sanshikisaido

Earlier this morning I went to Sanshikisaido. I love this street.

This year the leaves changed quickly, our mornings have been in the 40s(F)...brr while warming up by lunchtime, which is perfect for the leaves to change colors.

Click on this photo to see a short video that I shot.

It is supposed to rain tomorrow, so I hope to get out later this week on more walks to see more fall foliage.

sanshikisaido

The weather was clear, no clouds, just blue sky on Saturday.

Satoshi and I went to check out Sanshikisaido.

The colors were a bit muted, probably from all the ups and downs with the temps.

But it was still nice to get out and about.

le matin de la vie

I had seen La Matin de la Vie featured in a magazine and asked Fiona if she wanted to check them out.

See, they are in her neighborhood.

A tiny bakery, they also have 2 tables to sit and have your baked goods at.

Unfortunately the day we went, they were having some kind of renovations done to the building so there was drilling going on the whole time we were there.

We both had the renkon bacon bread.

A foccacia type bread topped with renkon & bacon. Crunch from the renkon (lotus root) and saltiness from the bacon. Kinda like a pizza.

I tried their marron danish.

This had glazed chestnuts, some sweet bean paste and some walnuts. So delicious, with just enough sweetness.

It was great meeting up with Fiona, I hope she enjoyed this place as well. I'll be back whenever I'm in this area.

Le Matin de la Vie
3-57-16 Yamada-nishi
Suita, Osaka
Phone: 06.6876.5547
Closed Sundays & Mondays
Hours: 10:00-19:00 (cafe from 11:00-)

playing tourist (day 2)

Monday, I met D and his friend at the Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda.

It had been about 10 years since I last went and they renovated the place since then.

The museum is dedicated to Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen. His family home is located right across the museum.

Someone tell these kids that they weren't standing near the Statue of Liberty...that's what the smaller of the two was saying, "it's the Statue of Liberty"...

Most of their exhibits are in Japanese, so it may be hard to understand, but you can see how instant ramen has grown. These days, Nissin not only makes instant ramen but instant pasta, udon & soba too.

The highlight of this place is definitely making your own cup noodle.

For 300 yen, you get a cup to decorate. Choose your soup flavor and 4 toppings.

I chose the regular cup noodle soup, kim chee, cheese, roast chicken and the chicky naruto (like kamaboko (fish cake))

It was cool to see the diversity of visitors to this museum. From pre-schoolers to senior citizens. There were also a lot of foreigners.

This group was making LOTS of Christmas presents...

There is also an area where you can taste different instant foods made by Nissin.

D's friend insisted that we needed to eat ramen for lunch, so we went to Senri Chuo to his favorite ramen shop, Hokkaiya.

The ramen is a tonkotsu soup with other flavors added. I ordered the shoyu kim chee ramen. The kim chee was actually buta kim chee (pork with kim chee).

Delicious!

Then D's friend took us to the Banpaku Koen, the site of the World Expo in 1970.

The theme of this expo was the future so there were many futuristic displays and pavillions back then.

One pavillion is still around and this is where they exhibited some memorabilia from the expo.

The size of the park is 264 hectares (652 acres)...huge!

There is a small admission into the park, 250 yen. And an admission to see the memorabilia...400 yen. But it is a great place to hang with nature.

I ate my cup noodle the other day for lunch...so good!

D is off to other parts of Japan before he returns to Hawaii, I hope he enjoyed his time in Osaka. We enjoyed spending time with him and his friends.

Instant Ramen Museum
8-25 Masumi-cho
Ikeda, Osaka
Phone: 072.752.3484
Closed Tuesdays
Hours: 9:30-16:00
Admission: free

Hokkaiya
1-3 Shinsenri Higashimachi, Senchu Pal 3F
Toyonaka, Osaka
Phone: 06.6832.2662
Closed Wednesdays
M-F Hours 11:00-16:00, 17:00-21:00
S, Su, Holidays Hours: 11:00-21:00

foodie thursday in minoo

I told you I met up with Fiona to check out Sanshikisaido.

I didn't get a chance to talk to about the food part of our day.

From Sanshikisaido, we walked to Onohara and had lunch at Crocchetta...a shop that makes croquettes.

They also had all sorts of bentos and side dishes to choose from.

