zizi bake

We recently tried ZiZi Bake, a tiny cafe in Tanimachi.

I was a bit disappointed with their banana chocolate bread, it was quite dry.

On the upside, Satoshi's Anno-imo (a type of sweet potato) pudding was super rich and creamy!

I wouldn't mind trying their curry next time...I'll be back.

ZiZi Bake
2-3-2 Minami Shinmachi, Miyamoto Bldg 2F
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: n/a
Hours: 11:00-17:00
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

cafe noto coffee

Have been wanting to try Cafe Noto Coffee but since my appointments in this area are usually on a Tuesday, and they are closed, I haven't been able to, until this past Wednesday.

According to Tabelog, their lunch time starts at 11:00, so I tried to get there about that time.

Well, they no longer serve lunch...boo!

They do have sandwiches on their menu but service for them are at 11:30...boo!

So, I ordered a pizza toast and iced coffee.

Everything is made to order so be prepared to wait.

This place has a nice vibe. Lots of light and their music comes off of a record player.

The pizza toast was good! I liked the sauce and toppings which were bacon, some red onion and lots of cheese (and parsley).

The iced coffee was nice too, probably a dark roast.

I'll come back to try their sandwiches and baked goods.

Cafe Noto Coffee
1-6-4 Uemachi
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.4304.2630
Hours: 9:00-18:00
Closed Tuesday and the 3rd Monday

tower of babil

Tried a curry place yesterday called Tower of Babil.

Tiny shop located in the Tanimachi area.

Actually my first choice for lunch was closed, so I scrambled to find a place nearby...love the sign!

They have 2 types of curry...a meat curry and a bean curry.

I chose the meat curry which was lamb kalbi...850 yen (tax included).

Lots of spices and the meat was super tender.

I appreciated that the owner/chef took our orders in the order that we entered the shop and also served us in that order too!

Next time I want to try their spice rice which is Thai rice flavored with spices.

You can also get half and half (half bean and half meat) though it will cost a little more.

Pickled cabbage and water are self-serve.

Share your table, since seats are limited...only 10 or 11 in the whole shop! Also, it's a "one-man" operation, so be prepared to wait for your lunch.

Cozy on a wintry day, I'll be back!

Tower of Babil
2-4-5 Tokui-cho, Excel Uchihonmachi Heights 1F
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 090.6234.8264
Lunch only: 11:30-15:00 (sometimes they close earlier if they run out)
Closed Sundays & Holidays

52-chome bakery

52-chome Bakery is a teeny shop located in the heart of Tanimachi.

I think I heard about them from a story they ran on the news once.

Since I was in the area the other day, I stopped in to pick up a few items to try.

At the top of the photo is the fig & orange bread. Packed with figs, walnuts and orange peel, this was nice toasted with a little schmear of cream cheese.

On the bottom right is the tsubu anpan. The filling is made by a local wagashi (Japanese confectionary) maker, Isshin. (another place I want to try!)

The bottom left is their cinnamon nuts poire (pear)--brioche type bread topped with thinly sliced pear and topped with cinnamon coated nuts.

Satoshi and I shared these for breakfast...so good with coffee.

I'll be back!

52-chome Bakery
2-1-6 Noninbashi, Residence Chuo 1A
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.6947.0228
Hours: 8:00-18:30
Closed Sundays

grill stereo

Awhile back, I was walking to my appointment after eating at Boulangerie Goût and saw this long line out in front of a shop.

When I got home, I searched for the place with the line on Tabelog (Japan's Yelp) and found Grill Stereo.

A tiny shop, they are only open for lunch during the weekdays.

No wonder all the salarymen (businessmen) and OL (office ladies (business women)) in the area were lined up to eat there.

They have 4 items for their lunch menu...a daily special, hamburger plate, menchi katsu(deep fried hamburger) and hayashi rice (hashed beef) plate.

After 13:00, you can order other things from their menu.

The thing about these small yoshoku-ya (restaurants that serve Japanese style western foods), or any eatery in a business district, is that they are driven to serve as many people as they can in a small amount of time..."time is money".

After walking in, the chef rattled off something which I didn't quite catch, unconsciously I replied with a "yes", and wham!...I had ordered myself the daily special...

