobe and Matsusaka beef…the range of different types and breeds of beef, not to mention different cuts of meat, were mindboggling.





I learnt on this trip that there are differences between Japanes wagyu beef, and beef from specific regions and breeds, such as Kobe beef and Matsusaka beef, whose origin and lineage are carefully managed and monitored.

There is even a ten digit national ID for each cow, which can be tracked on an online website, to assure the origin of your meat, and tell you which exact cow that the cut of meat (or steak) you are eating came from.

The 10 digit ID that can be used to trace the cow from which the beef originated…



And the cow ID tracking website: https://www.id.nlbc.go.jp/english/

[yflyer]

Mrs yflyer headed there almost every day when we were in Osaka, either to buy groceries or indulge in an on-the-spot breakfast of freshly grilled shellfish or sushi.

On our first afternoon in Osaka, we sampled grilled sea urchin and scallop, picked out fresh from the mouthwatering selection on display…



This was instant gratification…point to the item on the display, and it is sliced, cleaned, shelled and grilled on the spot…









We chased the scallop and uni down with very fresh-looking tuna belly sushi…





Apart from the tables and chairs at the individual stalls, there are a few areas where tables were set up for visitors to eat as well…

[yflyer]

At night, the area around Dotonburi is beautifully lit up…

[yflyer]

And as if all that seafood during the day wasn’t enough to fill us up, I persuaded my older daughter, Miss yflyer No.1, to accompany me out that evening for a bowl of “stand-up” ramen at a branch of Kinryu Ramen, a chain in Osaka with distinctive 3-D Dragon signage, and several branches around Dotonburi including this one along the street which was “stand-up” only…



This was quick-n-cheap dining at it’s best…you choose your ramen (Just one decision to make: regular for JPY600 (Around SGD7), or with extra pork slices for JPY900) and pay for it on the machine…



...the machine spits out a meal ticket, which you pass to the chef behind the counter…and a few minutes later, a fragrant, steaming hot bowl of ramen appears in front of you on the counter…just perfect on a cold evening…



You add condiments, including a free flow of fresh garlic, kimchi, and chili-covered chives, and slurp away…



I found this to be absolutely delicious, almost addictive, especially with a large topping of chilli chives to give it a kick…



Another branch of Kinryu Ramen in Dotonburi had sit-down dining areas…but the concept was the same, same two-choice menu, but with a self-service sit-down dining area with raised tatami tables, a free flow of toppings and also free flow of white rice, which went very well with the ramen soup stock after you had finished your noodles.



Miss yflyer No.1 found it ok but didn’t rave about it the way I did, perhaps because she wasn’t much of a chilli eater, and didn’t pile on the toppings and seasoning the way I did…she would find the ramen of her dreams later on in the trip, at Ichiran Ramen, but that is a story for later…

[yflyer]

On the way back to Hotel Ichiei, we paused to listen to buskers performing late in the evening outside Namba Station…



The quality of buskers in Osaka is very good – far better than Singapore in any case…and often the buskers were aspiring (even established) pop groups or artistes out to gain exposure.

Many had a loyal and appreciative fan base listening in…

The music scene in Osaka is vibrant, and like Tokyo, Tower Records Japan has a major presence here.



The next day, the 3rd of our trip, we headed to Kyoto by train.

To be continued!

[HUGE AL]

I have never been to that marvel of architecture and engineering, Kansai International Airport, a stunning airport built on a man-made island off Osaka Bay. This would be great opportunity to make an aviation pilgrimage to this remarkable structure.

I prefer NGO to KIX.

[yflyer]

I prefer NGO to KIX.

Don't recall ever flying out of NGO...maybe I should add it to my do-to list!

[yflyer]

From Osaka, we took a train to Kyoto, a place of scenic beauty, steeped in history and tradition. We spent four days in Kyoto, and by the end of it we were all seduced and charmed by everything Kyoto had to offer.

Kyoto Station is only a 30 minute train journey from Osaka Station by the special rapid express train. The express trains between Osaka and Kyoto are inexpensive and run frequently. The local trains take much longer as they stop frequently.







I used Google Maps extensively to get from place to place in Japan. Google Maps does an excellent job of suggesting your route across walking, subway, and the excellent Japan Rail Network.

This example shows how Google Maps suggested a route from our hotel near Namba Station all the way to our accomodations in Kyoto, using subway and railway.



I can recommend Google Maps as a primary tool to get around, as long as you have a cost effective wifi internet connection (If using your mobile phone as a hotspot, it is critical to sign up for a low cost daily mobile data roaming plan, or even buy a separate local SIM card, since the last thing you want to do is incur prohibitive data roaming charges on your phone. Another option is to get a portable wifi router, which you can rent from Singapore or obtain in Japan).

[yflyer]

Kyoto Station is a huge station with an integrated shopping and restaurant complex.





Christmas décor was up in the station, and indeed all over Kyoto.



Kyoto Tower is right across from the station.

[yflyer]

The foliage in the city at this time of year was beautiful. While many trees had already lost their leaves in Autumn, there was still the occasional stunning vista filled with bright reds, oranges and yellows…

[yflyer]

In Kyoto, we stayed at a machiya, a traditional wooden house, which had been restored, and partitioned into multiple units for rental, typically for a minimum of a 4 to 5 night stay.

Our machiya was in Higashiyama District, about 20 minutes walk east of the Kamo River and main city, on the slopes of Kyoto’s Eastern mountains, and just a short distance from the famous Kiyomizudera Temple, and not far from the Gion geisha district.

We found this to be a wonderful location to stay, and we did most of our explorations of Kyoto on foot, from our machiya.

The machiya…



The entrance via a small passage and courtyard…





A stunning bathroom, with views of an outdoor garden…



Small living and dining room…







The floor space in the living room could be converted to a sleeping space for one at night with a futon mattress on the floor.

[yflyer]

Kitchen and cooking area…





The machiya had an electric grill top, microwave oven, refrigerator and Nespresso machine, and a full set of kitchenware and cutlery.

A wooden staircase leading up to the bedroom…





Where three very comfortable futon mattresses and pillows were laid out…





There were heating/air-conditioning units as well as a heated floor, which went a long way to ensuring the temperature was comfortable during our stay.

[yflyer]

The evening we arrived, we took a walk from our machiya down to the city, for dinner at Kiyamachi Street, a busy food and nightlife area running parallel to the Kamo River.



Mrs yflyer had reserved seats for 4 at a restaurant, Kichi Kichi, that specialized in omu-rice, literally egg omelette over rice whose signature dish had gone viral on Youtube several years back on account of the chef’s unique artistry and skill.

This restaurant is tucked into one of the sidelanes of Kiyamachi Street…



We passed it several times before doubling back and pinpointing the entrance with the help of Google Maps…

[yflyer]

This is not a large restaurant, with just a single counter, and a single private table.



The star of this establishment was, of course, chef Motokichi Yukimura…a real master of his craft...



I believe all the items on his small menu are excellent, but almost everyone here goes for the Omu-rice, whose preparation is a performance to savour…



I began with a Yamazaki whisky highball…



…served icy cold in a metal glass, with just the right amount of lemon…



…and then sat back to savour the performance behind the counter…



Two sizes available, a full or a half omelette…



The rice was freshly prepared and fried with chicken, vegetables, and beef stock…



…the perfectly cooked omelette was then draped over…



…sliced right down the middle…



…where it immediately split open and draped the soft, and still wet egg beautifully over the rice, forming a perfectly symmetrical blanket of warm, creamy, egg over the rice, all of it happening almost in slow motion…