Did we find a hot pot restaurant in Japan? You betcha. Okay well, shabu shabu but I will call it hot pot anyway!
Here is the menu, it’s all you can eat! You pay about 250 yen extra for an all you can drink…drink. It’s a lot like the places here, order the meats from the wait staff and grab your own starches and veggies from the cold case. I can’t quite remember which set we went with, I don’t think we went too high end since you cook it up in the broth anyway.
Some of the meat and the eggs! Yes, you can eat Japanese eggs raw! Crack it into your bowl and mix it up to dip your meats in.
Loved the veggie choices. Ramen noodles. Tofu Puffs. Did you notice in the first pic? The abundance of choy sum? Well we cleaned out the choy sum leaves…oops…
MORE MEATS
This restaurant is located in the AEON Mall in Kyoto. I was so tired and hangry by the time we picked this place that I can’t remember much details. The waitress knew enough English to help us and the English menu was VERY helpful. English menus became a necessity after a long day of traveling. I liked it but it was too bad I wasn’t feeling great to truly enjoy it!
Green Tea Dessert with Tea Check out the timer! That’s when you know your tea is ready to pour and drink!
Kind of looks like a make-up brush yeah?
Anmitsu Doesn’t this look beautiful? It tasted as good as it looks! Enjoyed it!
Dashi Tamagoyaki
Got this the first time I ever went to Nishiki and have kept up the tradition ever since. I think I got it from the wrong shop this time, I don’t remember it sitting in broth. Though it was nice to sip this hot broth in the cold weather. For a food market, there are NO rubbish cans anywhere. It’s quite frustrating.
Baby Octopus
This is a bit morbid. It’s a small octopus and the head is hollowed out and stuffed with a quail egg. The flavor of the octopus coated in a sweet sauce…can smell kind of stinky (like a stinky fish) but when you eat it, it’s not stinky at all. This is also a traditional snack for me!
Do you want to find a place where you can get high quality Japanese meat at low price? No? How about a place with high quality Japanese meat and high prices? Yes? Okay, Japanese BBQ Yoshi is your place, lol. And I’m not saying this to be a smart mouth, they really do offer up high quality stuff but you’ll be paying a price for that quality. So unless you can afford that big slab of meat at J-Shop for like almost $1000, settle into this post! Wait, does J-Shop still sell those cuts of meat? Hmmm…
Iichiko Set (x2) | $24.00 each pork belly, prime kalbi, flat iron steak, thin cut steak
I hope I got the meats right on this set. Was it good? Sure. Was it so great and mind blowing? Eh, honestly this set wasn’t anything special. It wasn’t like the meat was melt in your mouth. And for $24 a person, not great at all. By the way, it’s actually $25 set because you could pay $1 for a cup of Iichiko (hence the name). I don’t drink so they said I could get soda, which I got charged the same rate as I would have for Iichiko (hmmm…)
Garlic Kimchee Fried Rice | $12.00
Was this good? Yes, it was tasty! Was it worth $12? Hmm…a lot of hmm’s…in this post.
Yukke | $27.00
I think you know where I’m going with this…but you’re wrong! I won’t say it was too pricey. Okay, practically, it was. But…for me, any meat dish that can be consumed raw and deliciously will cost more! It’s hard to find meat that is safe to eat raw here in Hawaii. Yukke is a Korean dish, basically an Asian seasoned beef tartar dish. The yukhoe dish from Cali still tops the list!
Wagyu Beef Nigiri “Zukke” | $20.00 (2 pcs)
I know, I know. Another pricey dish. $20 for two pieces of sushi?? This is definitely an extravagant dish. This is the one my cousin and I absolutely love and is why we come to this restaurant. Honestly, we could just order this and leave but I don’t know how much the restaurant would appreciate that. What is it with us and raw beef? I don’t know but it is absolutely delicious. So soft and tender…mmm…
This restaurant is definitely more of a treat meal, maybe once a year? Once a lifetime? I don’t know. You see the prices we paid. By the way, the meat set we got was just for the meat. It does not come with any sides which is why we had to pay for the the kimchee fried rice. The end.
Like, I didn’t even remember to take a picture of the finished product so you can look to the left of this picture for a slight view. How did it go? Really well. The people I fed enjoyed it! It’s a nice recipe and it’s basically mochiko chicken with some nori on top. Can’t go wrong there. Would I make it again? Perhaps for a party, it’s best eaten fresh out of the oil.
