Eating my Way Through Japan

Konichiwa from Japan! In the past, I've done a separate travel blog per trip but I figured... Why not post about all my adventures on one blog?! So here we have it.

After a quick night's stay in Osaka, Japan's third largest city, we were transferred to Kyoto for a full day tour. Ever since seeing photos of Fushimi Inari on Instagram, it's been my dream to photograph there. Fushimi Inari shrine is the most famous of several thousand shrines dedicated to Inari across Japan. Inari is the Shinto god of rice, and foxes are thought to be his messengers. While Inari is the god of rice/harvest, Inari is now also thought to be the god of business good fortune because harvest isn't the main industry anymore. Each year, 10 million people come to visit the shrine.

While popular among tourists, the 1,000 torii gate shrine is also very popular among business owners. In the 1960s when businesses were peaking in Japan, many CEOs of companies came to Fushimi Inari to donate torii gates, leaving a prayer along the way. The shrine is a mix of older, stone torii gates and newer wooden ones, all of which are hand carved with names. The countless torii gates and offerings cover the hiking trails of Inarisan, the wooded mountain behind the shrine's main building.

The shrine was packed with school children and as a result, it was difficult to get photographs without people in it. However, our private guide kindly asked a group of tourists to please wait a moment so that I could take a photograph. Obviously, I wasn't the only one with this plan!! People were thankful, and I was able to play around with perspectives as well.

After Fushimi Inari, we drove through Gion, the famous geisha district on the way to lunch. I'm obsessed with Udon, so we ate at a very famous udon shop called Omen Kodai-ji. The udon noodles are made right there, and are incredibly fresh. It's by far the best udon I've EVER had. The small, two-story udon shop even has a window to the kitchen so you can see the udon noodles being rolled out and sliced.

For an appetizer, I had eggplant topped with miso. Unlike the typical, long Japanese eggplant, this eggplant is round like a grapefruit and native to Kyoto. 

Unlike America, the udon noodles are served with the broth on the side. You are supposed to put half the noodles in the broth, and put the toppings of eggplant, daikon, and sesame seeds on. After you finish that, you pour in the rest of the udon noodles and toppings, then drink a little of the broth.

Usually I don't eat this much at home but since I'm in Japan, I had to get dessert... matcha ice cream served with red bean. You can't get green tea ice cream anything like it back at home (matcha is stronger and in my opinion, better).

After lunch, we were off to Kiyomizu Temple. The narrow uphill path leading to the temple is lined with vendors of Kiyomizu pottery and souvenirs which have been sold to pilgrims and tourists for over 1,000 years. Packed with tourists and school children, walking along the path was like playing sumo... Constantly bumping into people. Situated upon a mountain, the temple overlooks the city below. 

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at Nishiki market. Here, vendors sell seasonal produce, fresh fish and prepared foods that generations of Kyoto-ites have relied on since the Middle Ages. We also walked through Taramachi arcade, a popular shopping area lined with more vendors and the occasional shrine.

Two years ago, we stayed at the Ritz Carlton Kyoto. Having never stayed at a Ritz Carlton before, we were impressed with the quality of service, food, comfort, and most importantly, the Japanese architecture. Unlike some of the other more Western hotels in the area, the Ritz Carlton retains many Japanese characteristics in all aspects of the design from the architecture to the furniture. Built on the banks of the Kamagawa River, the property has 180 degree views of the Higashiyama Mountains in the east. 

Perhaps my favorite meal in Kyoto is the tempura bar at the Ritz Carlton. I've never found any tempura like it in the U.S. as there is very little (if any) grease on the napkin throughout the entire meal. Served a variety of tempura dishes including eel, uni, shrimp, white asparagus, pea pods, seabream, shitaake mushroom, onion and more, I ate my heart out tonight. Below are some of the highlights. 

Bonito and kampachi sashimi

Tempura uni

Tai (seabream) with fish scales (in the front)

Shrimp wrapped in shiso leaf

That's all for now... Stay tuned for more Japanese adventures. Be sure to hit the subscribe button to be notified of new posts, as there is a time difference and sometimes unreliable internet!