The food came out rather quickly and I started to eat.

The daily special was ebi fry (fried shrimp) with a homemade tartar sauce (more mayo than pickles) and unlike the standard tartar sauce you find in Japan with egg (like egg salad). There was also a hamburger patty..750 yen (tax included).

With the meal came shredded cabbage, and a little dollop of potato salad. The potato salad was more like mashed potatoes with lots of onions in it.

You should know that potato salad in Japan often tends to be like whipped mashed potatoes.

Anyway, the shrimp were cooked perfectly and the hamburger was moist too. The demi-glace sauce was a bit thin, but had lots of flavor.

I appreciated how they gave me just enough rice, sometimes shops give way too much rice.

I'm glad I was able to try this place without having to stand in line....I'll be back.

Grill Stereo
3-4-9 Tanimachi
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.6942.6433
Hours: 11:00-15:00
Closed Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays

things I'm liking (disliking)

Some random things I'm liking and disliking...I'm liking these cookies by Harney & Sons.

The chocolate one is called Earl Grey Supreme and is flavored with earl grey supreme tea, citrus peel, cocoa and chocolate chips.

The white one is called SOHO and is flavored with tea, coconut, chocolate chips.

Super crunchy with lots of flavor.

I'm bummed though because these cookies are made with margarine, should've read the label better...

The cyclamen is blooming and brightening up our living room. This plant has been with us for over 10 years now.

These cupcakes called Hachimitsu Altena. Hachimitsu is honey in Japanese and Altena is a city in Germany.

These cupcakes are made by Konigs Krone, a confection maker in Kobe. We got these from my host-brother's wife. She gave us four, chocolate, matcha (green tea), tea (earl grey) and coffee.

The cakes are moist and rich, there is a little honey "crust" at the bottom and lots of chestnuts.

You can either eat it as is, or zap it for 20 seconds in the micro to warm it up. Either way it is pretty awesome. (Thank you!)

I'm liking this division for cars, bikes and pedestrians.

I saw this while walking in Tennoji and am glad that everyone keeps to their area, sometimes it gets crazy scary when bicycles zoom around us pedestrians...

I'm sure it is just as scary for bicycles with cars...

This black ramen by Ippudo.

It is curry based and they give you a bib so you don't get your clothes dirty when slurping. Kinda like eating squid ink?

This ramen had char siu, buttered corn, cabbage with balsamic reduction, and fried onions. Talk about different textures and flavors.

Too bad this one is only on their menu for a limited time.

This baguette with a slab of chocolate by Iena.

Toast it and the chocolate gets all oozy while the baguette crisps up...so good with coffee!

The croissant donut and fuwafuwa (fluffy) donut from Donuts Dept.

The croissant is filled with a custard cream, dipped in a little chocolate and topped with diced peanuts.

The fuwafuwa donuts is just that, fluffy goodness.

I love this little shop!

From Tada farms in Iwate, Tohoku, their chocolate pudding.

So rich and I love that hard layer on the top.

Speaking of Tohoku, I'm sending some good thoughts their way today.

What have you been liking?

circo d'oro

On Tanimachi-suji is a tiny gelato shop called Circo D'oro.

Their menu is quite extensive not flavor-wise but with various ways of enjoying gelato.

I chose their Sicilian pistachio and chocolate gelato which was named Amore della Luna...700 yen.

This also came with a little taste of their Amaou strawberry sorbet. Amaou is a type of strawberry here in Japan that is sweet, the berries are quite large and are also quite expensive.

The sorbet was refreshing.

The pistachio was just that, pistachio...delicious! And the chocolate was rich and creamy.

It doesn't look like a lot of gelato but it was quite filling.

I'll be back.

Circo D'oro
7-3-4 Tanimachi
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.6767.0515
Closed Wednesdays
Hours: 11:00-19:00

p.s. hope you have a nice weekend!

kyu yamutei

There is a retro-style cafe in the Karahori Shopping Arcade that I pass by often.

I finally got a chance to try their curry zen (set)...800 yen.

From 3 types of curry, you choose 2 and it comes with some pickles, 2 other veggie dishes and some yogurt.

