Getting Fishy in Kyoto

15 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Food & Drinks, Japan, Kyoto

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Eel, Japan, Kyoto, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Sushi

When a lot of us think of Japanese food, our first inclination is to think of sushi. And it’s true. Sushi is very popular outside of Japan – chances are that the city or town you live in has at least one sushi restaurant, if not dozens.

It turns out the type of sushi we have in the States, is not true sushi (shocker!). In the States, rolls rule, and while you occasionally see them in Japan they are not the multicolored-monstrosities stuffed with cream cheese and avocado you find in North America. Nor is Japanese seafoor just sashimi and sushi.

So Mrs. Selfish and I decided we’d undertake a crash course in Japanese seafood, for the sake of our readers, of course.

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Reliving the Johnnie Hillwalker Tour in Kyoto

13 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Kyoto

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Asia, Food & Drinks, Higashi-Honganji, Japan, Johnnie Hillwalker Tour, Kyoto, Kyoto Station, Nintendo, Nishi Honganji, Ramen, Selfish Years, The Selfish Years, Toyokuni Shrine

Back in 2010, Mr. Selfish and I went on the Johnnie Hillwalker tour of Kyoto. It’s a five hour walking tour taking you through the back streets of Kyoto. The tour starts at Kyoto station and ends in Higashiyama near Kiyomizu Temple. It was a fun walk and only cost about 2,000 yen per person. I highly recommend it.

This time around, we decided to primarily visit the same sights on our own. Our apartment was in Higashiyama so we did the tour backwards and ended at Kyoto Station. First, we went to Toyokuni Shrine, which was built in 1599. This Shinto shrine is dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was a famous warrior and general and was best known as being responsible for the restriction that only the samurai class could bear arms.

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Sake it to me!

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Food & Drinks, Japan, Kyoto

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Japan, Kyoto, Sake, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

Prior to coming to Japan, I knew absolutely nothing about sake. Oh, I’d ordered it a few times from our local sushi restaurant, but all I knew was that sake was made from fermented rice, and that you should always drink good sake cold (and drink bad sake hot to hide the impurities).

So when Mrs. Selfish told me she had booked a tour of the Yamamoto Honke Sake Brewery, I was pretty excited.

Be warned – there is a lot of educational information about sake ahead!

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Will the Real Wagyu Beef Please Stand Up?

09 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Kyoto

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Asia, Beef Cutlet, Beef Cutlet Sandwich, Food & Drinks, Hafuu, Inoda Coffee, Japan, Kobe Beef, Kyoto, Selfish Years, The Selfish Years, wagyu, wagyu beef, Wagyu Cutlet, Wagyu Cutlet Sandwich

After all of the controversy about Kobe beef not actually being Kobe beef in the States, Mr. Selfish and I decided to have some wagyu beef while in Kyoto. Wagyu beef is notoriously expensive. We decided to have some katsu wagyu beef sandwiches, which are a little less expensive but still a bit costly. We tried two place, and both were delectable.

First, we went to Hafuu (located at 471-1 Sasayacho, Nakagyoku, Kyoto), which was well-know for its wagyu takeout sandwiches. Each sandwich was 1,800 yen and completely worth it.

The beef was perfectly cooked and melted. The sandwich also had lettuce, tomatoes, and a heavenly sweet but savory sauce. It was as wagyu should be. I’ll be sad when we leave Japan and all we have our supposed “Kobe” beef.

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Enjoying Desserts and Coffee in Kyoto

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Kyoto

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Asia, Coffee, Desserts, Efish, Food & Drinks, Ice Cream, Japan, Karafuneya, Kinako, Kyoto, Parfaits, Selfish Years, The Selfish Years

Mr. Selfish and I have quite a sweet tooth. We learned while in Kyoto that the Japanese also have an affinity for sweet desserts.

First, we went to Kinako (祇園きなな), which is located at Kyoto-shi, Higashiyama-ku, Gion-machi Minami-gawa 570-119, for the best soy bean ice cream ever. It was quite simple but smooth and packed full of flavor. We also had Berry Berry Kinana parfait, which was visually pretty but had too many different components that were all competing with one another. I found the soy bean ice cream to be more than sufficient for my ice cream palate.

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Yummy Yakitori and Karaage Craziness in Kyoto

31 Friday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Kyoto

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Asia, Chabuya, Chicken, Fukei, Japan, karaage, Kyoto, Selfish Years, The Selfish Years, yakitori

During our first trip to Japan, Mr. Selfish and I learned that Japanese food is quite diverse. We sampled yakitori, karaage, takoyaki, ramen, udon, soba, okonomiyaki, etc. Unfortunately, the majority of Japanese restaurants in the States only serve sushi and some form of teriyaki.

