Tokyo: Ukai Toriyama @ Takao

This is an awesome restaurant located at the far end of Tokyo - Takao, with an extensive 20,000 m² garden featuring lush greenery, streams and huts with traditional Japanese Sukiya-zukuri architecture.  It offers seasonal cuisine in private standalone huts. You can enjoy the garden's cherry blossoms in spring and fireflies in summer.

The restaurant offers free shuttle bus service every 20 minutes to-and-fro the Takaosanguchi train station between 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Each trip takes about 10 minutes.  See Post on "Tokyo: Hiking @ Mount Takao" on how to get to Takaosanguchi from Tokyo.

Bottom left "stove" is the traditional Japanese "kama" for cooking rice

Charcoal-grilled Chicken Cuisine

Private hut for four diners with a view of the garden

Traditional Irori Fireplace

Osaka Castle (4 Sep 2017)

This man was training his dog. 

 Molted Cicada Shell

Osaka Universal Studio: Harry Potter Attraction (4 Sep 2017)

Osaka: Ichiran Ramen in Dotonbori

Ichiran (一蘭) Ramen in Dotonbori (3 Sep 2017):

One of Japan's best Tonkotsu ramen restaurant founded in Hakata, Fukuoka back in the 1960s. This ramen chain in Japan offers a very interesting experience for me.  Its operation is extremely efficient - from how the customers queue, buy the ramen coupon, how they get seated, to how they get served.  Customers basically go for the food and very few linger on to chat after eating.  You'll know why.....  

This outlet is 3-storey high.  Typical of stores in Japan, each floor plate is small but its space utilisation is highly maximised, so much so that footprints are marked on the floor to tell you how you should queue once you're inside the premise.  The above panel provides real-time info on the seats availability and at which floor once they are vacated.  

Each seat is an individual cubicle separated by a small partition.  If you come in a group, you can open up the partition - see next photo below.  There is a water dispenser at each cubicle so there is no need for the staff to serve water.

This is how it looks inside when customers are seated.  The ledge and hangers behind you allows you to place your belongings and hang your coat. 

When your ramen is ready, it will be served through this opening, after which it will be shut again.

Don't give up if you find a 10-15 person queue in front of you.  Because of the efficiency as described above, you'll not need to wait that long.  However, you may need to split up in smaller groups if you don't want to wait longer.  Anyway, go for the ramen and find somewhere else for a slower pace chat and drink.

Will certainly eat at Ichiran again.  All of us like the ramen.  I'm highly impressed by how well it is run.

Around Dotonbori:

This ramen outlet has been operating around this area since when I was working in Osaka in the early 1990s. Nostalgic indeed.

This is the not-to-be missed iconic Kanni-Doraku restaurant in Dotonburi serving crab dishes. 

This is how a typical Osaka Osho gyoza eatery looks like in Japan.

Honolulu Cafe: Nice cosy cafe to rest & escape from the hustle and bustle of Dotonbori.  Also offers good views of the river.

Unique merry-go-round at Dotonbori that let you catch a good aerial view of the surrounding.  Don't seem to be running though.

Long queue at Japanese cafe chain gram cafe, known for its premium pancakes that are fluffy and jiggly.  Only 20 portions each of these pancakes are served at 3 specific timings daily - 11 am, 3 pm and 6 pm. 

Osaka - Cat Cafe MoCHA @ Shinsaibashi

Cat Cafe MoCHA, 3 Sep 2017

There are several cat cafes in Osaka, but most of them charge by the hour.  This one charges by 10 minute blocks.  It was the first visit by my family to a pet cafe so I'm not sure if any of us may have any allergic reaction with exposure to so many cats at the same time.  The Cafe is newly-opened in 2016 and has a cosy woody renovation.  It was an awesome experience and we stayed for 30 minutes.  The cats are well-groomed and the place very clean and well maintained.  The staff brushes the floor and carpets at regular intervals.  The cats are really adorable and well behaved.

Location:
1F, Liberty Shinsaibashi Bldg, 1-18-11, Higahi-shinsaibashi
3 min walk from subway Midosuji Line Shinsaibashi station Exit 5
Tel 06-6125-5966

Charges:
200 yen / 10 min

Opening Hours:
Everyday from 10 am to 8 pm (admission by 7.30pm)

Spotted this cute guide dog at work in Shinsaibashi ...

Kyoto Suburbs: Kibune Shrine and Kawadoko Dining (2 Sep 2017)

Kibune (貴船) is the northen-most suburb in Kyoto City.  We visited the Kifune Jinja shrine and wanted to experience eating the Kawadoko Nagashi-Soumen at Kibune Hirobun restaurant. 

From June to September, restaurants along the Kibune River build covered platforms over the river where visitors can enjoy a meal as the cool water flows beneath them. Dining on these platforms known as 'Kawadoko', is a unique experience and an excellent way to escape the summer heat. Most restaurants serve kaiseki lunch set for about 8,000 yen per person. Reservations are needed.

Nagashi Somen is a unique way of serving the Japanese thin white noodles that are swept down by cold water running down a slightly- sloping sliced bamboo tube.  Diners sit in a row and use chopsticks to pick up the somen from the gushing water, dip them into cold sauce before eating, just as would the way cold soba is eaten.  This costs 1,300 yen per person.  The most popular Nagashi Somen in Kibune can be found at Hirobun restaurant, with waiting time of 2-3 hours.  Each session takes about 15 minutes and can only accomodate 8-10 diners.  This is served only in summer.

Kibune Kawadoko:

Experience eating Nagashi Somen over Kawadoko

Kawadoko dining on platforms built over the river

  

Kifune Shrine:

Kasuga lanterns lined 2 sides of the stone steps leading to the shrine

How to get to Kibune from Kyoto Station:

Take JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station to Tofukuji Station (140 yen, 2 minutes), and transfer to the Keihan Main Line to Demachi-Yanagi Station (270 yen, 10 minutes).

From Demachi-Yanagi Station, take Eizan Kurama Line to Kibune-guchi Station (420 yen, 30 minutes. Trains depart every 15-20 minutes.

From Kibune-guchi Station, it is a further five minute bus ride (160 yen one way, departures timed to the trains) or a 20-30 minute walk up the road to Kifune Shrine.  We walked down to Kibune-guchi station as the queue for the bus was very long and had to wait under the sun.  The walk down the slope is easy but look out for cars and buses.

Try to go early as the slope up from Kibune-guchi station will be jam with cars and buses from around noon time.