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) […]
7 star
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
DIG THE LINE, Kyoto: European beer bar at ShinPuhKan
DIG THE LINE (or DIG THE LINE BOTTLE & BAR) is a stylish European beer bar at Kyoto’s […]
Restaurant Review
Rutubo, Kyoto, Japan: Smoked food bar in Gion
Downtown Kyoto’s prominent Gion (祇園) neighborhood is where Rutubo is at. Past the antique store-ish facade of Rutubo […]
Restaurant Review
Daidokoro Tenya, Kyoto, Japan: Downright cozy izakaya
A discreet alley behind Kyoto’s poshest shopping mall ‘BAL’ is where a cozy izakaya ‘Daidokoro Tenya (台所 てんや […]
Restaurant Review
EAGLE TOKYO & EAGLE TOKYO BLUE: Best Gay Bear Bars in Japan
EAGLE TOKYO and EAGLE TOKYO BLUE are the best gay bear bars / the most tourist-friendly gay bars […]
Restaurant Review
Sameya, Hyogo: Kobe Chinatown’s shark ramen
Jaws! That’s what I said when I saw Sameya’s signboard. Lame, I sounded naive: I wasn’t ready to […]
Restaurant Review
Pyongyang Reimenya, Hyogo: North Korean-inspired cold noodles
Pyongyang Reimenya (Ganso Heijo Reimenya Honten / 元祖 平壌冷麺屋 本店)’s founder is said to be the first to […]
Restaurant Review
Vegan Ramen UZU Kyoto: THAT teamLab ramen shop
Vegan Ramen UZU Kyoto is sort of understood as a teamLab ramen shop. teamLab is a Japanese company […]
Restaurant Review
O Thanasis: Athens’s best kebab shop
O Thanasis in Athens is probably the most famous kebab shop in Greece. If not, definitely in Athens. […]
Restaurant Review
Komakata Dojo, Tokyo: THE loach specialty restaurant
Komakata Dojo’s founder Sukeshichi Echigoya (越後屋助七) is said to have invented dojo nabe (dozeu nabe / どぜう鍋 / […]
Restaurant Review
Tsurutontan Soemoncho: Osaka’s most luxurious udon chain
Tsurutontan is an Osaka-based Japanese udon chain. Here’s what the original location of the chain “Tsurutontan Soemoncho (つるとんたん […]
Restaurant Review
Falafel Garden: Kyoto’s only Israeli restaurant
At Demachiyanagi Station (出町柳駅), one of the Kyoto-est stations, it’s a signboard of Falafel Garden that first welcomes […]
Restaurant Review
Nautika Restaurant, Dubrovnik’s most famous restaurant
Nautika Restaurant is prestigious: Pope John Paul II dined there, the first female president of Croatia “Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović” […]
Restaurant Review
Best restaurants at Ace Hotel Kyoto
Ace Hotel Kyoto is the first Asian location of an American hotel chain “Ace Hotel.” Here’s a list […]
Restaurant Review
Totto Ramen, Boston: Japanese chicken paitan ramen chain
Here’s what I ate at Totto Ramen at South Bay, Boston. Totto Ramen T-shirt at the entrance of […]
Restaurant Review
Ogawa Coffee USA, Boston: Japanese cafe chain from Kyoto
Kyoto is the sister city of Boston and the capital of tourism in Japan. It’s also the capital […]
Restaurant Review
Okonomiyaki Mizuno: Osaka’s Michelin-listed soul food eatery
Here’s Okonomiyaki Mizuno’s signature okonomiyaki. Japanese yams, pork belly, and scallops. Yum. *I last visited the restaurant in […]
Restaurant Review
3 best Israeli restaurants in Osaka
Israeli food is often interpreted as Middle Eastern food in Japan. That means homogenized Turkish-ish Japanese doner kebab […]
Restaurant Review
PIKAPOLONCA: Japan’s only Slovenian restaurant in Kyoto
A Kyoto house disguised as a Slovenian eatery. It’s a real-life Studio Ghibli movie. – Sushi Sandwich PIKAPOLONCA […]