Emotional and Esurient at Ebisubashi-suji

I woke up with a feeling of excitement and tugging at me like an inevitable flu is the feeling of melancholy. It was our third day in Japan, the last full day Borgy and I will have before we depart back to Manila. We had no plans for the day. Actually, we never really had a proper itinerary for our Japan trip. All we've decided while we were still in Manila was that we had to go to USJ for my birthday and to eat Kobe beef at Steakland Kobe (that's for my next post). Probably the reason why we've enjoyed the trip so much--we weren't stressed out from following schedules to the dot; we just decided to wing it and went wherever our feet (and our tummies) would take us.

On our third day, after preparing, Borgy and I went directly to the Daimaru department store to have our currencies exchanged to yen. Tip: on weekdays, you can get your dollars exchanged at their post offices. Days prior, we had our dollars exchanged for yen at the Osaka Minami Post Office, since it was just a few blocks from our AirBnb apartment. It was the same post office that directed us to Daimaru when we were looking for a currency exchange on a Sunday when the post office wasn't open.

At Ebisubashi-suji Shopping Street

Running beside Dotonbori is the Ebisubashisuji shopping street. Lined with boutiques and shops, the Ebisubashi-suji is a guaranteed tourist trap. It's main entry point for tourists are through the Ebisubashi Bridge that connects it with Dotonbori street. This same bridge is the best vantage point for taking pictures with the Glico man.

Glico Man at Ebisubashi

We had a full day around the area, but since we were focused more on looking for souvenirs, and checking out Japan prices for gadgets and clothes, we weren't able to taste most of Ebisubashi's diverse dining services. We did, however, sample the few listed below.

●● Matsuya Sennichimae 松屋千日前店 ●●

Tucked along the busy streets of Ebisubashi-suji is a restaurant adorned with an enormous yellow sign announcing its name: Matsuya 松屋. Matsuya specializes in gyumeshi (beef rice bowls) and curry. Matsuya is what you can classify as a casual or chain restaurants or shokudo in Japan, so I doubt you'd have a hard time finding a Matsuya out of Shinsaibashi.

Matsuya Sennichimae

Inside is a long U-shape counter dominating the entire room. All customers are seated around the counter and tended by the restaurant's servers. On two corners of the room are ticket machines where you choose and pay for your order (this kind of set-up really prevalent in Japan). Borgy and I both ordered a beef curry set meal (¥550) and an extra barbecued marinated beef. Matsuya can also be classified as a teishoku restaurant--these are restaurants who offer "set meals". Another example of teishoku is Steakland Kobe beef.

The Original Curry with Beef was a satisfyingly filling fare. The curry is dark and rich and served heaping in a plate half filled with freshly steamed sticky Japanese rice. Atop the rice is a serving of barbecued beef strips perfect accompaniment for the curry.

Original Curry with Beef

And since we were pretty sure we won't be satisfied with just the curry, we ordered an extra barbecued marinated beef.

Barbecued Marinated Beef

I've enjoyed Matsuya more than I thought I would. Admittedly, I was intimidated the moment I stepped foot inside their restaurant. Even after a few days in Japan, everything felt so..foreign to me. But like what I've learned during my stay there, the Japanese people are really polite. The next time I find myself in Japan, I'd probably eat at Matsuya again. It's cheap, and I'm already so happy with the quality of the food.

●● Hop Chou a la Creme ほっぷしゅうくりーむ ●●

Between foreign exchange stalls, beauty boutiques, sushi joints, and even banks, stands the humble stall of Hop Chou A La Creme. Hop Chou A La Creme sells the most delectable cream puffs I have ever eaten.

Hop Chou a la Creme

¥200 gets you a bulging large piece of cream puff filled with the custard flavor of your choice. The pastry is crispy on the outside coated with caramelized sugar. A bite surprises you with its cold custard filling brimming with flavor. It's almost an ice cream inside a cream puff! It was a challenge eating a piece since at every bite I took, the scrumptious cool matcha custard oozed out of it. I tried to get as much of the custard in my mouth, but since I'm not an expert at eating it, a few still got wasted and ended up on the tissue. :(

Hop Chou a la Creme Cream Puff Flavors

Green Tea Cream Puff

They also have soft-serve ice cream guaranteed to get you weeping with happiness at every taste. You can visit their website here. :)

●● Rikuro Ojisan no Mise ●●

Between Matsuya and Hop Chou A La Creme stands another store that never runs out of people flocking it. It is none other than Uncle Rikuro's Cheesecake. This brand is probably one of the most famous cheesecake sellers in Japan. A constant stream of people line up outside their shop to buy freshly baked Japanese cheesecake.

