Drinking (and eating) my way through All Star Osaka Walk's Tipsy Bar Tour

There is a popular saying in Japan that says  "go to Tokyo for money, to Kyoto for culture but go 

to Osaka for food".  It's particularly true for Osaka where the locals believe in "kuidaore" or "eating oneself to ruin".  I have certainly attempted to do so myself,  each time I visit. 

Osaka is both for the gourmet and the gourmand.  While the iconic dishes -- kushikatsu, 

takoyaki and okonomiyaki  are very mass based, there are over 200  Michelin starred 

restaurants which will bring you to the highest peaks of gustatory delight (and yes, expense).  

However, for a proletariat like myself, I prefer to dive deep down into the local food scene and 

enjoy what the locals regularly eat.

In Osaka, nothing can be more local or regular  than the Shinsekai area, their version of 

"shitemachi" or low city.  Shinsekai dates back to the early 1900s  and is anchored by the 

iconic Tsutentaku Tower constructed soon after the Eiffel Tower in 1912.  

It was dismantled and used for scrap during WWII but rebuilt in 1956 (the year I was born!). 

For the true Osaka foodie (hate that word!) experience, always go with and trust a local.  

Our long time go-to source for Osaka's rich and varied culture -- culinary and otherwise has 

always been Minako Ando and her All Star Osaka Walk Tour Company.  

We have traipsed through Osaka with her, on both food and non-food excursions and this time, 

we took her hugely popular Tipsy Bar Tour.

Our first stop was a small kushikatsu place called Jyo Ryu Ken, right in the heart of Shinsekai, 

which is where this Osaka specialty was born. 

It may be called the Tipsy Bar Tour but there is quite a bit of eating involved.  One cannot drink 

on an empty stomach after all. Jyo Ryu Ken's one page menu listed all the available skewers -- 

at very affordable price points too.  

The cardinal rule when eating kushikatsu is ... NO DOUBLE DIPPING!  

Containers for the mildly sweet and slightly tangy sauce are communal and shared with other diners. For hygiene's sake, please don't dip your kushikatsu after you've bitten into it.

Japan is the only place where I will agree to drink my beer from a mug and not straight from the bottle itself (a practice my gourmet friend Abe san calls "barbaric").  

In almost every izakaya and restaurant,  nama or draft beer is served, always in a brrrr-cold mug.  

Most of the time too, the house beer is Asahi Super Dry which is perhaps why it is the most 

popular  beer in Japan.

While the chef was preparing our kushikatsu, we were served a small dish of a very delicious Japanese style stew made with melt-in-your mouth beef tendons, potatoes, daikon and 

konnyaku.  So delicious!  What I would have given for some rice or even a slice of good 

crusty bread to sop up the sauce with.  

This must have been our otoshi, the compulsory appetiser that izakayas serve along with 

your first drink. 

Since we were ahem,  "bar" hopping, we did not want to eat too much at our first stop.  We  had a variety of skewers -- the meats were perfectly cooked and the vegetables still had a bit of crunch. Despite being deep fried, kushikatsu is totally non-greasy, I'd certainly like to know how they 

achieve that!

Jyo Ryu Ken has a comfy, homey air .  A wooden counter comfortably seats 12 (any more and you'd feel like you were being skewered).   The chef cum proprietor is the one on the far left and he is assisted by just one other male staff.  

Minako san told us that the chef used to work for one of the larger and more popular kushikatsu places in the area until he decided to venture out on his own.

Thank you Chef san!  This was ichiban kushikatsu and I definitely will find my way back,  if only  for the scrumptious otoshi that you served us at the start. 

We were still feeling a little light on our feet as we walked out on the deepening Osaka dusk.  The 

next stop was just a few hundred meters away, not even far enough to burn a calorie or two. 

This is Kurumaya, a restaurant tucked away in a quieter area of  Shinsekai. 

The menu board by the door was all in Japanese with photos of premium sake and shochu and what looked to be a tasting menu.  A larger photo board festooned with autumn leaves  featured seasonal small plates that one could also order. 

We were the first customers  that evening, not surprising since it was just a little past 6 p.m.  

Kurumaya's atmosphere was cool and chic.  Even my beer looked stylish in its decidedly more upmarket, unbranded glass.

Kurumaya is not an izakaya so there was no otoshi or compulsory appetiser.  Instead, we ordered 

this lovely amuse bouche of  lightly simmered renkon or lotus root,  artfully stacked and dusted 

with  sesame seeds.  Pale hued and delicate, the dish showed off the chef's deft touch.

Next up was a piquant dish of sliced squid garnished with bits of yuzu. This too was delicious 

and stirred our appetites for the next dish.

