Japan Japan #3

My impression of Japan is so far = shopping + food + smoking + temples. And one of my favourites..... FOOD! Yes, I have gained weight from a short 8-days trip. Pictures below will say it all.

(By the way, this is called Takoyaki. Osaka is also famous for another dish called Okonomiyaki, which is a cabbage pizza tailor made to your taste with extra ingredients like prawn etc. )

(Can't recall the Japanese name for this dish but its a common Osaka meal, especially for dinner. The ingredients vary from seafood to beef and the standards include udon and the vegetables. Basically its like a steamboat as all the ingredients are being thrown into a metal basin which could potentially serve as a facewash basin. )

(A delicious drink which a mix of shochu with lime. Ok, cocktail in western term then.)

(Here's one of the most luxurious meal I have in Japan. Remember the photo with the huge crab in the previous blog? You are right. The restaurant serves only crab-related food. We had crab sashimi, roasted crab legs, steamed crab egg paste and the best is the above crab porridge which is tastefully decorated with dried seaweeds and spring onions. Guess how the crab porridge is being made? The last bit of the leftover soup which is used to boil the vegetables and cook the crabmeat is being used to boil the rice and egg. What I would call the crab-essence porridge! )

(Yet another typical feature of a Japan eatery - a ticketing machine to select the food. This eatery serves one of the best ramen in Osaka. Food in eateries are on the lower price range. For instance, we paid only about $14 for a big bowl of ramen and a plate of garlic fried rice. )

Cigarettes vending machine
(Not saying cigarettes are food but well... they have vending machines everywhere. Heard from cousin that you need to register for a card to use this machine. And to register for the card, you must own a credit card. This means that you must be above 18 years of age with proven earning capability. What a long and winding way to tackle the problem of teenagers buying cigarettes. For those who don't smoke, it can be a pain to eat in air-conditioned restaurants as smoking is allowed. And yah yah, as if smoke lingers obediently around smokers and separating the restaurant into smoking and non-smoking area helps!)

Ice-cream vending machine

(I wish Singapore has this too! )

(Pretty isn't it? Taste fairly delicious too but its cold. Got this before boarding the Shinkasen. Cost about 800 Yen but its a piece of art. This says alot about Japanese culture. The packaging is very impt in all aspects of their life based on my observation. Ranges from working ladies carrying authentic branded bags to old grandmas styling their hair like they've got it done at a salon and the wrinkled face carefully covered with foundation and matching eye shadows I mind you! Besides the food served are being artistically decorated and arranged, the edible gifts sovenior are also meticulously packed and wrapped.)