Restaurant Review
Kijisoba Kijiya, Kyoto, Japan: Pheasant meat ramen near Kinkaku-ji
0.1 mile (200 meters) away from Kyoto’s top tourist spot Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) is Kijisoba Kijiya (きじそば 雉弥) […]
Restaurant Review
Restaurant Review
Football Diner at Sanga Stadium by KYOCERA, Kameoka, Kyoto
The theme song for Kyoto Sanga F.C. ‘ヒートウェイブ京都サンガ’. In Kyoto, one may or may not have heard the […]
Restaurant Review
Kyoto’s 3 best izakayas of all time
As a local/native in Kyoto, I’ve been in search of the best izakaya (居酒屋: Japanese tavern) for as […]
Restaurant Review
EAGLE OSAKA: Best gay bear bar in Osaka
Since its opening on March 29 in 2024 in Osaka (Japan’s L.A.)’s gayborhood ‘Doyamacho (堂山町)’, EAGLE OSAKA has […]
Restaurant Review
IWABA CAFE: Fukui’s most Instagrammable cafe at Tojinbo Cliffs
Tojinbo Cliffs, or just simply Tojinbo (東尋坊), is one of Fukui’s most popular tourist destinations. It’s also one […]
Restaurant Review
Fawda Restaurant, Bethlehem: Modern Palestinian cuisine by Fadi Kattan
Birthplace of Jesus, or The Church of the Nativity, is one of the World Heritage Sites located in […]
Restaurant Review
Ura Stand, Kyoto: Chicken sashimi and kushiage at hip retro izakaya
Chicken sashimi (raw chicken) sounds impossible to eat. So does it in Japan in general. But some know […]
Restaurant Review
Explosion: Osaka’s only gay club
Explosion (エクスプロージョン) in Osaka’s gay district, Doyamacho (堂山町), would be the most expected answer to “Are there any […]
Restaurant Review
Jiyuken Namba Honten: Osaka’s most famous curry shop
Founded in 1910 as Osaka’s first yoshoku (西洋料理 / Western food) restaurant, Jiyuken Namba Honten (自由軒・難波本店) is now […]
Restaurant Review
Rakuan: Best soba noodle in Tokyo’s gay district Shinjuku Nichome
Tokyo’s Shinjuku Nichome (新宿二丁目) is considered one of the biggest gay districts in the world. It’s definitely Japan’s […]
Restaurant Review
Hokodo Coffee: Japan’s oldest cafe’s Kyoto branch at Imperial Palace
Hokodo (放香堂) is a Kyoto-based tea company that opened Japan’s first cafe Hokodo Coffee (放香堂加琲) in Kobe, Hyogo […]
Restaurant Review
LIVING ROOM at W Osaka: Hotel club lounge/cafe/bar in Tadao Ando building
Inside the sleek black monolith-looking building of W Osaka designed by an Osaka-born architect, Tadao Ando, is LIVING […]
Restaurant Review
Port Sa’id, Tel Aviv: Israel’s star Eyal Shani’s restaurant by synagogue
Shalom Aleichem (שלום עליכם). During my 3 year stay in Tel Aviv, a Jewish song ‘Shalom Aleichem (שלום […]
Restaurant Review
Musashi Sushi Honten: Kyoto’s best revolving sushi chain downtown
Founded in 1977 in Kyoto, Musashi Sushi Honten (寿しのむさし 三条本店) is probably the most famous sushi chain in […]
Restaurant Review
kitchen Bisshon, Kyoto: tachinomi izakaya pizzeria in an alleyway
Tachinomi izakaya(立ち飲み居酒屋) means a Japanese casual standing food bar. So tachinomi pizzeria, kitchen Bisshon, clearly took advantage of […]
Restaurant Review
Kyoto’s 6 best izakaya houses (kaikans)
Izakaya house (kaikan / 会館) is a machiya townhouse (machiya / 町屋) or a retro building that is […]
Restaurant Review
Caramel Mama, Kyoto: Japanese diva Yumi Matsutoya fandom bar
Yumi Matsutoya (松任谷由実) a.k.a. Yuming (ユーミン) is one of the most successful female singer-songwriters in Japan. She is […]
Restaurant Review
Kushihachi Honten: Unrivaled, Kyoto-based kushikatsu izakaya chain
Background music at Kushihachi Honten. Kushihachi (串八) is a Kyoto-based, kushikatsu (串かつ: deep-fried skewers)-focused Japanese izakaya chain. Its […]
Restaurant Review
Kyoto’s only Subway at Aeon Mall KYOTO
Kyoto’s only Subway (サブウェイ イオンモールKYOTO店) is located in a food court on the 4th floor of Kyoto’s second […]
Restaurant Review
Tenzankaku Hihi-yokocho: Japan’s longest countertop izakaya in Osaka
At retro Uehommachi Hi Hi Town (うえほんまちハイハイタウン), a Japanese underground food hall (地下飲食店街) connected to Osaka-Uehommachi Station (大阪上本町駅), […]
Restaurant Review
Shintamon Sakakura, Osaka: Malaysian Japanese tachinomi izakaya
Tachinomi izakaya(立ち飲み居酒屋) means “Japanese standing food bar” (more details). Amid a tachinomi izakaya neighborhood surrounding busy Temma Station […]
Restaurant Review
TEL AVIV: Kyoto’s Israeli izakaya restaurant downtown
TEL AVIV (テルアビブ / TEL AVIV ISRAELI STREET FOOD BAR) opened on December 1st, 2023 in Downtown Kyoto […]
Restaurant Review
Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi Honten, Osaka: birthplace of revolving sushi
Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi / Ganso Mawaru Genroku Sushi (元祖廻る元禄寿司) is a Japanese sushi chain known as the birthplace […]
Restaurant Review
Hokkyokusei Shinsaibashi Honten, Osaka: birthplace of omurice