For our finale (at least from this restaurant), we had asked for omakase leaving our culinary fates 

up to the chef. 

He sent out a plate of harvests from both sea and forest.  It was almost too pretty to eat.  

A well balanced presentation of textures, tastes and colours ...  grilled gingko nuts (my absolute favourite), grilled edamame beans, soft baby potatoes, a chewy slightly sweet yam, 

dainty polka dotted snails with a fine mild flavour  and exactly four wooden teaspoons filled with deep red, fresh fish roe.  The entire dish was a delight to the senses.
The handmade plate in half brown - half green was evocative of the colours of both earth and sea.   Bravo, Chef san!

Kurumaya is a restaurant run by this young, very personable second generation chef who took over from his father.  His mother, a  spry and sprightly septuagenarian takes care of  the front of the house -- offering recommendations, taking and bringing orders and making customers feel welcome with her friendly and funny banter.  As you can see from this photo, this chef has a humorous streak as well. 

For our last stop, we took a subway to Nippombashi.  We were still walking straight as we had really been eating more than we had been drinking.

Our destination was just a few minutes away.  This is Ura Namba or literally "back of Namba",  

a warren of streets and alleys where the locals go to drink and eat.  You can find everything here 

from hip and trendy bars to old and traditional izakayas.  This very colorful and brightly lit building is Sakagami, a place that specialises in barbecued meat and the very popular horumon or beef and pork offal.  

Akie san said that each red lantern features the name of a dish from the restaurant's menu. 

Sakagami's vivid, vibrant facade totally captures the spirit of Ura Namba.

Small alleys are lined with izakayas, all buzzing with activity.  It was officially thirsty o'clock
so everyone was out drinking and in our case, also "kuidaore-ing".

Minako san waved us into this izakaya.  Kitaro Sushi was almost full, we got the last four seats at 

the  edge of the long bar.  Sapporo Beer is my ichiban daisuki so I was glad to see that it was 

the beer on tap.

Kitaro serves sushi and at quite reasonable prices too.  Minako san said she liked this place because the quality of the food was much higher than the price.  

The place was humming with conversation and laughter -- this being Japan, it was all kept at a considerate and muted level.  Various kinds of fish and shellfish were kept in glass chillers and displayed right in front of the customers -- all you had to do was point to whatever your palate desired.

First beer at Kitaro! I love all Japanese beers but lean more towards Sapporo which for me has 

a lighter, easier taste.  

Even if we had enjoyed small bites at our previous stops, we were all quite full by the time we got 

to Kitaro.  I  had already imbibed three large mugs of beer but that certainly did not stop me from ordering a final, one for the road mug of Sapporo.  It went extremely well with our plate of sushi -- omakase style or chef's recommendation once again.  

The plate had 15 generously sized sushi and I didn't think we could do it -- but yes, we finished each and every one.

Kampai!  Akie san was my beer buddy as Minako san and Jay had opted for cold tea throughout 

the evening. 

We passed by this lonely fellow on the way out -- I think it was a puffer fish. He was probably relieved that none of us had asked for puffer fish sashimi. Aaah, to live another day! 

P.S

We had an amazing time with Minako san and Akie san of All Star Osaka Walk.  Don't be thrown 

off by the name Tipsy Bar Tour -- I guarantee you'll have a great time, even if you don't drink!  

Ookini, Minako san and Akie san!  Hona mata!

Nomimasho!

A Convivial Evening at Robata Ichiba Champion, Tokushima City

A casual restaurant in Japan and is one of the easiest places to get a meal.  The atmosphere is friendly and un-intimidating and even if very little English is spoken, you can be assured that you will enjoy good food.  If there is a red paper lantern in front, it is usually an izakaya which is more like a bar or a pub that serves appetisers and small dishes.  

Jay and I love izakayas -- for the food, the atmosphere and yes, the friendly prices.  In Tokushima, we

were in luck when we found Robata Ichiba Champion, just a block away from our hotel. The facade was well lit and quite cheerful  -- it looked like a great place for dinner.

The evening crowd had yet to come in -- just a couple of booths were occupied.  The chef waved us over to the counter -- for me, these are usually the best seats in the house.

I love sitting at the counter because you get to see the chefs in action.  There were two at Robata Ichiba -- the chef on the leftmost was younger and the more chatty one.  

We enjoyed talking to him throughout our meal.  And despite my limited Nihongo skills, we were still able to make ourselves understood. 

My beer arrived in less than a minute and it came with a cold dish with two kinds of sashimi, garnished with strips of bell peppers and a mild sweetish-sourish sauce.   What a fresh and refreshing taste.   

This is otoshi -- an appetiser that you don't order but that you pay for.  Think of it as cover charge.  The cost ranges from 200 to 500 yen, depending on the izakaya.   

