The Nippon Series: Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki!

Kuidaore is a Japanese word meaning to "ruin oneself by extravagance in food".

Food associated with kuidaore in Osaka are Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, and Kitsune udon. Two of them happen to be on my list of faves and so began their search!

Thanks to Google, I found out about Fugetsu - a restaurant that specialises in Okonomiyaki.

Fugetsu @ Tempozan Marketplace.

For the uninitiated, Okonomiyaki is a Japanese style pancake with vegetables, meat, and/or seafood blended in a batter.

At Fugetsu, they cook the Okonomiyaki on a hotplate right in front of you at your table.

Hotplate at the table.

You can choose from a range of toppings, from beef tendon and shrimp to squid and kimchi. It was a tough choice, but pork was the final decision.

If you've had okonomiyaki in KL, you're probably used to having them filled with mostly batter and hardly any other ingredients. The one at Fugetsu was the exact opposite of that. It came with hardly any batter, and a whole load of cabbage, pork and egg.

Okonomiyaki in the making - with heaps of cabbage, pork and egg.

It took a good 20 minutes if not more for it to cook, and by the time it was ready, it looked perfect with the sweet sauce and mayonnaise to top it off. It tasted wonderful. Now, where can I find Okonomiyaki in KL that remotely resembles this?

They also do pretty decent Yakisoba, which is cooked in the kitchen and served onto the hotplate.

Yakisoba and Okonomiyaki.

Where:

Fugetsu 

They're a chain with restaurants across Japan but the one I went to was at Tempozan Marketplace in Osaka.

Now, on to Takoyaki. I'd heard there are heaps of stores to choose from at Dotonbori so I gave Creo-ru a try. DO NOT GO THERE. The filling, which consisted mostly batter, was uncooked - which one can tell by the deflating ball as they try to pick it up, and there was a sorry size of an octopus bit inside. Such a disappointment.

Good thing I'd already had some pretty epic Takoyaki in Kyoto.

Gindaco @ Porta.

Stumbled upon Gindaco and am really glad as they were the best Takoyaki I've had. The chefs put such effort into those wonderful octopus balls, it's no wonder there's always a line of people waiting to get their share.

Takoyaki from Gindaco, Yummy!

Crisp on the outside and filled with cabbage, bits of pickled ginger, green onions and a big fat piece of octopus. Deliciousness packed in a ball.

Where:
Gindaco @ Porta near Kyoto Station

The Nippon Series: Ramen Adventures!

Fresh off my trip to Japan, and having had a wonderful gastronomical affair, it would not be fair to not share the love. Since there was a wide array of food I had in the space of two weeks, there will be a number of posts in the Nippon Series. The first one shall be on one of the most loved exports around the world - Ramen.

I'll start with one of the restaurants at Kyoto Ramen Koji - a ramen mecca at Kyoto Station. It was difficult to pick between the eight restaurants there but we finally settled on Araumado.

Araumado @ Kyoto Station.

As with most if not all ramen restaurants, you buy a ticket for the type of ramen you want from the vending machine at the front of the restaurant and present it to the attendants who will then seat you.

Arauma Ramen with a side of Gyoza.

Arauma Ramen - cooked in pork bone broth with roasted garlic oil, the ramen was slightly chewy to the bite. Simply delicious! The gyoza was really yummy as well. What was different was that the skin was not stuck together as what I’m used to. No matter, they were delicious regardless!

Where:

Araumado @ Kyoto Ramen Koji in Kyoto Station.

From one Ramen Street to the next, Oreshiki Jun can be found at Tokyo Station. 

Oreshiki Jun @ Tokyo Station.

Tried their Tsukemen, which is basically dipping the ramen in a separate bowl of soup. It was an interesting experience to say the least. The slices of pork and the broth were extremely flavourful, but my only gripe is that the soup was just not hot enough.

Tsukemen. 

Right next to Oreshiki Jun is Rokurinsha. If your tummy isn't grumbling and you don’t mind queueing in line for at least 30 minutes, give it a try as I’ve heard they do the best Tsukemen. 

Where:

Oreshiki Jun @ Ramen Street in Tokyo Station (B1F Yaesu South Exit)

Finally, last but not least, I’d like to bring to your attention Ichiran – they specialise in Tonkotsu Ramen ie. pork based broth. 

Ichiran @ Shibuya.

Seating only 21, this branch at Shibuya provided a one of a kind experience. Let me tell you why.

As per usual, one buys a ticket for their ramen at the vending machine (after waiting in line for at least 30 minutes down the stairs into the basement in the sweltering heat and humidity). One would usually be seated when a table is ready, but this is where the story is slightly different. 

The row of individual booths.

Once language of choice is determined, the attendant hands over 2 pieces of paper and motions you to go past the curtain into a row of 10 individual booths.

On one piece, you choose your preferences on your bowl of ramen from the richness and flavour strength of the soup, to the amount of garlic and chilli you want. On the other piece is the option to top up on noodles, slices of pork and other sides such as egg and mushrooms should your tummy feel the need to be filled up even more.

Choose your preferences and then order!

Once ready, place your voucher and your preferences in front of you and press the red button. The chef takes your order and off she goes to prepare it.

Behind the scenes - Here you can see the row of booths on the other side. Couldn't see where the ramen prep though!

This bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen was by far the best I've had. The soup was flavourful yet not overwhelmingly rich, the pork slices so tender, and the chilli complemented the soup very well.

Introducing the best bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen I've ever had.

The individual booths idea is ingenious. One gets to concentrate on and enjoy their bowl of ramen with no distractions whatsoever.

If you've been to Tokyo and haven't been to Ichiran, or if you're running on a tight schedule, Ichiran is highly recommended. They're a chain with many locations across Japan, so do go check one out near you!

Where:
Ichiran @ Shibuya