I chose their chicken okra curry and their tomato cheese curry. You can also choose what kind of rice you want, jasmine or brown. I chose brown.

The chicken okra curry was soupy with lots of spice and flavor. The tomato cheese was a thick curry. The cheese was cottage cheese, different but both were delicious.

The pickles were onions and these were sweet and balanced out the spicy curry.

It was a nice place, lots of foot traffic but relatively laid back.

I'll be back.

Kyu Yamutei
6-4-23 Tanimachi (inside Karahori Shopping Arcade)
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.6762.8619
Closed Mondays & 2nd Tuesdays
Lunch: 11:30-14:00, Dinner 18:00-22:00

boulangerie iena

Two shops down from Any's Burger is this tiny bakery called Boulangerie Iena.

This one is called An Butter (sweet bean paste with butter).

The baguette is crisp when toasted, the butter gets all melty and with the sweet bean paste, a great combination.

(Similarly, the combination reminded me that my mom likes to heat up mochi that is filled with sweet bean paste with butter. The outside gets a bit crisp from the butter. The inside mochi gets a bit oozy.)

They have lots of hard type breads too.

Like this one filled with figs. Fruit in every bite.

And these cookies...they reminded me of the punitions we had in Paris. These had bits of orange in them but the texture was the same.

I'll be back.

Boulangerie Iena (2018: moved)
7-1-39 Tanimachi, Shin-Tanimachi Dai-ni Building 1F
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.4304.1215
Hours: 8:00-19:00
Closed Sundays & Holidays

any's burger

The other day, I was in the Tanimachi area and wanted to try a curry place, but they were closed...boo!

Then I remembered there was a burger shop nearby, so I went to check them out instead.

Any's Burger is a tiny shop, they have counter seats as well some seats upstairs.

The owner had me sit at the counter and then showed me the menu.

Lots to choose from, but I went with the cheeseburger...700 yen.

And for 400 yen more, I added some fried potatoes and a drink (ginger ale)

He took out a glass mug or "jockey" as they call it here, put in some ice then took out a can of ginger ale from the fridge.

The place is full of knick knacks from America. The first photo is of the ceiling as I sat at the counter waiting for my lunch...

And then my burger came out...whoa?! It was so huge.

The owner then took out a folded piece of foil & magazine which he asked if I wanted to use to put my burger into so that I could hold it without getting messy. (In Japan they often wrap your sandwiches using napkins or wrappers so that you are able to hold them while eating)

But I didn't think I could get my mouth around that burger so I asked if I could have a knife and fork. He smiled and then took out some utensils for me.

Besides the bun there was lots of lettuce, a large slice of tomato, a grilled onion, cheese and the patty. He doesn't use any fillers just beef.

One thing in the sandwich that was unusual were these thin slices of green apple.

Other than that though, it was delicious. The patty was moist and the fries, though not crisp were tasty.

I told Satoshi about my lunch and he wants to go check it out, so we'll definitely be back.

Any's Burger
7-1-39 Tanimachi Shin-Tanimachi Dai-ni Building 1F
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.6768.3307
Hours: 11:00-21:30, Days closed not set, so call before going

leai

Leai (loo-eye) is a tiny bakery and cafe in the Tanimachi area of Osaka.

We recently tried some of their baked goods...their chicken & kinoko (mushroom) quiche was nice and flaky, and there was lots of shredded chicken and pieces of mushroom in it.

The kouign amann was buttery and had slices of apple in it too.

And the almond croissant was flaky with a nice ratio of almond custard in there too.

I wouldn't mind trying their lunch, I'll be back.

Leai
6-2-27 Tanimachi
Chuo-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06.6191.0551
Closed Wednesdays & the 3rd Tuesday
Hours: 9:00-21:30

ekchuah

It had been 8 years since visiting the cafe at Ekchuah, which at the time was my very first post on this blog.

This time around it was my first time trying their lunch...1050 yen.

Their lunch menu changes daily.

On this particular day, it was a BLT (though the "bacon" wasn't crisp, it was more like proscuitto) and I think there was a thin omelette in there too, making it more of a BLET.

With lunch there was also some pickled veggies, some potato salad and a bowl of vegetable soup.

