Mini-kaiseki at Fukutei, Himeji

We rolled into Himeji around lunch time, so before going to the castle for a visit, we stopped by for lunch at a Japanese restaurant called Fukutei. As mentioned previously, we wanted to eat at this place the first time we came to Himeji but did not have the time to. This is a kaiseki restaurant, and during lunch time there are 'mini' courses to choose from which are more affordable than the full-on deal. The cheapest of these mini-kaiseki courses cost 1500 yen (~AU$15), of which (as I understood from the menu) the restaurant serves only 30 for each day. It would seem that we have a knack for choosing popular places to eat during meal time. When we arrived, we were told that there were only 3 orders left for that particular meal, so we ordered three of the 1500 yen course, and two of the 1800 yen course. There were four or five other more pricey courses on the menu, but we didn't want anything more extravagant for lunch.

The 1500 yen lunch course, which included sashimi, tempura, tsukemono (pickled vegs) and some sweet-salty anchovy-like fish. The star of the dish was obviously the beef prepared nabemono (hotpot) style but in presented in paper that was water-proof and fire-proof which my dad thought was impressive:


The 1800 yen course, included the same side dishes as the 1500 yen course as well as chawan mushi (steamed egg), somen noodles and fish chirashi (scattered rice):


The sashimi was fresh, the tempura was done quite well and wasn't greasy (I liked the pumpkin tempura) and the chawan mushi was tasty. The beef 'hotpot' was also quite nice. The fish scattered on top of the chirashi was marinated in a sweet-salty sauce of some kind and was very pleasant on the palate. It was a pretty nice experience, and even Rob's mum, the non-fish eater, came away quite satisfied.

Kobe Beef @ Wakkoqu, Kobe

Surely most of you would have heard of Kobe beef? Meat from the Wagyu cow breed is world-famous, highly sought after and considered high-grade (hence very expensive) for the fact that it is intensely marbled with fat, lending a rich taste and smooth texture. I'm not a big red meat person, but I once tasted a small piece of a wagyu beef steak at one of my school's enkai (party) and it was done so beautifully that I raved about it to Rob - something that I never do for red meat.

Anyway, we thought that since there were many opportunities for my parents (seafood-lovers) to enjoy seafood during their stay here, we ought to be considerate of Rob's mum who is very much a red meat-lover (and fish-hater). So we thought, why not try Kobe beef since we were going to visit Kobe? Wakkoqu (Shin-Kobe branch) is a posh place that came recommended by the writers of the Japan Lonely Planet Guide. It was also conveniently located nearby the Nunobiki Herb Hill Garden that we wanted to bring our parents to. And they served a very affordable Kobe beef lunch set meal (more so than their dinners). So upon arrival in Kobe, after stopping by the Tourists' Info Centre in Sannomiya and dropping off our baggages in a coin locker, we trekked off to Wakkoqu. We arrived around 13:00 on that Tuesday, and were told that without prior reservations, we'd have to wait for about 1 hour. A well-patroned diner is usually a good sign that it's a good place to eat, and our parents were pretty eager to try Kobe beef so we hung around the area for that hour.

The interior of the restaurant is very posh indeed. There were teppans (iron hot plate) set up inside the restaurant similar to a teppanyaki restaurant, which I can verify remains something that is popular only in the western world as we have yet to encounter a teppanyaki restaurant in Japan. Funny thing is that the appearance of this restaurant is quite foreign and western, and is located in an area of Kobe (which is itself a cosmopolitan city full of foreigners) near the residential area for foreigners. It's always interesting to watch your food being prepared and cooked, but it was not as entertaining as it was at our visit to a teppanyaki restaurant in Perth, where you no doubt pay for a show.

Anyway, I was saying that this was a posh-looking place, with service (and prices) to match. Although it was only a meal for lunch, I felt we were a bit under-dressed. We were seated around a large teppan with large plates for each of us arranged within reach of both the chef and us. There was the normal menu to choose from, with mains ranging in price from 7500 yen to 13,700 yen (~AU$75 to AU$137), and choices including sirloin, tenderloin and 'special selected Kobe beef'. There was also a lunch menu with a choice of three types of set courses. The cheapest was 2500 yen which included 130g of the famed beef, some vegetables and the standard miso, rice, tsukemono (pickled vegs) set. The more expensive lunch sets included additional courses like soup, dessert and coffee. Most of us went for the 2500 yen course, my mum went for one of the more expensive ones so that she could have the coffee at the end (she is a real coffee addict and has been since young).

