Suvir

Uedaya - Temple of the Master of Fish and Seafood Butchering and Cookery

Chef Mitsunori Ueda, in Osaka, could easily be considered one of the handful of masters of fish and seafood. In his hands, fish and seafood meet a clean, quick, easy and worthwhile end. Seeing him butcher these living animals, fresh out of his tank, is like watching a priest prepare for a ceremonial prayer.

** This blog post was in my drafts waiting for completion. The notes from that night in 2010 are now lost. But the memories are still fresh and most blessed. I am sharing the blog post incomplete, as even in that form, it is rather precious and telling of a beautiful chef, butcher, restaurant and experience**

Touzan - Home to Devilishly Good Food and Ambiance

The devil is in the details, and at restaurant Touzan at the Grand Hyatt in Kyoto, there seems to be no shortage of wondrous, transportive, restorative and exceptionally marvelous details. Everywhere you look, you could spend hours contemplating if you should live in the reality of the moment, or the mysteries that are presented in the shadows, the layered design elements and the golden light cast by the design of the space. But to make this all even more appealing there is the food crafted under the able supervision of Executive Chef, Shaun Keenan. From Down Under, but certainly not working with any handicaps that could keep him or his food down. All his moves, and that of his team, are perfectly in sync, keeping with the energy, feel and brilliance of the hotel he inhabits for hours each day. And they keep elevated the experiences and spirits of their guests.

Hiei Yuba Marries Shimizu Restaurant Kaiseki Meal - Heavenly Morsels At Each Bite

The Lake Biwa pearls that Sachiko Yagi (Sachiko San) was wearing, caught my eye at first glance. But soon after, it was her spirit, the soul that drove her aura to be what it is, and the ability she has to be able to communicate just by smile, gesture and body language, is what had me smitten. Little did I know that this meeting would change me. Thanks Sachiko San. Thanks Saori San for making this happen.

Dotonbori Marketplace in Osaka - Time Square it is not, but to some in Japan, it is that...

Lee Anne Wong loves to eat and drink. And she enjoys that pastime as much as the best I have known indulging that passion. As we were planning our trip, and ever since our landing in Japan, she had been mentioning Dotonbori and how it would charm us instantly. Above, you see Lee Anne all smiles, as she convinces us to spend a few hours tonight with her in Dotonbori, as she brings her trip to Japan to a close.

A lunch I could eat often and never tire of the enjoyment

Suezawa Yoshikatsu (outside) and Suezawa Toshiko (inside) big us goodbye after we are lavished to one of the most beautifully simple meals ever. A lunch of mixed Okonomiyaki (mixed with oysters, clams, shrimp, octopus, squid and bacon), Tompeiyaki (pork), Nikupeiyaki (beef) and Yakimeshi (fried rice). Of course brought to an end with beautifully big and red strawberries. The restaurant is called Okonomiyaki Hikari.

1-3-21 Minamihanadaguchi-Cho, Sakai-Ku, Sakai City

Tel: 072-233-6338