Category: Gourmet food

Hakata Station is a haven for food lovers, with famous spots like Ichiran Ramen and Ippudo.
However, lunchtime can be incredibly crowded~
So this time, I opted for Kashiwaya Genjiro, located on the 9th floor of Hakata Station (JR Hakata City).

Seeing station bentos always makes me want to buy one~
This time, in front of Hakata Station, there was the Fukuoka Spring Festival, which also marked the first anniversary of the Kyushu Shinkansen’s opening.
So, they held a Kyushu station bento sale.
I bought the No. 1 Kyushu station bento: Saga Beef Sukiyaki Bento.

Many people know about the famous champon noodles from Nagasaki.
But they might not be aware that Takeo also offers this delicious dish~

When driving in Japan or taking a long-distance highway bus, there are times when the distance is quite long and you need to take a break at a Service Areas. I never miss the chance to explore the Service Areass. This time, I visited the Gozaisho Service Areas on the Higashi-Meihan Expressway, and it was really nice~

Throughout Japan, there are traditional local snacks (specialties) that are limited to each region. Therefore, if you don’t eat these foods when you visit a place, it feels like you haven’t really been there. Luckily, the hotel provides this snack. This time, I tried the traditional snack from Mie Prefecture called “YASUNAGAMOCHI”. Just hearing the name makes you feel like you’re eating something that brings peace and safety. The hotel also provides tea bags, and next to them is a sencha tea.

Akafuku is already one of the most representative desserts in Mie Prefecture, especially near Ise. You can see advertisements and signs everywhere. And now, they even have stores at Kansai Airport and Chubu Centrair International Airport. Moreover, convenience stores at Kyoto Station’s Hachijoguchi exit also sell them. It’s really amazing!

There is a beef bowl restaurant in Okaga Yokocho called “Butasute”. The name is really unique. Does it mean that the food is so delicious that people don’t want to eat pork? Of course, this is not the true origin… The above is purely a legend. In fact, the original owner of Butasute, “Shekichi”, used to raise pigs. Later, he stopped raising pigs and became a beef merchant, hence the name “Butasute”

Komeda Coffee is a well-known local chain coffee shop in Nagoya. It has expanded to various locations throughout Japan and recently opened branches in Taiwan. When visiting Nagoya, it is a must to check out this restaurant. The restaurant we dined at this time was Meitetsu Inn Nagoya Sakuradori branch.

One of the representative Nara delicacies is Nakatanidou, known for their impressive performance of quickly pounding mochi in their shop. They have even appeared on a popular Japanese variety show, the TV Champion Competition, and won the title of Mochi King. At first, I thought it might just be a gimmick, but surprisingly, their mochi is quite delicious~

Nara desserts may not be as abundant or famous as those in Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe, but they definitely have a place on the food map for tourists. One must-try dessert is the Daibutsu-Purin.