Tokyo to Osaka

[Karu]

Very impressed by your meals & photo quality. Want to buy the P20Pro to replace my Iphone

[steveluv]

Very impressed by your meals & photo quality. Want to buy the P20Pro to replace my Iphone

 

I suggest the Mate 20Pro. If you really wanna get the P20Pro then wait for the P30Pro.

[steveluv]

Open 24hrs the ramen shop. One of the best ramen I've had. Went there almost 2am on Tuesday night.

 

The entrance

 

 

Make you r order with the machine first

 

Super cold beer

 

Not a big place

 

Condiments to add

 

Ramen

 

Super ice the pork soup, the meat is also very nice

 

Gyoza and fried chicken

 

Midnight supper for 2

 

[Wt_know]

60k yen ... marbled beef with sake and more sake or more whisky ...

 

20 000yen for 2 is still ok... 60 000 yen is really expensive. 

 

I was wondering how some of your wide angle shot has so thin DOF. Still the effects are pretty natural. 

 

 

Edited January 11, 2019 by Wt_know

[steveluv]

Its the Ebisu festival in Osaka 9-11/Jan. Ebisu is the Japanese God of Fortune and many are celebrating and praying for good business. Had dinner with a Japanese friend in Benkay Restaurant in the hotel.

 

Appitiser - chef prepared mochi with the face of Ebisu.

 

Hand made tofu

 

Sashimi

 

Sake

 

Clear soup with white fish

 

Cod roe

 

Yellow tail in soya sauce

 

 

To finish we have puffer fish (fugu) deep fried, restaurant only serve fugu from the natural wild

 

Because I know executive chef very well he offered us this dish which is very difficult to come by - wild fugu testicles, lightly seared.

 

Chawanmushi

 

Crab rice cooked in claypot 

 

 

 

 

 

[steveluv]

Had some light bites at a bar on our last night in Japan, Suzanne Bar in Shinsaibashi

 

Preparing our Yamazaki

 

 

 

All drinks are being served in double-walled stainless steel vessels (http://susgallery.jp/en/). I went to the website checked these vessels don't come cheap.

 

Left is water and right is our Yamazaki double on the rocks, plate is grilled stingray

 

More bites

 

 

 

Cute staff

 

 

 

Had 3 more double Hibiki before leaving

 

Nice bar, nice music and simple food pretty nice too. Suzanne bar is located at part of the Hotel Felice https://goo.gl/maps/SXfPHBYSX8F2

[Heartlander]

TS, think i read previoysly you are not vety well verse with japanese language. Am i right?

 

So i am curious how you could pull it off eating in the expensive restaurants when the menu would most likely not be the picture type? Especially when you stay in traditional ryokans where the old ladies serving you most likely understand japanese only.

[steveluv]

TS, think i read previoysly you are not vety well verse with japanese language. Am i right?

 

So i am curious how you could pull it off eating in the expensive restaurants when the menu would most likely not be the picture type? Especially when you stay in traditional ryokans where the old ladies serving you most likely understand japanese only.

I can’t speak Japanese at all you’re right.

 

There are many good Japanese restaurants, particularly the small ones, that we foreigners can’t go on our own without a fluent Japanese speaking person accompanying. Yes the reason being menus in Japanese, owners and staff don’t speak anything other than Japanese and finally because of this the owners feel they could not provide the best service to non-speakers, Japanese take pride in their service. So I don’t blame them.

 

I had encountered twice when some Japanese recommended restaurants and when I arrived opened the door, spoke English and was immediately told, “full today, full, full” when clearly there were hardly anyone in there. I don’t take offense as I understand.

 

So for restaurants, the small traditional ones especially those husband and wife type it’s difficult for me to go. However in my travel there I found that these 3 years or so more and more such restaurants are opening up to foreigners with basic English menu. Whenever I know of one good local restaurant I will get the hotel to help me make a booking and ask if they have English menu so I don’t get disappointed when I get there.

 

A very good website to look for food in Japan is https://s.tabelog.com/en/ where many Japanese use and contribute reviews. Of course I often get wife to advise and recommend me as she speaks fluent Japanese and travel there very often she knows all the very local and good restaurants and very often make friends with owners so she help me to make bookings sometimes.

 

As for ryokans it’s different from restaurants. Most ryokans listed in japanican website they take in international guests and very often already have set dinners in room or dining rooms.

 

Finally I do go Japan often for work too visiting suppliers and they will bring me to good local restaurants. I too try to make friends with the owners as much as I can so I could go again myself the next time.

 

 

Steve my man

 

the way you eat going through life, I really doubt you are a really slim guy

 

show your waist with a measuring tape

Hahahahaha you cheeky fella. Yes not slim, cannot be slim la right?

 

 

60k yen ... marbled beef with sake and more sake or more whisky ...

Aiyo not every meal is 60k lah. Mostly 35k on average. Edited January 12, 2019 by steveluv

[Heartlander]

I can’t speak Japanese at all you’re right.

 

There are many good Japanese restaurants, particularly the small ones, that we foreigners can’t go on our own without a fluent Japanese speaking person accompanying. Yes the reason being menus in Japanese, owners and staff don’t speak anything other than Japanese and finally because of this the owners feel they could not provide the best service to non-speakers, Japanese take pride in their service. So I don’t blame them.

 

I had encountered twice when some Japanese recommended restaurants and when I arrived opened the door, spoke English and was immediately told, “full today, full, full” when clearly there were hardly anyone in there. I don’t take offense as I understand.

