Good Food and Views are Worth the Journey
Yakitori was never in my list of priority foods to eat in Tokyo. There are so many yakitori joints where I live and the ones beneath the railway tracks near Ginza were never that great. But Fuku's yakitori is unlike others (due in part to quality ingredients) and is proof that you can eat really well in Tokyo and for very reasonably as well.
For travellers to Tokyo, Fuku is also relatively visitor friendly. The owner speaks very good english and was able to provide more details...
If you’re in Arashiyama for a day (or more), there are three great dining options for lunch - Shigetsu, Unagiya Hirokawa and Hirano-ya. They are very different from each other and I really enjoyed all three. So, depending on your food preferences and available time, at least one of these should tick the boxes.
Shigetsu - Zen Vegetarian (Shojin Ryori)
Shigetsu is a zen buddhist vegetarian dining hall in Tenryu-ji temple. The story goes that it started with the monks cooking...
Michelin 3-starred Kitcho Arashiyama is known as a temple of Kyoto Kaiseki cuisine that comes with a high price. Reviews thus, are often mixed. Having now been there in winter and summer, I say that it’s worth trying at least once because of the complete experience it offers. However, if you’re just going for the food, you can get as fulfilling a Kaiseki experience elsewhere for a lot less financial pain.
I’m a sucker for Japanese ceramics, so to see the antiques that Kitcho...
No rolling stones here. One of the most enchanting gardens in Kyoto is that belonging to Kokedera (also known as Saiho-ji) or the Moss Temple. As its name suggests, it’s known for its moss. In my view, it’s well worth the trip to Kyoto’s western district to visit this garden.
I came here in June 2014 on a very hot day. We had a 10 am visit slot and since we didn't want to be late, we took a taxi from our hotel to Kokedera. It was only a 20 minute ride, although our hotel told us...
I balked when a friend suggested that we have pizza in Kyoto. The thought of giving up one precious Kyoto experience for an Italian street food item elicited a reluctant agreement from me. But I had faith that my foodie friend knew better. And so it was - the best pizza I’ve ever had.
En Boca, with a branch each in Kyoto and Tokyo, is a gourmet pizzeria that uses the finest seasonal ingredients. Besides the traditional Italian choices (e.g. quattro formaggio), there are Japanese...