This post is dedicated to the wonderful chicken that we had in Kyoto, specifically the yakitori (grilled chicken on skewers) and karaage (deep fried chicken). I never knew that chicken could be so tender and delicious until I had it in Japan.

Our favorite yakitori place is called Chabuya (炭火焼鳥ちゃぶや), located at ３１０−３ Uradeyamacho. We ate here in 2010 with some locals and knew that we had to return during our selfish year. It is a small, unassuming place that is frequented by locals. Luckily, they have an English menu (though we never saw any other English speakers the two times we were there).

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Relaxing at Ryokan Sanga

28 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Accommodations, Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan

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Kurokawa, ryokan, Ryokan Sanga, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

During our previous trip to Japan, Mrs. Selfish and I had the pleasure of staying at a ryokan in Hakone. A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese hotel, known for a three things: kaiseki meals, traditional rooms and garb, and onsen.

Last time we only stayed for one night, so this time around we decided to splurg and stay for two nights at the Ryokan Sanga.

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One Night to Sample the Delicious Food in Fukuoka

25 Saturday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan

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Asia, Food & Drinks, Fukuoka, Gyoza, Ichiran, Ippudo, Japan, Ramen, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Tonkotsu, Yatai

Upon leaving Seoul, Mr. Selfish and I flew to Fukuoka, which is the sixth largest city in Japan and is located about 680 miles southwest of Tokyo. We had read online that tonkotsu ramen originated from Fukuoka and knew that we had to try it there.

Tonkotsu ramen is made from boiling pork bones, fat, and collagen for an extended period of time. The broth is typically thick and creamy. The first place we tried was Ichiran (1-2-22, Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka). Ordering your ramen at Ichiran is an interesting process devoid of all human contact. First, you pick what you want to order and pay for it at a vending machine.

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Savoring Seoul Food: The Chicken Edition

23 Thursday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Seoul, South Korea

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Asia, Chicken Noodle Soup, Fried Chicken, HanChu Fried Chicken, Myeongdong Dakhanmari, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Seoul, South Korea

Mr. Selfish and I certainly enjoyed the Korean food in Seoul. We loved the bulgogi, galbi, and bibimbap, but there was something missing – chicken. Specifically, we were on the hunt for Korean fried chicken, which is seasoned with many spices, including salt and sugar, prior to frying. We also learned that Korean chickens are different from the ones U.S. since they are typically smaller and have less protein. As a result, the chickens are usually fried whole and then chopped into smaller pieces. The fried chicken is then typically served with pickled radishes of some sort.

Mr. Selfish looked for the best Korean fried chicken places in town, and we decided to go to HanChu Fried Chicken, which was located at 549-9 Sinsa-dong. It wasn’t a fancy place but it sure was tasty.

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Savoring Seoul Food: Bulgogi, Galbi, and Bibimbap

19 Sunday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Seoul, South Korea

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Asia, Bibigo, Bibimbap, Bulgogi, Food & Drinks, Galbi, Namsangol Sanchae Jip, Selfish Years, Seoul, South Korea, WooSung Galbi

Of the primary Asian cuisines, Mr. Selfish and I probably have the least amount of experience with Korean food. We didn’t officially become foodies until our time in Orlando, which does not have much of a Korean food scene. As a result, we knew that we had to maximize our time in Seoul and try as many Korean food as possible.

Bulgogi is grilled marinated beef, and it was listed as #23 on CNN Go’s list of the world’s most delicious food. The meat is typically marinated with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and pepper. It is then grilled and served with lettuce and a dab of ssamjang (a thick spicy paste).

We ate bulgogi from a little restaurant across the street from the Westin hotel that I had discovered from a thread on Chowhound. The restaurant didn’t have an Internet presence otherwise and seemed to be called “Korean Restaurant.” It was quaint, had a great atmosphere with jazzy music, and had traditional real-wood grills for each table.

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Peking Duck Showdown in Beijing: Made in China v. Duck de Chine

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Beijing, China, Food & Drinks

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Asia, Beijing, Beijing Duck, China, Duck de Chine, Food & Drinks, Made in China, Peking Duck, Selfish Years

While doing yoga in Hoi An, Mr. Selfish and I ran into an American couple who were living in China. We immediately asked them for recommendations, and they told us that we had to go to Made in China for peking duck in Beijing. It turns out that Made in China is quite well known for its peking duck.

