Hello guys!
welcome back to foo dojo It's day two of our Kyoto trip and
it's currently 6am in morning. I'm starting my day with a run around the beautiful
downtown area, and right now I'm at Kamo River. I have to say, running along Kamo River in
the morning was a really peaceful experience. The surroundings were so quiet
and calm, which made for a really pleasant start to the day. As I was
running, I even spotted a Grey Heron After the run, I went back to my hotel and
had breakfast at Sanga Ono Kyoto Jokyoji which is a restaurant that exudes
a strong Japanese aesthetic, located within the "temple hotel" created through
a collaboration with the historic Jokyoji Temple, which has over 500 years of history. This
restaurant has been recognized in the Michelin Guide and is the second branch of Fukuoka's Sanga
Ono Isshuan to open outside of the prefecture. At Sanga Ono Kyoto Jokyoji, you can savor
the unique characteristics of each season with a breakfast that truly represents
the essence of Japan. It's an experience that invites you to appreciate the finer
details of Japanese culture and cuisine. On the menu at this restaurant, you'll have
a choice of four different main dishes to choose from. These options include Shiun,
Sanga Chirashi (which is served with 20 different seasonal vegetables), Koumyou
(made with sea bream and tempura), and Shouren (featuring eel and great burdock, served
in an egg-bound soup or with steamed turnips). No matter which dish you choose, you'll
also receive a serving of Wakeful Green Tea, Chawanmushi with Soba, Colorful
Hassun, and Grilled Fish-of-the-Day. Additionally, the hotel takes great care
in preparing its rice. They order brown rice from Tanba, Kyoto, and polish it
fresh each day in the restaurant using a traditional "Kama pot" called a hagama.
This results in rice that is plump, and glossy and has each grain standing up perfectly.
and you can ask to refill as much as you like. we went with Sanga Chirashi and mixed
tempura with vegetables and seabream. Overall, the Japanese-style breakfast at
this Hotel was a wonderful way to start the day. If you're staying at this hotel, I
highly recommend trying it out for yourself! for more details, please check
out our full review of the hotel At the checkout, we decided to use
the baggage service which sends your bag to the Kyoto station hotel. I’m
glad they have this service because we didn’t want to carry our bags when
sightseeing. Also, this service comes with free lounge access at the hotel which
I will get to you about later in the video. Now, let's go explore Kyoto! Today, we planned to visit the Arashiyama
area and started with a hidden gem temple, which is about a 40-minute train ride or
an hour away from Kyoto station by bus. We took the train, but If you don’t like
walking, recommend taking the bus because it's easier to understand and with the train,
we had to walk like 15 minutes from the station. On the other hand, if you are fond
of strolling and relishing the landscape and wildlife, walking is the way to go. we also stumbled upon a meat vending
machine. I was surprised by the variety of options it offered, from roast
pork to horse meat and all kind of beef including premium omi beef
and wag you from 1000 to 3000 yen. To reach the Temple by bus, you can
take either bus numbers 73 or 83, which depart from bus stop C6
at Kyoto station for 270 yen. after following handwritten signs and climbing a
gentle slope, I arrived at the temple's entrance. this is our first stop of the day. Kegon-ji, also known as
Suzumushi-dera or "Cricket Temple," However, there was still a short way to
go. There are 80 stairs to climb in total, which is said to be the same
number of steps to heaven. Simply climbing up the stairs step by step
is apparently the first step toward finding inner peace. In other words, one should
not complain while climbing the hill. Unfortunately, We had to queue up to
enter because of the holiday season. The entrance fee is 500 yen, and
each session starts every 50 minutes, so make sure you have enough time to attend. Suzumushi-dera is a Buddhist temple
located in the Arashiyama area of Kyoto. It is a hidden gem often
overlooked by foreign tourists, but popular among Japanese visitors
who come to hear the crickets chirping. The temple's founder, a hard-working priest,
bred crickets and made modifications to the temple to create a warm environment for
them to thrive and chirp year-round. In addition, this temple is famous
for bringing couples together, and it has a Jizo statue located
in the sanctuary. This is uncommon since Jizo statues are usually found
by the roadside or next to graves. However, the Suzumushi Temple's "Kofuku
Jizo" (Jizo of Happiness) is worshipped for granting wishes, although visitors
are allowed to make only one wish. The statue wears waraji straw sandals on its feet, and it's believed that the Jizo will
visit those who recite their address. It's crucial to remember
your home address; otherwise, the Jizo won't be able to locate
you, and your wish won't be granted. The temple maintains a warm temperature to keep
the crickets chirping, making it a comfortable place to visit even in the winter. However,
due to its location and difficulty to access, it may not be a priority for
first-time visitors to Kyoto. This is where you can make your wish
beside the entrance after the session ends. We left the temple and since
it was already lunchtime, we took a bus to the main area of Arashiyama.
