Tonkatsu is already delicious on its own, so I didn’t think there was any room for improvement. My recent trip to Nagoya tastefully proved me wrong!
Deep-fried pork slathered in a thick, rich miso sauce made from Nagoya’s special red soybean paste (赤みそ). Red miso has a much stronger, bolder flavor than the much lighter, white miso (白みそ) popular in Tokyo, making it a great alternative to ward of chills in the cold months of fall and winter.
The savory, slightly sweetened miso sauce harmonized perfectly with the incredibly tender, juicy pork. The breaded crust provided a nice crisp textural element, while the shredded cabbage base offered a guise of healthiness. In fact, I was shocked to find the word, “healthy” (ヘルシー) in the description of my “Hire Miso Katsu”. Yeah sure, I chose the leaner tenderloin cutlet (“hire”, pronounced he-ray), instead of the fattier loin cutlet (“rosu”), but in the end, it’s a deep-fried piece of meat! Japanese euphemisms continue to amaze me!
FYI: I tend to prefer the “hire” not so much for the health reasons but because it has a bit of a bite to it. However, many people prefer the fattier, arguably more flavorful “rosu” cutlet. I don’t like very fatty meat and sometimes find “rosu” a little chewy. That said, “rosu katsu” is significantly cheaper than “hire katsu” (several 100 yen less) making it a much more attractive option especially for students.
Miso Katsu in Nagoya is essentially synonymous with Yabaton (矢場とん), a chain of popular katsu restaurants with several locations in Nagoya as well as branches in Tokyo and Fukuoka.
I went to this location:
Yabaton (矢場とん)
Japan, Aichi Prefecture Nagoya Naka Ward Osu ３丁目６−１８
(日本愛知県名古屋市中区大須３丁目６) (map)
052-252-8810
Website: Japanese, English
Open 11am to 9pm; closed Monday
After a long, but tranquil stroll on the Philosopher’s Walk (哲学の道), what could be better than a delicious cone of refreshing soft serve (called “soft cream” in Japan)?
How about four different flavors?!?!
When it comes to ice cream, I often become very indecisive because all the flavors look so good, so I tend to opt for a double scoop or soft serve swirl of two flavors. But, with its four flavor cone, this little dessert stand at the base on Ginkaku-ji makes my life even easier. A vanilla base, followed by two types of tea, Matcha and Hoji-cha (roasted Japanese green tea), and topped with kiwi. Despite my initial doubts, the tartness of the kiwi actually complimented the sweet vanilla and rich tea flavors very well. That said, I probably would have recommended trying this special soft cream for the simple novelty of having four flavors stacked high in the same cone! It’s genius!
My imagination might be pushing it a bit, but this four-tiered sweet treat reminded me of another beautiful Japanese creation.
Head to any bookstore and there will be plenty of guidebooks about Japan, describing the best sightseeing spots, restaurants, hotels, and shopping areas. But, unfortunately, these books are limited. You must be “in-the-know” or speak Japanese to find the real hidden gems. There is so much more information locked away in Japanese-only websites, television shows, and magazines.
Last week, I learned about one of these delicious restaurants off-the-tourist-beaten-path while watching TV with my host Okaasan. As soon as the TV show was over, I looked up the restaurant online to see if there were any blog post or reviews, while simultaneously, my host Okaasan called a friend who lived near the restaurant to verify the sincerity of the television commentator’s “Umai!” and “Oishii” praising this restaurant. (My host Okaasan quickly picked up on my obsession with food and has been a helpful resource on my culinary adventures. Now, whenever she enjoys an especially delicious meal, she makes sure to let me know so I can check it out!)
Both friends and online reviewers agreed, IMAISHOKUDO was a delicious, hidden gem!
Having passed this first round of assessments, it was time to try the food for myself. Once we finished our morning Japanese lessons, Keeley, Ann, and I biked from Imadegawa Campus all the way up past Kitayama, near Shimogamo Shrine, to find Imaishokudo. After biking for about half an hour and watching the transformation of Kyoto from a bustling downtown to a quiet, more suburban area, we started having doubts. Where the heck was this place?!?! Why were we in such a quiet neighborhood? Would the food live up to all the hype? Did I mess up the directions?
