Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Narita - To Do/Eat - Narita 'Resting Holiday' More than a transit stop.

Narita - To Stay
 Narita - To Do
Narita - To Eat
Japan Narita - To Do/Eat
A complete guide to transiting via Narita Airport.
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Day 1
 13Jan2020
Arrival SQ638
2355hrs arrival 0800hrs
Lunch at all time favorite value for money Chio Si Ma R. (Click here for full write up) 
 as well as stocking up of supplies from Aeon mall!
*33Plates!*
 Maruge Ramen 
 located 10mins from Garden Hotel 
 Recommended by others
Ordred On:
 13Jan2020
Tsukimen and Ramen
 Food 3/5
Value 3.5/5
Service 3.5/5
Ambience 3.5/5
Best Tsukimen experience is still at Kamokin in Osaka. The Thick dipping broth here quickly lost its heat and became quite unpleasant towards the end. However the standard fare Ramen kept its heat well and flavors were great. Fried chicken and Gyoza were pretty much standard fare.  
 Click here for location of Maruge Ramen
Day2
Narita Village Main walking street

Click here for more write up for Narita Village 
 Surugaya
*Supposedly even better than Kawatoyo located up the hill. We came here as there was a 30-40min wait in between for Kawatoyo*
Wait time was supposed to be 2hours as opposed to 30mins wait at Kawatoyo, but we were lucky to get instant seating as we had little children with us.
*Wait time of 2hours on a weekday at around 12noon*
Ordered On:
14Jan2020
  Food 4/5
Serice 3.5/5
Value 3/5
Ambience 3/5
Verdict. Kawatoyo still wins out. The flavors are very similar, but Kawatoyo's got a deeper char and just something about it makes it just better. Try both to decide for yourself which is the best. However, personally, Ichibiki in Nagoya wins out but value and damn good flavor. 

  Kawatoyo

All in all, Kawatoyo wins out for its wait time, value and that little extra with its 100year old unagi essence sauce and the char. Watching the eels being processed, one can really see the difference between the old master and the younger master at Surugaya. 

Click here for full review of Kawatoyo, oldest and one of the top 100 Unagi Joints in Chiba district.

Day 3
Day Trip out to Sarawa 
  15Jan2020
Sawara is a small water township from the edo era and is 30mins train ride from Narita station. *Note that the train isn't regular and comes every hour. Some research on departure time would be needed to minimize wait times.*
Getting there is relatively simple. Its bout 500plus yen per way from Narita station. Take note that its a regular service that goes once every hour or so. From Sarawa station its pretty much a short walk to the main river and mini township which specializes in edo era buildings as well as local sweet potato desserts.
Lunch at Eel restaurant
麻生屋 本橋元店
  Food 3.5/5
Serice 3.5/5
Value 3/5
Ambience 3.5/5
Pretty good. But of course the ones in the village still wins out. We basically hid in here to stay out of the wet weather.
Local toys.
Part two at Narita Temple and Garden
Dinner at Edokko Sushi
*Just went there so that family could have the experience of Edokko "So called mother of all sushi". Personally I have since stop going there or its over priced and not really value or super fresh sushi. Service is difficult with the minimal english communication. Orders still can be easily made via pictures. Their huge toasted egg omelets are still the gold standard, but the rest, I would pass on.*
Day 4
16Jan2020
Day Trip out to end Aviation Museum
The place is a 25min bus ride from Garden Hotel. Bus stop is located up the hill in front of the Christmas hotel. Again buses are far and few and come maybe once to twice every hour. The same bus service also brings you to Sakura park whcih offers great views for Takeoff end of RWY34L/16R Arrival. You can only see 34L Touchdowns which are far and  few from the observatory. Mostly 380 and 744s.
A pretty small museum but its got its star points.
Entry is 700yen for adults. Only one of the airplanes outside was interactive. There's a decent simulator experience as well as a great panoramic view from the observation deck and dining hall. 
 *ATC Panel*
 Hmmm 1000yen for the 737 MAX Experience. . .
 *Beautiful view from the dining hall with pretty decent eats.*
 Pretty decent eats. Was expecting way less. Standard vending machine fare.
Best aviation museum experience is still RAF Museum in London.
Click here for Museum of Aeronautical Sciences

Day 5
17Jan2020
 Free day Shopping at Aeon
 Lunch at Chio Si Maru
Click here for full Chio Si Maru review!
 *Kids play area for 600yen for 2hours. Chargable for adults too at 600yen. Parents can interchange at any time. Located beside Aeon and Don Quijote.
*Some arcade fun at Aeon mall*
 Dinner at Onyasai!
 Excellent Shabu shabu buffet.
 Click here for Onyasai review!
Day 6
Departure SQ637
Departs1110hrs arrival 1720hrs
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Thursday, December 12, 2019

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

Nagoya - To Stay
Nagoya - To Do
Nagoya - To Eat
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

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.
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Wednesday, December 4, 2019

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

Japan Osaka - To Stay
Japan Osaka - To Do
Japan Osaka - To Eat 

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!!
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Tuesday, December 3, 2019

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

Japan Osaka - To Stay
Japan Osaka - To Do
Japan Osaka - To Eat 
Osaka - To Do
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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.  

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.
 
 
 
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