Hello! I'm back in New Zealand after my 3.5 week trip overseas in Japan and Korea, and already missing the food, winter weather and culture! Definitely wasn't without its hiccups though - unfortunately, we decided while in Japan that we wouldn't stay three days in HK as originally planned due to the whole coronavirus situation spreading, and changed our flights to a three hour stopover in HK on our way home to NZ instead :(
But anyway, I hope you all enjoyed following along my stories of all my food (and non-food) adventures. Some of you requested that I list all the food places I went to so here it is! I've also just added all the non-food places as well anyway. I did heap of research to try find the best spots, as well as some places for the gram, so hopefully this guide of mine will be useful for you if you are planning to go to Japan and Korea soon! I have categorised everywhere I went to as either 'Food' or 'Places', and listed the area in which they are in where possible to help plan your days, as well as some useful tips from my experience. I've only written about each spot briefly here, but here are the links for more detailed blog posts of my recommendations (must-go's and places 'for the-the-gram) for each country with some photos!
For my Japan recommendations, click here
Korea recommendations, click here
JAPAN
General advice:
- prices are often stated without tax. Generally, if you see a '+' next to the price, you'll need to add tax of 10%. For non-food stores, foreigners can usually buy things for tax-free if you spend over 5000 yen at a given store or mall on one calendar day - just have your passport on hand.
- sometimes places charge less tax e.g. 8% if you takeaway, rather than eat-in which is the normal rate of 10%.
- people in Japan don't eat on the streets!
- there's also hardly any rubbish bins around so have bags with you to put your rubbish in if you need.
- plan your days like I did so that you're in one area a day. This meant a lot of places were within walking distance for us!
- we pretty much only took the train but in Kyoto, you will more likely be bussing. Kyoto buses have a flat fare that you pay when you leave through the front door (you get on through the back door), so make sure you're going the right way! (Speaking from experience...)
- Google Maps is fine for transport.
- buy a JR pass online before you go to Japan if you plan to travel to multiple cities by the shinkansen (bullet train).
- If you're lining up for places that always have a long queue of people waiting to get in e.g. Ichiran, Muteyika, don't cut in line if you're joining others in the line. It's considered rude to do so in Japan.
- convenience stores in Japan are an experience in itself. Perfect for on-the-go food or snacks for during the day.
Places that are in more than one city in Japan:
- Gram Pancake: limited to 20 servings per session of their premium souffle pancake (11am, 3pm and 6pm). We went at 5.30pm for the 6pm session and pretty much got it at 6pm as it wasn't busy at this time. But they do sell out the earlier sessions.
- A Happy Pancake: also a must-try for their souffle pancakes! You may also want to try Flippers, which is another pancake chain.
- Dean & Deluca: amazing pastries
- Ippudo: much cheaper than in NZ, although their menu is not as extensive, focusing more on the ramen.
- Ichiran: more expensive than Ichiran at about NZ$20 and be prepared for a long wait in line. But an obvious must for the experience.
- Yoshinoya: super cheap Japanese multinational fast food/restaurant chain, known for their gyudon (beef on rice bowl).
- Mister Donut: try mochi donuts!
- Melonpan: This is a chain store but you should easily come across stores selling melon bread with ice cream in Japan. Another must-try.
TOKYO
FOOD:
- Shin Udon (Shinjuku): This lil restaurant opens at 11am but expecting a line, we arrived at 10.30am and there were already a couple of people there. But they take your order while you are waiting outside, so your food is pretty much served once you're seated!
I tried cold udon for the first time here...good experience to try, but let's just say I'll stick to having my udon hot in the future!
- Bake Cheese Tart (various stores)
- Alfred Tea Room: a place for the gram.
- Daily Chiko: this was a mission to find. Turns out it was in the basement floor of the shopping street. Would only recommend coming if you're in the area or if you actually plan to try all 8 flavours!
- Uobei: CHEAPEST SUSHI TRAIN! Cheap, but not the best - I found it quite basic compared to others, but that's expected given the price. Pretty much everything is 100 yen a plate. You order off the iPad and it will be delivered right in front of you!
- Toyosu Market: this has replaced the Tsukijii Fish Market (although I believe they still have a few stalls there). The food here definitely isn't cheap though. Our sashimi dons at Tsukiji Ooedo were about NZ$35-40 each, and that was at one of the more affordable restaurants. The market has three main buildings. Follow the signs for 'restaurant area' if you are looking for places to dine at. There's one on both the left and right building.
- Karaage Yukari (Asakusa): chicken karaage store.
- Godaime Hanayama Udon (Chuo): Known for their wide 'onihimokawa' noodles.
