Sunday, August 2, 2009

Japan trip day 17: Kyoto (August 1st, 2009)

I took Dan and Shirley to the Osaka Aquarium in the morning. Rena stayed with Dorit. We went straight to the Aquarium from Shin-Osaka station. The Aquarium was congested. We started at the top and we followed the spiral path downwards. I think that the most impressive display was the large central tank containing Pacific Ocean fish. It contained several schools of fish, including very large ones. There were a few large whale sharks, manta rays, flat Sunfish, and several large octapi.

On the way from the Aquarium to the subway station we stopped at a restaurant serving fluffy sweet ice with syrup. It was extremely tasty. It is much lighter than ice cream (no fat) and it melts quickly in your mouth. Yummi.

I asked Dorit to make reservations for us in a restaurant that serves Kobe beef. The concierge made the reservation at Itoh Dinning for us and supplied a detailed map. They also said that this restaurant may be congested on the weekend. It was not.

We could have never found the place on our own, because it is located at the end of a narrow alley the opens behind a gate on the street. As we walked on the street, a waiter asked us something. I ignored him until Shirley recognized the restaurant's name on a small sign besides the gate.

The meal was fabulous. We had 7 courses, including a clear fish soup, fried tofu, fruits over frozen champagne, and the beef. We had a fruits sherbet for dessert. We explained our dietary restrictions to the waiter, who talked to the chef. The waiter told us the ingredients of every course before he placed it in front of us. We had a small piece of beef (about 120g), but it was excellent. Kobe beef melts in your mouth after chewing it twice or three times. I never had this sensation with any other beef. The dinner was expensive: about ¥72,000 ($748) for 5 people including soft drinks, but well worth it.

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