 

So for restaurants, the small traditional ones especially those husband and wife type it’s difficult for me to go. However in my travel there I found that these 3 years or so more and more such restaurants are opening up to foreigners with basic English menu. Whenever I know of one good local restaurant I will get the hotel to help me make a booking and ask if they have English menu so I don’t get disappointed when I get there.

 

A very good website to look for food in Japan is https://s.tabelog.com/en/ where many Japanese use and contribute reviews. Of course I often get wife to advise and recommend me as she speaks fluent Japanese and travel there very often she knows all the very local and good restaurants and very often make friends with owners so she help me to make bookings sometimes.

 

As for ryokans it’s different from restaurants. Most ryokans listed in japanican website they take in international guests and very often already have set dinners in room or dining rooms.

 

Finally I do go Japan often for work too visiting suppliers and they will bring me to good local restaurants. I too try to make friends with the owners as much as I can so I could go again myself the next time.

 

 

Hahahahaha you cheeky fella. Yes not slim, cannot be slim la right?

 

 

Aiyo not every meal is 60k lah. Mostly 35k on average.

Thanks for the detail explanation. You really have a lot going for you to be able to enjoy with ease haha. For non-Japanese, especially those who are new to Japan, they will not be able to eat in ease in these places as just ordering the correct food will be very challenging.

 

Many years back when I first stayed in one of those atas ryokans, most of the time did not understand what the staff were trying to tell me as they kept repeating long sentences that were too complex to catch. And when they saw that you catch no ball, they will just repeat the same long sentences and eventually we just settled with whatever we ended up having. So I can see why a lot of those better ryokans did not want to accept foreign people as they did not want to stress themselves out besides worrying that we will  do those things that are not respectful to Japanese culture, like how to bath in their onsens, and affect their other local guests in the process. Nowadays things are getting better and most places should have a few younger staff who can speak basic English.

 

After the above post then I realized you are a seasoned japan traveler haha. Do continue to share your atas experience with us. Many thanks.

[Wind30]

A very good website to look for food in Japan is https://s.tabelog.com/en/ where many Japanese use and contribute reviews. Of course I often get wife to advise and recommend me as she speaks fluent Japanese and travel there very often she knows all the very local and good restaurants and very often make friends with owners so she help me to make bookings sometimes.

. .

Nice website. I am visiting kyoto during cny so looking for a nice place to eat during cny eve. Thinking of trying Kobe beef in Kobe after visiting Himeji.

 

Surprised that even the TOP ranked restaurants has less than 4 stars. Japanese are very strict huh...

[steveluv]

Thanks for the detail explanation. You really have a lot going for you to be able to enjoy with ease haha. For non-Japanese, especially those who are new to Japan, they will not be able to eat in ease in these places as just ordering the correct food will be very challenging.

 

Many years back when I first stayed in one of those atas ryokans, most of the time did not understand what the staff were trying to tell me as they kept repeating long sentences that were too complex to catch. And when they saw that you catch no ball, they will just repeat the same long sentences and eventually we just settled with whatever we ended up having. So I can see why a lot of those better ryokans did not want to accept foreign people as they did not want to stress themselves out besides worrying that we will  do those things that are not respectful to Japanese culture, like how to bath in their onsens, and affect their other local guests in the process. Nowadays things are getting better and most places should have a few younger staff who can speak basic English.

 

After the above post then I realized you are a seasoned japan traveler haha. Do continue to share your atas experience with us. Many thanks.

 

Thank you for the compliment and encouragement

[numbintheheart]

 

Open 24hrs the ramen shop. One of the best ramen I've had. Went there almost 2am on Tuesday night.

 

The entrance

 

 

Make you r order with the machine first

 

Super cold beer

 

Not a big place

 

Condiments to add

 

Ramen

 

Super ice the pork soup, the meat is also very nice

 

Gyoza and fried chicken

 

Midnight supper for 2

 

 

can I have the name of this ramen shop? thanks!

[steveluv]

can I have the name of this ramen shop? thanks!

My pleasure, with location too

 

Ramen Zundoya Shinsaibashi

Japan, 〒542-0085 Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Chūō-ku, Shinsaibashisuji, 1 Chome−5−７ セーナビル 1F

+81 6-6245-0883

https://goo.gl/maps/RkQwztHg4RA2

[steveluv]

On Thursday went back to the shabu-shabu restaurant for lunch this time no more sukiyaki, too sweet with all the sugar

 

Starter

 

 

Ordered grilled beef

 

 

Sauces for shabu-shabu

 

Here it comes - for 2

 

Beautifully marbled

 

 

 

 

Ordered extra

 

Fruits

[steveluv]

This is the last post for the trip. Photos of the last meal in Osaka sitting by the window of the restaurant along Nishishinsaibashi

 

 

Sake first 

 

Bento set, starters radish with miso sauce

 

an other starter, tempura fugu and vegetables

 

Then came the bento

 

 

consists of sashimi

 

egg, crab, duck,. taro, fish roe etc

 

sushi

 

and tofu

 

Shabu-Shabu set starts with sashimi

 

the shabu set

 

A5 (80g) had another one of this after finishing it total 160g

 

Dessert for bento set

 

Dessert for shabu set

 

And after the second bottle its time to go tot he airport for home (Friday)

 

Will be back to Japan once again end of the month