Calbee: Japanese French Fries

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Calbee: Japanese French Fries 

These chips can come in many different flavours, the ones I purchased were cheese and sakura. They both tasted very oishii (delicious!). They are ever so crunchy with a little bit of flavour. You can pretty much purchase these in any convenient store or supermarket. They range from around 70 - 90 Yen per cup, depending which store you purchase. 

Just an interesting youtube clip of the Calbee potato chip commercials in Japan:

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada... but in this case its Linh wears Prada! haha (lame joke I know)

Here is my brief review of my first ever Prada bag. I would like to say the Prada range of tote bags is amazing. Three reasons why I love their range: the bag represents a business women with a tailored design, class and sophistication, and high-end couture style.

So on the 3rd April 2014 my friend and I attended James St Up Late (a Marie Claire event) in the Valley. Not expecting to be making any purchases that night, as I was just there to browse and network with the organisers of the events. As we walked through James Street I saw in the window of a French Boutique, a Prada bag! I literally had to double take because I couldn't believe my eyes. I was seriously considering purchasing a Prada bag in Japan however it was much more expensive and considering the exchange rate, it wouldn't be worth it. So I left Japan a little bit disappointed. Anyway, to my astonishment Brisbane, the Valley had a re-seller of Prada! That is extremely rare, because Brisbane has no Prada stores at all. They are all located in Sydney or Melbourne (the larger cities).

So with this impulse decision I purchased the bag with my friend's persuasive skills. I do not regret it at all.

This bag is great because the size fits small note books, tablets perfectly whilst having space for wallet, phone etc. I prefer to carry this bag on my arm rather than shoulder bag as the size a a little awkward when dangling off my shoulder. In that situation, I am also thinking of purchasing a smaller Prada tote for the casual occasions! Let's wait and see!! :)

Details of the bag:

Saffiano Leather Tote
Double Handle
Detachable Shoulder Strap
Metal lettering logo on saffiano leather base
Snap closure
Two outside pockets
two inside pockets
L 33 H 23.5 W 14.5CM

Souvenirs: Japanese D.I.Y Waffle Lollies

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Souvenirs: Japanese D.I.Y Waffle Lollies 

So for this post I decided to try some editing on my photos and add that little extra jazz. I hope you like it! Once again this packet was purchased at Don Quijote for around 200 Yen. This one was more expensive as it has more steps involved to create the lolly. 

In the pack you receive the following:

1. Orange packet - waffle mixture
2. Purple packet - grape mixture to add on top of the waffles
3. Blue packet - whip cream to add on top of the waffles
4. Pink packet - strawberry sauce to add on top of the waffles
5. Cut out container to use as moulds and mixing containers 

You create the waffle mixture by combining water and the orange packet. If there are no more crystals, create two balls which you will now press into the plastic waffle shape moulder. This should create around 3 waffles per packet. Next steps are to combine the other packets with water to create the toppings for the waffles. You need to work fast in the next steps because the jelly will solidify quite quickly with the gelatine crystals. As I couldn't quite figure out how to read the instructions in Japanese I was unsure of the quantity of water. So I ended up using the triangle scoop to pour water into the mixing container little by little.

This was the final product! once again I was not surprised by the taste of the lolly... had a strange taste! It required more sugar for the waffle, but the grape and strawberry sauce provided some sugar delight and flavour.  

Souvenirs: Japanese D.I.Y Jelly Candy

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Souvenirs: Japanese D.I.Y Jelly Candy

Another awesome Japanese D.I.Y Candy that I purchased at Don Quijote. This was awesome, better than the previous two I posted about. With this packet you get to create the solution (candy) by combining jelly crystals and food colouring. Then you use the jelly cutter to create the different shape candy. 

I found the end result a little weird because the candy didn't turn jelly like. A lot of the jelly crystals had not mixed properly (I'm assuming). It was very different to aeroplane jelly, definitely does not wobble. The candy was most similar to cloud lollies, chewy and sour. Cost for a packet 230 Yen. 

Some things I noted: you do not have to wait that long for after your drop your food colour into the jelly crystals. I had to assume the amount of water to add into the container for each food colour. 