Oh and you also receive a truffle to snack on while you wait for your meal, I ate it after I finished my lunch while I waited for dessert.

Dessert was a slice of their kinako (soy bean powder) cake. It was nice and had lots of azuki beans on the bottom. There was a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of coffee.

Kind of like an Asian tiramisu.

And for 105 yen more I added a cup of their chocolat chaud (70%).

I'll be back.

Ekchuah
6-17-43 Tanimachi
Chuo-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06.4304.8077
Closed Wednesdays
Hours: 11:00-22:00

p.s. It's Friday here, hope you have a nice weekend!

foodie thursday

Satoshi had to go to Tokyo for business today, so we woke up earlier than usual. After sending him off, I went back to sleep. An hour later, I had my breakfast and got ready for my foodie adventure.

I headed out to Higashi Osaka (East Osaka) because of a recent article in a foodie magazine noting several pastry chefs. Today, was a beautiful day, but awfully humid!

Unfortunately, the first place on my list was closed. This shop didn't have a website, so I didn't know they were closed. The chef is in France at the moment and won't be back until the end of the month.

My next stop was Tamatsukuri to a shop which is owned by an Englishman--Broadhursts. The shop was very open and welcoming. I picked up some of their baked treats (some scones, financiers, shortbread, lemon polenta, a fig cake made with Guiness beer and an oatmeal bar). He also had a very impressive showcase with refrigerated desserts. I'll have to take Satoshi next time.

I was then on my way to Uehommachi. I read in this magazine about a chocolatier that also makes different kinds of desserts too. One thing about getting information off of the internet is that the information isn't always the most recent. After making a few phone calls and asking people on the street, I found the place---Nakatani.

I had their lunch set--shrimp and avocado tartine. This open-faced sandwich really hit the spot. There were many other housewives lunching there too, so it was a bit chatty and noisy, and no smoking allowed.

Dessert also accompanied lunch, I chose the creme au chocolat--a rich chocolate mousse and a little dark chocolate bonbon.

After re-fueling, I was back on my way and headed to Tanimachi 4-chome.

There is a little shop called La Plage. This shop was featured on a local program a couple of years back and also featured in the same foodie magazine. They are known mostly for their refrigerated desserts, but since I was still gallivanting, I just picked up their matcha cookies, sables and dark chocolate covered almonds.

Nakatani also has a chocolate shop in Tanimachi 4-chome, so I went to check them out. They are located in the basement of a condo. It was kind of like going to a secret chocolate hideaway. I picked up 3 bars--Madagascar 66%, Caraibe 64% and Quatre vingts 80% (a mixture of 18 different Forestero, Criollo & Trinitario beans). (This chocolate shop is no longer at this location)

When I came home, I was surprised to find a memo in my post. I had answered a questionnaire from a foodie magazine which entered me for a chance to win a gift of my choice. I chose a chocolate tasting packet and won! 8 little neapolitans ranging from 29%-99%. I'm a bit worried about these since the guy that delivered it didn't have it refrigerated...still, I'm excited about winning.

Despite the heat and some obstacles, it was still a fun day.

Broadhursts (UPDATE: 2016 they moved locations)
2-25-12 Tamatsukuri
Chuo-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06-6762-0009
Closed: Mondays

La Plage
3-7 Kitashinmachi
Chuo-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06-6949-3938
Closed: Mondays

Nakatani
6-6-27 Uehommachi
Tennoji-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06-6773-5240
Closed: Mondays

Nakatani-chocolate shop
1-4-1 Yariyamachi
Chuo-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06-6943-0023
Closed: Mondays (UPDATE: this shop is no longer at this location)

ekchuah

Yesterday, Satoshi had the day off, so we went to see a friend's art exhibit in Tanimachi. Afterwards, we headed to Matsuyamachi to a cafe called Ekchuah. I heard about this cafe from my English student. This cafe specializes in desserts that are made of CHOCOLATE!!

Satoshi had the diable parfait (chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, blueberry custard flan all in a parfait glass). I had the dark chocolate drink (like cocoa). Delish!!

If you want more info on where the cafe is or where they sell their chocolates, go to http://www.ek-chuah.co.jp (japanese only)