But then, we crossed the Kamogawa river and turned the corner at Kamigamo Misonoguchicho…The long line of hungry Japanese people standing outside a ramshackle little shop provided the necessary reassurance: we were definitely in the right place! We were also the only foreigners in sight.
Ann and Keeley at the end of the line. The line moved rather quickly though so we didn’t have to wait long.
Like most shinise restaurants, Imaishokudo’s menu is short and simple. There are several set lunch options which include their famous saba, tempura shrimp, and chicken karaage along with rice and miso soup.
I’m sure the tempura and karaage at Imaishokudo is delicious, but it is most well-known for its Saba (Mackerel), so we all ordered the Saba set lunch.
Juicy, tender saba in a slightly sweet, savory sauce.
For three days, they stew the saba in their special sauce until the saba is so soft that you can eat the bones…YUM!!!! Even Keeley, who doesn’t particularly care for fishy tasting things, was raving about Imaishokudo’s saba.
The inside of the restaurant does get a bit stuffy, but thoughtfully, they have placed paper fans along the walls, which we thankfully used to cool down. Another option would be to order the takeout bentos instead and enjoy the delicious saba sitting along the Kamogawa river…a great date idea, too!
Look at all the signatures on the wall. This place is famous and yet you won’t find it in the guidebooks!
If you are up for making the trek out here, I highly recommend this restaurant.
Imaishokudo (今井食堂)
京都府京都市北区上賀茂御薗口町2 上賀茂神社横 (map)
075-791-6780
No website
Open 11am to 2pm (possibly 3pm) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; I’m not completely sure, but I think you can still order bentos on the weekends
While I definitely miss all my family and friends back home, I do not miss the food. Some of my fellow KCJS-ers keep saying that they are craving a big, greasy hamburger and fries, or a nice, juicy steak. However, I rarely get these carnivorous tendencies. Maybe it’s because my host mom is awesome and made me some truly delicious steak for dinner last night.
(Note: McDonald’s and Burger King do exist in Kyoto, but portions are smaller, prices are steeper, and you don’t get that grimy but often satisfying feeling that accompanies eating American fast food.)
While I never crave meat, sometimes there are those days when you just need ice cream. I get these cravings almost weekly (daily if a Japanese test is approaching). Thankfully, Kyoto has provided me with several solutions to indulge my sweet tooth.
Located a short walk west from Toriiwaro, just south of Imadegawa Dori, you will find an unassuming little shop at the corner of Senbon Dori and Sasayacho Chome. The nameplate was hidden behind a tree and the windows were all covered with screens, so you could easily walk past this place or mistakenly think it was closed.
I love this little homemade ice cream shop. Chibeta, which means “cold” or “冷たい” in Kyoto dialect, features some very interesting flavors that you could only find in Japan.
So far I’ve tried:
- Black Sesame
- Kyo-cha: Kyoto green tea (shown above)
- Kinako: soybean flour (shown above)
- Hoji: roasted green tea
- Marron: chestnut
- Apple sorbet
- Murasaki Imo: purple potato (shown above)
- Yaki Imo: baked Japanese sweet potato
So yummy! They were all delicious, so I can’t really say which one is my favorite. And if I can remember correctly, a two-scoop cup is 315 yen…a great deal especially by Japanese standards!
How does Chibeta’s ice cream compare to other ice creams?
Like most Japanese desserts, Chibeta’s ice cream is not very sweet and much lighter than American equivalents, but it still maintains the creamy texture and rich flavor. I’d consider myself a bit of an ice cream connoisseur, especially since I’m spoiled with all the ice cream and gelato options in New York, and I highly recommend trying Chibeta!
Also, the second floor of Chibeta is quiet with great natural lighting during the day…it makes a great study spot!
Chibeta
京都市上京区千本通笹屋町東北角 (map)
075-414-8688
http://www.kyo-ice.com/welcome/head.html (Japanese only)
Open 11am to 7pm; closed Monday
Sometimes I like to get creative with how I define things. For example, freshman year (3 years ago! Wow, time flies!), Huei-yu and I watched Detective Conan to “study” for our Japanese final.
I’ve recently discovered another euphemism: eating = history lesson
Kyoto is old, like seriously old. And with age, comes decades, even centuries, of culinary expertise. There are many restaurants in Kyoto that have been around longer than the United States was formally in existence, perfecting their special dishes and technique for generations. These time-honored restaurants are called shinise (老舗). This semester, I plan to visit as many shinise as possible.