Enough talking - I'll let the following pictorial do all the talking.

While teaching his mum how to use chopsticks, Rob decided to show off his skill of using two pairs at once. The chef began by frying up some sliced garlic which took a good 5 or 10 minutes. He then placed the crisp garlic slices on one part of our plate along with a pile of salt, pepper and mustard sauce.:


The raw wagyu beef steak. Chef started preparing the steak, and our eyes were fixated on his show of knife + spatula handling skills. He then cut the meat into smaller pieces and separated them into two or three piles, which I guess are the different parts of the meat


The ingredients are finally being cooked!


More raw vegetables in preparation for frying; and the salad served to us at some point during the meal:


My plate soon after the chef started placing food on it; and the rice/miso/tsukemono set which was served towards the end of the meal:


The chef finished up his job by frying some vegetables with the beef fat, and dished them out to our plates:


Verdict? Well, the wagyu beef tasted like... beef. Perhaps more tender and more moist than the usual ones I've had, but I think maybe the experience was a bit lost on me since I'm not really a red meat steak person. I'm sure there are many steak-lovers who would appreciate an experience like this a lot more than I did. Overall, it was a good experience - my parents enjoyed themselves, and Rob's mum said that the beef was good.

My main gripe about this place is that the price listed on the menu does NOT include tax. So when you pay, the cost is 5% more than what you thought it would be. And like most expensive establishments, they don't inform you about the additional 5% surcharge for using credit cards. I guess they figure that if you can afford to dine at a place like this, you can afford to just throw away just that little bit more money.

Parents' trip to Japan - Kobe, Himeji, Kyoto

Kobe

The next day, after wandering around in the Nanba area of the Minami (south) district of Osaka city (the younger/hipper part) and letting our parents sample takoyaki (octopus balls), we hopped on the train and headed towards Kobe. For lunch, we tried Kobe beef for the first time (review to come later), and then we sent our parents up to Nunobiki Habukoen (Herb Garden) up in the mountain. We didn't accompany them since we'd already been before, plus I had to rush to complete my Japanese test and post it off on that day. While we waited for them, we sat ourselves in a cafe and Rob ordered hot chocolate, which came out in a huge mug-bowl. Looking around us in the cafe, everything was served in huge glass bowls and mug-bowls. We paid only 500 yen for that huge serve of hot chocolate, which I thought was a pretty good price!

The mug-bowl of hot chocolate complete with whipped cream and a Pocky stick:


Himeji

It was late evening by the time we checked into the hotel, and parents were feeling a bit exhausted (and it's only Day 2!) so we had a relatively early night. Day 3 brings us to Himeji, home to the Himeji Castle, touted as the castle to see in Japan. We arrived at Himeji at lunch time, and we had lunch at a restaurant that served wonderful kaiseki meals. This was a place we wanted to try the last time we were here, but time did not allow us to. Review for this place will follow soon.

At the castle, the sakura (cherry blossoms) were beginning to bloom, and gave great photo opportunities for my parents and Rob's mum (one of the main reasons for their visit to Japan). The flowers were beautiful, but I can't say I quite understand the hype surrounding these short-lived blossoms during the Hanami season. I kid you not when I say that this is probably the number 1 national event as the Japanese people closely observe (almost obsessively) the Sakura Forecast and cities make plans for festivals and events around the forecast. It's said that the most important task of the year for the Japan Meteorology Agency is their forecast of when the sakura will bloom. Hm..

Close-up of the blooms


Kobe Harbour and Chinatown

We really wanted to show our parents the Earthquake Memorial Park in Kobe Harbour, especially since it would be significant to them after their experience with an earthquake. After the visit to Himeji Castle, we did our best to get back to Kobe before it got dark. After checking out the Harbour and the Memorial Park, we took a brief look at Nankinmachi (Kobe's Chinatown district), and had dinner at a noodle place. It was pretty late by the time we arrived in Kyoto to check into our accommodation.

