Whenever I'm traveling, I always look forward to trying local food. And during my first time in Japan, the food didn't disappoint, whether it was at a nice Japanese restaurant or from a street food stall. There wasn't anything I tried that I didn't like.
Naturally, for my second time in Japan, I was once again excited to try more Japanese food, and again, I was more than satisfied. So let me take you on a one-day gastronomic adventure through this quick food diary. This was when we did a day trip to Kyoto.
I started the day with a heavy breakfast at our hotel in Osaka before leaving for Kyoto. It was good but it was nothing to rave about since I practically ate the same thing every day during our trip. By lunchtime, we were at Kiyomizu so we had lunch at a traditional restaurant just a few minutes walk from the temple. The restaurant is called Okabeya and it specializes in tofu dishes.
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| tofu and beef rice bowl with miso soup and tempura |
I had the lunch set that included a bowl of rice topped with boiled tofu, beef, and vegetables. It also comes with miso soup and a side of veggie tempura. The food was pricey at around JPY1,890 or PHP700-ish but the flavors were good and the serving sizes were generous.
Shortly, I decided that I wanted some ice cream for dessert. It was freezing cold that day, around 8°C - you can see the gloves in the photo below, but I didn't care. I craved so I bought a cone of matcha soft serve for JPY500 or PHP187 at one of the numerous ice cream stalls in the area. And they're all priced the same so you can just get them from any stall.
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| matcha soft serve |
There were several food markets in Kyoto, typically near the tourist attractions, and you'll also find many street food stalls in all the towns. So trying some local street food is a must. And this was my agenda in the afternoon as I stopped at almost every stall that I found interesting.
First up are grilled Kobe beef cubes that I bought at the street food market near Fushimi Inari-taisha. These things are being sold on almost every stall and they start from JPY800 or almost PHP300 for a skewer with five beef cubes. It can cost more depending on the type of Kobe beef.
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| grilled Kobe beef |
So what makes this beef so special that I had to pay a lot for a few bites? Kobe beef is known for its buttery and smooth texture so it just melts in your mouth. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it's the best beef I've tried. I wanted to buy another skewer, but I resisted. I had to have more room to try other stuff.
Up next is inari sushi. A piece costs around JPY150 or PHP60, and it's basically tofu skin filled with rice. The tofu had a savory taste, while the rice was sweet, providing a nice contrast. It was good, but it wasn't my favorite.
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| inari sushi |
Then I tried these braised pork buns that I saw at a stall located a few minutes away from the food market. These are made from steamed buns made of flour and stuffed with braised pork. The pork was drenched in this rich sweet and savory sauce. I bought a piece and it cost JPY300 or PHP111. It was so good that I had to go back and buy a couple more. So much for leaving room for more food, but no regrets.
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| braised pork bun |
Before going back to Osaka, I stopped by a cute bake shop and bought some pastries that had chocolate and nuts. I got them for when I get hungry while on the bus going back to Osaka. I forgot to take photos, but they were good nonetheless. The chocolate wasn't too sweet, which I liked.
If ever you're in Kyoto, I'd definitely recommend trying out these dishes, especially the ones from street food stalls. They were cheap but the flavors were very good and authentic. You can skip the inari sushi but not the Kobe beef and the pork buns - they're a must-try!
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