We left Tokyo with satisfying tummies and a big smile on our faces. Our next stop is the ever picturesque Kyoto. Unlike the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, Kyoto is calmer, quieter and has a higher number of elderly people. With its laid-back and romantic atmosphere, its rich heritage and together with its picture perfect scenery, Kyoto city is absolutely stunning and enchanting. The gardens and temples around Kyoto are just so mesmerizing and words can’t accurately describe how beautiful they are. If you’re in Kyoto, I strongly advise you to spend at least a day in Arashiyama. This place is just out of this world and its surrounding temples and shrines are definitely worth exploring. With all these magnificent architectures scattered around Kyoto, it is no surprise that Kyoto city has 17 sites listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Here are some snapshots of this charming and beautiful city.

Sagano bamboo forest @ Arashiyama.

Kamo Rivers run through the center of the city. There are a lot of restaurants here but they are very expensive. During the weekend, buskers can be seen serenading the people strolling along the riverbanks at night. ヽ(○´∀`)ﾉ♪

Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) Garden. Wonderfully breathtaking…

Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion). I was  standing awestruck in front of this beauty.

Alright, now let’s continue with our foodie adventure stories. We ate onigiri for most of our lunch in Kyoto as we didn’t want to waste time waiting for our food in the restaurant since there are so much to see in Kyoto. Onigiri is Japanese rice ball that can be filled with a variety of fillings. Onigiri can be easily found in any convenience store and it costs around 200-280 yen. Cheap and good. The onigiris in Japan are ingeniously packaged whereby the nori sheet is wrapped individually, separated from the rice to retain its crispiness. The nori doesn’t touch the rice until you unwrapped the whole thing. Unfortunately, we forgot to take a photo of the onigiri but you can see how it works here.

Here are some highlights of our foodie adventures in Kyoto. Tanoshinde Kudasai!

Miso mochi bought from a shop in Teramachi dori. I enjoyed it but Mr. D felt that it’s a tad too sweet for his liking. Teramachi dori is a shopping arcade that consists of an assortment of shops selling clothes, food, groceries, souvenirs, etc. Oh, they have purikura (photo sticker booth) too! I had a great time cam-whoring with my friend, Yuin in the purikura.

This is one seriously good warabimochi. The box of warabimochi came with a bamboo spatula/cutter,  a packet of kinako powder (sweet toasted soybean flour), and a packet of sugar syrup. You cut the warabimochi into bite-sized squares and sprinkle the kinako over its top followed by the syrup. Its texture is extremely soft and the kinako powder is just super fragrant. This shop is located next to Saga-Tofu Ine restaurant near Arashiyama Station. Add: 616-8384 Sagatenryujitsukurimichicho, Ukyoku, Kyoto.

Tempura rice and and zaru soba served with tempura @ a local shop on our way to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji. As soon as we entered the shop, we were greeted by two friendly old men. It’s a very lovely and homey shop. The tempura batter was as good as I had expected, crispy and light. The freshly made soba noodles are fantastic as well. We left the shop feeling happy and recharged.

Kyoto-style okonomiyaki @ Issen Yoshoku in Gion. Mr. D didn’t like this because it’ was filled with veges. He doesn’t take much veges. As for me, it was just too salty for my liking. I still prefer Osaka-style okonomiyaki. Add: Gion, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.

Omuraisu! It’s a Japanese omelette rice and to whoever created this dish, a biggie THANK U from me. Suki desu! 🙂 We had this @ Pomme-no-Ki. This place serves a huge selections of omuraisu and you can choose from size S-L (referring to the no. of eggs used, S=2, M=3, L=4). Mr. D tried size-S omuraisu topped with croquette and hayashi sauce while I tried the baked Japanese curry omuraisu . Yum yum.. Add: Building 2F 398 near Sanjo Dori and Sakuranocho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto. The same row as Movix.

Our previous meal at Pomme-no-Ki was so satisfying that we decided to go back there again. This time, we tried the pasta and hamburger. The salmon roe pasta was deliciously smooth and creamy while the hamburger patty served in a sizzling plate was pretty decent.

Ice-cream @ Godiva Cafe in Kyoto Takashimaya along Kawamarachi dori. Godiva Cafe can be found anywhere in Japan especially in big cities I supposed.

We were walking aimlessly searching for a place to have our dinner  when a girl came over to us and invited us to her restaurant. We agreed because we were really exhausted on that day and have almost zero energy to walk any further. However, our spontaneous decision didn’t turn out well. The yakitori was tough and chewy. The fried chicken was alright and the rice was quite bland. I couldn’t remember the name of the shop but I think it was in one of the alleys off Kawaramachi  dori.

Overall, our foodie experience in Kyoto wasn’t as exciting as Tokyo’s due to the lack of time. One day, I’ll definitely go back there again to properly explore Kyoto cuisine. （人´∀`*）

Tagged: arashiyama, food, ginkakuji, godiva, Japan, japanese, Kawa river, kinkakuji, kyoto, kyoto city, mochi, omuraisu, onigiri, pomme-no--ki, restaurants, Teramachi dori, travel, warabimochi