Currently, I am at the iconic Togetsukyo Bridge which spans the Katsura River and is
a well-known landmark of Arashiyama. It was constructed during the mid-17th century
and has a graceful and attractive curved design. The bridge offers spectacular
views of the river and the mountains, with its colors changing during autumn. In addition, it's possible to enjoy the views of
the bridge by taking a boat ride on the river. You can opt for a houseboat which costs 2,300 yen or a self-paddling boat which costs
1,800 yen for the entire boat. Fun fact, the bridge's name literally
translates to "moon crossing bridge". This is because the bridge's curved shape
resembles the crescent moon in the night sky. Our next destination is Shoraian,
where we plan to have our meal. The restaurant is located within the forested
area of Arashiyama, near the mountain's edge. There are several ways to reach the
restaurant, but we chose the simplest one. which involved walking along
the riverside from the Bridge. When you come across an intersection,
there will be signs (written in Japanese) indicating that you need to climb up
stone steps to reach the restaurant. Formerly, "SHORAIAN" was a vacation
home for a former prime minister. Maybe that’s why it's very hard to get there. When I opened the main door, I was
welcomed with a lovely smile by the greeting staff. Inside, are only 2
private rooms and 4 table seatings. Tofu is one of Kyoto’s specialties.
”SHORAIAN" is a restaurant that specializes in Tofu Kaiseki cuisine, offering visitors
the opportunity to relish in the breathtaking views that change with each of the four seasons.
During Autumn, the restaurant is in high demand, so it's strongly recommended to book a
reservation beforehand if you wish to dine here. There are 4 different menus to
choose from for their lunch kaiseki, pricing from 4,180 yen to 6,380 yen for the most
expensive one which comes with wag you beef. we choose to go with the cheapest
and the second cheapest one since it was our last day and we didn’t have much time. this is our Appetizer - Tofu with salt and Umeshu which is a fruity liqueur made
from unripened Japanese plums The next dish is called Hassunmori.
contained a variety of specialties, including sesame tofu, ham with fig, boiled
octopus, wheat gluten, mackerel, shrimp, Yuba wrap, dumplings, simmered winter melon, conger
eel, simmered cherry tomatoes, namafu, and tofu. my favorite was the sesame tofu!
We also had this in our breakfast but the consistency and the texture were very different.
I could tell that they specialize in tofu. The next two dishes are only
for the second cheapest course. First is nama yuba. yuba is made by using the thin layer that forms
on the surface of boiling a pot of soy milk. When yuba is fresh, it’s called nama yuba. The taste is mild and has a delicate sweetness, along with the saltiness from the shoyu sauce
and a fresh, smooth spiciness from fresh wasabi. a unique dish, particularly in terms of its
texture and the way it feels when you take a bite. the second dish is egg tofu with mushrooms. with a side of fried ears of rice. Which
is literally like rice popcorn. Along with the dish, we were gifted
Mr. Fuyo's seasonal postcards. next up is Shoraian's signature
dish. Yudofu, which is boiled tofu. The dish is quite simple and is served with
condiments such as dashi, and spring onion. The texture of the tofu is very smooth
and silky, but it won't break or fall apart when you cut it into smaller pieces.
With this simple cooking method, you can taste the purest essence of tofu's natural flavor,
which has a light and fresh taste of soybean. To enhance the flavor, you can add
a hint of sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, and freshness to the dish through
the use of dashi and spring onion condiments. For our final savory dish, we have
Agedashi Tofu and Rice with some pickles, dried young sardines, with Japanese peppercorns. I was most excited about this
dish! It’s deep-fried tofu in a dashi-based broth with dried
bonito flakes and spring onion. I couldn’t wait to try this since this is
one of my all-time favorite Japanese dishes. The Tofu was crispy on the outside and smooth on
the inside. It was sweeter and saltier than the Yudofu we had earlier, which makes sense since
it's deep-fried and has a dashi-based broth. overall, it was very tasty. last but not least, Tofu Ice Cream with
Yatsuhashi, served with some brown honey. the tofu ice cream had a really natural taste of
tofu, and The sweetness wasn't too strong either, so I think the brown honey brought
out that sweetness a bit more. Overall, this kaiseki meal was worth the price.
