Food played a major role when choosing to come to Japan. We could barely wait to get our hands on all those yummy dishes that we knew existed but this time around it would be the real deals. Japanese kitchen has much more variety than people often seem to think, and it's quite funny how people always come home from Japan going "Oh, but we only ate Sushi once!". Kyoto is definitely the place to be when it comes to trying out traditional dishes, and it's very known for it's food scene. So, let's take a quick look at what we got on our plate...
ラーメン RAMEN: So let's start with the obvious. This is like eating cheese when visiting France. We had lots of Ramen, in lots of places and in lots of variants. Basically anywhere you go in Japan, you'll find their local / regional way to prepare this fulfilling noodle dish.
(And please excuse me if I don't get the dishes right...after all, it would take a lot longer than couple of weeks to master in Japanese food culture!)
焼き鳥 YAKITORI & KUSHIYAKI: Grilled skewers (often with parts of chicken) prepared with various different seasonings.
YAKITORI-YA: We stumbled upon this little traditional restaurant on a rainy evening (I think on our first night in Kyoto) and sat by the "bar" or a grill where we could watch them preparing the food. We played it pretty tactical because we had absolutely no clue what the menu was about, so we kept ordering whatever the older Japanese couple was having next to us (it looked all so good), plus we thought they must know what they're doing. We came to notice that the whole dining thing works out so that you keep ordering these different types of small plates as the night goes along (and as you eat up). Very different, and very cool concept. Till today I consider this was one of the best places in Japan, for those little delicacies and for the atmosphere.
Apparently this little eatery was pretty famous since it was full the entire time and they had to turn people away. Also, we exchanged a few words with this couple who told us they had been trying to get seats in this place for days, and that they finally got in. Well, weren't we some lucky ducks! Suitably, we finished it off with a small sake...
すし SUSHI: Well isn't it time to mention this popular kid on the block? Yes! We wanted some so desperately that we were completely surprised how every second place is not a sushi bar in Kyoto. But we found some, of course. And just for the record - it is that much better in Japan! Myth busted.
お好み焼き OKONOMIYAKI: This is a savoury pancake/ omelette that you get to prepare yourself (at least parts of it)! It's very famous around Kansai area, thus the nickname "Osaka soul food". Depending where you are and what you order it with, it can end up looking very different. The main ingredient inside is cabbage, and the rest can be anything from shrimps and octopus to pork and fried noodles. We had literally so much fun with this dish!
焼き肉 YAKINIKU: Every table has a grill and you can choose from a long meat list your favourites and off you go grilling! And by "a long meat list" I mean it included everything from aorta to uterus. Thank goodness they had "regular" choices like cheek or tongue, so we could eat at least something along the lines of "normal".
定食 TEISHOKU: A multi-course dinner served with rice, sashimi, tempura and miso soup (usually it's a fixed price menu). We had it in a traditional ryokan style restaurant where you remove your shoes upon the entrance and dine sitting on the floor...it doesn't get much more Japanese than that.
 |
| Restaurants in Japan guard well customers privacy, and often you'll find these "walls" separating the spaces between tables / groups of people. |
{All pictures © Voyages of Discovery}
Where to go for dinner in Kyoto?
The city is filled with restaurants and (especially the district of Gion) it's easy to find a place you like. Especially the streets around Gion Shijo/ Higashiyama/ Sanjo stations are very lively.
Hanamikoji Street and its surroundings are full of traditional and quite pricy restaurants. If you're lucky, this is the place to spot a real geisha!
A good advice about where to eat in Kyoto here.
Find a Lonely Planet guide to Kyoto's restaurants here.
1 comments
Herkkuhetkiä
ReplyDelete