A couple of weeks ago, my Obaachan (“grandma”) and father visited me in Kyoto. Their trip was short, so I wanted to make sure that they experienced the best of Kyoto at a reasonable price! Kyoto has some incredible kaiseki restaurants, but they are $$$$. However, if you know where to look, you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy Kyoto.
For lunch, we headed to Toriiwaro for arguably the best and definitely the most famous Oyako Donburi in the city.
With this many shoes and the line of people waiting, I knew we had hit the jackpot.
As their name suggests, Toriiwaro specializes in chicken (“Tori”=chicken). At the heart of their dishes is their chicken stock, which is prepared by slowly simmering 30 chicken carcasses overnight to prepare for the next day’s meals. At Toriiwaro, there is no menu because they only serve one item, oyako donburi, making this restaurant very tourist friendly. Upon entering, you just tell the waitress how many people are in your party.
Once seated, we were served some soothing hot tea.
And mere minutes later…
So what, it’s just oyako donburi. What’s so special about it?
Well, the oyako donburi at Toriiwaro was the best I’ve ever had. Usually, donburi come in massive bowls with excessive amounts of rice, so you are left eating plain white rice after you eat the top layer. But here, the bowls are smaller and there is less rice, which allows the rich chicken broth and egg-y mixture to seep deep down into the rice, making every single bite as flavorful as the first. When our donburi first arrived, I was a little afraid that it would not be enough food for my dad. But, despite the smaller size, we left pleasantly full and very satisfied.
Oyako literally translates as “parent and child” and refers to the mixture of chicken and egg. Therefore, sharing this dish with my father and grandma—three generations—was so poetic.
Besides the food, the ambiance is wonderful. Housed in a traditional Japanese machiya, you feel transported back in time as you sit on zabuton cushions on the tatami floor and look out over a beautiful Japanese garden.
Just like lunch, there is only one item on the dinner menu, too—Mizudaki Nabe (chicken hot pot). But, I will probably never try it. While lunch is a reasonable 800 yen (it might be 850 yen, I forget), the dinner price skyrockets to 6,300 yen per person.
Toriiwaro (西陣鳥岩楼、にしじんとりいわろう）
Kyoto-shi Kamigyo-ku Gotsuji-dori Chiekoin Nishi-iru Minami-gawa (京都市上京区五辻通智恵光院西入南側)
(map)
075-441-4004
http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~mao_utty/toriiwa/ (Japanese only)
Lunch served from 12-4pm; Closed on Thursday.
Directions: Walk west from Doshisha University Imadegawa Campus. At the intersection of Imadegawa and Chiekoin streets, turn right (north) on Chiekoin, and then make a left at the first intersection onto Itsutsujicho. Toriiwaro will be on the left (south) side of the street. Look for a crowd of bicycles and people. The line may seem intimidating, but the service is very fast, and the wait isn’t too bad (we waited about 15 minutes).
I arrived in Kyoto over a month ago and then fell off the radar. What happened to me?!?!
Well, I’ve been pretty busy with school, hours of Japanese homework, running around to various temples and shrines, making friends, EATING and getting acquainted with Kyoto. But that is still no excuse for going AWOL…I’m sorry for keeping you hanging…
I have absolutely no idea where to begin!!! I’ve eaten sooo many delicious things and therefore, have such a backlog of posts to write and photos to upload.
While the food itself is obviously a crucial component of enjoying a meal, sharing it with good company is equally important, so let me start with…THE PEOPLE
First up, my amazing Host Okaasan:
Can you believe that she is a whopping 82 years old??? She is incredibly healthy, still drives her flashy BMW, and plays sports almost every single morning! Despite my initial doubts and worries about living with only one (very old) person, I’m pretty sure I got the best host mother/family in the entire group. She’s hilarious, energetic, super opinionated in a good way (a rarity amongst Japanese), and a great cook. I love her!!!!
My girls!
And some of my (often very feminine…lol) Japanese friends from Kyoto University
An almost complete group photo of the students in KCJS (Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies) with some Japanese students thrown in for good measure and to enhance the authenticity…jkjk
I’ve finally arrived in Kyoto!
