Osaka
Osaka, second only to Tokyo in its futuristic urban landscape as a symbol of Japan's energy and economic might. However, the city's real wealth lies in the warmth of its people, their humor and energy, and its well-deserved reputation as the kitchen of Japan.
Takoyaki wanaka
- Inside the kuromon market
- Chain (many branches)
Ichiba Kuromon market
If you want to understand the essence of a country's cuisine, check out the local markets. Seasonal fruits in Osaka's Kuromon Ichiba market are fresh and sweet.
- Food market
- Grilled seafood like fresh scallops -- sarap!
- Try the Fugu (puffer fish) sashimi
- Sushi at corner stall worth trying, known for good Tuna. Read more...
Drop by Kuromon-Sanpei within the market for the freshest selection of sashimi and other seafood. The vendor beheads a blue-fin tuna at the front of his shop every morning at 10am, the same experience as the famed Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. There are tables and bars ready for you to indulge in the fattest bluefin tuna sashimi or largest fresh scallop, not to mention blowfish sashimi and others.
- More info about the market and how to get there can be found here.
Takoyaki achichi honpo
- Very popular
- Long line up
- By the river
- Beside ichiran ramen
Ichiran ramen
- Each person eats in his own “cubicle”
- Tonkotsu only (pork base ramen)
Ippudo ramen
- Loved their chahan too!
- Chicken base and pork base
Hanamaruken ramen (Happy ramen)
- Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
👍 - Open 24 hours
Daikisuisan
Kaiten sushi
- And there's also another conveyor belt sushi along Shinsai Bashi with signs that say ¥1.49 -- that one was the most memorable for us!
- We had around 60 plates of sushi among 5 of us
😂
Endo sushi
- Osaka's version of Tokyo's Tsukiji market
- Early morning (maybe around 7 or 8am)
- Fresh sushi from the market
- Good experience
- Very small restaurant
Love and beef
- All you can eat yakiniku
- At Namba City mall (also more branches)
- Worth it, good value, sarap!!
- Hard to find this place, ask around for "Yakiniku gyuuta"
Matsusaka M
- For matsusaka beef
- Was not worth it for us :(
- Too expensive
Japanese kit Kat
- Buy them in any Don Quixote store (giant penguin, yellow ferris wheel) for a good price
Pablo cheesecake
- I feel this is over hyped but still worth trying
- They’ll ask if you want soft or creamy, I'm not sure which one but get the one that's runnier (less solid haha)
Rikuro ojisan
- Supposedly the competition of Pablo's cheesecake
- Haven't tried it yet but if you do get the chance to try it, would love to know if it's better than Pablo's!
Yoshinoya
- Must, of course!
😆
Luke's Lobster
- Lobster rolls
- Don't get anything else!
Attractions in Osaka
- Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
- Umeda Sky Building
- Universal Studios Osaka
- Osaka Castle
- Possible day trip to Nara - 40 mins by train
- Iconic Glico Running Man
- Dotonbori - this is where all the food is
- Shinsai Bashi - this is where all the shopping is
Recommended Hotels
- Swissotel Osaka
- St. Regis Osaka
Kyoto
Kyoto is old Japan writ large: quiet temples, sublime gardens, colourful shrines and geisha scurrying to secret liaisons. Few cities of this size offer such a range of excellent restaurants. Work your way through the entire spectrum of Japanese food, from impossibly refined cuisine known as kaiseki to hearty plebeian fare like rāmen.