Nori Chicken
Marinade: – 1/4 cup mochiko (sweet rice flour) – 1/4 cup cornstarch – 1/4 cup sugar – 1/2 tsp salt – 6 cloves garlic, grated or chopped – 2 eggs – 1/3 cup shoyu (Soy Sauce – I used Yamasa)
– 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces – Oil for frying – Nori (Japanese dried seaweed ) – cut into strips
Mix marinade ingredients with chicken and soak for at least 4 hours, the longer you soak chicken the better. Wrap a small piece of nori around each piece of chicken and deep fry.
Tori Ton is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants and you will see why as I share pictures of the food! While I recommend this restaurant, the parking lot is abysmal! I usually chance it and drive to the parking lot to see if I can score a spot before I call and inquire about a reservation. So far, when I have found a parking spot, I’ve been lucky enough to get a reservation when I call. Sometimes, it’s with a warning that I would have to leave within a certain amount of time, which has always been reasonable! They share a parking lot with Sweet Home Cafe which explains the crazy full parking lot.
Yummy Cucumber Sesame Flavored | $3.90
Hands down, my favorite cucumber pupu ever. And Tori Ton is the one that sparked my love for it. The seasoning is always good, not always consistent. Sometimes it’s saltier but it’s okay because I always get the next dish…
TKG Rice | $3.90 premium rice with fresh egg from ok poultry
Pretty sure that’s the price, it might be wrong by like 10 cents, haha. Fresh Waimana TKG egg to mix in with the hot rice. They give you the seasoned soy sauce to mix in and well, it’s just heaven in a bowl. No need to worry about raw eggs here, it’s all so good and I have never gotten sick. Funny story, I must have looked like I was struggling because I pour the egg straight into the rice and enjoy stirring it together. One of the waitresses told me it might be easier to scramble up the egg in its bowl before pouring it into the rice to mix. Funny how I never thought of that. Also, I am stubborn and like mixing the whole egg into the rice. Maybe it looks like I was having hard time. On an unrelated note, I think there are many times that I look like I need help (no jokes please) because people always try to help me. Can’t figure out if that’s a good or bad thing.
On a related note! Have you folks been watching the new season of Terrace House? Oh my, this new season is so good and fast moving. But there was quite a chatter about TKG rice in it since one of the cast members said she never tried it before the show! What the what! Anyway, I recommend this dish.
Anchovy Potato | $4.90
Another must-have pupu for me. It’s really just french fries sprinkled with like an anchovy aji? Anchovy dashi powder? I don’t know, it’s just so good. I love it. Perfect with a beer (I don’t drink beer lol).
Assorted Sashimi | $13? 3 items chef’s selection
Ah, so sorry for the crappy price keeping this time. I am pretty sure it is 12 something but I can’t say for sure. When we first started coming here, it was $9.80, what a deal right? 12 something is still okay but I can’t forget how much it USED to be. Anyway, basic, nothing special so it’s not something I’m raving about.
Pork Wrapped Flavored Quail Eggs | $2.90 (each)
The quail eggs are perfectly seasoned and cooked. I love biting into this and the yolk is creamy. And let’s be real, it’s basically an egg wrapped in bacon so how can one go wrong? Delish.
Pork Wrapped Japanese Premium Rice | $3.90 (each)
Okay, haha another pork dish! More raw egg! I mean the title of the dish says it all. I’m just finding more excuses to eat more raw egg and this dish checks all the marks.
This salad is a recent addition to my usual dishes at this restaurant and WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG? $9 bucks and look at all the guts you get. You wanna eat salad? You want to eat healthy? Hey, I think 9 bucks for a salad like this is a pretty good deal right. It’s a very interesting salad, no romaine lettuce, sorry to all you lettuce lovers. It’s certainly packed full of fiber…and it’s all dressed in a goma dressing. And yes, it really is a whole tomato smack dab in the middle. But you know what’s cool? It’s a peeled tomato!
Everything in this salad just works together so well, I would love it if they added natto. I just love all the slimy foods! If the ingredients listed above appeal to you, give the salad a try! Give Tori Ton a try if you haven’t been!
Izakaya Naru is a bit of a non-descript restaurant located in the same lot as Sushi King. They are more of an Okinawan restaurant but they like to make special twists on certain dishes which are quite enjoyable! They have extensive drinks on the menu along with an extensive pupu menu. Reservations are highly recommended since they are very small. How was the food?
Look at this cute welcome sign! I called to make a reservation and this greeted me when we were seated! Love it!