- The historical centre of Japan.
- The Best Restaurant City in the World.
- My home for next 4 months!
But first, one final tribute to Aobadai and my Obaachan’s cooking:
Breakfast
Lunch
Umeboshi onigiri, sautéed sausage and green peppers, and banana…the perfect power lunch to give me the strength to carry my 70+ pounds of luggage!
After lunch, I finished packing and headed to Shin-Yokohama to board the Shinkansen. In about 2 hours, I was in Kyoto. Gotta love bullet trains!
For the next three days, all the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS) students will be staying at the Hearton Hotel for orientation.
My room!
After checking in, I organized a dinner for all the KCJS-ers who had already arrived in Kyoto. I thought it would be a good idea to meet everyone and get over the awkward introductions before the program officially gets started tomorrow morning.
Some of the students had already been in Kyoto a couple of days, so they acted as tour guides leading us to a series of dark alleys full of small restaurants and bars. This may sound shady, but these dark passageways and traditional-style store fronts are part of Kyoto’s unique charm.
They all looked so good, though many were out of our student budget. In the end, we choose a small soba shop down one of the alleys.
Dinner
Ten zaru soba: Cold soba noodles with shrimp and vegetable tempura
Gotta have a dessert…or two
Two types of ice cream from the 7-11 near the hotel: Vanilla Coolish and Ice Fruit (アイスの実)
What the heck is “Ice Fruit”?
Well, it’s sort of like this: take a fruit gummy, subtract the gummy texture, fill it with ice cream, and freeze solid. I don’t think I’ve ever tried anything quite like it.
Ice Fruit caused quite a stir earlier this summer with their latest commercial…a freaky, but pretty innovative marketing concept.
In the past week, I frequented numerous local establishments in search of the perfect environment to study Japanese. Here’s a summary of my findings:
1. Starbucks
Besides the convenience stores, Starbucks is one of the few places open early in the morning (7am). At that time, it is the best place to study since there are many tables available and it’s not too loud. While there Wi-Fi doesn’t work on laptops, it will work on the iPhone. In the afternoon (~2pm and later), it is way too crowded with school children, couples, and middle-aged women.
2. Living Cafe
When Starbucks was full, I headed to the Book1st on the top floor of the shopping mall across the street from Aobadai station. Inside this bookstore, there is a little cafe with ample seating and amazing natural light pouring in through the window which overlooks downtown Aobadai. This place gets a little crowded in the afternoon, but everyone is quietly reading or studying, so it’s perfect!
3. The Bakehouse Coppet
Take a short walk heading north from the station and you will reach this small European-style bakery and cafe. With a eclectic mix of American and Spanish indie music playing in the background, ample lighting, an outlet for my laptop, delicious baked sweets and bread, nice strong coffee, and a cute Japanese boy behind the counter, this place had all the promise of being a good study spot.
But something was off. The whole time I was there, I couldn’t help feeling a bit awkward. Maybe it was the fact that I could understand the lyrics of the music or that it was pretty empty or the mere presence of a tall, attractive male…who knows? I’d return for the baked goods, but probably not for a serious study session.
Chocolate walnut bread and an iced coffee
4. Doutor Gourmet Coffee House
It stinks in so many ways. Don’t go! I won’t return till they ban smoking indoors.
5. KEY Coffee
Located in the basement of the Aobadai Station shopping mall, this place has a decent coffee offering, but very limited seating and is loud because the food department is right next door.
6. KALDI Coffee Farm
This place is more of an international foods and coffee store than cafe or coffee shop. But they always have food and coffee samples, which makes it worth a short visit :)
Note: This list is practically useless for you because it is highly unlikely that you will ever find yourself in Aobadai, but it will help me keep track of the good and the bad next time I visit Obaachan in Aobadai.
Today, Obaachan took me to a pretty fancy tofu restaurant in Aobadai called Ume no Hana (“Plum’s Flower”) for lunch. Located on a small street behind the train station, I didn’t know this place even existed. You must walk through a beautiful bamboo garden before you reach the restaurant’s front doors. Upon entering, we were immediately greeted by women in kimonos and shortly after taken to a private dining room. The service here was impeccable. Our hostess explained each course and bowed to us upon entering and exiting the room for each course. The politeness and customer service in Japan continues to astound me.
