Strolling along Pontocho, I walked into a place near the far end that looked decent enough. Its Tabelog score is somewhere in the low 3s, the kind of place I would normally never go. To my surprise it was tast…
I arrived in Kyoto in the evening, and since I was heading to Osaka the next day, I had just one night to enjoy the city. Well, better make the most of it with no regrets. That said, with this middle-aged guy&…
Some of you in Korea may have heard of Saga Prefecture in Kyushu, but I doubt many know where the similarly named Shiga Prefecture is. Shiga is right next door to Kyoto. I have been to Kyoto many times, yet it…
The first day was nothing but driving, and the next morning we went to Gifu Castle, the first destination of the trip. It is a place steeped in the history of Oda Nobunaga. I recently read a book called Taeman…
This time a friend and I rented a car and took a trip to the Kansai region. It was a journey of about 800 km. Taking the Shinkansen is far easier and cheaper, but every now and then you just want to drive on a…
I met up with a friend in Shinjuku for a quick drink. Fresh ingredients skewered and grilled can hardly go wrong. As expected, it is a place for middle-aged guys. Beer Otoshi Bacon-wrapp…
A new restaurant building has gone up in Hamamatsucho, that salaryman town. The Japanese economy really must be doing well. Cicci Fantastico is the Italian place that moved in there. The entrance The v…
I visited a small yakiniku place in Hiroo. It is mainly pork, so it is not as pricey as beef, but it is not cheap for pork either. In other words it is the kind of place that lives on regulars, and since the l…
The very first place I stopped at after arriving in Tokyo, without even unpacking my bags, was Un Grain. The luggage was heavy, but with my schedule, if I didn’t drop by that day there would be no next t…
As always, I stopped by Incheon Airport to catch a morning flight and used the Asiana Lounge. Roughly this kind of meal It has gotten tastier than before. The quality of the mushrooms in the stir-fried…
I had some business in Sinsa and was passing through the neighborhood when I noticed that a place that used to sell roll cakes had turned into a bakery, so I went in. The front entrance I do not quite …
Happy news in Yeonnam-dong. The owner of Tuk Tuk held his wedding at his newly opened Tuk Tuk Noodle Thai, and I had the honor of being invited. After the ceremony I dropped by a restaurant nearby for a quiet …