Nagoya - To Eat 12Dec2019 (Ichibiki - イチビキ Unagi Joint)

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Ichibiki
イチビキ
CASH ONLY

Closed Mon
Opens 1130-1pm Needs Queue number and starts at 10am. GO Inside to get your queue number.
5-8pm. Dinner reservations only!
400m from Hilton Nagoya 6min walk
Recommended by T.T.Q

Click here for ABBA location of Ichibiki イチビキ 1 Chome-3-16 Meiekiminami, Nakamura Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 450-0003

Ichibiki only takes in limited seats for lunch service and requires patrons to collect a queue card from 10am onwards. Dining times are allocated there after. Dinner is by phone reservations only! You'd be lucky to get a seat at this joint.

Ordered On
12Dec2019
Small Hitsumabushi 3600yen

Food 4.5/5
*From the top view, it seems like a single layer of Eel, but in fact its a double layer of eel with a generous serving of rice and sweet Unagi sauce. Perfection! Amazing grills flavor on the outside, fat and super juicy on the inside. By far one of the best Hitsumabushis and grilled Eel ordered. It is as good as Grilled Eel so far in Kyoto, Hakusuien, at the start of the Philosophers walk.
Personally, this beats Narita's Village famous Kawatoyo Eel joint, hands down.*
 
Service 3.5/5
*Food service is a little slow but man is it worth the 40min wait.*
Ambience 3.5/5

Value 4/5

Of the three Hitsumabushi's had in Nagoya, Ichibiki comes up as the best tasting and best value. Totally worth the wait! Their 'mala-like' condiment added a nice zesty flavor to the eel. In fact, we went on to purchase it from the local Supermart there after.

Among the other two Unagi joints tried, one being a famous Picho - Hitsumabushi Unagi あつた蓬莱軒 松坂屋店 located in Lucia mall is overly price in comparison and satisfactory meter doesn't match up to that served here.

However, if you can't spare the trouble of queuing for a number at 10am and turning up again much later, at 12.30pm (in our case), Yo Neh Yi Chi offers value Hitsumabushi for a value asking price and starts lunch service at 10am.  The eel at Yo Neh Yi Chi does however loose out by way of deep flavor and fattiness. 

If one is willing to queue at 10am and wait about 30-40mins on arrival for the food to come, the rewards of thus far best Hitsumabushi Unagi joint are value and full flavored.  

 *An individual serving of Eel only at 2800yen.*

Most patrons went for Eel over rice, although their best seller and recommended order is their Hitsumabushi. Personally I felt that the grilled eel, though looks incredibly impressive, alone would be too rich and needed different textural and flavor enhancement condiments that comes in a Hitsumabushi meal to cut through the richness of the eel and sweet sauce. To each his own.

Click here for ABBA location of Ichibiki イチビキ 1 Chome-3-16 Meiekiminami, Nakamura Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 450-0003

Osaka - To Eat (04Dec2019 Beef Cutlet Takeru Nipponbashi)

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Osaka - To Eat

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Beef Cutlet Takeru Nipponbashi

 *Small seating area. That's pretty much it.*

Another Beef Cutlet joint that's hugely popular among others and its located in the Nipponbashi (Anime district area), just further down from Kuromon market. Click here for 6D5N Itenary of Osaka.) 

Ordered On:
04Dec2019

Special Set
Beef Cutlet and Roast Beef CHAZUKE, soba noodles 2140Yen

*The Chazuke with its roasted flavors and dashi goes beautifully with the fatty meat with its super light fried bread crumbs. The roast beef wasn't as depicted in the picture and was really hopping for a comparison to Red Rock Americamura (amazing Roast Beef Bowl dish here highly recommend to try), the beef is well-done here. Personally I didn't care too much for the Soba as its buck wheat flavors were a little strong for my liking. However the Chazuke with rice and Beef cutlet would be my go to order next time!*
Beef Cutlet Set Meal Reuglar 220g 1630Yen

 The Beef!