This restaurant may focus on tofu, but don’t let that mislead you to believe that it is a vegetarian restaurant. While the central ingredient in each course was some type of tofu or tofu-like product, almost every dish also included a meat or fish component. Even carnivores would appreciate this restaurant!
Note: Many of the dishes we ate featured ingredients you would only find at a Japanese grocery store; instead of explaining them in full detail here, just click the embedded links for more information.
The corridor which leads to all the private dining areas
Our private dining room with a window overlooking the garden
The meal began with a steaming cup of green tea, which our hostess periodically refilled to ensure we always had hot tea
The first course consisted of a trio of tofu dishes (left to right):
- Goma dofu: tofu made from sesame, so not your traditional soy-based tofu
- Okara with shirataki: okara is the incredibly nutritious “by-product of turning soy beans into soy milk or tofu is the ground up fibrous part of the bean” and shirataki is an essentially zero-calorie noodle form of konnyaku making this dish a definite diet food…but it was so well seasoned with dashi stock and other flavors that you couldn’t tell it was a health food
- Stewed eggplant and cold tofu topped with tuna salad, onions, and edamame
Next up was a cold tofu salad (mixed greens, cold tofu, tempura flakes, sunflower seeds, and a sesame dressing) and fried tofu mochi in a sweet pork sauce
The third course was a soup consisting of dashi stock, red snapper, matsutake mushrooms (Japanese delicacy, super expensive), and a spritz of lime juice
Fried tofu and shrimp croquette and shishito pepper: It might look like a jalapeño, but it definitely does not taste like one. Peppers are not spicy in Japan. If my Dad’s profuse sweating at the mere mention of eating Indian or Korean food is any indication, Japanese people can’t take the heat!
Steamed shumai with pork and tofu filling wrapped in tofu
Mochi gome with sweet corn and toasted sesame seeds, miso soup with yuba (“tofu skin”), and tsukemono (“pickles”)
I asked Obaachan why the rice dish was served last instead of alongside the other dishes. She emphasized that the order of the dishes is very important. Besides the obvious reason that rice and soup would fill you up, she informed me that you are supposed to drink sake with the meal and eating rice earlier would interfere with how the sake mingles with the flavors from the rest of the dishes.
Finally, dessert: matcha pudding topped with azuki beans and warabi mochi covered in kinako (sweet toasted soybean flour)
All this food on top of the usual delicious breakfast (with natto, of course!)
…just like yesterday, I don’t think I will be hungry for dinner.
This woman can’t see me through the tinted glass, but I’m glaring at her. I know it’s impolite to stare, especially in Japan, but whatever.
I entered the Doutor Gourmet Coffee Shop near the Aobadai station hoping to find another study spot because Starbucks gets pretty busy during late afternoon as it is a popular after-school hangout for high schoolers and meeting place for chatty housewives. Instead, I was greeted by a cloud of smoke and the disgusting smell of tobacco as several patrons (including the above woman) puffed away.
“They still allow smoking indoors???”
An iced coffee with a side of secondhand smoke is definitely not worth my ¥200.
I guess I’ve been spoiled in the U.S. with its increasingly stringent no smoking policies, but still it’s hard to believe that smoking is allowed in this coffee chain in a country that places such a strong emphasis on health and community.
Granted this coffee shop was the first time I’ve encountered smoking indoors in a long time in Japan, and it is a huge improvement from when I was a little kid. At that time, everyone smoked everywhere!
The Way It Should Be
I found another reason to like Starbucks Japan!
No smoking even at their outdoor tables! Doutor should take note from the largest and most successful coffee chain in the world! It’s funny how I’ve become such a Starbucks advocate in Japan because I’m a bit of hater in the States. I’d rather take advantage of NYC’s numerous independent coffee shops. When I do visit a Starbucks, I pretty much cheat the free refill system in the U.S. to the point where I hardly pay for my Starbucks coffee anymore.
But here in Japan, Starbucks actually offers the best coffee experience around (taste, service, and environment). Albeit, this sentiment is pretty biased because Aobadai isn’t exactly a major metropolitan area, so there is little competition. My feelings will likely change when I get to Kyoto. In fact, a recent Google search revealed that Kyoto is full of smaller coffee shops and cafes. I can’t wait!
