Tuyen's Blog

Posts for Tag: Japan

Izakaya - Kurakura

We are big fans of izakaya style restaurants and luckily got a great recommendation. Kurakura is a favorite of locals in downtown Kyoto. We came just as they opened and was able to get a table. Good thing because minutes later the place was packed with office workers coming in for happy hour. They had an extensive sake selection and our waitress was very helpful in choosing two different ones for us.


Next up, some grilled items. Two types of peppers (hot and mild), squid legs, and sweet onions. Each came with their own sauce and were delicious.


We then ordered some steamed enoki mushrooms cooked in butter with an egg inside. Simple and amazing. We followed that with yakitori, fresh tofu, chicken wings, anago wrapped in yuba, and chicken gizzards/kidneys. All perfectly cooked and just the right portion size as to not fill you up.


We ended the meal with omakase sashimi and yaki onigiri with fish roe on the inside. The quality of the sashimi was superb. Probably the same quality as most of the high end sushi restaurants in the Bay Area but in a neighborhood joint.


My daughter loves watching Miyazaki movies and there's a dish in one of her movies that she absolutely loves. It's fried aji but unfortunately aji wasn't available. We showed our waitress the image below and she was able to have the chef whip up an alternative - fried kisu. It was also amazing - two filets and the center bone portion fried up to perfection! The mayo that came with it was a great pairing.


Can't say enough about this place. The vibe is so authentic, the staff are so friendly and helpful (spoke great English!), and of course the food and drink are off the charts. This is now on the permanent list of places to hit when we're back in Kyoto.

Back to Yamazaki

Being in Kyoto, we were only a quick train ride away from the Yamazaki Distillery. Of course I had to return to get some whisky but this time I took the family. No kids allowed on the tour so we just went through the museum and walked the public grounds. You can see my post from last time for info on the tour.

We ended up in the tasting room where I got a chance to try 6 amazing pours, 4 of which are only available at the distillery. It should be noted that some of these bottles are thousands of dollars, but the pours were remarkably affordable. Each glass is a good amount more than a half pour and all 6 came to about $60. Too bad you are limited to 3 pours per person but it’s not a bar so fair enough.

Here’s the lineup:

12 Year Sherry Cask - Light with a subtle sweetness, like fruits.

17 Year Sherry Cask - Bold with deeper sweetness, like preserves or jams.

18 Year Hakushu - Peaty but very refined. I’m usually not a fan of peaty whisky but I’d be happy with this.

12 Year Mizunara - A different taste than standard Yamazaki 12. The Mizunara wood gives it a more fragrant flavor though very subtle.

17 Year Mizunara - In my previous post I said this was the best whisky I ever had. Trying it again doesn’t change my mind (yet). Deeper flavor from the Mizunara that I have yet to encounter from traditional whisky. Completely smooth and rich.

25 Year Yamazaki - This was the highlight, not surprisingly. If you love 18 Year Yamazaki, this takes it to another level. So smooth, deep flavor, dark chocolate with almost no sweetness. Smoke but no peat. Can’t say enough about this.

Soba Shop - Sakuraya

We are so lucky to have friends in Kyoto. On our last trip, we went to their neighborhood soba shop, Sakuraya, and I was introduced to an amazing dish, nishin soba. It’s just soba in broth with a dried herring on top but so satisfying and comforting. Coming back to Kyoto, it was dish I had to have. We accompanied it with a bunch of other dishes, all of which were superb.

We had perfectly cooked tamago, sansho leaf chicken, karaage, tempura, and a curry donburi. Lastly the nishin soba.

And of course, the soba was hand made!

Sakuraya is a true neighborhood gem and we were so glad we were able to come back and enjoy it with our friends.


Shinkansen Bento Meal

We are off to Kyoto after our one night layover in Tokyo. Taking the Shinkansen and, of course, had to get our ekiben.

We picked up our box lunches at Ekiben-ya Matsuri in Tokyo Station. The place is awesome and a madhouse. Constant steam of travelers pushing their way through the shop. So many bentos to choose from and a new revelation to me - miso soup in a can that was still hot!

So my daughter chose a panda bento with a cute lunch bag. I chose the wagyu bento and my wife got the crab deluxe one. Each one made with great detail and good sized portions. We were all completely stuffed by the time we got to Kyoto!

First meal in Tokyo - Misokatsu Yabaton

After leaving Narita Airport, we headed to Ginza which has become our HQ in Tokyo. We’re only here for a day before heading to Kyoto but will be back in Tokyo for a few days before we leave for the US.

Checked into our hotel a little late and found ourselves hungry. Luckily this place was open and a block away - Misokatsu Yabaton. It was a cozy, welcoming place with a mix of modern and homey appeal. Friendly, impeccable service (English menus available) which is the norm in Japan.

They serve mainly fried dishes but their speciality is the pork cutlet. Different than your standard tonkotsu restaurants like Maizen because of the miso based sauce. Everything was perfectly cooked and though fried, never felt greasy. Jumbo prawn was huge! Plus freshly chopped negi (green onion) was a nice accompaniment to the fried items.