Here is the bento I had...500 yen Not bad considering there were two oysters on the kamameshi (left side).

After lunch we went to Fiona's place and chatted until her husband, WR, came home.

The three of us then went to a cafe, Doux Doux, in her neighborhood that makes really fluffy pancakes....780 yen (with coffee)

It was a great day, lots of walking, lots of talking and lots of eating.

Thanks for a great day Fiona (and WR)!

Crocchetta
6-1-16 Onohara-nishi
Minoo, Osaka
Phone: 072.728.8400
Closed Tuesdays, Hours: 10:00-20:00

Doux Doux
3-57-18 Yamada-nishi
Suita, Osaka
Phone: 06.6878.2522
Closed Mondays, Hours: 11:00-18:30

fall foliage

One day the leaves were almost turning and then the next they were at their peak.

Autumn is pretty short and quick this year. The days to check out the leaves are kinda numbered.

Luckily, on Wednesday, Satoshi had the day off.

We headed to Kyuanji to check out the leaves.

There were fewer trees that had changed colors, but at least we were able to see some.

Yesterday, I met up with Fiona to check out Sanshikisaido.

The leaves actually looked like they were curling...still they were pretty spectacular.

At the moment, this photo is my fave.

It's Friday here, it is also "Ii Fufu" day...hug the one you love and have a nice weekend!

sanshikisaido

Sunday, Satoshi had to work, so I had pretty much the whole day to myself.

I decided to check out Sanshikisaido.

It actually had been 2 years since the last time I went, now there are many new condos coming up in the area.

It was overcast, so the colors again seemed muted.

This year the leaves seem to be more brownish too.

Love the reflection in this puddle.

Down the street from Sanshikisaido, is Suionike which is located in the Senri Kita Park, I liked the reflection here too.

I then walked to Onohara to have lunch at Boulangerie Sunny Side.

The last time Satoshi and I came to Onohara, we had wanted to try this place, but it was packed.

This time, I got there before the lunch crowd and tried their potato pizza, teri chicken bread and kouign amann & cappuccino...860 yen...everything tasted okay but nothing fabulous. In fact, the caramel on the kouign amann was hard.as.rock.

Don't think I would go back there.

Still, I'm glad I was able to get out and see some of the fall foliage.

Boulangerie Sunny Side
5-1-15 Onohara-nishi
Minoo, Osaka
Phone: 072.735.7262
Closed Wednesdays
Hours: 7:30-20:00

foodie couple of days

I went to Kobe the other day to check out a cafe...Greens Coffee Roasters.

The owner was a 2-time champ in the Siphon coffee division for a Barista competition.

I heard they would be closing at the end of the month, so I wanted to check them out.

The address that they have listed did not match where they actually were...either that or Google maps is wrong...anyway..

It took me awhile to figure out where they were.

Luckily as I was about to give up, I found them.

Though it was a little early for lunch, I was hungry from all the walking around.

I ordered an egg, avocado & cheese panini...450 yen (about US$4.50), this came with some chips and a nice salad.

And since I was actually there to try their coffee, I ordered a cappuccino 450 yen (about US$4.50).

The atmosphere of the cafe was cozy though a bit noisy as it is located right under the railroad tracks.

I love their food and coffee. The combination of avocado, egg & cheese was perfect...nice and creamy.

And the cappuccino was nice too...strong. And when it cooled, it tasted kind of sweet.

I'm glad I got to check them out before they closed, though I hope they change their mind and stay open.

Greens Coffee Roasters
3-167 Motomachi-Kokadori
Chuo, Kobe
Phone: 078.332.3115

On another day, I went to Suita to check out Sanshikisaido.

I looked through my archives and it had been 3 years since I went there.

The color of the trees were beautiful...light red, orange, yellows & greens.

Even on a weekday, there were lots of people enjoying the colors.

After walking up and down the street a couple of times, I had lunch near the Hankyu Kitasenri station at the Sasebo Burger Cafe.

I had their special cheeseburger...480 yen (about US$4.80) and their oni-pote set...430 yen (about US$4.30).

You should know that oni-pote is short for onion ring and potato (fries). I wonder if Japan is the only country that serves onion rings with fries?? I think it is cool because sometimes you just want a little of both to go along with your meal.