- Boul'ange (Shibuya): bakery with seating upstairs.
- Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory (Setagaya): totoro-shaped cream puffs! Quiet neighbourhood area, and only a short train trip from bustling Shibuya! So glad we went out here.
- Luke's Lobster (Shibuya): lobster and crab rolls
- Sushi No Midori (Shibuya): a popular sushi restaurant. Get a ticket from the machine when you arrive and they will call your number when they have seats.
- B Portland Cafe (Harajuku): where all the tourists go. I preferred the other pancake chains if you're after souffle pancakes.
- Sakura-tei (Harajuku): all-you-can-eat okonomiyaki! One of my faves just because of the whole experience of getting to cook it yourself. Go during lunch, it's cheaper for all-you-can eat then than during the rest of the day.
- Machi Machi (Harajuku): we don't have this chain in NZ (yet) so was excited to try in Japan! Also bumped into their store in Korea. Must try their bottled panna cotta drinks!
- Roll Ice Cream Factory (Harajuku)
- Mutekiya (Ikebukuro): popular ramen store. It was about a 45 minute wait in line to get inside, but our order was taken in line.
- Genki: sushi train chain, super similar to Uobei but slightly more expensive, and a few additional things on their menu.
PLACES:
- Senso-Ji Temple (Asakusa): definitely recommend the whole Asakusa area for a cultural experience - shop, eat and explore the temple! Some people dress up in kimonos for photos here.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Shinjuku): we went here rather than Tokyo Tower as the Govt. building is free, and equally good views.
- Shibuya 109 and Pronto Magnet: shopping! Shibuya 109 is all women's stores and Magnet is for Mens, but there was a lot more at Shibuya 109.
- Shibuya Crossing: world's busiest pedestrian crossing! We went up to the top floor of Magnet to get a view from up high - small entrance fee.
- Meiji-Jingu Shrine (Harajuku): go here by mid-afternoon before they close the gates.
- TeamLab Borderless (Daiba): on a man-made island, it's a must if in Tokyo. Beautiful exhibitions, you'll get some amazing photos. There's also TeamLab Planets now.
OSAKA
FOOD:
- Okonomiyaki Kiji (Umeda): gosh this was a mission to find! It's inside on ground floor and you go up some narrow as stairs!
- Kougaryu (Dotonbori): first takoyaki in Japan was so good! Get the egg and mayo topping one!
- Okonomiyaki Mizuno (Dotonbori): a variety of okonomiyaki styles to try
- Kukuru (Dotonbori): the takoyaki place with the huge octopus - you can't miss it! Try their ham & cheese takoyaki.
- Takoyaki Juhachiban (Dotonbori): the takoyaki place with the takoyaki statue, opposite Kukuru.
- Cremia Ice Cream (Dotonbori): Cremia ice cream is soooo good, this is the original store I believe.
- Pablo Cheese Tart (Dotonbori)
- Rikuro Ojisan (Dotonbori): known for their cheesecakes which are like half the price of Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake in NZ
- Daiki Suisan (Dotonbori): conveyor belt sushi train (not ordering off iPad)
- Kura Sushi: everything was in Japanese (no English menu) so ordering on the iPad was a bit of a struggle. The plates that you order come on the red trays and the other plates I assume are for anyone? We weren't completely sure so didn't risk it. Also cheap with most plates at 100 yen each.
- Endo Sushi (Osaka Municipal Central Market): a bit out of the way to go here considering there's not much to see at the market, and not the cheapest but very good quality sushi.
- Niboshi Ramen Tamagoro (Kuromon Market): their broth of the ramen was quite different to others.
PLACES
- Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street
- Osaka Castle (Chuo): although we didn't as it was getting late, I recommend biking around here if you have time
- Umeda Sky Building (Umeda): we just went to see it but didn't it actually go up because you have to pay and we were hungry.
- Osaka Aquarium: whale shark! World's largest aquarium.
- Kuromon Market: highly recommend for shopping and snacks. It's also walking distance from Dotonbori.
- Universal Studios Japan: definitely a must. We arrived about an hour before opening time to line up.
DAY TRIPS
KYOTO:
- Arashiyama Bamboo Forest: the food stalls at the entrance are a bit of a rip off, just warning ya. Prices are higher than usual as all the tourists visit here.
- Kinkakuji Temple: the most beautiful golden temple.
- Botejyu Kyoto: family-run okonomiyaki restaurant. English-friendly.
- Kyoto Tower Sando: shopping
- Nishiki Market: we went about 9.30am and not much food stores was open, so recommend going later if you're interested.
