I love Japan food, a lot! I feel like I can't have Western cuisine everyday, but I can definitely have Jap food every single day! In this post, I am gonna share about the street food I had in Kyoto and where can you find them, let's get started!
Main Street to Fushimi-Inari
This was discovered by chance, but actually you can't miss it because it's along the path to the shrine. But we only managed to spot the street when we left the shrine, strange! Perfect timing for street food after our exhausting walk to the top of the mountain just now.
1. Dango or Glutinous Rice Balls
I am a big fan of chewy food so I enjoy the texture of dango very much. Love the matcha version. For traditional version, the unflavoured rice balls are served with sticky soy sauce. To be honest, I don't like the sweet and salty combination. Somehow in my impression, dango should be made sweet as a dessert with syrup on top it, haha, just my personal preference.
Matcha Dango or Green Tea Glutinous Rice Balls.
Traditional grilled dango.
2. Takoyaki
This can been seen almost everywhere in Japan. One of the most popular street snacks with a variety of versions available. However, we didn't try the one here because the queue was so long. Judging from the long queue, perhaps the flavour is good? Make my mouth drooling by just looking at them!
3. Okonomiyaki
To be more precise, the one sold here is Hiroshima Okonomiyaki because it is layered with noodles. Okonomiyaki is a type of Japanese savoury pancake, with layers of ingredients. Considered as a signature dish in Kansai area, especially in Osaka.
4. Cold cucumbers
Perfect snacks for summer! Very refreshing!
Like I mentioned in my previous post, they are literally everywhere.
5. Grilled Tofu
The uncle was super funny and talkative. And the tofu tasted good too with a slightly crispy outer skin with soft tofu inside, topped with seaweeds, dried bonito and soy sauce. Love this very much!
6. Sweet Potatoes Fries
Look at these! So thick! Frying removes the excess water contents and the fries are crispy, and can be a little too dry. The sugar sprinkled on top added flavours to the fries, but too much for my liking. Still worth a try for people who have sweet tooth like me.
7. Sake/Tofu/Vanilla/Matcha Ice-creams
Highly recommend sake flavour! Not too strong but still enough to taste the alcohol. Matcha and tofu are good too. The tofu taste is rather mild, thus you should taste the tofu first before moving on to other stronger flavours such as matcha and sake.
8. Charcoal-grilled Beef
A lot of stalls selling this and the beef is claimed to be Wagyu beef, which I couldn't verify with my taste buds, haha, simply because I am not a beef master. But I would say the meat was juicy and tender, certainly up to standard!
Nishiki Market
Transport - Alight at Shijo Station on Karasuma Subway Line or by city bus.
Opening Hours - Varies by store, typically 9am to 6pm
Nishiki Market is one of the famous tourist attractions in Kyoto. It's the largest traditional marketplace in Kyoto. I love visiting market because I think it's the best place to get exposed to the lifestyle of the locals. Moreover, there are a lot of food stalls in Nishiki Market, just slot this place into your schedule for lunch or tea time.
Random pictures captured on the way to Nishiki Market.
There are a lot of shops selling traditional Japanese sweets or 和果子. They look so beautiful and delicate, good for souvenir. Unfortunately, the expiry date is short and they are pretty pricey. Thus, I didn't buy any but it's a joy to look at them.
1. Various Fried Food
They looked so tempting, as if they were calling us to buy and indulge them. But then... the food were left for display for quite some time, hence as expected, they tasted cold and oily even though the flavours were still there. Not my cup of tea.
2. Soy Milk Donuts
Konnamonjya is the name of the shop. You can hardly miss it while exploring Nishiki Market, owing to the long queue. We joined the queue for the highly rated donuts. The donuts are mini-sized and are best enjoyed hot. Not oily and not too sweet, thumbs up!
3. Takoyaki
The takoyaki here is slightly different, with the filling as spring onions or cheese. We ordered the cheese one, not bad, the cheese taste would burst in your mouth, hehe.
Higashiyama Dsitrict
Stealing the descriptions from Japan Guide, I agree that it is a great place to experience traditional old Kyoto, especially between Kiyomizudera and Yasaka Shrine, where the narrow lanes, wooden buildings and traditional merchant shops invoke a feeling of the old capital city. Check out the same website for transport guide, haha! Keep in mind that most shops are closed by 6pm. It's a great place to shop for traditional Japanese snacks, if you are looking for delicious souvenirs.
1. Beef Bun
Actually I like this. The hot "bao" would be a perfect treat on a cold windy day.
2. Matcha biscuits
Apparently it's an award winning brand. Biscuits sandwiched with matcha fillings. The matcha taste is bittersweet and strong. Good snacks, but not impressive enough to meet my expectation, haha!
That's all for my street food experience in Kyoto, it was a great one! More Japan experience coming soon......
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