Sweet Sakuma drops from Hida Mountain in Japan from a dear friend

Sakuma Drops! A type of hard candy from Japan. They always comes in slightly rectangular tins like this! Their designs dictates where they come from! This one came from Hida mountains in Japan! A rather uncommon place to visit. I love collecting these Sakuma drop tins! Always lovely!
Its not something you get to taste everyday! Plus its from a place far far away. That's what makes it special! I thank you dearly for this special gift.

More of Japan's unique confectionary - Matcha Chocolate Pocky By Glico

Sweet sensations defined in a stick. Innovation is pervasive in the land of rising sun. They can make everything in to anything. Turning flavors inside out, taking conventional savoury flavors only found in everyday comfort food and inserting it into various forms of confectionery! Take for example this matcha also known as green tea, they extracted the flavors and essence and packed it into sticks of tea flavored biscuits and put it on sale everywhere! You can see this example repeatedly everywhere in Japan. Pocky is a famous household name. Well known throughout the world. This is just a small example of their limitless creativity! They not only come in "just" green tea. They have many types of green tea! Uji cha, sencha, and many more variations! You have to visit Japan to discover the perplexing choices! Be sure your sweet tooth can take it! Because the colors will definitely break your bank! Enjoy!

A Great Gift from A Buddy - CONY LINE Figure Collection by Takara TOMY ARTS!

Cony Figure from a Great Buddy!

A great gift from the land that turns everything into figures and animated stickers! If you haven't already tried using the LINE app, you seriously do not know what you are missing! Gone are the days where whatsapp has the big say in every way that we connect to each other.

Bland conversations can become lively and colorful with a cleverly placed sticker! IMHO, it conveys emotions and expressions no words can sufficiently portray.

Now they have the first and best animated stickers on offer, chats and conversations are getting even more exciting and lively! Get LINE app NOW~!!! You will not regret this!

Puchong Umai-Ya Japanese Restaurant - Lunch Buffet

Umai-ya Buffet !! Lunch Break!!It’s Happy Hour on Your Saturday and Sunday

( Damansara Utama , and IOI Puchong Jaya Branch Only)

Lunch. Eat And Drink all Your Can!

From 11.30am to 2.30pm (kitchen last call @ 2pm)

Adult – RM58.00++

We decided to visit puchong for an all you can consume japanese buffett lunch. Why lunch? Because they don't do dinner. Buffett menu is only offered for lunch sessions. It will be ala carte for dinner.

So, with great anticipation we arrived at IOI Boulevard where this elusive japanese buffett restaurant resides. After searching high and low, we finally found the store. 

Do you know about Rilakkuma?

Any idea what character is in this picture? 

Rilakkuma is ranked as the fifth most popular character in Japan in a survey.  The cute bear is a creation from a Japanese company called San-X. A little google will reveal all you wanted to know how this bear came to be.

Due to its infamous status, it has spawned tremendous amount of items and merchandise that has its name or face stuck on to it, including this metal candy can that I obtained from my travels to Japan! It contains caramel coffee flavoured hard candy, pretty unique flavour I would say. A taste befitting the relaxing bear on the can. Sweet yet subtle taste, absorbing flavor than makes you crave for more! Lovely!

There are other flavors that are best not to be mentioned originating from the land of the rising sun... But this particular character has books, cards, candy, chocolates, plush toys with its face on it, its popularity worldwide is not to be disputed!
Lastly.. All hail Rilakkuma!!

Nestle Kit Kat Exhibitions! Matcha Kit Kat, Sakura Kit Kat and Blue Berry Cheese Kit Kat Only from Japan

Kit Kat hasn't been a colorful bunch until it swam to the culturally rich Japan. It has always been coy, sticking to its tradition of brown chocolate-colored appearance, not too different from any other chocolaty treats available in your neck of the woods. The iconic red outer wrapper has been its quintessential chocolate wafer bar in many generations. 

The myriads of colors and creative designs of the most notable brand by Nestle, strikes
The renowned brand undergoes a radical and innovative transformation by the creative Japanese. Here comes the Blueberry Cheese Cake flavour, the Pinkish Seasonal Sakura Matcha flavour, and also the Uji Matcha Flavour only found in the city of Kyoto. Its something that we discovered when we went to Japan for a great trip.

Even their packaging has been given a unique face-lift  No more boring red rectangular boxes that holds the KitKats together, now they come in different and totally bizarre shapes and sizes! Take the Blueberry cheese cake flavoured Kit Kat, the box is of the shape of a towering mountain! Symbolizes the great Mount Fuji that stands in the middle of Japan. Instant Iconic recognition. Memorable and would definitely be a great and lovely souvenir to bring home to the crowd, no?

