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Published: September 30th 2017
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Geo: 34.68, 135.5
Asia is perhaps the most food-centric continent in the World, and sampling its varied cuisines is reason enough to visit this part of the globe. Sure, there are more than enough cool things to see on this itinerary - Tokyo's bright lights, Thailand's powdery white beaches, Cambodia's atmospheric temples in Angkor Wat, and Singapore's ... well ... apparently Singapore is rather dull and sterile, so our activities there will mostly involve eating food, as they will in every other stop on this trip!
Eating my way across Asia is a longstanding item on the bucket list, as for years I've heard others rave about not only the quality, but also the astonishing variety of foods available in Asia. So our little culinary journey begins today in Osaka, a city that many consider to be the epicentre of good Japanese eats. In fact, Osaka is so renowned for its good food, it has sparked the phrase kuidaore, which means "eat 'til you drop".
Osaka may not be the most popular city for tourists, as many only use it as a convenient home base to visit nearby Kyoto and Nara. However, it is worth coming here if you want to experience stereotypical
Big City Japan, by wandering through Dotonbori, Osaka's dining and entertainment district. It's sensory overload at its absolute finest!
Noisy and crowded with people, their faces lit up by the incessantly flashing neon lights, it's nearly impossible to hear each other over the noise of people yelling, and the blaring music from the pachinko parlours. For those unaccustomed to it, the spectacle of Dotonbori is a complete assault on the senses, and definitely takes some getting used to - but once you do, it quickly becomes an unforgettable experience.
Even better than the spectacle of Dotonbori is the food - how could you not love a place like this? Now, preconceptions can be both a good and a bad thing, but in the case of Osaka, they are most definitely a good thing - our belief that Japanese cuisine was limited to no more than ramen, sushi, and teriyaki, was completely shattered. Expecting so little of Japanese cuisine, made for the most pleasant of surprises as we tried to take it all in.
The variety of food on offer in Dotonbori is mind blowing, particularly the street vendors that sold everything from takoyaki (a local specialty - basically an octopus donut hole
Deadly Delicacy ...
... Homer Simpson's nemesis, Fugu - the famous poisonous Japanese Puffer Fish! It is currently in season and widely available in Japan - definitely tempted to try this delicacy, but even though the risks are exceedingly low, potentially dying of tetrodotoxin poisoning is not what we would consider a highlight of the trip! drizzled with takoyaki sauce and mayo, with dried bonito flakes sprinkled on top) to hot dogs to crepes. You want desserts? Take your pick of mochi, Japanese cheesecake, European-style pastries, and all manner of green tea and matcha-based sweets.
As in the rest of Asia, dining is as much about the food as it is about the social aspect - perhaps the best example of this is the Izakaya, a traditional Japanese pub that is the furthest you can get from gourmet, serving only simple bar snacks. Izakayas are known as places where you can sit all night, drinking and eating with friends, sharing the numerous little plates of food that grace the table.
Seemingly every restaurant in Osaka was packed tonight, but after much wandering we did finally manage to find a spot for the four of us in a tiny little place in a back street just outside of Dotonbori. This Izakaya was the definition of hole in the wall, but churned out a fantastic variety of simple but delicious food.
People don't come here for the decor or atmosphere, but for good food and good times, something that is facilitated by the sharing of small plates of food.
Over the Top ...
... Osaka's Dotonbori district is packed with shops, bars, and eateries - busy at nearly all hours of the day. With so much going on, subtle advertising gets you nowhere, so many restaurants resort to over the top advertising such as a giant automated crab. In that way, this place actually reminded me of a Spanish tapas bar, but instead of serving a limited and mostly mediocre repertoire of eats, this Izakaya offered up all manner of Japanese good eats. They don't serve tapas here, they serve Japas!
Not knowing Japanese definitely made ordering a challenge, but with the help of some locals at the table next to us and the liberal use of gestures, we somehow muddled our way through ordering with the all-too-kind owner. Normally ordering food is one of the easiest things you can do while traveling, but tonight was probably the most challenging dinner ever. Of course, all that effort meant that it also ended up being one of the most rewarding ever - an unforgettable first night on the town in awesome Osaka.
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