Shiso Awamori | $7.25
I can’t be taken at my word on this, I didn’t like this drink. I am also not an expert on alcoholic drinks. The reviews on Yelp seem to review this positively so I assume it tastes good? I was not a fan and the shiso taste wasn’t strong. I should stick to soda or cocktails.
Homemade Peanuts Tofu | $6.00
Oh my, one of my favorites of the night. I loved this. I think tofu throws off the diner’s expectation. It’s not tofu mixed with peanuts – I think it’s peanuts mixed with a kudzu starch to resemble tofu. The taste and the aroma of the peanuts was mildly roasted, it was perfect. The tofu itself isn’t really seasoned, the sauce on top tastes like a thick kabayaki sauce. It’s perfection, I would definitely order this again.
Hamachi Carpaccio w/Okinawan Lime Sauce | $12.00
Great cuts of Hamachi and a nice light lime sauce, not at all sour…just a quick jolt of citrus. Very good!
Rolled Fried Egg (Dashimaki!) | $6.50
Okay, I’ve been experimenting with dashimaki tamago at home so I’m a bit biased with my version! This one was okay, I think I would have preferred a stronger dashi taste. Also, $6.50 is a bit steep in price for me.
Homemade Okinawa Soba w/Shoyu Pork Belly | $10.75
Nice dish! A pretty good sized pork belly with slightly al dente okinawa soba (in a good way!). A nice comforting dish.
Garlic Fried Rice w/Squid | $9.50
One of their famous dishes is their taco rice in a stone pot but we were feeling more like squid and garlic fried rice this day and boy am I glad we did! I haven’t tried this before but am very happy we did. Another one of the favorites of the night with very tender morsels of squid, I would recommend this!
Sukiyaki Pizza | $9.00
Okay, so they have a gyoza pizza which is popular but once again, I wanted to try another pizza! The sukiyaki pizza is interesting, did I taste an obvious sukiyaki flavor? Not really, I actually likened it more to like a lightly smoked kalua pig. The mayo on top contains a hint of wasabi which I enjoyed. I enjoyed this dish a lot but I wouldn’t have any sukiyaki expectations when I order it.
Okay, it’s been a while since I’ve posted about Wagaya but I still feel like a broken record. I think I already shared that Wagaya is my favorite ramen restaurant right now, it still is. Although…I hardly eat ramen now, not quite sure why. Well, I got to eat there again last week and am happy to share that the food is still great!
Chili Cucumbers | $3.75 (Happy Hour), $4.50 (Regular Price) Japanese cucumbers with chili pepper and chili oil.
I have a thing for cucumbers, if you are a regular visitor to this blog, you know I will try everyone’s cucumber dish. This was delicious! Each piece of cucumber was seasoned well, that’s quite hard to do with fresh raw cucumbers! The nori was a bit salty so I recommend eating those pieces with the cucumber. Wait a minute, that’s what I did, so maybe that’s why the cucumbers were so seasoned. Hmm, okay eat each cucumber with nori. Hahaha
Garlic Tsukemen (spicy level 3) | $13.95 Thick chilled noodles with savory tsukemen broth kicked up with garlic.
Garlic Wagaya Ramen (Kuro) | $13.25 Our classic tonkotsu broth is kicked up a notch with garlic.
My regular stand-by. Love it, I think I got spicy level 2 because I am frankly getting old and can’t handle spice like I used to. I also don’t want to suffer as I’m trying to enjoy my food. Well, level 2 was pretty weak sauce so I think I may go to level 3 again next time which negates the whole talk about me being too old for spicy foods but it’s all good. Beautiful broth. Perfectly cooked egg. It just all WORKS. Trust me.
You’ve heard of Tonkatsu Tamafuji right? You must have. It’s the most popular tonkatsu restaurant in Hawaii. Time your visit wrong and you could be waiting almost 2 hours to get in! Knowing this, I decided to come in right before 5 on a weekday. And guess what? I actually got a table right away! The restaurant was already pretty full though which is crazy. People were eating dinner from 4pm, talk about senior citizen mealtime right?
So how was it? Definitely worth it. The service was amazing and the food was DELICIOUS. I don’t get hankerings for tonkatsu but when I do, I would definitely stand in line to eat here, it’s worth it! Check it out!
Miso Soup | White miso with clams and green onions
You get your choice of miso soup with your meal! The options are either red or white miso and either clams and green onions or tofu & seaweed. Delicious!
Complimentary Tsukemono | Must use tongs!