餃子の王将

我们从京都抵达大阪。。。已经接近下午2点多了。办理入住酒店手续后, 我们在酒店附近的商店找吃。看见饺子的王将的优惠套餐，非常划算。饥饿的我们便进入这家餐厅。

饺子的王将是一家发源于京都市、在日本全国各地都拥有分店的连锁餐厅，销售以大阪风的饺子（日式煎饺）为主的中华料理。

1967年，第一家饺子的王将开设于京都市中京区四条通（四条大宫店）。至2009年3月，共拥有344家直营店和183家加盟店。除了在日本各地都有分店以外，饺子的王将也于2005开拓海外市场，进军中华人民共和国。餐厅内的食材主要是由设置在京都市（西野山工厂）、久御山町（久御山工厂）、船桥市（船桥工厂）與福岡市（九州工厂）的四所中央廚房供应。此外，自2008年，朝日啤酒入股王将食品服务后，餐厅内所使用的各种酒精饮料或软性饮料都是朝日啤酒与其子公司朝日饮料提供。

Honke-Daiichiasahi Ramen, Kyoto, Japan

Honke-Daiichiasahi Ramen 

Located in Kyoto, Japan.

http://www.honke-daiichiasahi.com/

Shop closed on Thursdays

Kamukura Ramen in Osaka and other places in Japan

Welcome to Kamukura Ramen Store!

Official website: http://www.kamukura.co.jp/

Rokuden-ya Dan Dan noodles in Kyoto

(Rokuden-ya Dan Dan noodles in Kyoto!)

The elusive store is located in a small alley way, away from the main road where traffic roams. To reach this place, you really need some guidance to find it. of course if you don't, stumbling along the alleyways away from the main road is another joyful discovery too! Happy hunting for food!

Of course the discovery will lead to great things that you might discover unknowingly.

Marugame Udon noodle chain store (Japan)

Marugame Udon Chain Store

Official Website:http://www.toridoll.com/shop/marugame/

View Kyōto City in a larger map

Marugame Udon Chain Store

Website:http://www.toridoll.com/shop/marugame/

Marugame Udon shops can be found all over Japan!, They have now 625 shops opened in various part of Japan(correct at the time of editing) besides Japan, they have store in China, Thailand and even Hawaii!! A good choice if you are craving for Japanese Udon noodles while you are surfing the Seven seas! This Udon noodles store is actually a cheap udon alternative meal for the cash-strapped backpackers and tourists alike who would like to sample one of the finer daily local dishes while experiencing everyday Japan. A Must-Try! For all Japanese Udon Lovers, the specialty for this particular Udon chain store is they allow you to actually customize your Udon meal. Its a self service concept Udon Store. You get to pick from various combinations of ingredients, soup base, egg or no eggs, miso, shoyu, soy sauce and even curry! Remember to try out the Onsen Tamago (Hot Spring Egg)! Just add 50 yen!

Just look at the dizzying array of udon noodles that marugame udon store offers~! Try them all!

Marugame Udon Menu

How to Order your Udon Meal in Marugame Udon Store (Walkthrough)

• Step 1: Order your Udon noodle - you can choose between different styles of udon noodle dish. They come in cold udon, warm udon, normal serving and big serving.
• Step 2: After you have ordered your udon noodles, grab a plate while you wait for your udon noodle to be prepared by the kitchen staff.
• Step 3: After your udon noodles have been prepared, head over to the Tempura/Rice Ball(Omusubi) Corner with your udon noodles.
• Step 4: Choose your favourite Tempura and Omusubi(Rice Balls). There's quite a variety to pick from, ebi tempura(fried Prawn), ika tempura (Fried squid), yasai tempura (veggie tempura). As for rice balls, there is the all renowned inari (rice ball wrapped in deep fried bean curd-tastes slightly sweet). 
• Step 5: Time to Pay for your Udon meal! After that you can head over to your seat and Enjoy!     

Various Tempura

Omusubi (Rice Balls) variety

All tempura are priced the same. You can choose and pick the tempura that you like for and average price of 100yen each! With a myriad of tempura(s) to choose from, you can try it all! 

昆布 乌冬面。 280¥

Bukake Udon

明太子鸡蛋 乌冬面。380¥ 

Mentai Egg Udon

Inari (japanese rice wrapped with beancurd(tofu) skin), Fish Cake Tempura, and Squid Tempura 

Affordable meal for 2 person, only at 960yen! Try it to believe it!   

Oishi~~!!!

That's all Folks! The picture speaks for itself! 

Enjoy!

(I was drooling while editing this post...)

Unique flavored Kit Kat only from Japan

Time to expose more of Japan's uniqueness and specialty of their food and confectionery industry! This time around I'm going to introduce to you...... guess what? Green tea flavored
Kit Kat! Also Known as Sakura Matcha Kit Kat for those who could make out the Japanese kanji on the packaging.
Only found in Japan and no where else on the planet! Something other than your usual white and dark chocolate Kit Kats. One of a kind item that I personally hunt for when I'm in Japan. Will definitely introduce more flavors that I stumbled across in Japan in the coming posts! Look forward to more strange snacks only from Japan!
This sakura green tea flavored Kit Kat has a wonderful mild sweetness mixed with a unique green tea fragrance. Sold solely in Japan, I wonder will I be asks to get any from other parts of the world.

