There is never enough time to visit and try everything in Japan, and my list just keeps getting longer and longer! But first, here are all the things I did get to eliminate from said list from my recent trip to Osaka last April.
Our first meal in Japan has got to be my favorite. It’s a place around Shinsaibashi area. I got the sliced pork rice bowl. It’s a big bowl of rice topped with sweet soy marinated sliced pork, Japanese mayo, and spring onions. It comes with a side salad and miso soup. They also serve cold tea that I got so obsessed with.
DOTONBORI
Takoyaki ¥800
Dango ¥150/pc
This is my first time to try a dango, and I am not a fan. It’s like a mochi ball - sticky and chewy, but with a sweet soy glaze.
Cheese Coin ¥500
This is the famous 10-yen/ cheese coin. It’s like a bigger version of their Japanese pancake that is crispy on the outside and super cheesy on the inside. It’s not something I would order and finish on my own.
We also tried Chibo Okonomiyaki in Dotonbori. There was already a line even if we went for early dinner. But to be fair, all okonomiyaki restaurants in Dotonbori had long lines, but I think Chibo’s line moved faster than the others as their restaurant had 4 floors for dine-in customers.
I just love that there are vending machines everywhere you go. We had fun trying out the different drinks they had (including their coffee and flavored water), but since I got obsessed with cold tea from our first meal, I always bought cold tea from their vending machines.
Pork Tonkatsu
The pork tonkatsu at Matsunoya was delicious and cheap. I got their regular-sized meal and it cost around half of what they charge at Yabu in Manila, but the quality, taste, and serving is the same (minus the unlimited rice-soup-salad). They didn’t have the roasted sesame dressing for the shredded cabbage, though.
The food at Kuromon Market are a bit overpriced, so we didn’t really get to try a lot of food.
Sweet Potato Chips ¥500
Strawberry Daifuku ¥300
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN
Butter beer ¥700
Chocolate Churro
Curry Bun
Princess Peach Soda ¥700
Strawberry Shortcake ¥700
Grape Cheesecake ¥700
Cheeseburger ¥1,800
The cheeseburger at Mel’s Diner was worth it. The portion was huge, taste was delicious, and already came with fries and drink. I also loved the ambiance of the place. It really looked like an old-school diner. So if you’re on a budget, I suggest you have your lunch here.
NAKATANIDOU
A trip to Nara won’t be complete without dropping by Nakatanidou for some red bean-filled mochi. We also bought some to take back to the hotel. We also walked by the place after our trip to Nara deer park and had the opportunity to watch them make a batch of their mochi.
Shrimp & Broccoli Salad Wrap ¥510
I am absolutely obsessed with the food options they have at their Starbucks in Japan! This shrimp & broccoli salad wrap we had tasted amazing! It was healthy and generously-filled, too, definitely worth it!
Wagyu Cubes ¥2,000
I was desperate to have some meat during this trip, but most of the wagyu and kobe beef I’ve seen were too expensive. Since this was our last day in Japan, I gave in and ordered a stick of the wagyu cubes. I got this at the exit of Fushimi Inari Temple.
Inari
Tempura Soba
We were getting hungry after our trip to Fushimi Inari Temple and walked past this small restaurant that serves soba. We haven’t had soba in this trip yet so we went in. They serve affordable bowls of soba, and one of the best inari I’ve tried.
Rich Matcha Soft-Serve Ice Cream ¥640
Matcha Latte ¥675
We visited the cute, traditional-looking alley called Sanneizaka in Kyoto and tried Maccha House. It’s actually a nice place to stay in. The outside looks like a traditional Japanese house, but the inside looks modern. It has 2 floors with comfortable couches. Their matcha latte tasted strong, but a bit pricey, in my opinion.
Peach Oolong Tea ¥630
BONUS! PLANE FOOD : BUSINESS CLASS
I love plane food when it’s being served inflight from Japan to Manila:
Hungry for more,
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