Kobe Harbour at dusk: the tower and the rooftop of the Maritime Museum:


Kyoto

Having stayed in Kyoto for a few days last November, we had a good idea of locations worth showing to our parents. Since our parents do not have our stamina for walking and biking, we bought all-day bus tickets and took the bus to our destinations. I conclude that taking the bus is not the best way to see Kyoto - it takes too long (yes, longer than on the bike) and you miss out on many of the beautiful sights that are not situated near the main roads. We went to Kinkakuji (Golden Temple) and Nanzenji, and the gardens were full of spring flowers in bloom.

This photo was snapped somewhere in Kinkakuji:


By now our parents were feeling a bit 'templed-out' so we headed back into town and wandered through Nishikikoji Markets. As the sun was setting, we set out to Gion for some geisha/maiko-spotting. Although it was a weeknight, the street was full of tourists with the same intention. At first I thought the crowd was waiting for some procession to go down the street, but no - everyone was waiting, camera-ready, to flash their cameras at any unfortunate geisha or maiko who happened to use the street to go to their appointments. I didn't take any photos because I felt sorry for them - besides, I already had a photo of one from our last visit to this area.

Our homeward-bound train was in the early afternoon the next day, and we had a relaxing morning strolling along the river nearby our accommodation. The eki (train station) itself was worth spending an hour or so at, and then it was home time. After five days of travelling (double for Rob who came straight from his New York trip), it was good to finally return home. We were exhausted, but in a happy way - which is a good sign of a good trip.

Sakura trees in bloom along the river:

Trip to Kobe and Osaka Part II

Osaka

After the morning trip to Himeji, Rob and I took the train to Osaka - I think it took us over 1 hour to get there from Himeji eki (train station). Travel-weary and sick of trains by then, we began our exploration of Osaka. We'd initially planned to go to Shinbaishi area (which is the 'happening' part of Osaka) as well but we only had one afternoon in Osaka (and we were tired from hiking around and climbing the castle's stairs), so we decided to explore and stick around the Kita area (which is the business district of Osaka).

The eki is huge! I previously mentioned that train stations in Japan all have omiyage (souvenir) stores, and Osaka eki is no exception. There are departmental stores attached to the eki as well as the usual food court, bakeries and omiyage stores - there is even a fresh fruit and meat and seafood market within (all underground)! It was foodie heaven at the train station! I was so excited, I even took a photo! It was absolutely crowded, which is not at all surprising considering that Osaka is the second biggest city after Tokyo.

The 'market' in the underground station:


The Umeda Sky building is a twin-tower complex that is like a modern version of the Arc De Triomphe. You have a 360 degree view at the top of the tower. There are two observation galleries - an outdoor one on the roof, and an indoor one on the floor below. The ride to the top involves taking a see-thru elevator, and then a glassed-in escalator for the final five storeys to the top. We were blown away by the vastness of the city, which stretched out as far as the eye can see towards the horizon for the full 360 degree view from the tower.

The view of the tower from the ground:


In the elevator - the ride was fun, although Rob was slightly freaked out initially in the elevator due to his height phobia:


In the escalator:


The view of part of Osaka city:



Kobe Harbor Land and Meriken Park

We had a little time on Monday morning before our long trip back home to have a look around Kobe Harbor Land and Meriken Park. Harbor Land is full of shopping malls and all that, but I thought that Meriken Park (5mins east of Harbor Land and home to the Kobe Maritime Museum and the Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park) was more interesting. The memorial park preserves a part of a concrete pier that was destroyed in the huge earthquake in 1995. It's amazing how well this city recovered after such a massive earthquake. I believe that Kobe's official symbol is that of a phoenix, to symbolise the city's recovery from the earthquake.

It was really windy and we got a bit wet from the rain - you can see the dark stormy clouds in the photos.. (My mum was worried about us because she'd heard about the typhoon that hit Kyushu that day.)

Us with the radio tower and maritime museum in the background:


A ship on display at Meriken Park:


The earthquake memorial park:


We then made our way to the train station to begin our 6-hour long journey back home to our little town. The trip was fun, but we were pretty travel-weary and were glad to be at home.

