Back from OSAKA!

Today is labour day, a public holiday in Japan.
So the 2 of us had a quiet cosy time on a rainy monday at home.

Lunch was simple,

Okara udon


Dinner was simple.

Baked salmon, curry fish cake, miso soup and grilled mushroom and bacon mixed into white rice

our Osaka adventure~

On a fine wednesday morning, we left Tokyo and hopped onto the shinkansen bound for Osaka...

Managed to catch Mount Fuji on the way there...

Mention Osaka, and Okonomiyaki, takoyaki, stick katsu (think katsu on a satay stick), ramen, udon and the famous fugu balloon comes to mind...

We tried all their popular foods except fugu.

okonomiyaki

Shinkseikai (New world), has this well known fugu(puffer fish) restaurant. So this is its iconic fugu balloon.

We didnt have fugu though, we ate stick katsu, which is also one of Osakas popular finger food.

The largest Korean street in Japan can be found here in Osaka, at Tsuruhashi.

Bought kimchi

Ate chijimi
Korean fish cake (in chilli sauce and soup version) which i ALWAYS have to eat when i do my Incheon flights

Bought dessert mochi.


This wasnt bought at korean street, but at a waffle stall i spotted.

Chocolate coated waffles..............

ahh...........the last time i had something as good as this was last winter in Amsterdam. Freshly baked waffles dipped in melted chocolate...

simple pleasure~

Udon in Osaka is again different because the soup stock is lighter in colour compared to the usual udon.

We had udon and oden at this very traditional restaurant at Namba.

Jun had the popular grilled mochi and duck udon, while i had oden...

Lightly coloured soup stock bursting with flavour!

On our third day there, i went to Shinsaibashi...

where the shopping centres are preserved in their original buildings

Daimaru entrance

Just when i thought the street outside looked a bit like New Yorks fifth ave...i spotted the statue of liberty

In fact, there is this mini American village a street away from Daimaru

where most of the popular american brands can be found.

I thought this was an American underwear shop, so i entered and browsed through their interesting underpants. hefty price for this one.

US$45.

Made in Japan.

Japanese image of American apparel.

I thought i would be able to find a dirty water dog (hot dog) stall by te street like in New York, but there wasnt one in sight. Instead, i found this soft ice cream dog stall.

The last day in Osaka was spent at Umeda

We had the best Takoyaki which i ever had!

In place of the standard dark sweet sauce and mayonaise, it was sour plum sauce and spring onions topped on top of hot takoyaki!

The melt of flavours was pleasantly surprising.

A refreshing change from the usual.

ending off with thick pork based soup ramen.

The milky soup is a result of the addition of a generous portion of pork collagen. =) natural beauty soup~