Japan 2013: Osaka - Fooding

Santouka Ramen is one of my all time favorite ramen places in the US. They've got several locations in Cali which I've been to. So when I found out there's one within walking distance from our hotel in Osaka, I had to go get the real thing and compare it to Cali.

Santouka Ramen
山頭火西新地店‎
２丁目-１−１８ Sonezakishinchi
OsakaKita Ward, Osaka Prefecture 530-0002, Japan
+81 6-6343-6565
santouka.co.jp

 

#21 Tokusen Toroniku Ramen - Kara-Miso (simmered pork cheek, spicy fermented soybean paste) Small 1,100Yen~ 

 

 

 

 

The main thing that makes this place awesome is the special pork. Instead of the normal Shio ramen I get in the states, I went for the spicy ramen. Super delicious! It wasn't too spicy but the broth was rich with flavor. The noodles were cooked perfectly. And oh the pork... melts in your mouth delicious! So good! And guess what, the Santouka in Cali is just as good as Japan!!

#13 Tokusen Toroniku Ramen - Miso (simmered pork cheek) Regular 1,150Yen~ The bf got the miso broth. He just dumped the entire plate of pork into the bowl and went at it. haha. He loved it!

 

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Found this little stand inside one of the department stores in Osaka Station. Good for snacks. We had some on a rainy day while doing laundry. haha. And good to take on the train!
Pao Pao
Buta-Man - Steamed Meat Bun (pork, onion, mushroom) 168Yen~

 

Seafood Bun 210Yen~

Red Bean Paste Bun

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Having had so much good (but rich) food, I really wanted something healthy and fresh. This place was a 2 minute walk from our hotel...
Miyama Cafe - outside Osaka Station
Fresh salad bar (with dips). Super fresh veggies with various dipping sauces. So good! I especially loved the different turnips and radishes.

 

 

 

Chicken with Vegetables 880Yen~ 

Roasted Vegetable Soup. It was a rainy day so I was craving some soup. The chef was making this as we walked in so I pointed to it and said "I want that!" Rich and creamy and warmed me up. Hit the spot!

Black Bean Tea

Vegetable & Fruit Juice

Delicious and healthy food. I ended up over eating, as usual. haha. But at least it's good for me, eh?

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Hirashima - Conveyor Belt Sushi. We walked by this place on the way to the food court area in one of the department stores. Conveyor belt sushi is always fun. We don't have many chances to do that in the states so we went for dinner one night. The plates ranged from 100-500Yen~ indicated by the plate color.

Flying Fish Roe

 

Fluke - never seen or had this before. The texture reminded me of Skate, kinda like a wing. Pretty mild flavor. 

Salmon - a classic.. one of my favorite fish to eat raw in general. 

Whelk - never had this before either...

Egg

Young Yellowtail

Surf Clam Mayonnaise Salad

Squid

 

Skipjack Tuna

Mantis Shrimp - this looked weird. AND was weird to eat. The texture was almost like crab? But it looked like a bug or something.. ew. Wasn't a fan. 

Octopus

Seared Tuna 

Others that I can't remember...

 

I ate more than half these plates myself btw. hahaha. Don't get between me and sushi! :P

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I've always liked Italian food in Asia. Asians know how to cook their pasta/noodles. For a quick lunch one day we just stopped into one of these cafes. A lot of cafes in Japan offer Italian food along with pastries and coffee and stuff.
Pronto Il Bar
Pepperocino Spaghetti (with small scallops and split peas) 680Yen~ The flavors were very light. I expected more stuff with the pasta, but the pasta was cooked perfectly. So I got what I wanted. hehe

Plus drink and salad +270Yen~

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Time for a snack after visiting Osaka Castle. Food Truck Yakisoba 500Yen~

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We were searching for a particular bar in the area, but never found it. We came across this place instead and it was time for dinner. The pictures looked yummy so we just walked in!
Kioh Ramen - "Turtle King"

 

 

They specialize in Abura Soba - A kind of ramen-like noodle dish that has no broth. Typically, they offer a wide variety of toppings and spices (like minced garlic, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger, and chili oil). You add in to your taste and mix it all up.
Cold Abura Soba (with egg) 720Yen~ I've never had this before. It was delicious. Again, the noodles were cooked perfectly. The egg was beautiful. Golden orange yolk that ran all over the noodles. The pork was succulent and I wanted more! Loved it! If we had more time I'd totally have this again.

 

 

The bf got the Kyushu Abura Soba (noodles seasoned in a special sauce made with soy sauce, olive oil and topped with a slice of roast pork). Regular for 620Yen~ But he made his a combo meal that came with a small rice bowl on the side. +150Yen~ Roast pork with shreds of egg and topped with nori. He dumped the rice into the rest of the sauce after he finished his noodles. Genius! :P

 

This was a great find!  :)

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Before we got on the Shinkansen (bullet train) back to Tokyo, we got some food to eat on the 3+ hour ride.

Bento Box. These bento box stands can be found in pretty much any big train stations. They have a bunch of different varieties. We found out that they're meant to eat at room temp. There are no places where you can heat them up... Eh, not bad, but I find them to be pretty expensive in general. But it's a cool experience to take on a long train ride.

 

Cold Noodles. I got this inside one of the department store food courts. It's meant to be eaten cold so I didn't worry about heating it up. Fresh and light. :)

 

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~