Components in the packet from top left to right: 

1. The green packet is jelly crystals which aid the solution to solidify. 

2. The white container is where you mix your powder and create the lollies. 

3. The orange is jelly cutter and fork mixer. 

4. The yellow, red, and blue packet is the colouring. 

5. While just above the coloured packets is the droplet tube to mix the colours with the jelly crystals. 

Souvenirs: Japanese D.I.Y Octopus Candy

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Souvenirs: Japanese D.I.Y Octopus Candy 

During the preparation of the candy we faced some problems. When we were press the candy (blue & orange packets) into the mould it is difficult to press them out. As the candy starts to melt when touched by the heat from your fingers we had to use plastic to scoop out the octopus heads. Similar thing happened to the octopus legs. The candy was sour similar to zappo candy. Cost is 150 Yen. 

Souvenirs: Greentea Chocolate Yatsuhashi

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Souvenirs: Greentea Chocolate Yatsuhashi 

Another famous confectionery souvenir of Kyoto is the Yastuhashi. Similar to a hard cookie, it is made from glutinous rice flour, sugar and cinnamon. They can be baked or unbaked, but most people tend to associate Yatsuhashi as baked. The baked Yatsuhashi I purchased was at the Osaka Airport not in Kyoto for around 500 Yen. 

P.S This 'Japanese version of a wafer stick' is so hard! nearly took my tooth out haha

Souvenirs: D.I.Y Japanese Candy

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Souvenirs: D.I.Y Japanese Candy 

So Japan have these pretty interesting D.I.Y Candy kits that can be purchased at stores such as Don Quijote. I think I bought around 7 different types of candy so I shall be posting them all up soon. For this particular one I don't think I will be buying it again because it wasn't too hands on. Also the level of sweetness was too much for my liking. Cost for these packets are around 150 Yen.

Front of the packet

Back of the packet

Contents for the D.I.Y Kit

Preparation for the D.I.Y Candy

Final product!! 

Souvenirs: Hiyori Nara Shop

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Souvenirs: Hiyori Nara Shop  

Mirror from Nara - Cost 550 Yen

This store Hiyori Nara is famous for their facial oil blotting tissues which only uses natural paper that is free of chemical compounds and packs containing aloe or peach essence. I didn't buy a packet because they were quite expensive but I did find a unique mirror. The lid of the mirror is made with ultra violet rays so it changes colour when sunlight touches the surface. You can see above how there is a tint of pink to the top, that is the colour it changes to. 

Souvenirs: Nara Shikamaron Butter Cookies

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Shikamaron butter cookies 

This was a little souvenir I bought during the visit to Nara. Everything is so kawaii!! The cute deer character called "Noku" was born in Nara. The deers in Nara are the symbol of the city and you pretty much see them everywhere! Even though you see deers on Miyajima Island, Nara is more famous for them. 

Cookies for 550 Yen 

Souvenirs: Japanese Cheese Cake

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Souvenirs: Japanese Cheese (chiizu) Cake (keeki)

Japanese cheesecake is pure pleasure - it so soft that it gives you a unique, velvety, gentle cheesy creaminess as you take a bit. It is not too sweet or dense so you could probably get away with eating a whole cake without even noticing you've devoured the whole thing! 

Funny story is: it was a last minute decision, I was waiting at duty free in Osaka airport and everyone wanted to spend all their Yen. I saw this "yellow box" thinking it was actually the famous banana cakes from Japan, so I grabbed it. When I arrived in home, about to share the Japanese dessert with my family, my sister read the labels and told me it was cheesecake!! That was embarrassing... haha but now we have the rare Japanese cheesecake to try, BONUS I say ;) 

Japanese Cheesecake from Osaka Airport - Cost 1000 Yen 

The Wind and the Sun

The art of persuasion 

The wind and the sun decided to have a competition to decide who was stronger. They agreed that the winner would be the one who would persuade a man to take off his coat. The wind blew and blew, but the man only held onto his coat more tightly. Then the sun shone gently down, and within minutes, the man took off his coat. 

I thought this was an interesting little fable to explain persuasion. I stumbled across this while completing one of my job applications and thought it was something interesting to post. Hope you enjoyed!

Food in Japan & Osaka

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I thought I would write another blog just relating to all the amazing food that I tried. I do hope you enjoy the reading. 

1. Okonomi (to one's liking) yaki (fried)

Okonominyaki in Osaka

So as I was advised by some fellow Ni hon jins (Japanese) that their traditional food is a whole lot better in Osaka. I vowed to find an Okonominyaki place for dinner. Chad's friend took us to this place in Shinshi-bashi for Okonominyaki (photo above). Basically, Okonominyaki is described as a Japanese pizza/pancake, but it's more like a savory pancake. Selected toppings and ingredients are added which can vary from seafood (scallops, prawns) pork, cheese etc. Pricing is around 800 - 1,800 Yen ($10 - $20).