Otoshi are made of premium,  usually seasonal ingredients.  Each izakaya's otoshi is unique 

since they are the chef's inventions.  And they are always invariably delicious.  A taste of the otoshi 

is also a foretaste of how good the food will be. 

Most people will think the otoshi is a free appetiser (since it's served when you sit down at the table) but if you check your receipt, you will see the otoshi will have been tacked on to your bill. 

Please do not think that otoshi is underhanded or sneaky, it is part of the izakaya tradition in Japan.  

Jay ordered the premium chirashi bowl which arrived with what seemed like a calamansi slice 

on top.  This is sudachi, a citrus fruit which grows all over Tokushima.  

We saw many fruit trees as we walked along the back roads -- some of the sudachi we saw were 

as big as oranges.  It has a milder flavour than our own calamansi and is not as acidic.

We also had 3 kinds of maguro sushi -- lightly seared, fatty and regular tuna. 

Who eats chicken skin?  Those of us with a death wish, that's who!  Kawa yakitori is always 

a  must-order for me.   While the chicken skin loses some fat during grilling it is still juicy and 

yes, deadly-ly delicious.

For those who value their life and their health, tsukune or chicken meatball yakitori is the safer 

bet. While I always specify "shio" (salted) when ordering yakitori, I make an exception for tsukune 

and order it "tare" (with sauce) as the meatball can dry out in the grilling process. 

The chef recommended that we try his take on aspara-bacon which is a staple in yakitori 

places. This time he wrapped very thin slices of pork belly around cheese and left a bit of asparagus in  the middle.  Soft creamy cheese oozed over salty bacon and yes, I completely forgot all about 

the asparagus until I felt its light crunch. 

 Umai desu yo!,  we told the chef who was pleased that we enjoyed it.

Kanpai!  One for the road!  After our meal, we continued to chat and linger over another beer and more conversation with the chef.  We found out that he has Filipino friends and he has eaten and 

likes adobo!  Sugoi desu yo -- truly food is the universal language of friendship. 

Nagoya in 24 Hours Part 2 - Tasting Tebasaki at Izakaya Tsuruhachi

Solo travel has its rewards -- you can do anything you want without having to worry about anyone.  Years of traveling solo for business spoiled me for this luxury of "me time".  

On this solo 24 hour layover in Nagoya, I knew what I wanted to do ... cram as much of the city's iconic must-eat foods into my mouth!  

A little research on the plane led me to "tebasaki" -- spicy, deep fried chicken wings which the travel writer said was one of the not-to-be-missed dishes. 

Now, wings are my favourite part of the bird so I was eager to try Nagoya's version. 

Since my hotel was very near Nagoya Station, I wasted no time after checking in -- I immediately headed out to look for a tebasaki place.   

There are always many good restaurants around the major train stations as so many passengers come and go everyday.  

And true enough, just outside the shinkansen terminal I found Izakaya Tsuruhachi, with a gigantic photo of a tebasaki right on top of the entrance.  

What really attracted me to enter was the lighted blue sign by the entrance.  It announced that Tsuruhachi was the winner of the Gold Medal at the Tebasaki Summit of 2015! 

That clinched it -- I walked right in. 

As izakayas normally go, Tsuruhachi is quite compact,  just six small booths that stretched out to the back where the kitchen is. 

Since I was by myself, I sat at the counter which was almost full at 5 in the afternoon.  

My ice cold nama (draft) beer washed away the tiredness of airplane and train travel.     

Izakayas will usually charge you a "cover charge" called otoshi and in turn you are served small 

plates of hot or cold hor d oeuvres.  

The otoshi varies in price from 300 to 1,000 yen depending on the type of establishment you're in. 

Some foreigners get quite upset about otoshi since they think it's a hidden cost  tacked on to their bill.  

But think of it as the equivalent of the table charge that restaurants in Italy also add to the cost of your meal.  

Of course I ordered tebasaki, which was what I really came to Tsuruhachi for.  One order  of 

four wings costs 380 yen.  

Only the flat portion of the wing is served, the drumette is not included.

The tebasaki was deep fried and well seasoned. A sprinkling of sesame seeds added to the crunch 

and flavour.  From crisp skin down to the bone, it was as the japanese would enthusiastically say "umai desu yo!"  Or as we Pinoys would say it "sarap to the bones!" (with apologies to Max's). 

Tebasaki is chili-hot but not palate numbing. They have  an umami spicy tang that makes you want 

to eat more and more. 

You cannot eat tebasaki with chopsticks, definitely not.  The only thing to do is to grasp each wing and try to get as much of the skin and meat as you can.  

The friendly server who handed my order pantomimed that I should eat it all in one bite!  