On our first night in Beijing, we headed to its location at the Grand Hyatt Hotel (1 Dong Chang’an Jie). Unfortunately, even though we had a reservation, the hostess informed us that there were no tables available and that we would have to wait. After wandering the lobby for a while, we returned and were given a table all the way in the back of the restaurant.

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Searching for the Best Soup Dumplings in Shanghai

06 Monday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks, Searching for the Best . . ., Shanghai

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Asia, China, Jiajia Steamed Bun, Nanxiang Steamed Buns Restaurant, Selfish Years, Shanghai, Shengjianbao, Soup Dumplings, Xiaolongbao, Yang's Fry-Dumpling, Yuyuan Garden

Ever since my study abroad program in Shanghai in 2002, I’ve been raving to Mr. Selfish about the soup dumplings. We’ve had soup dumplings in New York, California, and Hong Kong, and I never thought that they compared to the ones I had in Shanghai. Mr. Selfish and I therefore went on a search for the best soup dumplings in Shanghai. We had both the steamed dumplings (xiaolongbao) and the fried dumplings (shengjianbao).

First, we went to Nanxiang Steamed Buns Restaurant (20号 Yuyuan New Rd.) at Yuyuan Garden for its well-known xiaolongbao. We visited the restaurant during the mid-afternoon on a Tuesday, and the outside queue was still ridiculously long. I scoped out the inside of the restaurant and discovered that you could order inside even though it was a little more expensive. After looking at the queue outside, Mr. Selfish and I figured that it would be worth it to eat inside the restaurant.

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Eating the Cosmopolitan Food in Shanghai

04 Saturday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks, Shanghai

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1984 Book Store, Asia, B Real, Banh Mi, China, Egghead Bagels, Food & Drinks, Happy Hour, La Creperie, Morton's, Paulaner-Brauhaus, Selfish Years, Shanghai

From steak sandwiches to bagels to French crepes, Shanghai has it all. Mr. Selfish and I found Shanghai to be quite cosmopolitan in its restaurants. There were all types of food, and it was hard deciding where to eat out. I’ve already been over the delicious hot dogs and beers we had in Shanghai. This post is dedicated to the other non-Chinese food we consumed.

First, we enjoyed the best happy hour in Shanghai at Morton’s (8号 Century Avenue), which is located near the Oriental Pearl Tower. The happy hour is from 5-7pm Monday through Friday and consists of free unlimited filet mignon sandwiches and martinis for 45 yuan.

Mr. Selfish and I sampled the gin martini, chocolate martini, and appletini. We eagerly awaited the waiter with the tray of filet mignon sandwiches to come around. We ended up consuming quite a few sandwiches. They were perfectly cooked, tender, and very filling.

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The Ritz-Carlton v. the Peninsula in Shanghai: It’s Tea Time!

02 Thursday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks, Shanghai

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Afternoon Tea, Asia, China, Food & Drinks, High Tea, Peninsula, Ritz-Carlton, Selfish Years, Shanghai

When I was in Shanghai in 2002, my friends and I went to afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton. I don’t remember much about it but I do recall that it was a swanky affair full of delightful snacks and goodies and a little bit of tea. Since then, I’ve been to several afternoon teas, including the fabulous afternoon tea at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh.

Since we were in Shanghai for two weeks, Mr. Selfish and I figured that we would indulge in a couple of afternoon teas. First, we settled on the Ritz-Carlton since I had been previously. Second, we decided to go to the Peninsula since it is an institution for afternoon tea.

We did the Ritz-Carlton afternoon tea at Pudong (52/F, 8 Shiji Da Dao, near Lujiazui Huan Lu). There are apparently two Ritz-Carltons in Shanghai, and I think I went to the other one in 2002. I didn’t recognize the dining area at all, but it sure was swanky as well. It cost 288 yuan for one afternoon tea set. Mr. Selfish and I purchased an additional pot of tea for 70 yuan.

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Hot Dogs and Beer in Shanghai

30 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks, Shanghai

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Asia, Bikini, Boxing Cat Brewery, China, Hot Dogs and Beer, Selfish Years, Shanghai

Although Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed the Shanghainese food in Shanghai, we had a hankering for some good ol’ American fare. Fortunately for us, within walking distance of our apartment in the French Concession, there was a hot dog place and a brewery.

The hot dog place is named Bikini (47号 Yongfu Road). We walked there late one night after we had a minor cooking fiasco with short-grain rice in our apartment. The hot dogs were gourmet and quite delicious.

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