I've been all over this country, but before I get too far, I wanted to to make sure and wrap up the last bit of Kyoto before I take you to Niseko.
Alright, so last day in Kyoto - it was raining and cold, so that was a bummer. I decided to go to Kiyomizu-Dera, one of the most famous temples in Japan. As I rode the bus, I had a sense of foreboding after looking at some comments on Trip Advisor. Let me say right off the bat here that if you are going to a country where you know nobody, Trip Advisor is your very best friend. Seriously. Everywhere I ate in Kyoto and half the things I saw were based on recommendations from Trip Advisor. Just do it.
Alright, enough with the PSA. On Trip Advisor, I read that Kiyomizu-Dera was undergoing construction but that "It's no big deal, it doesn't get in the way of seeing anything..." So I trekked out there. I, along with 3/4 of the rest of the bus ambled out at the stop. There is a hill leading straight up to the temple (it is quite high and overlooks the city, hence why it is such a photographed spot!). This hill is lined with all sorts of shops selling handmade stuff and tourist kitsch. Well, as I rounded the corner, I discovered that the entire pagoda portion of the temple was completely wrapped in construction wrap such that I would have no idea that it was even a pagoda if I didn't otherwise know. I decided to save energy and just turn around - I'll be back in Kyoto for sure, so I decided to check that one out next time.
By this time, it was about lunch, so I consulted Trip Advisor once again. It told me that there was a great Ramen place (which I had actually seen reviewed days before) just about a 1.2 mile walk from where I was. One of the things I loved about Kyoto is that it is a very easy city to get around. After a couple of days, I totally had the lay of the land and didn't look like a tourist with a dazed expression anymore. Also, the allure of the Ramen place is that it was right next to a covered market that I'd wanted to visit. 2-for-1! It's called Ippudo Ramen and is just a couple blocks from the Shijo Metro Stop. It's a chain but it's very, very popular. I had to wait about 10 minutes when I first arrived, during which time the server asked for my order so they could get started on it.
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| Pork Ramen and Gyoza. SO DELICIOUS. |
After lunch, I went shopping in the covered alleys near the Ramen Shop. Lots of interesting things. I picked up some gifts and ate two glutinous rice dumplings with red beans inside. They were SO GOOD.
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| Loved the roof on the shopping street |
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| All kinds of things to be found on the street, including eel, clams and a big fish being cleaned by the guy in the background. |
That evening, after cleaning up, I set out in search of the one food I hadn't really had any of since arriving in Japan - tempura. There is a great restaurant located in the JR Kyoto Train Station called Ten-Ichi that had great reviews so I decided to pay it a little visit. It's on the 11th floor of the building (above the ramen floor where I ate my first day), but it is beastly to find. You go out the elevators, and through the shops and then to a tiny hallway in the back of the shops which opens up to a whole other eating area. SO CONFUSING. I wandered around for about 15 minutes and almost gave up.
Finally, I found it and wandered in. It's a great little place with seating at the bar, where you can watch the chefs prepare your food right there. It's pretty sweet.
I was a little nervous when I sat down and the waitress immediately tied this bib around me. But since I was at the bar, I guess it was to prevent any wayward sloshing of Tempura oil onto my clothes. I went along with it, especially when I saw a businessman sit down and go through the same rigamarole.
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| Tempura Bib |
Now, you might be thinking, okay, Tempura, easy. Fried food, dip in sauce, eat. Oh no, my friends. It's not like that in Japan. I was served this:
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| Squid Salad, empty bowl (top right), lemon wedge, empty side next to the lemon. |
I looked at all of these implements in utter confusion. What did I put on what??? Luckily, the chef saw my distress and took mercy on me by pointing and helping me decide which topping went with which. There was also a bowl of soy sauce to the side that you can't see in the picture.
The courses were served one small bite at a time. The one above is a shrimp head. Those of you who know how scared I was to try weird Asian food when I moved to Hong Kong will know what it an accomplishment it is that I ate it AND LIKED IT. Boom.
Next up was some fish, which I didn't take a picture of, then some veggies. Here's broccoli, and the next one is Bamboo.
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| Broccoli |
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| The Bamboo was my favorite. |
Course by course, the chef battered and tempura fried my food. Lots of shrimp and veggies and some fish. When I first looked at the menu, I was afraid I'd leave hungry, but it was the perfect amount of food for me. Also, at the end they bring you Miso Soup and Rice, just to top you off if necessary.
It was a little on the expensive side (~30USD) but it was worth it for the experience. I loved the chef. He was so sweet to me and really helped me get the most out of my meal. He would plop down whatever he'd just cooked and then point at what I should dip it in. Generally, here's how it goes - fish gets lemon and salt, veggies get soy sauce, except for a filet of fish that he made me use salt mixed with curry powder. Fantastic. If in doubt, look helpless and ask for help.
That was about it for my time in Kyoto! Stay tuned for Niseko! ALL the snow!
Til next time,
-The Adventurer
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