Japan Day 12: Nishiki, CUBE, so much food!

It’s been two and a half years since Son and I went to Japan with Rachael and her family, and it seems I never quite finished posting about the trip! Oops.

However, since I find it helpful to refer back to the trip (especially when other people ask for recommendations), and I hope you all find these posts interesting and informative, I’m going to post about the rest of the trip anyways! (And if any of you go to Japan, let me know! I love hearing about other peoples’ trips.)

All the previous posts from our 2012 Japan trip can be found here.

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On our last full day in Kyoto, we were lucky enough to meet up with an old friend of mine who now lives in Kyoto. I’ve known Kaori since I was a teenager, when we both danced with the same pre-professional ballet company. These days, she’s dancing as a professional ballerina with a ballet company in Kyoto.

We met up with her at Shijo station, then headed to Cafe Reims.


Cafe Reims menus


Outside of the cafe


Inside of the cafe


Inside the cafe


Kitchen

I ordered pasta with salmon, asparagus, white sauce, and fish eggs.


Pasta with salmon, asparagus, white sauce, and fish eggs

Kaori got a fish burger.


Kaori's fish burger

And Son had a hamburg plate.


Son's hamburg plate


Kaori

After lunch, we headed to Nishiki market, which was just down the street from the cafe.


Unagi shop in Nishiki market


Shop in Nishiki market

Nishiki market hadn’t changed much from when we visited back in 2010 – remember these little candied octopuses?


Octopus

There are so many tasty things to try at Nishiki market, it would be a shame to leave without buying anything!

So we got senbei…


Senbei shop


Man making senbei


Shop selling dried seafood

… black beans…


Allison and Kaori buying beans


Shop selling greens


Shop selling tsukemono


Shop selling misozuke


Allison and Kaori walking through Nishiki market

… yuzu kosho…


Shop where we bought yuzu kosho

… and shoyu mochi with matcha and red bean fillings.


Nishiki market


Allison and Kaori

After shopping, Kaori had to go run some errands, so after bidding her goodbye, Son and I stopped at Ippudo for ramen. Of course.


Just inside Ippudo


Diners at Ippudo


Ippudo Menu


Condiments


Gyoza


Ramen


Ramen


Ramen


Allison in front of Ippudo

Five stars, would go again. 😀


Shellfish shop in Nishiki


Gift shop


Plush sushi


Samurai with utility belt

On our way back out through Nishiki market, we stopped and got some mochi with kinako for dessert. Delicious.


Mochi with kinako

After heading back to the hotel to pack, we finally got to check out the Kyoto Station CUBE.


Yatsu hashi shop

We found some tasty food souviniers to bring home for friends and family.


Allison shopping for food souvenirs to bring home


Mochi


Cakes

… and then headed to the hot food section to find some tasty foods for dinner!


Man making sushi


Inari shop


Tebasaki shop

After purchasing all sorts of deliciousness for dinner, we left the shops in the basement, and headed alllll the way to the top of Kyoto station.


Heading up to the roof of Kyoto Station


View of Kyoto from the roof of Kyoto Station

Way up on the 10th floor of Kyoto station, is a cute little area called “Happy Terrace”, where we sat a bit and ate.


Allison eating the pork and potatoes

We had found all sorts of interesting things, like pork with potatoes…


Pork and potatoes


View of Kyoto Tower across Happy Terrace

… and a beautiful bento box.


Bento box

(We really couldn’t get enough of the bento boxes in Japan – they were all so wonderful!)


Bento box


Schoolkids invading the roof


Schoolkids looking at one of their cameras

And then Happy Terrace got mobbed by a swarm of schoolkids.


Schoolkids everywhere

(Kyoto Tower looks so pretty from here!)


Kyoto Tower

So we headed back down the 10 flights of escalators…


The view down 10+ flights of escalators to the bottom of Kyoto station


Happy Terrace


So many schoolkids!


Heading back down to Kyoto Station


The roof of Kyoto Station


Kyoto Tower


Allison in front of Kyoto Tower

… all the way back down to the train station.


Shinkensen tracks at night

But before we left, we needed to make one more stop!

Had to buy a few last shiro cream puffs from Beard Papa’s, to bring home to California.


Allison buying cream puffs

Back at the hotel, we got into the other two things we bought at the Kyoto Station CUBE.

Five kinds of inari sushi – oh, how I wish I could find these in LA!


Inari Sushi


Inari Sushi


Inari Sushi


Inari Sushi


Inari Sushi

And tebasaki chicken wings. Delicious!


Tebasaki

2 thoughts on “Japan Day 12: Nishiki, CUBE, so much food!”

  1. Tokyoyo -

    Oh, yey new posts! I have been to Japan 4 times, most recently last april and me and my bf is going back again in april next year! Just like you I’ve got a lot more to post about our two last trips. hmmm (ooops). But please checkout my blog (it’s in Swedish, but use google translate or just look at my photos if you like)
    http://tokyoyo.se/

    I love love love your and Rachels podcast, might be time for a re-listening. ^__^)y

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