*Super tender, fatty and look at that color. You need the hotplate in front only to warm it up on the insides. The beef itself isn't marinated so all that exciting condiments on the side do give you that customization to enjoy your beef how you like it!*

 *The perfect bite. Fresh wasabi, garlic chips, garlic salt, spices, warmed up and had together with meat sauce. One beautiful mouthful.*

Ambience 4/5

*Nice clean and bright environment*
Food 4.5/5
Service n/a Self Service Maching
Value 4.5/5
*Comparing the regular sized beef cutlet to Gyukatsu Motomura, this place is 470yen cheaper! For the serving and free flow of salad, combined with bottle of garlic chips, condiments, and ambience, this place value is through the roof!*
Fed 2

Comparing this place to the Gyukatsu Motomura, located opposite to Big Camera, Beef Cutlet Takeru Nipponbashi wins by way of its ambience and value.
The beef alone at Beef Cutlet Takeru Nipponbashi may loose out as it doesn't seem like it is marinated. It needs the assistance of the spice variety, but that, to me adds the charm and enjoyment of customization. The garlic chips are a huge welcome and here offers a greater variety by way of order options.  There's roasted beef and Chazuke which is incredibly enjoyable with the fatty beef.
Beef Cutlet Takeru Nipponbashi just took edges out and takes top spot over Gyukatsu Motomura. Here is probably less crowded than Gyukatsu due to it being off the main Dotonburi Stretch. Worth the walk down and checking out this place!!

Beef Cutlet Takeru Nipponbashi

Osaka - To Do 03Dec2019 (Autumn at Minoo park and Falls)

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Autumn at Minoo Falls

Located 30mins from Osaka Umeda Station
55mins door to door from Sheraton D Cube.

Researched as one of the must visit places in Autumn whenever in Osaka. 

Minoo park and falls seemed to pop-up quite a fair bit as the place to enjoy the beauty of Autumn. Boy did it deliver in spades.  

Click here for Minoo Park

A very enjoyable walk to a climatic, picturesque view at the end. Each section offers a little something different as the landscape and trees tells the mountain's story. Beautiful.

Some quick pointers about the track from Minoo Station to the falls.

Distance to the falls is 2.6km with a slightly inclined slope all the way to the top. Its defiantly an easier a walk as compared to Dragon's Back (not inclusive to the full walk to Big Wave Bay). 

There are some light eating options along the way up to Minoo falls. Mostly cafes and snacks/light bites for the first 30% and last 15% of the track. Cater about 2.5hours for a leisurely exploration  of the easy road/track to the falls. You might planning your meals before or after a visit to Minoo falls.

There are also a fair number of rest stops along the way so there's plenty of rest and picture opportunities as well. There are more advanced tracks along the way but just follow the stream of Aunties and Uncles where in doubt to get there. Similar to Bukhansan National Park in Seoul. 

Beautiful and worth that travel out to enjoy this mountain side and easy leisurely stroll up to the falls.

 

 

 

Click here for Minoo Park

Singapore - To Eat 18Nov2019 (Seasonal Tastes)

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Seasonal Tastes
88++ Sun-Thur
1for1 Deal with DBS Card holders From 1Nov2019-31Dec2019
Check out for 1 for 1 deals.

Seasonal Tastes
290m from Downtown Line

ABBATip: Park on the 5th floor so that you have a direct lift line to the 32nd floor of Westin's hotel lobby.  
Click here for location of Seasonal Tastes 12 Marina View, Level 32 Asia Square Tower 2, 018961

Visited on 18Nov2019

 

 *Some of their standouts were their blue swimmer crabs and hokkien mee (to good standard). The crabs were uniquely done in both not-so-spicy white pepper crab sauce, and a mild Thai Yellow Curry.*

 *The sirloin beef also well prepared and their dessert get a shout out too, especially the Avocado gelato which was smooth, creamy and a winner!*

*Its nice to see classic Nonya desserts thrown into the mix*
Fed 2 + 1 at 103.52SGD Total cause of 1for1 discount.

 Ambience 4/5

Service 3/5
(Crew were relatively inexperienced. Visited on a Monday and request for cutlery and bill took a long time to come around, considering the restaurant was not at full capacity.
Food 3.5/5
*The prawns especially so weren't that fresh. A small selection but well curated.
Value 4/5
*Because of the 1for1 deal. Fed 2+1child at 52SGD each all in.
3/5 if at regular retail price.

A small but relatively well curated selection of eats. The prawns, we felt weren't that fresh as the shells didn't just slide of the meat. The lobsters here aren't as plump or juicy as had in other locations, but still enjoyable. The standout are as mentioned and it has a good spread with a nice view of the city center from the near panoramic view from the 32nd floor.  

The go-to worth it, for lobster seekers especially is still J65, at Hotel Jen which serves up Oysters as well at their buffet spread. 
For a more upmarket location, Lime's, seasonal lobster fest is another one for lobster lovers.

Click here for location of Seasonal Tastes 12 Marina View, Level 32 Asia Square Tower 2, 018961