Ryōtei Kikunoi
- Chef Yoshihiro Murata
- Kaiseki
- Tastes of the Seasons
Sobanomi yoshimura
- Hot and cold soba
- Hand made
Tsujiri
- Japanese dessert
- Matcha shaved ice
- I also like the brown sugar flavor
😋
Shabu Zen
- In Gion
- All you can eat sukiyaki or shabu shabu
Gogyo ramen
Tsuruhashi
- This is Kyoto's Korea town
- There's a yakiniku street there which was worth the trip
Tokyo
NOTES:
Map of Best Tokyo Restaurants
Serious Eats in Tokyo
Juuban Ukyou (十番右京)
Love this little sake bar that is hidden in a quiet neighbourhood in Azabujuban. Once you are seated you are presented with a shot of this creamy potage soup, which is interesting. The server then presents you to what seems to look like a karaoke book full of listings of different types of sake. I believe there are well over 200 different types of sake for you to try here carefully curated by the owner. I believe that this place is pretty famous for their truffle as most items do have truffle, which is pure indulgence. This is for sure one of my new go to spots for a night cap before heading home. Cozy, quiet and perfect to unwind after a long day of work.
Shima Steak (島)
Ginza, Tokyo Nihonbashi area
Chef Manabu Oshima prepares perfect steaks using beautifully marbled premium wagyu beef from his native Kyoto, and he ages them himself. He serves them as part of a set meal, usually with an appetizer of crab or other seafood. If you fancy second helpings but are too full, you can even order steak sandwiches to go for your breakfast the next morning. Be sure to get a map link (or print-out) as the entrance to his basement location is nondescript and hard to find.
(3*) Sushi Yoshitake (鮨よしたけ), dinner only
Sushi Yoshitake in Ginza, Tokyo, is a high-end sushi restaurant where you will be served not simply seafood items, but true masterpieces of gourmet art! It is one of three sushi restaurants in Tokyo with 3 michelin stars. 28,000JPY per person.
"Don't mess around with Jiro's place. I went, and Yoshitake is way, way friendlier, fresher, more interesting, and just plain better."
Masaru (まさる)
Asakusa, Tokyo
Unwavering dedication to craft has allowed Masaru to excel at its namesake tendon (tempura over rice) for over 50 years. Though it's a bit more expensive than a typical tendon shop, the premium in price translates to quality. Daily offerings are dictated entirely by the quality of the fresh-caught fish that the chef purchases from the Tsukiji Market each morning. In fact, while Masaru's hours are technically 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., it's not uncommon for the shop to remain closed if that morning's catch isn't up to the chef's standards.
When it is open, Masaru's signature edomae tendon is a must-order. Tempura prawn, freshwater eel, and fish are served over a bowl of rice with a side of miso soup.
(1*) Torishiki (鳥しき), dinner only
Torishiki is notoriously hard to book. Artisan yakitori omakase at it's finest.
Kanemasu (かねます)
Yoroniku (よろにく), dinner only
Sapporo
Sapporo, capital of the mountainous northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, is famous for its beer, skiing and annual Sapporo Snow Festival featuring enormous ice sculptures. The Sapporo Beer Museum traces the city’s brewing history and has tastings and a beer garden. Ski hills and jumps from the 1972 Winter Olympics are scattered within the city limits, and Niseko, a renowned ski resort, is a train ride away.
Grand Hotel Sapporo
Sapporo Nikko Hotel
Uni Murakami Hakodate 函館うにむらかみ
日本生命札幌ビル店
What uni or sea urchin is to the Japanese is what sole meuniere is to the French; fish cooked in a butter sauce with a little bit of flour and lemon juice. Sea urchin is a spiny little ball of deliciousness. Albeit expensive, it can be purchased almost anywhere in Japan. To experience the best tasting sea urchin one must travel to northern Japan where the waters are icy cold and mineral rich.
In the picture to the left is a baked-in-its-shell sea urchin, in other words a sea urchin au gratin. Uni can also be enjoyed in its simplest form, eaten raw over hot Japanese rice, a popular choice for breakfast in Sapporo. What sets Uni Murakami apart from the rest is that this place does not only catch the sea urchin, but also farms it, allowing Uni Murakami to serve sea urchin in every way imaginable. The uni is firm, creamy, sweet, and not at all mushy.
