Tag: Kansai Winter 2024

The 5.7-kilometre walk was quite an achievement for us, and easily one of the longest we’ve ever completed while on vacation.

Elegant tofu kaiseki at Rengetsujaya in Higashiyama

Food
Travel

October 26, 2024October 27, 2024 Alvin Lee

Tofu may seem like a humble ingredient but centuries — no, millennia — of refinement in Kyoto has elevated it to a delicacy.

There’s no such thing as too much yuzu at Yuzugen Pontocho

Food
Travel

October 5, 2024October 6, 2024 Alvin Lee

Yuzu sake, yuzu daikon, yuzu kosho, yuzu gyoza, yuzu nabe, yuzu ramen. When you’re a yuzu addict, it’s never enough.

Relaxing day trip to Uji from Kyoto

Travel

October 2, 2024October 6, 2024 Alvin Lee

Uji feels like the kind of place that’s best enjoyed on a slower pace, and that’s exactly what we did. Here are the places we visited during the six hours that we were there.

You can never have too much matcha in Uji

Drink
Travel

September 28, 2024October 6, 2024 Alvin Lee

As they say in Japan: “When in Uji, drink matcha.” So we travelled to the mecca of matcha, to see if it was possible to overdose on the magical green powder.

The Wife walked into Ousu no Sato and almost didn’t make it out

Travel

September 25, 2024October 6, 2024 Alvin Lee

I could tell that she was very pleased with her purchases, and I was pleased that she was pleased.

A peaceful stroll in the Byōdō-in temple grounds

Travel

September 21, 2024October 6, 2024 Alvin Lee

There are two main reasons why tourists travel to Uji. The first is for matcha, and the second is to see the temple stamped on all Japanese ¥10 coins.

Torikiku Soba - Matcha Soba Set (Soup) 16_9

Heartwarming matcha soba by the old folks of Torikiku

Food
Travel

September 14, 2024October 6, 2024 Alvin Lee

The broth had a clear citrusy note of sudachi that shone through, plus something else that we couldn’t quite identify. Whatever it was, it made the dashi taste extra special.