2. Double chocolate, Banana and cream Crepe 

Crepes at Takeshi Dori 

When you reach Harajuku district you must try the Crepes. Above are a few of the Crepe stores which are recommended. The pricing ranges from 440 - 580 Yen ($5.00 - $6.00) for one Crepe. There were some differences that I found between the Crepes in Australia and Japan, they include of; the wrap is much more crunchy (freshly made) and you eat it in a cone shape not on a plate. The sweetness was another major difference, even though I bought the Double Chocolate, it was not as sweet as I would have thought. 

3. Tako (Octopus) yaki (Fried) Balls

Takoyaki Balls at Cat Street - Tokyo

Takoyaki Balls with Egg toppings

Another great thing about Japan is that every corner or alley you turn you will discover something new! As we walked through Omotesando Hills we saw a street corner which looked similar to a European alley, so we decided to have a look. This was were we ate our first Takoyaki balls!! Tako (Octopus) yaki (Fried). This snack food you will find everywhere in Japan!! They range from 8 Takoyaki for 500 Yen and they have different toppings to choose from. Takoyaki original toppings you usually get Takoyaki sauce, mayonaise, fish flakes. I have also tried the Takoyaki with egg and cheese toppings and both were absolutely amazing! 

4. Momiji (Maple leaf) Manju (cake/confection)

Momji (Maple leaf) Manju (Japanese confection) 

If you travel to Miyajima Island which is a ferry ride away from Hiroshima then you must try their Oysters and Momiji Manju. Above is a picture of the Momiji Manju. This popular maple-leaf shape cake is filled with various flavours such as chocolate, custard, green beans. They cost around 80 Yen each. So delicious! 

5. Taiyaki 

Taiyaki in Osaka

Taiyaki is a Japanese fish shaped cake. The most common filling is red beans however I was able to try a Sakura filled Taiyaki, as they are in season during March. The texture of the cake is quite crispy on the outside similar to a donut, without the cinnamon flavouring. 

6. Sashimi (thinly sliced raw food)

1. Prawn Sushi 2. Sashimi Praw 3. Tuna Sushi 4. Duck Loin Sushi

So whilst I was exploring Umeda underground shopping mall alone I stumbled across a sushi train!! This was one of the last things on my food to eat list, and now it is finally ticked off!! So happy! So when you go to Japanese restaurants, if it is busy, you will be asked to write you name and how many people onto the waiting list. Then you will be called when it is your turn. Basically how you order your food is according to the colour of the plate. If you can see above the plates have different colours which corresponds to the price. Luckily for me they had an English menu so I pretty much played find the matching Japanese symbol to the food. As the food moves around the conveyor belt you can pick up the plate you want. The plates ranged from 150 - 330 Yen. The normal "cooked" sushi were the cheapest and the sashimi tends to be more expensive. If there is something extra you wanted to order, then you can ask the staff to bring it to you. I order my duck loin that way.

I started with a prawn sushi just to prepare myself for the sashimi. Then choose a prawn sashimi and finally finished with two sushi dishes that would wash done that raw flavour in my mouth. Saying that, the raw prawn did not taste bad when it was dipped into soy sauce. It didn't really have much of a taste to it to be honest. It was not chewy, just felt like eating crunchy jelly with no sugar. It was most likely crunchy because of the tender of the prawn.

7. Japanese Style Dinner 

Japanese food is based on combining the staple steam rice with several main dishes and sides. This is also accompanied by miso soup and pickles. This meal set costs around 1,400 Yen ($15AUS). So here are some of the meal time etiquette that I was taught by our friend from Japan.

1) When using chop sticks and you find it difficult to pick up food, refrain from stabbing it as it is a sign of death.
2) Some Japanese restaurants have wet tissues for you to use to cleanse your hands before (not after) your meal. After your meal you would typically use a dry tissue.
3) Japanese do not use spoons to drink soup. They will hold the bowl by both hands with your thumb facing you. Definitely not cupping the bowl.
4) The other thing to notice is not to put your food on top of the rice. As I am Vietnamese we are actually very used to do this so it was quite the change.

8. Mister Donut Store 

Different flavour donuts!

So another amazing specialty dessert store is Mister Donut. They are so worth the try! So many flavours for such a cheap price of 100 - 160 Yen. Japanese Donuts are not too sweet so it could be perfect for people who are not into sweets. The one on the top right corner was a mochi one. The taste was very different. It was really chewy and weird kind of sweetness with a layer of glazed sugar on top.

