Gina C's Reviews Page 2/17

At Hozenji in Osaka, I came specifically to try the famous “Meoto Zenzai.” Two bowls of piping-hot sweet red bean soup with rice dumplings were brought to the table, and just looking at them felt so comforting. The soup was sweet, and the red beans were very soft!

After finishing the hot red bean soup with rice dumplings, I felt warm all over. When visiting Hozenji, I highly recommend stopping by for some Meoto Zenzai and experiencing this traditional dessert with a story behind it!

At Jiyuken in Namba, Osaka, it was my first time seeing a raw egg placed directly on top of curry rice. At first, I was actually a little hesitant to eat it and wondered, “Does raw egg really taste good with curry?”

But since I was already there, I worked up the courage to try a small bite! After mixing the raw egg into the curry rice, the texture became smoother, and the egg flavor mellowed out the curry quite a bit. It was surprisingly easy to eat.

We took a walk around Osaka Castle Park and had really been looking forward to seeing the cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, they hadn't bloomed yet when we visited, but we unexpectedly came across plum blossoms in full bloom, which was a different kind of pleasant surprise!

The plum blossoms dotted the branches, and they looked especially beautiful against the backdrop of Osaka Castle. Without the excitement of the cherry blossoms, it felt more peaceful and secluded instead. As we walked and admired the plum blossoms, we could occasionally look up and see Osaka Castle's main tower, a truly iconic Osaka view.

It was a little disappointing that we didn't get to see the cherry blossoms this time, but seeing the plum blossoms was also well worth it.

Kobe's Kitano Ijinkan district—I made a special trip to visit this very distinctive Starbucks. The store was converted from the two-story wooden Western-style building “Kitano Monogatari.” The exterior retains the distinct charm of the ijinkan district and is truly different from a typical Starbucks.

Inside, you can also feel the atmosphere of a vintage Western-style house. The wooden architecture and warm interior design give it a real sense of history. Sitting inside with a cup of coffee feels less like simply buying a drink and more like stepping into an old Western-style house filled with stories.

Of course, you have to eat okonomiyaki in Osaka. This time I went to Tsuruhashi Fugetsu and ordered a piping-hot okonomiyaki. As soon as it arrived, I could tell it was packed with ingredients. It was filled with cabbage, giving it a rich texture along with the cabbage's natural sweetness.

At NEZAMEYA, I ordered inari sushi and unagi rice, enjoying two different Japanese flavors at once! The tofu skin around the inari sushi had a subtle sweetness, and it went down easily with the rice inside. Simple, but something you don't get tired of eating.

The unagi was grilled until fragrant, and the fish was tender. Together with the sauce and white rice, the sweet and savory flavor went really well with the rice. Ordering both was just right because I could switch between flavors without getting tired of either one.

One of the things I was most looking forward to in Uji was eating matcha desserts. This time, I went to the Nakamura Tokichi Honten and ordered a matcha cake. The cake itself had a rich matcha aroma and was delicate and soft. The matcha flavor was distinct but not overly bitter, and the sweetness of the cake balanced it perfectly.

With each bite, a subtle tea aroma spread through my mouth. The overall texture was very delicate, and I liked it more and more as I ate. Slowly enjoying dessert in the shop, surrounded by matcha everywhere, really made me feel like I was in Uji!

When in Nara, you have to check out the famous Nakatanido. The most fascinating part is watching the mochi pounding in person! The craftsmen rapidly pound the mochi with wooden mallets, moving with a fast and powerful rhythm. People nearby can’t help but stop and watch, and the whole process is very entertaining.

Watching the mochi being pounded so quickly in the wooden mortar really makes you feel like you’re right there in the action. The craftsmen are especially well coordinated, and their speed is seriously impressive! Watching it being made in person is more interesting than simply buying mochi.

In Nara, you have to try the famous “Mahoroba Daibutsu Pudding”! The first thing that caught my eye was the pudding jar lid, which features a cute Daibutsu design. It’s small and so adorable that you won’t want to throw it away even after finishing the pudding.

The pudding is delicious, and even the jar has a distinct Nara feel, making it perfect as a souvenir. It’s cute and tasty, so it’s no wonder it has become such a popular Nara dessert!

I ate at Kamameshi Shizuka in Nara and ordered the eel and shrimp kamameshi this time. As soon as the piping-hot kamameshi arrived at the table, its aroma filled the air, and it looked incredibly appetizing.

The eel had a light savory sauce flavor and was tender. Paired with the fresh, sweet shrimp, the two different flavors blended into the rice, giving every bite layers of flavor. The rice absorbed the aromas of the ingredients and became more fragrant with every bite.