First Blog Post: On the way to Japan Tokyo -Day 1
Second Blog Post : On the way to Japan - visiting Fuji-san
Third Blog Post: Tour to Mount Hakone and Ashi Lake
Seventh Blog Post: Kyoto Temple Pilgrimage - Temple of the Thousand Buddhas, Bamboo Forest, Zen Temple, Golden Temple, and Shinto Shrine.
Eighth blog post: Last day in kyoto and Deers of Nara
Ninth blog post: A train lover's best day
Tenth Blog Post: From Kyoto to Osaka by bullet train, then back to Kyoto by tourist train
Eleventh blog post: After exploring Osaka , dinner at Mr. Jack's unusual restaurant
Twelth blog posr: Travel from Osaka to Kobe - To Arima Onsen Hot Springs Journey
This is the last letter of this Japanese tour series. If you are vegetarian, please do not read any further. We went for a food tour on this last day in Osaka. This is the story of the food tour.
In the morning of thus day we were in Kobe. This is the evening of that day, so we were not that hungry anyway. Ines said this food tour is only for small bite-sized food, so this will be ok. The tour guide was an American living in Osaka. He is the guy with blond hair sitting in front of me. He is married to a Japanese girl like other expats. He was different from the others, not a big critic of the Japanese way of life.
Our team had four American men from California and a middle-aged English couple from our side of North London. A little later, their daughter also joined.
This street food tour was in the Japanese street food section of Osaka (not the Korean section I mentioned in the previous letter). We went to a district in Osaka called Shinsekai.
We started with beer. Since all of us were good drinkers, it wasn't a problem. Japanese beer is great. It means your stomach doesn't get too bloated. It's somewhere between an ale and a lager, sort of like drinking Sri Lankan Lion Lager with a little bit of stout mixed in.
Since it was evening, just like at the restaurant we went to yesterday, the guide also suggested we go for small, bite-sized foods. A cooking method native to Osaka (which started there) is called kushikatsu. This involves skewering various types of meat, vegetables, and fish onto bamboo skewers, dipping them in a light batter made from flour and breadcrumbs, and deep-frying them. They are served with cabbage, along with a sauce similar to soy sauce. Cabbage is also eaten a lot in Germany; the reason is to help digest the meat more easily. "Kushi" means skewer (a bamboo or metal stick), and "katsu" refers to a cutlet that is well-fried in oil.
Don't confuse this with tempura; that's different. Tempura has a heavier batter, meaning it fries into a thicker consistency. They also add panko breadcrumbs, which have a crunchy, crispy texture like pappadums. They even fry lotus petals to eat with them.
At the place where we started, they made noodles on the spot by putting them in hot water. They served it with small pieces of fried meat and fish, along with a shot of sake. I wrote down the names of all these foods on a piece of paper, but my wife threw it away. So, if anyone knows what they were, please write them down. I'll include them in the blog.
The other type of food is called karaage. This is made by marinating meat in sauces, similar to how we marinate meat before barbecuing. Afterwards, it's coated in a flour and potato starch mixture and fried. Again, I'm saying this is not tempura.
Our American guide gave a big speech when we went to the next restaurant. "You may not want to eat this. Perhaps you won't even try it. Please don't scold me."
So, what did he bring us? Horse meat.
Horse meat is banned in England and not eaten in America. It's exported to other countries for consumption. Our North London English couple and their daughter took a big gasp. One of them covered their mouth with a hand. The four American guys also looked a little surprised.
Ines and I were fine; we just watched.
"Oh, do they eat it in Germany?" the guide asked. Ines replied, "I've eaten it, and Ajith has eaten it in Russia." I explained that in some canteens served horemeat in Moscow. They served ithe horse meat with ginger, something like garlic, and wasabi.
The last place we went to had the same food I described in a previous blog post: tako tamago. Remember, that's a whole octopus head fried in a light batter. However, this one was prepared in a different way. A picture of the restaurant is below.
They served a drink similar to cider, and to be honest, you couldn't eat that dish without it.
In a few of these restaurants, there is a statue of an angry chef, and known as the Angry Chef. This chef is supposedly always angry. If people leave food without eating it all, he scolds them. He holds two fried meat skewers in his hand. He's the mascot for a chain of restaurants called Ganso Kushikatsu Daruma. He's the one who established the rule that you can't double-dip the same meat skewer into the sauce. He's also the one peeking out in the picture above.
During the day, we also went to a coffee shop and had two Japanese iced coffees with a mochi cake
"In Japan, there are still places that show pornographic films depicting sexual acts, similar to what used to be in the Soho area near London's Piccadilly Circus. These are no longer found in cities like London.
So, on our last day, we filled our bellies, said our goodbyes to the group, and left. Thinking about it, there are enough things about Japan to write one more letter.
This trip was booked with a prize I received from my company for my 25 years of service. I often don't take things like goods. The prize I got when I finished 20 years was used to travel to Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Many workers get things like iPhones, Rolexes, expensive watches, valuable household items, or expensive clothes. I never had much desire for those things. I once had an expensive watch with stones on it, but it got lost. Traveling to different countries is much more valuable.
When I was booking this trip, I looked at both China and Japan. Getting a visa for China takes three months, so I decided to skip China and go to Japan. I now know that was a very good decision. Tours to Japan are expensive here. I saw an ad on Facebook for a company called "Fair for You" and the price was reasonable. Their office is in Romford. Once, when the reservation agent called, he sounded Asian, but his name was Iyan Smith. There was a letter wrong in the name. When he called me last year while I was in Sri Lanka, he picked up the phone instantly, without the usual delay. Ines made most of the changes to the package. We removed the part about seeing geishas, and temples were added instead.
When we were talking in London, I asked him if he was calling from an Asian country. It turned out he was from Sri Lanka. Iyan said that when he was calling from Sri Lanka, he also wanted to ask me about it but didn't. Iyan's workplace, 'Fair for You' is a good company. The price is reasonable, and they provide good service. They checked on us throughout our entire trip. I'll probably book our next tour with them as well.
I have a strong desire to go back to Japan. I probably would have to find a job that lasts about two years so I can go everywhere includiing Okonawa.. I haven't made a decision yet.
Well then, let's meet in the next letter. Tomorrow I'll be in Finland.
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