Oden at Ebisugawa Enraku | Kyoto • 0 comments • When our tea ceremony was over, our friends took us to one of the most popular restaurants in Kyoto: Ebisugawa Enraku. They wanted us to try Oden, a traditional dish in Japan. Consisting of fishcakes, boiled eggs, daikon, and konjac, it's basically a soup. The aforementioned ingredients are stewed in a soy-flavored dashi broth to make a one-pot meal. I'm not certain if Ebisugawa Enraku does this, but I've read that some restaurants keep the broth as a "master stock", meaning they replenish it while it simmers over months, sometimes years, to add depth and complexity to the flavour. This finally answered our question of "What is that?" when we saw a bunch of foreign-to-us items stewing next to the cashier at 7-Eleven or Family Mart. Ebisugawa Enraku, however, doesn't serve convenience store oden. The quality is one of the reasons it's loved by locals for a nice evening out. We can see how this can be a comfort meal in the evening or during cold months in Japan. Honestly, we preferred the sashimi. I think this is something that would be so much more enjoyable if the flavours were introduced to your palate at a young age or if you're a huge seafood fan. We're grateful for friends who introduce us to new things - this was such a fun experience. The restaurant is beautiful and, while they do have chairs, we sat at a chabudai on the floor which, at 6'2, Alex always struggles with. I'm fairly flexible and it does take some getting used to. Eating soup over a table while sitting cross-legged can be challenging! Ebisugawa Enraku also serves izakaya dishes that we'd love to try if we ever find ourselves in Kyoto again. - Mina *** FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: @minaseville | @alexanderseville
Ippodo Tea Co. in Kyoto • 2 comments • At the beginning of 2009, we met a couple from Japan at Mara House in Luxor, Egypt. When we lived in Montreal, they visited and we showed them around... and when we went to Kyoto, they graciously drove us around the city and played tour guide. One of the places they took us was Ippodo Tea Co. which is a shop for premium tea, like ceremonial matcha. There is also a tearoom attached where the aim is "to communicate a fuller appreciation of the charm and allure of Japanese green tea through tea classes and other activities". We were taught about the different kinds of matcha, about the ideal water temperature, and used a timer to make sure we got the perfect steep. Our friends kept calling the dark green drink "super matcha". The actual name is Koicha and it's the highest grade ceremonial matcha (it was quite strong). I'd say matcha can be an acquired taste, especially if you are used to having your tea sweetened. They kindly sent us home with some Uji-Shimizu, which I enjoyed with almond milk. I've since grown to appreciate matcha more, even without a sweetener. We're so thankful to our friends for this experience that we would have never thought to do on our own. I'm thoroughly embarrassed that our equivalent was taking them to La Banquise in Montreal where, in true Japanese fashion, they politely said they enjoyed cheese curds and gravy. Perhaps poutine is an acquired taste, too? ;) Social media is mostly a nuisance but it's amazing to me that we've been able to keep in touch with a couple we met over an evening tea in Africa because of it and that, so many years later, we were able to share a different kind of tea together again. - Mina Find us on Instagram: @minaseville | @alexanderseville
Kosumosu (Cosmos) コスモス • 2 comments • When our friends picked us up for dinner, they took the scenic route and drove by this field of flowers. It was so much more beautiful in person than I captured from the car as we sped by. - Mina
Kamo River 鴨川 Part II • 1 comments • To get back to our Ryokan, we had to loop back to the Kamo River after exploring Gion. The people we saw screaming into the river earlier were still at it despite the fact that we were in Gion for nearly and hour... We walked along the opposite side and I snapped some photos, of course. - Mina