9. Mos Burger

So I always like to try Western style foods in other countries because each country will always have their own interpretation or new menus. MOS Burger has already opened in Australia. To be honest its not one of my favourite restaurants in Brisbane but I wanted to see if their menu had anything different. The was a fish burger (bottom left photo). I was so suprised the fish was not battered or just a fish-o-fillet. It was real fish!! It was probably frozen not fresh but I definitely liked it, it was soft, moist, and didn't smell too much like fish.

10. Onigiri (rice ball)

Another great snack is Onigiri, you can purchase this at any local supermarket i.e. Lawsons, Family Mart. Price is around 68 - 100 Yen. It was a perfect snack to carry along. This snack is basically a salty ball of rice. It often has a filling of something savoury such as pickled plum, tuna, bamboo, wasabi, bonita flakes flavoured with soy sauce.


11. Omu-rice

Omu-raisu is an example of contemporary Japanese cuisine consisting of an omelette made with fried rice and usually topped with ketchup. Omu and raisu being contractions of the words omelette and rice. The ingredients that flavour the rice can vary with chicken, vegetables to beef. To put it in simple terms, it is pretty much fried rice with chicken wrapped in egg and topped with ketchup sauce.

12. Soba noodles 

Soba noodles are native Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour (soba). They are roughly as thick as spaghetti, and prepared in various hot and cold dishes. The most basic soba dish is boiled, cold soba noodles eaten with soya based dipping sauce. I choose to have soba in soup, so it came out prepared already. My friends purchased the dry soba and the dipping sauce is very thick compared to having it in a soup.

13. Ramen Noodles

Ramen noodles is a inexpensive Japanese dish which range from 600 - 1,200 Yen. There is always some concern when eating in Australia that the Ramen will just be served with 2 minute noodles. This is never the case in Japan. You always receive yummy fresh noodles which will need to be eaten immediately after they are served.

There are two aspects to Ramen noodles. They can be categorised by their soup base or toppings. Common soup base include: Miso (soy bean paste), Tonktsu (pork bone), Shoyu (soy sauce), Shio (salt). Common toppings include: Chashu (fatty slices of braised pork), Menma (preserved bamboo), Negi (chopped green onions), Moyashi (bean sprouts), Tamago (boiled egg), Seaweed, Kamaboko (slices of steamed fish cake i.e. naruto), Corn.

Places to visit in Tokyo and Osaka

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It is 8.25am and I have checked in got my plane ticket and waiting patiently at the Gold Coast International Airport. Ecstatic to be travelling on my first trip with my friends to the land of all things extraordinary.. Japan!! Two week holiday in Japan, the first week to explore Tokyo and the second Osaka. 

Gold Coast Airport 

Harajuku is "arguably the heart of the city's vibrant youth fashion scene, and is the best place for the latest urban brands" (Time Out Tokyo, p62). We visited Takeshita Dori one of Harajuju's iconic thoroughfare. This narrow pedestrian lane of small clothes shops and crepe stands is teen heaven. We visited this location on Monday so I was quite disappointed as we didn't see the Japanese girl's dressed up. As previous tourists have mentioned it is better to visit this area on the weekend.

Shibuya Crossing, taken at train station 

Shibuya is also another "bright, brash center of Tokyo's teen culture". I wanted to find the famous Hachiko dog statue, however was just too overwhelmed by all the people and shops so was unfortunate on this occasion. This was were I discovered the awesome sales of Forever 21!! As I come from Australia and we do not have this retail clothing store I wanted to check it out. I have now found my favourite new store!! The clothing quality is comparable to Forever New but at a cheaper price. It is definitely not the same style as Top Shop with its over ridiculously overpriced, strange items. I made three purchases from the store before we ventured to the other shops around the area. 

Forever 21 purchases in Shibuya

After some shopping we walked along the Yamanote JR line to Meiji Shrine. From the entrance of the Shrine (image below) we walked about 15 minutes to actually arrive to the main praying hall.

Purity is a major feature of Shinto. As you pass through the shrine's distinctive torii (gate) below, worshipers often ritually wash their hands and mouth with water from a stone basin before offering their prayers at the main hall. 

Entrance to Meiji Shrine with my Tomodachi 

Stone basin for washing - left hand, right hand, wash mouth, then left hand again

Meiji Shrine's main praying hall 

Prada, Hugo Boss, Jimmy Choo, Coach, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger

It was getting dark and half of the group split because one of our friends was feeling sick. I really wanted to check out Omotesando Hills in Aoyama which was Tokyo's second biggest fashion district, where you will find the amazing architectural stores stocking international mega-brands. This area is best after dark when the glass panels of its facade emit their chameleon-like ambient glow. 

