Nagoya Trip @ Summer Fest *Japanese Fusioned Buffet*

This entry onwards would have more interesting stories and photos on Japanese food that I've tasted and tried in Nagoya. On our third day, we shopped around the Nagoya City where the main department stores are such as Takashimaya and Meitetsu. Japan's public transportation is one of the best just like countries in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is easily accessible to the cities you want to go, even with the local Japanese who aren't quite good in English, you'll be able to reach your destination. ^_^

View of Takashimaya Twin Towers

Our destination to Takashiyama - Nagoya station

Farmer's Restaurant Mokumoku
This is our choice of a healthy Japanese Fusioned Western Style Buffet on the 13th floor of Takashimaya. This floor level has every cuisine restaurants which you would be able to find to suit your mood and taste for the day. My brother introduced us to this restaurants as the main theme is Vegetables, perfect choice for my mom.

Chef's Recommended dishes with nice photos on the 'Today's Specialties'..Look at it was presented...

Fresh Vegetables for the day are for sale and placed nicely on the racks. You could see that there's quite alot of customer who bought something from the restaurant after their meal..

Choice of soups, pastas, stir fried soba noodles, vegetable pot..

Varieties of green salads and cherry tomatoes are VERY Sweet and Juicy!

Fresh Food with Carbo on the high side - Mashed Potatoes, Deep Fried Potatoes, Cucumbers and gravy to go with..

The Matcha Jelly and homemade wheat biscuits are tasted so healthy!!

Dessert Corner: Choose what you would like to have or one each of all for tasting, prepare your plate and be served by the waitress with a big smile :)

Table Settings

My First Round to go.. Soba and Pasta, Tempuras and Salads

Sweets from my favourite corner - Green Tea Cake, Green Tea Pudding, oat biscuits, butter pound cake and Walnut Cake. All tasted equally Delicious! These desserts are not too sweet and the Green Tea in the pudding tasted fragrant and yet not too bitter..

Nagoya Tri @ Summer Fest *Shirakawa-go & Takayama*

On our second day trip in Nagoya, my brother offered to drive us to another town area. Here's our second day trip itinerary:

1. Nagoya, Yokosuka ---> Shirakawa-Go (Gifu)

2. Shirakawa-Go ----> Takayama

3. Takayama ---> Yokosuka

Shirakawa-go is one of the most beautiful and eye-catching place that I've been. The view is so serene which will leave you a peaceful mind to stay in. It is also a declared UNESCO World heritage site in 1995. They are famous for their traditional gasshozukuri farmhouses, some which are more than 250 years old. Also, there are still residents who are residing in the village and well equipped with schools, restaurants, fire brigade and hospital.

With some research done, Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. The architectural style developed over many generations and is designed to withstand the large amounts of heavy snow that falls in the region during winter. The roofs, made without nails, provided a large attic space used for cultivating silkworms. I shall let the pictures do the talking. :)

The farmhouses with paddyfields.

So peaceful and calm by just looking at it isn't it?

This is probably the cleanest drain I've discovered and living fishes are in the drains.

This is how their ancestors build the farmhouses in the olden days.

My brother is overjoyed with the Matcha Ice cream on his hand. It is famous and we've tried Shoyu (Soy sauce) soft serve too, which taste delicious with its milky taste.

Us captured with moments of beauty in the village

Our 2nd destination is in Takayama's Old Town. This old town with shops and coffee houses are well-presevered which dated since Edo Period (1600-1868). This city was once thrived as a wealthy town of merchants. Some of the restaurants or businesses (one which I remember vividly is a home-made Miso shop) have been in business for centuries.

A cafe shop on the Takayama Old Town, Sannomachi Street.

Our Dinner! Ramen Ramen Ramen. One of the must-eat food in Japan. This is a family restaurant in the nearby neighbourhood of my brother's home. As the price here is 'reasonable' and is famous for its Ramen, so...let's drool over the pictures. Hehe..

Yup.. It's all in Japanese Language for restaurants in suburbs. I really do need my personal translator.

Karage - Japanese Style Fried Chicken.
I would say it is the so-called 'Uncle Bob' for Japanese style. Crispy fried chicken and without the juice dried up from deep frying the meat is one of the Japanese favourite dish. I do realise that they love to eat fried meat, such as the above ones. And I do agree with their deep fried dishes taste good as you know they did a good job in Tempuras too. :)

One of the chef recommended Ramen - Ramen with Japanese style Char-Siew and Miso Broth.

Another chef recommendation - Miso Ramen with Vegetables.
You would see the thick miso in it with some chili oil and lots of sliced onions. Very strong flavor of miso and with the combination of Ramen texture. I would give a two thumbs up!

Nagoya Trip @ Summer Fest

Nowadays, I believe you would see lots of promotion on air fares, especially during the H1N1 flu days. And there was it, when my mom spotted the JAL promotion fare from KL - Nagoya for only RM1500. Believe me, it is a very cheap flight, as the normal would cost about RM3500+. So, I decided to join her to Nagoya, as a visit of my brother who is currently studying in Japan and also to take a short break away from the country and hectic work.

Our first day was a tiring one, but yet filled with excitement. We transit in Tokyo (Narita Airport) for 8 hours, and so, we decided to go through quite much of trouble in order to get out of the airport for a short visit to the nearby neighbourhood. After that, we took on the flight to Nagoya and headed to AEON (*Jaya Jusco's parent company) mall for our dinner.

The sky view at 5am on the plane.

Early breakfast at 5am.. too much to digest, but it is a very healthy one though. No oily / nasi lemak you can find here. ^_^

AEON Mall -- Tully's Coffee. Since it was early and the shops weren't open yet. We land our foot in this famous coffee chain shops for a cup of Soy Latte. A cup of coffee a day makes my day happy!

Mochi Selection in Narita Airport

In Japan, you will find lots of mochi, chocolates, chocolate biscuits selection which are tax free and deliciously looking...Good for friends and families as souveniors.

After our arrival in Nagoya, 4th largest city in Japan, my bro picked us up from the airport to a newly built large shopping mall in his neighbourhood, AEON mall. The above photo is a lane with all kinds of cuisines served restaurants.

We walked along the restaurants, with interesting food display and it took us quite awhile to browse and choose what we would like to have for the dinner.

Finally, UNAGI rice! A must-try dish in Japan. According to my brother, this restaurant is famous for its unagi. And since I'm an unagi fan, I insisted we try it out.

Since my mom's a vegan, she picked her choice ---Vegetable Tempura with Zaru Soba Set. Don't underestimate vegetable tempuras. They are just as crispy deep fried as the meat tempuras. Soba (Handmade bucklewheat noodles) are one of the japanese' main dish and they're very healthy too. I love the texture of the noodles..

Brother's choice of unagi set. It comes with side dishes - vegetable pickles and miso soup.

I chose the Unagi Rice Set specially for Ladies. It came with grilled unagi on topped of the rice, with some side dishes, vegetables, tofu and vegetable pickles.

Japan is famous for its rice. The rice is small in size and rather round in shape. It taste like sticky rice and very moist. As you might have already know that Japanese rice is very expensive in the market. Same goes to the rice in the Japan local market price, they are expensive too.

The above paper instruction shows the customer on how they're suppose to eat unagi rice. Firstly, add in the ready served spring onions and dried seaweed, place the sliced unagi on top of the rice and add in some soup, stir it slightly. Serve and Eat it.

This is what I did according to the instruction, without the soup yet.... The fragrance of the unagi is fantastic and the taste is delicious..Sauce is a mixture of Mirin and Japanese Soy Sauce.. Yummy~~