In a Studio Ghibli’s famous Spirited Away bathhouse-ish retro Japanese teahouse (茶屋) is Hokkyokusei Shinsaibashi Honten (Hokkyokusei Shinsaibashi […]
Restaurant Review
Hachimonjiya, Kyoto: Legendary dive bar downtown
Hachimonjiya (八文字屋) looks like an old atelier operated by Kyoto-born award-winning photographer Fusayoshi Kai / the bar’s owner. […]
Restaurant Review
Bar Kisaragi, Kyoto: Pop diva Miyuki Nakajima fan hangout
Miyuki Nakajima (中島みゆき) is one of the most sold Japanese singer-songwriters of all time. Her energy is more […]
Restaurant Review
Rokuzaemon, Kyoto: Speakeasy John Wick izakaya downtown
So John Wick izakaya means a Japanese izakaya (居酒屋: tavern) that looks like it could appear in the […]
Restaurant Review
Gnome, Kyoto: Cozy left-wing Irish pub
Going to an Irish (or British) pub is sort of like a cool foreign thing to do in […]
Restaurant Review
Kushitatsu: Kyoto’s only whale meat restaurant in Arashiyama
As the controversy of Japan’s whale-eating culture catches international attention, there are certainly some Japanese restaurants that serve […]
Restaurant Review
Ishimaru Shoten, Kyoto: Tiki bar in the alley in Pontocho
Pontocho (先斗町) is one of the five most popular neighborhoods in Downtown Kyoto. Bars and restaurants are crammed […]
Restaurant Review
ha ra, Kyoto: Au naturel cafe by Kamo River
ha ra is famous for two things. One is that the cafe is operated by an ex-manager of […]
Restaurant Review
Saiko People OSAKA, Japan: Contemporary pan-Asian izakaya
Just one station away from garish, John Wick 4-featured Namba (なんば) is quiet Sakuragawa (桜川) where posh Saiko […]
Restaurant Review
Pig & Whistle: Kyoto’s most famous British pub
Except for Japan’s mighty British pub chain ‘HUB’, it should be Pig & Whistle that’s the most famous […]
Restaurant Review
Kafu, Kyoto: Retro hip Okinawan tavern
On a historical street market/commercial district ‘Sanjo-kai Shotengai (三条会商店街)’ is a retro hip Okinawan tavern ‘Kafu (かふー)’. It’s […]
Restaurant Review
Dublin, Kyoto: Clearly an Irish pub
Interestingly, in Japan, the word “pub (パブ)” indicates Philippine thanks to “Philippine pubs (フィリピンパブ)” where Japanese male sleazeballs […]
Restaurant Review
DE FRITES STAAN, Kyoto: Dutch french fries specialty bistro
It looked like a handsome Japanese bakery or a bistro to my Japanese eyes when I first saw […]
Restaurant Review
TORIKI BURGER, Kyoto: Chicken sandwich shop by Japan’s top yakitori chain
Japan’s top yakitori chain ‘Torikizoku (鳥貴族)’ opened the first Kyoto location of its chicken sandwich chain ‘TORIKI BURGER […]
Restaurant Review
Din Tai Fung, Kyoto: Upscale Taiwanese dim sum chain
Din Tai Fung – once rated as one of the top 10 gourmet restaurants in the world by […]
Restaurant Review
Konparu Osu Honten: Nagoya’s legendary kissaten-cafe chain
Konparu is one of Nagoya’s most famous kissaten (喫茶店) cafe chains known for its authentic retro vibe. Here’s […]
Restaurant Review
Sekai No Yamachan Honten: Nagoya’s legendary izakaya chain
Sekai No Yamachan (世界の山ちゃん) is a Nagoya-based izakaya chain specializing in Nagoya comfort food. Here’s what Sekai No […]
Restaurant Review
Yabaton Yaba-cho Honten: King of misokatsu chains in Nagoya
Yabaton is a misokatsu (deep-fried pork tonkatsu with miso sauce) specialty chain based in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture. Here’s […]
Restaurant Review
Ebisugawa Gyoza Nakajima: Kyoto’s only gyoza specialty sauna
Here’s what Ebisugawa Gyoza Nakajima Donguri-ten / Gyoza-yu(京都 夷川餃子 なかじま 団栗店 / ぎょうざ湯) looks like. Ebisugawa Gyoza Nakajima […]
Restaurant Review
Matsukawa Liquor Store: Kyoto’s most famous kaku-uchi izakaya
Izakaya is a Japanese tavern. Among the three kinds of izakaya, kaku-uchi (角打ち) izakaya is considered the dopest. […]
Restaurant Review
Watte Chai: Kyoto’s only Indian tea stall
In Uji (宇治), the mecca for Japanese green tea ‘Uji tea (宇治茶)’, tea shops and cafes are everywhere. […]
Restaurant Review
Burisho, Kyoto: THE yellowtail specialty restaurant
Opened in 2022, Burisho (魚師匠) has been gaining attention as Kyoto’s only yellowtail specialty restaurant / the master […]
Restaurant Review
Rub A Dub: Kyoto’s oldest Jamaican reggae bar
In Downtown Kyoto is Kyoto’s oldest/first reggae bar ‘Rub A Dub(ラバダブ)’ which opened in 1986. Or it’s Jamaica’s […]
Restaurant Review
1G, Kyoto: Ruin bar in abandoned kamaboko factory
One might have heard of Naruto. It’s a Japanese manga series about ninja students / its protagonist’s name. […]
Restaurant Review
Suba, Kyoto: THE contemporary soba shop
Soba shops (or buckwheat noodle bars) are as popular as ramen shops in Japan. One of a few […]