- Doe's Donuts (Nishiki Market): cute place, but bit pricey. We ended up here after not finding anything we wanted (that was open) along the market.
- Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine: pretty much where everyone goes for photos in their kimonos. Walk further in for less crowded spots for photos.
- Yasaka Pagoda: another popular photo spot when dressed in kimono.
- Kichikichi Omurice: watch my Japan story highlight if you want to find out what it's famous for. Bookings are open about one month in advance and I recommend booking as soon as it does open to guarantee your preferred time!
- Gion
NARA:
- Nara Park: we hired bikes near Nara Station and biked to the park! Go further for more deers - not necessarily a good thing though. Be warned, they may nip your butt...
OKOYAMA:
- Okayama Castle & Korakuen Garden: definitely recommend taking a walk around the garden. There is also a discount on the admission fee if you have a JR pass.
KOBE:
- go here for Kobe Beef obviously if you're keen. I actually only tried kobe beef croquette - although there's barely any kobe beef in it, it was super cheap at 100 yen each and one of the best croquettes I've ever had!
HIROSHIMA:
- Peace Memorial Park, Peace Memorial Museum and Atomic Bomb Dome: pretty much the reason to visit Hiroshima and I do recommend going to the museum.
- Miyajima Island: take the ferry, covered by JR pass. You'll see wild deers here too! As at January 2020, the famous gate was under repair, so unfortunately we didn't get to see it.
SEOUL
General advice:
- traditional dress (hanok) cheaper compared to kimono rental in Japan.
- generally shopping and food is cheaper than Japan, as they have street stalls.
- they also do tax free on shopping for foreigners for purchases over 30,000 won. Some places do the tax refund for you (have your passport on you) then when you pay. Others you get the refund at the airport - which by the way, only refunds in yen, yuan, won or USD.
- you can eat on the streets in Korea.
- Download Naver app for transport. Google Maps will not show you walking routes.
FOOD:
- Le Mont Blanc: dessert spot.
- Myeongdong Street: we were here most days as our hotel was nearby. Heaps of street food at night and great for shopping too.
- Namdaemun Market (Myeongdong): quieter and less tourists here, but seemed generally cheaper than the food stalls along Myeongdong Street.
- Gwangjang Market: you will probably feel pressured from each stall to buy from them...
- Carin Hongdae (Hongdae): Spot for the gram. Probably my favourite of the dessert places. Looks and tastes so good.
- Stylenanda (Hongdae): head up to the 4th floor for the cafe. Another spot for the gram.
- 77 kentucky/칠칠켄터키: Fried chicken!
- Zapangi: Famous for their vending machine door - just as grammable as their desserts/drinks.
- C Through Cafe (Itaewon): I came here for their spilling coffee - the Scotchno! It was so good, and perfect for a non-coffee drinker like me as it was quite sweet. Was also recommended Champ Coffee which is nearby.
- JL Dessert Bar: Owner, Justin Lee, worked in Miann in Auckland for a few years and opened JL Dessert when he returned to Korea!
- Yoogane Dakgalbi (Myeongdong): popular for their spicy stir-fried chicken which they cook in front of you.
- Sona: prettiest dessert place!
- Isaac Toast (various stores): Omg this was insanely good. A cheap must-try.
- Egg Drop (various stores): Also sooo good and a must-try! The first store we went to didn't accept cash (you order and pay through a machine) but luckily there was another one nearby that did accept cash.
- Kyochon Chicken: the crunchiest chicken skin I've ever had.
PLACES:
- Hongdae Shopping Street: recommend for shopping!
- Lotte World: we went during winter so unfortunately a lot of the outside rides were closed. However, there were also barely any queues, maybe because weekday/winter season/coronavirus.
- Starfield Library & Coex Mall: You will find many people come to this library, situated inside the mall, come to take photos here along the escalator!
- Common Ground: A shopping mall constructed from shipping containers! Popular photo spot with its blue containers.
- Changdeokgung Palace and Huwon Secret Garden: you must go on the guided tour to go inside the secret garden. They conduct tours at various times throughout the day in several languages. Admission for the palace is included in secret garden price. Find out more here: https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264348
- Gyeongbokgung Palace
- Bukchon Hanok Village: popular tourist spot. Heaps of hanok rental shops around.
- Ikseondong Hanok Village: a hidden gem! Not as well known but has some gorgeous cafes.
Check out my story highlights on my Instagram (@ohmyfoodiegoodie) to see everything I got up to and all the food I ate!
Also all Japan and Korea food posts that on the gram are under #omfginjapan and #omfginkorea hashtags.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me through here or DM me on Instagram.
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