Looking around I could see my seat mates doing just that -- grab a chicken wing, put in mouth and voila ... only the clean bones came out. 

But I think that is a skill that comes only after you have consumed a mountain of chicken wings.

Hardly any english is spoken in the izakaya and there is no english menu.  You don't need one as 

all you have to do is point at the picture and smile.  The language of food needs no translation. 

For my next order of  beer, I was contemplating on having another round of tebasaki  but opted 

for the grilled pork slices instead.  They tasted (and looked like)  Canadian bacon.  

Served with mayo and mustard on the side, they were good otsumami or pulutan (snacks to go with beer) but my taste buds and stomach were muttering that I  really should have just ordered another plate of tebasaki. 

I stayed at the counter for quite some time,  enjoying my beer(s),  the good food and the convivial  atmosphere of Izakaya Tsuruhachi.  

I was quite surprised to come out into a darkened street -- good food makes me lose all sense of time.

But the night was still young and chicken wings don't necessarily count as a meal do they? 

So onward to dinner and the next iconic Nagoya specialty! 

Cutting edge Japanese cuisine at Itamae Bar in Ginza Tokyo

I was looking forward to a traditional  Japanese dinner this cool Sunday evening in March with my long time gourmet friend Abe san.  However,  he ended up surprising me by bringing me to his latest restaurant discovery - a trendy, cool bar somewhere in the side streets of Ginza.

Itamae in Japanese means cook or chef.  Such a basic, simple name for a place that Abe san said was quite new,  now very popular and hot with the Tokyo dining crowd.

Itamae proudly proclaims what it offers ... Japanese Food / Sake / White Wine.  Oh dear, it seemed quite hipster-ish and young to me.

Looking around the casual, "industrialised" interiors of this modern izakaya,  I laughingly told Abe san that we were the oldest patrons in the place.

Counter seating was available,  conducive to watching the itamae or chef prepare and plate the dishes.  As it is essentially an izakaya or bar, Itamae serves mostly "otsumami" -- the Japanese version of "tapas" -- lots of small dishes meant to be enjoyed while drinking.   

It's what you would call a gastro-pub.  This being Tokyo, I was sure the pub fare would be superb.

When drinking in Japan, it is normal to start with a cold glass of nama or draft beer.
Then you can move on to sake or shochu or in the case of Itamae, something from their carefully chosen selection of white wines.
We were started off with a small amuse bouche of a shiso leaf wrapped around bits of stewed tofu, bamboo shoots, greens and diced potatoes.  The sauce was sharp, vibrant and refreshing.
A single pink blossom garnished this appetiser -- perhaps to evoke the coming sakura season.

 Abe san ordered one of Itamae's specialties -- grilled awabi or abalone, sliced and artfully presented on the shell.  Along with the awabi were fresh vegetables like baby corn,  a surprisingly sweet and tasty no-heat little red pepper,  cucumbers and daikon.
Everything was beautifully presented on a large glazed dish that mimicked the sheen and shape
of an abalone shell.

A dark green sauce accompanied the dish.   Made of abalone liver and fat, it delivered a
straight umami kick right to my unsuspecting palate.  This dip was decadently delicious --
rich, with a light hint of bitterness and deep overtones of the briny sea.
So silky smooth with a complex, satisfying taste.
My Pinoy sensibilities secretly wished for a small bowl of  hot kanin or rice to slather all this superlative sauce on.
Extra rice please!

Itamae puts its modern, contemporary take on regular Japanese food.  From recent forays to non-traditional restaurants and bars in Japan, I note that cheese is used more and more in Japanese dishes.  This dish Abe san ordered was camembert lightly dusted with herbs,  fried up as a tempura and then wrapped in a thin, nearly translucent slice of fresh, uncured ham.
Pork and cheese -- definitely not kosher but oh so delicious.

It must have been all the richness -- from the ambrosial abalone dip to the mouthwatering camembert tempura but I was all of a sudden,  "onaka ippai yo" or quite full.
But it just took a little bit of persuading for me to agree to a one-for-the road order of assorted sashimi.
Abe san and I enjoyed fatty toro, slices of tai or sea bream,  succulent kampachi or yellowtail tuna, slivers of raw squid that slithered down my throat -- all these artfully presented on a bed of greens, twigs, julienned radish and yes -- a small dish of "nitro" for that  foggy molecular gastronomy effect.
I am happy to say that nitro or not, the sashimi was the star of the show.

An evening spent in wonderful company,  excellent contemporary Japanese food, beer and sake -- it was the perfect way to end the week-end, fully recharged for the meetings ahead.
I walked back to the hotel, enjoying the bright vibrant lights of Ginza and feeling grateful for new memories made -- of another great food experience with a dear old friend.