Travel Japan by H.I.S.

Eating Out in Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe

Kyoto

Kyoto offers an excellent range of restaurants, from delicate, elegant, Kyoto-style establishments to standard Japanese, Western, Korean and Chinese restaurants. Fast food chains, both Japanese and Western-style are also liberally situated in the more frequented area of the city.
Kyoto-style cuisine, noted for its refined taste and artistic presentation, is a synthesis of three distinctive styles of cooking.

Kaiseki-ryori

Kaiseki-ryori was developed as a simple meal served before tea in the tea ceremony. It is now served as the evening meal at most traditional 'ryokan' (inns) and at fine restaurants throughout Kyoto. It consists of 'sashimi' (raw fish), seasonal vegetables, marinated food, soup, rice, grilled fish, pickles and sweets. It avoids strong spices and seasonings to maintain the original flavour of ingredients. The arrangement of dishes also plays an important part. The food is placed on plates and bowls, elaborately chosen and served in a most aesthetic and appealing manner. Great care is taken to ensure that the seasonal aspects, taste, and presentation of the food are perfect.

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Osaka

There is a saying that Osaka people spend all of their money on food until they go bankrupt. You will recognise when you see the enormous number of eating places packing the city's downtown area. Some restaurants are large, and others very tiny, but they all tend to be homely, friendly and inexpensive, though they may not be too sophisticated.

Oshizushi

In contrast to Tokyo-style sushi, with its piece of raw fish on an oval shaped rice ball, Osaka-style sushi, usually called oshizushi or pressed sushi, is characterized by its square shape with vinegared fish or broiled conger eel spread on top of rice and pressed all together, then cut into little square pieces when served.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a mixture between pancake and pizza. 'Okonomi' means "as you like". This refers to the ingredients that vary anywhere from fish, meat, clams, eggs, vegetables, fruit and pickles - almost anything and everything. Common ingredients would be thinly sliced chopped pork, thinly sliced chopped beef, chopped onions, octopus, squid, and mushrooms. You mix them together and then you pour it on a grill and let it cook like a pancake. As for toppings, the various sauces are used as well as mayonnaise, 'katsuobushi' (shaved dried bonito), and 'aonori' (dried seaweed flakes). Katsuobushi is so thin that it waves in the heat coming off the freshly cooked okonomiyaki and so it looks like the top of your meal is crawling.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a small round-shaped wheat flour dumpling made of batter, octopus, 'tenkasu' (bits of tempura batter) , 'benishoga' (pickled ginger) and leek, topped with brown sauce, 'aonori' (green laver), 'katsuobushi' (dried bonito flakes) and mayonnaise. It is cooked on an iron griddle with lines of holes into which the mixed ingredients are pured and then baked. It is the kind of food you can buy at a street corner stall. Takoyaki somehow embodies the atmosphere of Osaka and symbolizes the Osakans' spirit.

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Kobe

As you might imagine, Kobe is a city famous for its international cuisine. There are a number of foreign restaurants catering to foreign residents to Kobe, where the genuine cuisine is exceptionally delightful. Especially in Nankin-machi, a bustling China Town just to the south of Motomachi Station, you can enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine.

Kobe Beef

Kobe beef promises good taste by carefully selecting Tajima beef and other high-quality ingredients. 'Shimofuri' is the best part of beef, where fine veins of fat are delicately intertwined with fresh red fibers of flesh. When heated, the fat and the flesh are finely mixed to produce exquisite harmony of taste. Kobe beef attracts gourmets from all over the world, with variety dishes such as grilled steak, 'sashimi', 'shabu-shabu' and 'sukiyaki'.

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