Recently, I've seen videos of this famous "bouncing" or "dancing" cheesecakes making rounds in social media, and I couldn't question the "virality" of it. Borgy and I were only two of the many tourists and locals who stood in front of their shop transfixed as the cakes were put on their counter. Their warm, bulbous, and fluffy forms jiggling as the staff brands them with Uncle Rikuro's face.

One whole cheesecake is actually very cheap: ¥675. We were so tempted to buy one entire cheesecake, but we doubted we can finish the cake on our own, especially after Matsuya and Hop Chou a la Creme. Plus, we wanted to taste the cake then and there. Buying an entire cake will force us to go back to the apartment so we can have a slice, or wait until the end of the day (when it's no longer hot and fresh from their oven) when we're finished roaming around. It was a good thing we saw the cheesecake stand they had inside where they serve fresh slices of their Japanese cheesecakes.

Rikuro's Cheesecake Stand

The cheesecake was the best I've tasted to date. It was light and creamy at the same time. Each bite melts in your mouth. Its creaminess borderlines into a custard-like texture. It was not overly sweet and overpowering. The only way I can describe it is: it was a perfect balance between cheese and milk.

Rikuro's Japanese Cheesecake (¥378/slice with a cold tea or juice of your choice)

Rikuro's Japanese Cheesecake

●● Ujien Shinsaibashi Honten ●●

It's no secret that I love green tea. I will gamely try anything that is green-tea flavored. So the first time I passed by this tea shop that sells Matcha Latte while we were on our way to Daimaru, I couldn't stop thinking about it. So on that last full day in Japan before we went to BIC Camera (this enormous electronics retailer right smack in the middle of Shinsaibashi), I badgered Borgy into making a slight detour towards Ujien.

Of course, this is Japan. Green tea is ubiquitous to the area. Even Daimaru's souvenir section features a number of teas. What's special about Ujien is that it sells premium or luxury teas. Additionally, it sells tea flavored desserts and drinks, which makes it an ideal pit stop while you shop around Shinsaibashi's high-end or western boutiques.

Ujien Shinsaibashi Honten

I didn't get to actually buy their tea leaves. I didn't remember the price, but I do remember that they're not cheap. If you're willing to spend a little more for high quality teas, I'm sure Ujien won't let you down. Thankfully, though, I did get to try their matcha latte. It was the best green tea drink I've tasted. I know, that doesn't really say much since the matcha drinks I've only ever tasted before that was from the coffee shops here in the Philippines. Ujien's, however, was strong despite the milk. The strength of the tea is potent and it stands out. It's creamy and "grassy" at the same time. The only thing that I think could be improved is the size of their drinks. Green tea lovers might find their cup sizes a source of discontent.

Look at that happy face. Lol. :D

Ujien Shinsaibashi Honten

~~*~~

So there we were, Borgy and I walking back towards our apartment. He has his newly purchased gadget clutched in a BIC Camera bag. I was sipping my matcha latte. None of us were saying anything. I was already feeling the weight of our would-be departure from Osaka and back to blistering Manila. That wasn't the first I've experienced post-vacation blues--I had that same downtrodden feeling after leaving Hong Kong last year. With Japan, however, the post-vacation blues were premature. I was already feeling sad and missing the place before I've even left the place! And that extended even months after getting back to the Philippines. "I would miss this place," I thought to myself then.

As I write this blog post, four months after, I remembered all the things I miss. I miss the courteous drivers on the road. I miss the punctual trains. I miss the high-speed reliable internet. I miss that air of respect and dignity at every low bow directed our way by their people. And I miss their food. I know that from what I've eaten while we were there, I still haven't fully understood or experienced true and full-bodied traditional Japanese cuisine, but from what little I've tasted of their haute cuisine, I can already say that Japan is probably one of the best places to visit for a quick food pilgrimage. Their culture shines through every plate served; every slice of the knife; every click of a pair of chopsticks. Moreover, the Japanese are a race so gracious and so approachable. The Japanese are cordial and pleasant people. They are always willing to help you. Even their cashiers at their convenience stores are gracious and courteous. They tend to mind their own business, but they go out of their way to help you when they see you unsure. They never look down on you; they don't ridicule you because you don't know their ways, and that made me fall in love with Japan even more. We'll go back to you soon, love!

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Read about our authentic Kobe Beef experience here! :)