Trip to Kobe and Osaka Part I

We had a long weekend two weeks ago, so we decided to make a weekend trip to Kobe and Osaka. A fellow Perthie JET lives in the Hyogo prefecture, and she kindly put us up for two nights. (Holly, you're so kind!! I hope we can return the favour one day, although I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to come all the way up in inaka!) We had loads of fun, exploring the cities and a beautiful castle typically Rob-and-Jean style (i.e. on foot). Needless to say, by Monday we were exhausted and were glad to make our way back home (which is a 5-6 hour trip on the train and bus).

Kobe

Sannomiya, the happening part of Kobe, is like gaijin (foreigner) district - the first thing I said to Rob when we stepped out of the train station "I have never seen so many gaijins in one place since leaving Tokyo". Rob said that it didn't really feel like Japan at all. I think in a way I'm glad I wasn't placed in Kobe because there isn't much of a Japanese experience there. There is this odd feature at this square outside one of the entrances of the train station. According to Holly, the place is called 'Tits', but funnily enough, the statue is anything but. This square is a favourite meeting/hangout place for gaijins There were a few bands showcasing their music when we arrived in the afternoon.

'Tits' square:


Sannomiya has lots of department stores, western food restaurants and lots of gaijin expats. However, other than shopping, there really isn't much to do in Sannomiya. Initially I was puzzled as to why pedestrians in Kobe kept to the right hand side of footpaths, stairs and escalators - people in other parts of Japan heeded the 'keep left' rule. Then I realised that the city would probably have a LOT of influence from America.

Holly met us in Sannomiya and told us she hasn't really had much of a chance to explore Kobe and its surroundings yet. So first up we decided to walk 20minutes from Sannomiya to catch a cable car to Nunobiki Habu-koen, a 'Herb Hill' at the top of a mountain ridge. It's very pretty up there, and we spent a good half hour looking at the souvenir shop situated at the top (with a very bored Rob). We then walked our way down using a 'gardened' pathway to a glasshouse. The Herb Hill was very pretty with lots of flowers and herbs - and the cable car rides gave us a beautiful view of the city and harbour both during daytime and at dusk.

On our way up to Habu-koen:


With Holly and a nice backdrop:


A rose by any other name...:



Nankinmachi (Chinatown)

We descended down from Habu-Koen at sunset and made our way back into Sannomiya for dinner. We decided to walk to Nankinmachi to have a look-see and perhaps get some food there. There were plenty of food stalls set up along the Chinatown strip selling Chinese fast food like noodles, dumplings and steamed buns. We searched for this gyoza (dumplings) place to eat dinner, but it was all in vain. After eating some food, we made our way back into Sannomiya to meet up with another fellow Perthie JET, also named Hollie (with an 'ie'), also placed in Hyogo. Hollie is a serious shopaholic, and Kobe is her heaven.. We ended up at a kaitenzushi ('conveyor-belt-sushi') place for dinner. Both Holly and Hollie are tiny eaters!

Sannomiya, a shopper's dream - this is just one of many 'arcade/street' of shops, and it was absolutely crowded:


At the entrance to Kobe's own Chinatown:


At the kaitenzushi-ya:


With Hollie and Holly:



Himeji Castle and Koko-en

On Sunday morning, we took the train to Himeji. According to the Lonely Planet Guide to Japan, Himeji-jo (also known as Shirasagi, the 'White Egret') is the castle to visit in Japan (unfortunately, being the castle to see in Japan, there were lots of people). Built in 1580 (although there have been fortifications in Himeji since 1333), it is one of the very few Japanese castles to survive in their original form. The area and gardens surrounding the castle were beautiful, but the highlight was entering the castle - it's like you've stepped into another time (this is, of course, ignoring the other tourists and modern stuff in the castle designed to preserve and protect items. The castle tower is 6 storeys high, and I got a really good leg workout climbing those steep and high stairs. We also visited Koko-en, which is just across the moat on the western side of Himeji-jo. Koko-en is a reconstruction of the former samurai quarters of the castle, and it is really serene and beautiful.

The exterior of Himeji-jo:


In Koko-en:


Just outside the castle grounds, there was this elderly guy who'd brought two hamsters for show. I hate to sound like the other girls around, but the hamsters were so cute! Honestly, I didn't really want to encourage this kind of silly animal display, but I couldn't resist whipping out my camera to take a photo. And the cutest thing? The 'girl' hamster actually posed for the cameras!:



... journal entry to be continued...