Does your part of the world produces strange and peculiar flavored sweets or snacks?

551 Horai Pork Bun (Japan Specialty)

Address： 大阪市中央区难波3-6-3 （HeadQuaters）

Business Hours：10:00 – 22:00

Off Day：  Close Every 3rd week of the month Tuesday

Phone： 06-6641-0551

Website：http://www.551horai.co.jp

View Ōsaka City in a larger map

551 Horai 

This interesting store is located in Namba district in Osaka, Japan. Its the Headquaters of all 551 Horai Stores.
Famous and Renowned for its juicy meaty and flavourful pork buns or known as Butaman 豚馒 in japanese. 551 Horai has more than 60 branches scattered throughout japan, this store can be spotted mostly in railway stations, departmental stores and also Kansai Airport.

Horai 551 specialize in chinese food (中华料理 chuka ryori) namely dumplings, gyoza, meat buns and etc.

Their signature product on their menu is ..... Yep, you've guessed it! Its Horai Pork Buns (Butaman 豚馒)!
They are selling at 2 buns for 320yen.

Their mouth-watering pork meat buns are just different from your other pork meat buns.

Packed in a box of 4 buns.

During my travels, I bought 4 buns, you just can't get enough of its tastes! Warm lovely and porky tastes keeps you coming back for more.

You can see what exactly its like in the kitchen where they churn out all their famous buns and cuisines!

Enjoy the real taste of good eating! Well Said!

Their supple and soft outside complements the juicy, fragrant meat inside. Slightly fat Pork meat, soft and well cooked onion and I suppose other secret ingredients combines and creates this incredibly wonderful tastes! Having 2 of them is just not enough! You'll be coming back for more! Trust me! because I did went back for seconds!! 

Kuromon Market, Osaka, Japan

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Kuromon Market's Origin

Until the end of the Meiji Era, the Kuromon Market used to be called Emmeiji Market, because there was once a large temple called Emmeiji nearby. Since there used to be a black gate northeast of this temple, the marketplace later came to be called”Kuromon Market”(Black Gate Market). 
Roughly 150 shops make up this renowned Kuromon Market, most of the sells the best quality seafood, vegetables and other kitchen cooking ingredients. Also known as the Osaka's kitchen. they supply a lot of the seafood that you see and eat in the sushi sashimi shops that you come across in the Osaka area.
The best time to visit would be during weekdays as a lot of the shops are closed on sundays.


Directions

Take a train to the Station Nipponbashi, Take exit no. 9, with another 5-10mins walk, you will reach the famed Kuromon Market something different from your everyday wet market.

Have you heard of the fish called fugu? better known to the rest of the world as the deadly puffer fish.
Don't be fooled by The unassuming and docile look of the Fugu fish. Its body and internal organs carries the toxin known as Tetrodotoxin that is deadly to any homo sapiens. By the way, this potent neurotoxin has no known antidote! 
Fugu fish are an integral part of japanese culture. famed for killing its consumers, people never cease to be amazed by this deadly yet savoury fish of the sea. 

Chefs who prepare this exotic dish has to undergo strict training and required to obtain a license before they are allowed to serve up any dish containing this infamous, 'near-death' causing fugu puffer fish meat.

the japanese have been consuming fugu for a very long time. If you find yourself around the neighbourhood of Osaka, do give this fish a try instead of just snapping photos of it!

There are other alternatives, if you are afraid to experience the 'near-death' sashimi version of the fugu,

you can buy the fugu soup or the dry fugu jerky!

Take home as a souvenir or enjoy on the spot!

All kinds of Fugu products. Including Dry Fugu Jerky and Fugu Soup Base

Long Leggy Crabs

Hairy Crabs

Some shell species

Tako! Big reddish octopus. Something that is not usually found in my neck of the woods.

Fresh fish head? Freshly prepared with surgical precision by expert chefs in the market. Hidden gems?

Varieties of seafood all prepared for consumption

Cooked produce from the sea of Japan

Fresh and alive tako/octopus?

Deep fried galore from the ocean!

Shell fishes!

More Seafood that swam in hot oil and ended up on the dinner table

During my visit, we ordered hotate (scallop) tempura to warm the body from the cold weather. The juicy morsel is all that you can imagine from looking at this picture.

When you bite into it, the warm and soft bits of it rejuvenates the entire body! Revives you from your tired walk. Full charged and further we go!

Crunchy croquette bought from the market, really delicious!

Fresh produce from the land. Look at the colors!

Flowers in japan.

Exotic vegetables only found in japan. Can you identify what are they?

Tea house

Variety of teas for sale. Try the Kombu Tea or Kelp Tea. Tastes exotic and unusual. Really something only to be found in this part of the world. At least I've never seen anything like it anywhere else before. What kind of green tea can be found in your part of the world?

Home Decor?

Supermarket. (Notice the hanging fish) ^^;

The Stuff that is available in the Market is just eye-popping and amazing! Travel to Japan and see for yourself! Discovered the place via travel books. Wouldn't have been here if it was not without a travel guide book!