Anyway, the set also came with a drink and I had a Pepsi.

In the past, I tried their BLT but was disappointed because even if they boast being an American burger shop, they don't have American (crispy) bacon.

Their special cheeseburger has lots of pepper, lots of oozy cheese and a special mayo sauce.

Kind of messy but really hit the spot. I also liked the fact that they had old skool music and wi-fi too.

It was a nice couple of days. A little nippy but at least the sun was out.

Sasebo Burger Cafe
4-119 Furuedai, Dios Kitasenri #5Bldg, 1F
Suita, Osaka
Phone: 06.6834.9200

sunny sunday

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day aside from the pollution in the air, which left a slight haze.

We decided to check out Banpaku Koen. This park was the site of the 1970 World Expo. Since the weather is getting warmer, many flowers have started blooming. Here are some things that we saw...
(top left)Jobitaki (Daurian Redstart) part of the swallow family
(top right) Mansaku (Witch Hazel)
(bottom left) Tsubaki (Camellia Japonica)
(bottom right) The tram that you can take (for a fee) around the park.

(top left) Mitsumata (oriental paper bush) part of the daphne family, this plant's branch branches off into 3 directions then flowers, which is why the Japanese call it mitsumata (literally 3 legs)
(top right) Nanohana (rapeseed blossoms)
(bottom left) an objet that really does look like a barber shaving his customer
(bottom right) Lappa suisen (wild daffodil)
(top left) Tosa mizuki (corylopsis spicata) part of the witch hazel family
(top right) Ume (apricot)
(bottom left) Neko Yanagi (pussy willow)
(bottom right) Asebi (Japanese Andromeda/Lily of the Valley)
(top left) Kanhizakura (Taiwan cherry)
(top right) Boke (flowering quince)
(bottom left) Suisen (narcissus)
(bottom right) Godiva chocolates from Satoshi for White Day (thank you!)

We walked quite a bit I think about 7 km (about 4 miles), but seeing all these flowers and plants was a nice way to end the weekend. Hope you have a great week!

nature thursday

Thursday, I packed myself some lunch and headed to Banpaku Koen, this was the site of the World Fair in 1970.

From our place it is about 15 minutes by monorail. I've heard that this monorail system is the most expensive in Japan. From our place to the park it costs 360 yen (about US$3.60).

When I got to the park, there was no one there...I realized I was really early (half an hour early). Luckily, there was shade to wait for the gates to open.

There were photographers out in full force. As soon as the gates opened it was literally "a race" to see who could get there first and get a good positioning.
Luckily, the place is so huge that you really can't get in someone's way.

After sweating it out for an hour or so, I decided to get into the shade and have my lunch. What did I pack? A deconstructed spam musubi--rice on the bottom, a thin layer of egg, spam seasoned with mirin, shoyu and sugar, tsukemono, furikake & some leftover orzo salad. It was nice to sit under the shade and enjoy the view.

It was a very hot day, but very nice to be close to nature.

Hope you have a great weekend!

le sucre-coeur

Once when someone asked me, "what is Osaka famous for?" I didn't have an answer. Then I found this book and realized that Osaka has quite a bit of delicious things. One of them is this bakery.






After flipping through this book, seeing it on television and also in some magazines, I had been wanting to check out this bakery.

Then on Monday, I went to my friend, Kathy's school to bring some books to donate to their International Center. When I checked on the map to see what station I needed to get off at, I realized that I would be close by to this bakery. I googled and the bakery was 20 minutes walking distance from Kathy's school.

Since Kathy had a class after our meeting, I went alone on my adventure. But with the humidity so high and not being able to find the place to cross the railroad tracks, I decided to catch the bus.

From the JR Kishibe station, it was 3 stops. When you enter the bakery, the aroma of delicious bread fills the air.

The baker/owner worked in many bread shops in Osaka and also studied under Eric Kayser (Maison Kayser) in Paris before venturing out on his own.

Most of his breads are what the Japanese call "hard type". And there aren't the Japanese style breads like curry pan or melon pan. If you want good bread, this is definitely the place to go. There aren't trays with tongs to take what you want. You look through the showcase and tell the person behind the counter what you want. You need to communicate to get what you want--sadly, using your mouth is something that is slowing becoming obsolete here.

