2016年 12月 17日 (土)
Another day, another late start. Good thing Osaka was only a half hour train ride away from Kyoto (on a normie train, at that). Bidding the apartment adieu, we strained ourselves with slightly heavier luggage down the flights of stairs before draaagging ourselves to the station.
Leaving our luggage with the kind folks at the Osaka station baggage room (scroll to bottom), we went to care for our stomachs. As is always the case, there was a lot of choice... too much choice. In the end, I wound up at Daruma Lucua, a kushikatsu place.
Here, you ordered through the touch menu found in the booth and, much to my surprise, the food was delivered on a conveyor belt! It was only when I heard the whirring of the machinery, did I realise that my tray of fried obesity heaven arrived. Neat.
Compared to Gion Kappa, it was no competition that this was better. The breading had a nice crispiness and wasn't too thick, flavours were good and the service was stellar. Especially when they showed much interest in my hat 😊.
Having cleaned up every single crumb, we headed off for Osaka Castle.
Depending on the entry point, there are various paths to navigate through to reach the castle, itself.
kneel peasant
I had read many comments about the castle’s interior being somewhat of a disappointment, due to the hamming up of tourism and modernisation. While I didn’t fall into the tourist trap, the others did and were in agreeance with the points made. The chance to view the cityscape from the top shouldn’t lure you in either, as it was “nothing spectacular”.
But that’s the interior, what about the exterior? You could admire the intricate architectural design of the beautiful landmark, roam around the castle grounds and enjoy the jovial setting, filled with food and cheerful chatter from people alike. All freely.
It was in that jovial setting that I was intrigued by this Cremia ice-cream stall. Lured in by its premium taglines and looks, I succumbed to its high price of ¥550. And… it didn’t blow my mind. It was nice, sure, but it wasn’t the best damn thing I’ve ever had. Complementing this creamy ice-cream was a unique cone. Its texture reminded me of shortbread in that it crumbled away but as it did, it also melted. I found that the cone was distinctly Asian sweet, if that makes sense… It wasn’t just a pure sugary sweetness but an amalgamation of subtle sweet flavours.
Being my first time in Osaka, I couldn't wait to visit Dotonbori; a hugely popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Everywhere you looked, neon signs loomed over the canal, the streets parallel and the hundreds of individuals walking it. And if neon signs weren't enough, the extravagant decorative shop pieces are sure to pull you in.
All this enlightenment was short-lived since hunger was getting the better of Carolyn, so we headed to Atl (アトル) Organic & Vegetarian Café. Like a heat seeking missile, sights were set on the restaurant and chances to soak in the Osaka nightlife were lost. And in this missile’s wake, we left the others trailing behind for the rest of the night.
The café can be difficult to spot since it’s wedged narrowly between its neighbouring buildings, with subtle signage. However, its small space doesn’t undermine the relaxed homely feel. And being only metres from the hectic streets, the quietness was welcomed.
Keeping us warm that night was the heater and the friendliness of the staff/owners/couple. They were well attentive to our needs and made sure we had a nice experience.
The night’s menu was a choice between a few sets. Carolyn's chosen set had potato tart, this... block of ingredients and creamy risotto. Rounding off with cake for dessert. The food tasted good, especially the cake. Fuuuuuu- it was gooood. Each bite of the warm cake just oozed decadence.
I wish I could only praise this place. With a high price (excess of ¥2000+ for that meal) to pay for what little twe got was disappointing, to say the least.
Now it was my turn. At first, it was a wander around the streets for anything that appealed to me. Eventually turning into a Google search since there was (again) too much choice. Then it was a search for a place that didn’t have queues. Where did this long journey leave me? On the doorstep of a semi-chain restaurant by the name of Chibo, a place that served okonomiyaki and didn't quite fit the bill of either of my requisites.
Here, the food was prepped behind the scenes and served on a hot plate to keep warm. As a quick appetiser, I ordered these egg wrapped meat rolls. Bearing the brunt of the piping hotness was a relief of deliciousness.
A nice start to another belated meal that only got better with the arrival of the star of the show, a seafood okonomiyaki. While the flavours were good, I loved the crispy grilled sides a whole lot more. I revel in crispy bits. And to have two crispy sides... All made possible thanks to the Osaka style of okonomiyaki – or better yet... Osakamiyaki. With this style, the batter is combined prior to cooking as opposed to having the different layers cooked separately (citation needed). As for the okonomiyaki, it was aight. Chibo was aight.
Tonight was the only time that I even remotely explored Osaka 😢. The subsequent days left us without the chance to discover the sights lying await. It was much to my regret that I allowed trivial factors (one being laziness, unfortunately) get the better of me. Thanks for reading and come along with me next time as we travel to Nara.
A sucker for more? Visit Carolyn's post to suck up more Osaka goodness. Or perhaps you're a fan of Ghibli and want to watch Osaka's moving (pictures) Castle. Check out Vivian's video for her outstanding outlook of Osaka and other cities so...spoilers.