Mt Fuji 

So to get to Mt Fuji it took around 2 hours costing an additional return train ticket for 2300 Yen. We arrived at around 10.00am and headed straight to the look out via the Mt Tenjo ropeway. The photo I took above of Mt Fuji was taken while on the train. A tip for travelling to Mt Fuji, you should definitely go early as possible because as the sun rises the clouds also appear and the summit becomes covered up by the clouds.

The Fuji Five Lake (Fujigoko) region lies at the base of Mt Fuji. The five lakes: Kawaguchiko, Saiko, Yamanakako, Shojiko and Motosuko. Among the lakes, Lake Kawaguchiko is the easiest to access and offers the most things to see and do. From the train station you can catch the tourist bus (directly outside the train station) for around 230 Yen to Lake Kawaguchiko. At this destination you can choose to go take the Mt Tenjo ropeway to a look out point where you will have the best view of Mt Fuji; or you can ride the ferry and take the lake view of the area.

Tokyo Imperial Palace is another destination to check out. The palace was the main residence of the emperor of Japan. It is a huge garden area located in Chiyoda district which is about 10 minute walk from Tokyo station.

The images below were taken in the garden, there were only a few Sakura flowers that blossomed in the garden. This year was much cooler so the flowers were blooming quite later than usual. We were definitely fortunate to see such an amazing tree!! I think this garden was the best location to view the Sakura flowers as there were hardly any in Japan during this season.

Sakura Tree at the Imperial Garden in Tokyo 

The second week arrived and we left Tokyo. First day in Osaka we took the Shinkansen to Hiroshima. One of my main destinations was Miyajima Island. To get to the island you would need to travel from Osaka to Hiroshima by Shinkansen, then JR train from Hiroshima to Miyajima, and finally JR ferry to cross the ocean.

O-torii gate in Miyajima

On the same day we went back to Hiroshima to visit the Hiroshima Castle and Atomic-dome bomb.

Atomic-dome bomb

Hiroshima Castle

Fushimi-inari was my favourite place to visit in Kyoto! This Shrine was directly one step away from the JR station which made it convenient to find. The location was also were Memoirs of a Geisha was shot. There was no entrance cost so double brownie points. The 1000 gates take around 4 hours to climb as it ventures through the forest. 4 hours was not something we could spare so we did not take that option.

Fushimi-Inari Tashi Shrine

Start of the 1000 gates

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest 

This was another beautiful location to visit in Kyoto. It was easy to find, just had to follow the many tourists from the train station. There is a small temple/garden near the bamboo. There is an entrance fee, the temple was not worth visiting. The best feature was the pond (photo taken above). There was a lot of reconstruction happening when we went.

Sanjusangen-do Temple

The Sanjusangen-do temple is located in eastern suburbs of Kyoto. It is most famous for the 1001 golden statues. You are not permitted to take photos inside the temple however it is still worth the walk from the train line and entry fee. The temple is quite small and there is not much scenery around the outside.

Umeda Sky Building 

Umeda - Floating sky garden

Night view from Umeda 

There are so many of these look out towers around Japan, this was my first one. Umeda Sky Building is a definite destination located in Osaka. Best to go at night as you will be able to see the beautiful city at its best. The cost was 2300 Yen per person. I was amazed from the very start. Observing the architecture of the building from the outside and below was already breath-taking. The building was very detailed. Even the numbers on the elevator was designed as a silhouette of the Umeda Building. Small details made the experience more worthwhile.

From Osaka you can also catch the JR Train to Nara. It takes approximately 40 minutes, depending on which train you catch, as there is the local train or the rapid one which only stops at a few stations. Best places to visit in Nara is the Todai-ji Temple and Nara Park. They are located in the same area. If you get off at the Nara station via JR line you will be able to find the tourist information outside. They will provide you with a map and guide on where the main destinations to visit are.

Todai-ji Temple

World's largest bronze buddha statue

Nara Park 

The dears at Nara are different to those in Miyajima. Here you have the opportunity to feed them special cookies for 150 Yen. They also bow to you when you approach them. Must beware when patting or standing close to the dears. I saw first hand a tourist who had her map eaten from her jacket pocket. She didn't even realise until someone told her!! Sneaky little devils.

Osaka - Dotonbori

Osaka shopping districts would have to be Dotonbori - Shinshi-bashi. They are long shopping malls with amazing food as well! Definitely a place to check out.

In my next post we will visit some of Japan's must try food!!

Until next time xoxo Liny.Po0