I bought a baguette, a fig bread (made from baguette dough with bits of fig) & a bologna sandwich (ciabatta with slice of bologna, sun dried tomato & lettuce). (I love having part of the baguette stick out of my bag!)

I had the bologna sandwich for lunch, it was delicious. The ciabatta was chewy and yet fluffy.

The baguette and fig bread were delicious toasted. The outside was very crisp while the inside very chewy. I dipped both into my cafe au lait in the morning.

I would definitely like to go back to try other types of breads.

Le Sucre-Coeur (UPDATE: they will be moving to Osaka in March 2016)
5-20-3 Kishibekita
Suita, Osaka
Phone:06.6384.7901
Open from 8:00-19:00
Closed on Wednesday & Thursday

foodie kind of weekend

Saturday, I met Satoshi and his friend for dinner. Since the time we were meeting at was quite late, I stopped in to have a little snack to tide me over until dinner.

This dessert from Afternoon Tea, was perfect. Not too sweet. A two layer terrine made with half chestnut paste and half sesame paste, topped with a scoop of chestnut ice cream. 3 cinnamon rusks, a peeled chestnut and a dollop of cassis puree. With some warm Earl Grey tea, it hit the spot.

While waiting for Satoshi at the station, I noticed this huge line. It was for Beard Papa. (I think I mentioned whenever you see a line it is usually for a good thing?) The aroma of these cream puffs will definitely make you want one or a whole box. I've tried the ones in Hawaii but they don't seem to match up to the ones here. I think these people were standing in line for the new flavor, roasted sweet potato custard.

Yesterday, we visited some areas known for their fall foliage. We've visited these places last year and the year before. It is always a new experience. The first place was Katsuoji. This temple is located above the Minoo koen (Minoo park). They are doing major renovations and the foliage was so-so.

The second spot was Sanshikisaido. This is actually along a busy street, but the trees always look like they are on "fire". Last year, when we visited, it was raining. This year, we were lucky to have some sun.

Lunch was at a little shop called Shimizuan. I had their zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles served on a bamboo tray). It came with these huge musubi and also a raw quail egg.

I gave the egg to Satoshi since he was having sukiyaki (thin slices of beef, veggies and tofu simmered in a shallow iron pot, the cooked food is dipped in raw egg before eating.)

We have a holiday coming up this Friday, hopefully the weather will be cooperative and we'll be able to check out Kyoto.

Have a great week.

sanshikisaido

The other day, Satoshi received a Masala tea from a friend who went to Kenya. I was excited to try it since I figured it must have spices in it and I could make masala chai with it. There were no directions on the package and when I opened it, it was ground really fine--and kind of reminded me of dirt (sorry!) There was a faint spice smell. So, when I made it for Saturday's breakfast, I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't too "spicy". I decided to add more spices and make it again for this morning's breakfast...much better.

Yesterday, Satoshi had his German language class. I met him for lunch and then we were about to catch the train to Kitasenri, an area we visit during this time of year for their colorful foliage. As we walked along the platform, I thought I saw Satoshi's brother....we got closer and Satoshi says, "nah, that's not my brother..." but it was...what a nice surprise! We were catching the same train--the two of them got to chat all the way to his brother's stop.

Last year, we visited Sanshikisaido, which I posted about here. Actually, we came upon this spot by accident a few years back and have tried to visit every autumn, just because it has never let us down for beautiful autumn foliage.

As we got off the train, it was raining, we didn't have umbrellas and it was really COLD! The temperature had dropped all of a sudden. We went looking for a 100yen shop (dollar store) to get some umbrellas.

The leaves were really pink, orange and yellow. Cars kept pulling onto the side of the road to look at the leaves and take photos.

After oohing and aahing at the colorful leaves, we walked back to the train station and rode the train to the next station, Yamada. This train station has a tiny shopping mall with a large supermarket, some eateries, shops and a nice little cake shop called, Grand Deco. My afternoon snack, a chocolat earl grey. A chiffon cake bottom, with a chocolate mousse outside and earl grey mousse on the inside (sorry, forgot to take a photo of the inside) It was really delicious and nice to be indoors.

Today, Satoshi is helping at an alumni function for his university baseball team, so it is just another day at home for me.

Have a great week.