From left to right: pickled cabbage (no good, not pickled enough yet – eat if you like the taste of raw cabbage), daikon (surprisingly good and my definite favorite!), umeboshi (I didn’t eat this one but it certainly looked good!)
Roasted Sesame Seeds
Get ready to “smoosh” your sesame seeds with the mortar and pestle! Just go for it until it becomes a chunky paste. You then add the tonkatsu sauces they have on your table to make your dipping sauce!
Jyukusei Pork Loin Katsu Set (180 g) | $21.00
This was my dish and O.M.G…delicious. Absolutely heaven. The pork is so tender and juicy, the panko crust is light and crunchy. There is a sign in the restaurant that says…they make their own panko! Well done! Did I say I don’t have a hankering for tonkatsu? I certainly am having a hankering as I type this…
Oyster Katsu (3pcs) and Pork Tender Loin (2pcs) Set | $23.50
This wasn’t my dish but oh man, I would totally get this next time. I got to try an oyster and I love oysters and it was delish! Love the tartar sauce that comes with the oysters and you get two pieces of pork too! Great deal. I didn’t even get to talk about their rice choices! You get three, Hokkaido Rice (white rice), Seasoned mixed rice, and Five grain rice, and the rice is unlimited. I got the Hokkaido Rice because I wanted a plain rice for my tonkotsu drenched in katsu sauce…delicious!
After a long day at Disney (post coming soon!), we wanted to warm ourselves up with some good ‘ole ramen before heading back to the hotel. A lot of restaurants are located in mini strip malls, not something I’m used to but certainly got used to while in California.
So how was it? I would say it was pretty okay, but not great. I was excited to get the spam musubi as a side dish because it was like a little bit of home in Cali. The musubi was just alright and I think a bit cold, but it was good enough. I think the meal was good but nothing memorable.
When Otoro Hawaii Fusion first opened, I wanted to give it a few months to find it’s footing. I am usually a bit more lenient with new restaurants because I know starting off can be a bit rough. Well, I gotta report the months I waited did not help this restaurant. I think first impressions are everything and my first impressions left a terrible mark. First of all, it’s valet parking. I understand there is not a lot of parking in the area, I also felt bad for the one person valet working that night. I practically parked my own car, and actually retrieved my own car after dinner so…I guess it’s good that it’s free? Still gotta tip the solo worker, he was definitely working hard to get all the other cars parked by himself!
I made my reservations through Open Table and that was great, I wish all restaurants were tapped into an online reservation app. When we arrived in the restaurant, the hostess was a Chinese woman who was noticeably irritated, running around and talking to the other staff in Chinese. Not what I was expecting in a Japanese restaurant, her attitude and demeanor already turned me off from the get go. All the wait staff were conversing in Chinese (don’t get me wrong, I’m Chinese) but their conversations didn’t exactly come off positive which decreases the dining experience.
With the word Otoro in the restaurant name, you’re expecting pretty high-end food and service…
Salmon Skin Salad | $6.50
I kind of expected there to be some lettuce with this salad, like at other restaurants. This tasted okay but would have benefitted with some greens.
Yakitori | $7.00
Tamago | $5.00
Not the dashimaki kind, it’s the sweet omeletteSpicy Tuna Roll | $10.00Wagyu Beef Fried Rice | $28.00
Let me tell you. Their most popular dishes are their flambe dishes, they bring the dish to your table and light it on fire in front of you. Doesn’t sound scary or dangerous at all, haha. Anyway, they had a wagyu flambe dish but it cost $45 for 2 OUNCES OF MEAT. It’s not A5 meat, so why does it cost $45 for 2 ounces? We didn’t go for it obviously and settled for this fried rice. Well…disappointing too! Most of the “meat” was like the fatty pieces and there was almost no flavor (salt) in this dish. Do not get it.Otoro Sashimi | $50 (!!!!!!!!!!)
Yes, we ordered otoro. We have ordered otoro from various restaurants and never have we paid SO MUCH for such disappointing quality. Stringy and stingy with the portion. The last bite of the otoro included a bone. COME ON GUYS, GET IT TOGETHER. Especially if this is your namesake and you charge so much. We actually asked the waiter how many slices came in this order and he said 5-6. We got four slices so naturally we asked what happened. He went to ask the sushi bar and came back and apologized that he gave us the wrong answer. All around disappointment.
In the end, I definitely do not recommend this restaurant. They were having a special, if you spent $100 – they gave you a $20 gift card. Wow, that’s pretty nice but we gave that gift card away. Yeah, not worth it.