Shoraian is more affordable compared to other high-end kaiseki meals. The restaurant
setting, riverside view, delicious food, and friendly hospitality are great for the price.
I would like to come back in a different season. after I had lunch, we went back to the
main area and Tried arabica coffee. ARABICA is a very famous coffee shop in Kyoto,
You'll see their iconic coffee cups all over Arashiyama and Higashiyama, where it started
and has become super popular and well-liked. I ordered a regular cafe latte and a Kyoto iced latte and paid 550 yen for both.
The regular latte was average in taste, but the Kyoto latte was very smooth and
delicious because it contained condensed milk, giving it a flavor similar to Vietnamese coffee.
If you have a sweet tooth and enjoy sugary coffee, I would recommend trying the Kyoto latte.
However, if you prefer your coffee less sweet, I personally wouldn’t line up for the
queue. Especially during the holiday season. and, also note that there’s
no seating inside for free. Now, Let's go find some
souvenirs in the main area. There are so many options, but one particular souvenir that
stands out from the rest is Yatsuhashi. It's a traditional sweet made from a combination
of glutinous rice flour (mochi) and sugar, and what makes it unique is the addition of
cinnamon, also known as "Nikki" in Japanese. I don't know if you guys noticed,
but it was actually the mochi on top of the tofu ice cream that
we had at Shoraian's dessert. Before we search for souvenirs, we
found a popup sake shop by Tanzan beside the Arashiyama station. They've been
brewing sa ke since 1882 using a traditional method that starts with growing rice and
fertilizing the soil. They grow their own rice with organic methods and use pure water
to make quality sake in the Arashiyama area. Although the sake popup
might not be all year round, it's still one of the popular souvenirs
from Japan. So If it's within your budget, I highly recommend getting authentic
sake as a souvenir as well. for Yatsuhashi, we decided
to go with the one Right in front of the Arashiyama station,
called Izutsu Yatsuhashi Honpo. There are so many options, including
various flavors like Matcha, black sesame, cherry blossoms, green apple, mango,
peach, chocolate banana, and more. Moreover, the filling inside isn't just limited
to red bean paste; they also have chocolate, sweet flavored pastes, and you can even
get just the mochi without any filling while we were on our way to the famous bamboo
forest, we stumbled upon this amazing restaurant called inner. This place specializes in Tofu
and Mochi and they have a separate building for their café called Sakura Mochi ine. We
decided to stop by and try out their food. We ordered the Mitarashi Dango, which is a
traditional Japanese rice dumpling smothered in a sweet soy glaze. It was served
warm and incredibly soft and delicious. We ate it on the first floor, but if you're
looking for a wider variety of Japanese sweets, there’s also a tea room cafe on the second floor. after a short walk, we finally made it to the
entrance of the famous bamboo forest. As you can see, there are a few food stalls here as
well, but nothing really caught our attention. If you're planning a trip to Kyoto,
you've probably already heard of this bamboo forest. It's a really popular tourist
spot, so it can get pretty crowded. If you don’t want to use Photoshop, make
sure to go early in the morning. it's around 5:30 and we just got back to Kyoto
station to grab our bags. We're heading to the Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto station, which is
only a few minutes walk away from the station. Once we got our bags, the hotel lounge is actually
free to use for guests. They offer coffee, fruit juices, and a few snacks, which is really
convenient if you need a quick refreshment. Now,
if you're a fan of Japanese snacks, you might know that there was a popular brand
called Karl that used to be sold nationwide. However, in 2017, they decided to only sell
in the Kansai region and the west, which means that you can't find them in Tokyo. This
is the snack but the original flavor is green. For dinner tonight, we decided to grab
some ramen! We found this place in Kyoto station on Isetan level 10, which is
part of the famous Kyoto Ramen Street. Ramen Todai is ramen from the Tokushima region, and To order, you just buy
your ticket from the machine The broth was rich and flavorful, and the sukiyaki beef they put in
the ramen was very tender as well. and if you're feeling adventurous,
you can even add some raw eggs to your ramen. They are on the counter and
you can eat as much as you want for free. Thank you guys for watching
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out my other videos as well! hope this video was helpful. Chao
see you next time
