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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Walking Along the Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto

29 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Japan, Kyoto

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Asia, Eikando Temple, Ginkakuji, Japan, Kyoto, Nanzenji Temple, Philosopher's Path, Selfish Years, Silver Pavilion, Tenjuan Temple, The Selfish Years

When Mr. Selfish and I visited Japan in 2010, we fell in love with Kyoto and knew that we had to come back. We accordingly spent three wonderful weeks in Kyoto. The city has an astounding amount of places to visit – in fact, 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. Not surprisingly, we never ran out of things to see.

One of our favorite places in Kyoto was the Philosopher’s Path, which is a two-kilometer stone path that Nishida Kitaro, one of Japan’s most famous philosophers, supposedly walked every day to meditate. The path starts at Ginkakuji, which is also known as the Silver Pavilion, and ends at Nanzenji Temple.

The Silver Pavilion, for which admission is 500 yen, is not actually covered in silver. Its name was meant to contrast it from the Golden Pavilion, which is covered in gold. The Silver Pavilion is located next to a dry sand garden. Mr. Selfish and I sat and admired the view of the Silver Pavilion from the sand garden.

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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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The Second Palace We Visited in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace

22 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Seoul, South Korea

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Asia, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Seoul, South Korea

Mr. Selfish and I visited Gyeongbokgung Palace during our five-day stay in Seoul. This palace is the largest of the five grand palaces in Seoul. It was first constructed in 1395 but since then, it has been burned and abandoned several times. It wasn’t reconstructed until 1867.

We enjoyed the reenactment of the royal guard outside the main gate (Gwanghwamun). Just like the guards at Buckingham Palace, they will remain still when you pose for a photo next to them.

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Photography Fun at the Trickeye Museum in Seoul

21 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Seoul, South Korea

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Asia, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Seoul, South Korea, Trick Eye Museum, Trickeye Museum, trompe l'oeil

Mr. Selfish and I have posted our fair share of silly photos on this blog. This post is to rule over all of those photos. We went to the Trickeye Museum in Seoul, which is located at Seogyo Plaza B2, 357-1, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu. The museum uses the technique of trompe l’oeil to make masterpieces and other scenes into 3-D interactive photo opps.

The first part of the museum consists mostly of converted masterpieces.

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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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The First Palace We Visited in Seoul: Changdeokgung Palace

18 Saturday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Seoul, South Korea

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Asia, Changdeokgung Palace, Selfish Years, Seoul, South Korea

Mr. Selfish and I spent five days in Seoul. Prior to our arrival, we had heard all of the headline news concerning North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric against the U.S. and its installation of missiles on the launch site. I am happy to say that we survived our stay in Seoul, which was entirely without incident.

Seoul has five grand palaces that were built during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). Most of them were severely damaged during the Japanese occupation from 1910-1945. The first palace we visited was the Changdeokgung Palace, of which only 30% of the pre-Japanese structures are still in existent. This palace is known for being built according to the natural topography as opposed to imposing its architecture on the land.

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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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Bouncing Around Beijing: Lama Temple, Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace

13 Monday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Beijing, China

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Asia, Beijing, China, Lama Temple, Selfish Years, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Yonghe Temple

Mr. Selfish and I spent only four nights in Beijing, and it was barely enough time to see all of the sights we wanted to see. Beijing certainly has a lot to offer in terms of sightseeing (certainly more than Shanghai).

First, we visited the Lama Temple (aka Yonghe Temple), which is the only Tibetan temple or monastery we’ve ever visited. It is apparently one of the largest and most important Tibetan monasteries in the world. It was beautiful and had a different feel compared to other temples we’ve seen.

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Enjoying the Views of the Forbidden City in Beijing

12 Sunday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Beijing, China

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Asia, Beijing, China, Emperor Hotel, Forbidden City, Forbidden Palace, Jingshan Park, Selfish Years, The Emperor Hotel, Yin Bar

The first thing that Mr. Selfish and I did in Beijing was visit the Forbidden City. We had high expectations for the grandeur of the palace. Although we were there during the middle of a weekday, it was still packed with hoards of tour groups.

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The Other Sights Near and Around Datong

10 Friday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

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Asia, China, Datong, Selfish Years, Yīngxiàn Wooden Pagoda

The city of Datong itself is currently under massive renovation and improvement. Mr. Selfish and I had our driver look for an ATM to withdraw some yuan, and we had great difficulty finding one. Most of the large banks in China had already set up locations but the ATMs inside were not yet functional. As I’ve stated previously, Datong is slowly but surely setting itself up to be a big tourist destination.

The Hanging Monastery and the Yungang Grottoes are reasons alone enough to visit Datong. Unfortunately, we didn’t find the other attractions in Datong that notable.

First, the other primary attraction is the Yīngxiàn Wooden Pagoda, which is about a two-hour drive from the Hanging Monastery. Built in 1056, it is the oldest and tallest wooden structure in China. However, due to its age, you can’t climb the pagoda but can only visit the ground floor. The pagoda has a Buddhist temple behind it with some interesting looking statues. Mr. Selfish and I only spent about half an hour at the Yīngxiàn Wooden Pagoda, so I don’t think it was worth the two-hour drive or the 60 yuan per person admission.

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Another Reason to Visit Datong: Yungang Grottoes

09 Thursday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

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Asia, China, Datong, Selfish Years, Yungang Grottoes

As I went over yesterday, Datong is certainly a worthwhile destination if you are visiting China. Aside from Beijing, Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed Datong’s attractions the most, particularly the Hanging Monastery. The other primary attraction near Datong is the Yungang Grottoes, which are ancient Chinese Buddhist grottoes. Admission was 150 yuan per person, which was completely worth it.

The Yungang Grottoes has 252 grottoes with more than 51,000 Buddha statues. Some of the grottoes date back to the year 465 AD. You can’t visit all of the grottoes but it was still awe inspiring to see the ones that we could. The grottoes are, of course, in varying states of disrepair but the better preserved ones were Caves No. 5 and 6.

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“Why Are You Going to Datong, China?”

08 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

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Asia, China, Datong, Hanging Monastery, Selfish Years

Shortly after Mr. Selfish and I had planned our trip to China, we started hearing reports of the horrible pollution in Beijing. Initially, we had wanted to spend an entire week there, but we decided to shorten it to four days. We had an extra three days and chose to visit Datong, which is a smaller city in the Shanxi province northwest of Beijing.

Most people in the States have never heard of Datong, and the locals we met in China were surprised that we were going there. Two Shanghainese locals even asked us, “Why are you going to Datong?” I now have the answer – because Datong is awesome!

Datong is located close to the Hanging Monastery and the Yungang Grottoes, both of which were the best sights we visited in China (aside from the Great Wall). Yes, they were much better than the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an and even better than holding a baby panda in Chengdu.

The sight that I enjoyed the most was the Hanging Monastery, which is about an hour and a half from Datong by car. It is a temple that was built 246 feet above the ground. Legend has it that the temple was built by one man, a monk named Liao Ran, more than 1,600 years ago.

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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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