The uni here is the freshest you can find. The best bang for your buck; beats going to the fish market, where one can find similar food items and seafood without the ambience and opportunity to have a decent sit-down meal and full service. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who gets the chance to visit Hokkaido.
This particular branch is located in Sapporo and is only a 15 minute walk from the Sapporo Station via underground walkway.
Jogai market (curb market)
Nijo ichiba market
Sapporo Yuki Matsuri Snow Festival
Sapporo Ramen Aji no Tokeidai
The ramen menu here comes with three soup options: soy, miso or salt. I opt for the local specialty: butter corn miso ramen. Hokkaido is famed for both its dairy products and its corn and this dish is a celebration of both, the corn sweet and juicy, and the cube of butter is pale and creamy. It melts slowly into the soup, a slick of gold that adds a rich silkiness. 
Most people in Japan associate Sapporo with its rich miso ramen, which was invented there and which is ideal for Hokkaido's harsh, snowy winters. Top it off with sweet kernels of corn and a block of creamy rich butter and you'll know exactly why Ramen is my favourite type of men. Sapporo Ramen Aji no Tokeidai is conveniently located right across the street from Sapporo Grand Hotel and is open until 4:00am
Kushidori izakaya/yakitori (串鳥)
Otaru
26 mins away from Sapporo Stn on the rapid line (620¥ one-way) (Otaru Chikko stop)
Le Tao
Sushiyadori Street
Nihon Bashi
Kaisendon En
Fuji Sushi
Grand Park Otaru Hotel
Niseko
AYA Hotel
The Japanese aesthetic value of that admires the detailed aged lines of wood and the warmth from its contrasting colors. AYA Niseko encapsulates and preserves the clean Japanese ambience of simplicity while passing an air of delicate yet modern atmosphere.
Moku no sho Tsuruga Villa Konbu Onsen
Moku no sho is boutique Japanese-style hot springs hotel with an air of nostalgia and where guests will enjoy a comfortable and relaxing getaway experience amidst the backdrop of an old growth forest.
Wabi and Sabi, an expression composed of two related but distinct elements. Wabi is both an aesthetic and moral principle, originating from the tradition which emphasizes a simple, austere type of beauty, and a serene transcendental frame of mind, yet also points to the enjoyment of a quiet leisurely life, free from worldly concerns. Sabi, on the other hand, reflects loneliness and tranquility – subdued, unobtrusive, yet tasteful.
The aesthetic value of wabi-sabi is fully exemplified in this modern, yet rustic and traditional, Japanese Ryokan, where guests come to be enlightened with a Zen state of mind.
Moku no sho offers indoor and outdoor baths, as well as rooms with private baths. Steam rises from the surface of the bath, a weighty, almost thoughtful stream of water pouring from the wooden fountain beside you. Feel your tension melt away as the volcanic elixir massages and soothes you to the core while snowflakes fall, silently.
Gaze out at the seasonal faces of the Niseko forest and experience the hot springs culture of this land of volcanoes by letting your body succumb to the pleasantness of the rich mineral water bubbling up from below.
Vale Hotel
Milk Kobo
Known for their cream puffs, cheese tarts, and ice cream
Niseko is one of Japan's biggest dairy producers.
Niseko Village
Hilton Niseko
The Barn
Village Patisserie
🍦❄ The ice cream itself is gorgeous to behold, all those beautiful weighted curves and lines. Moreover, the swoon-worthy soft-serve ice cream is carefully swirled in a buttery-crisp langue du chat cone that just melts in your mouth.
Cremia is a soft-served ice cream made of about 12.5% Hokkaido milk and 25% of heavy whipped cream. The ice cream indeed does not disappoint for tasting like a creamy, milky dessert all packed in one.
It may be a tradition to bring home the 300 or so varieties of Kit Kat flavors and specialty snacks as gifts for family and friends, but this soft served ice cream is a Japanese souvenir meant just for you. .