Osaka/Kyoto/Nara Dec 2014 Itinerary: Part 3: Day 2

Day 2: (Osaka/Kyoto)
AM- Kuromon Market (again for second helpings of sashimi and donburi!) PM- Dotonburi (For more takoyaki, okonomiyaki at Creo-ru!)
Evening- Travel to Kyoto: Visit Kodaji Temple (Night illumination), Eats: Omen Udon and Mitarashi Dango

The day started with a second helping of breakfast at Kuromon Market (see my previous post here)
This time I walked over to this store for more donburi! It's at the further end of the market and the stall next door serves Kobe Beef.

Maguroya Kurogin (hope i got the English name right!)- they also sell fresh cuts of sashimi here.

Tuna Don- First time eating a dish where fresh sashimi cuts totally covers the rice!

For a 1000 yen, I got a really generous serving of really fresh thick tuna slices served with seaweed and rice. Really fresh and delicious. The staff will also advise you the proper way of consuming this dish by mixing in an appropriate amount of soya sauce. They also have other more expensive options serving different types of sashimi cuts too. Seating is limited- there is a mini booth with about 3-4 seats, where you can watch someone cutting slabs of fresh tuna while you eat.

PM- Went over to Dotonburi to meet with friends for Okonomiyaki lunch. We headed for Creo-Ru located in the middle of Dotonburi and queued for about 20 mins to get entry into their basement restaurant. We ordered more takoyaki balls and okonomiyaki- they serve the savoury pancake with many different variations and ingredients. We had the vegetable and seafood one which was really nice. The pancakes are actually cooked before they are served on our table. Our table has a pan on which the pancake will be placed to ensure it keeps warm. Love the generous amounts of bonito flakes and okonomiyaki sauce served!
PM/Evening- Travelled to Kyoto Station via JR special rapid train from Osaka Station, which cost 560 yen and took about an hour. It was about 5pm when I reached, but it's pretty much pitch dark by then. Decided to head to Kodaiji Temple for their special night time autumn illumination. During autumn, several temples open late in evening/night for special night time illumination. It's best to check out their websites or the Kyoto tourism info centres for actual opening time and dates.

Took a bus from my hostel and promptly joined the long queue outside the temple to enter. But the Japanese were really orderly and I managed to enter in about 30 mins. Remember to bring your umbrellas in the rainy season- I was caught in the rain that evening as I forgot to bring my brolly.
Temple visiting is also not a cheap affair- the entrance fees range between 500-600 yen, but the sights are usually worth the price. 

One of the Kodaiji temple building- look at the crowds of people.

There was a special illumination of umbrellas in the bamboo garden.

The main lake area of Kodaiji

After visiting Kodaiji temple, I ventured down the Ninen-zaka Stairs and entered Ninen-zaka- a really charming street lined with traditional wooden houses converted to shops and restaurants. Just at the entrance of Ninen-zaka closest to Kodaiji, there is a nice udon restaurant- Omen Restaurant. Decided to stop here for dinner. You may miss it- there is no English signboard- but it's the wooden house close to Kodaiji. I couldn't locate the restaurant at first, I had to take a look at the menu several times before realising they serve udon.

The entrance of Omen Udon Restaurant- no english signages, maybe it will be good to remember the kanji characters.

Omen Udon Set (about 600 yen)

I had the Omen Udon Set which is a vegetarian set served with hot or cold udon with soy sauce dipping broth and fresh seasonal vegetables (I was served eggplant, burdock, ginger, radish, just to name a few) arranged in a really plate. It was a different udon meal that I am accustomed to (which is udon in hot kake broth with lots of tempura), but the quality and simplicity of the dish shines in this set. The udon was really chewy and really went well with the sesame-and-soy dipping broth combination. The vegetables were simply done, yet flavourful and juicy.

Proceeded to wander around the street (many shops were closing already as it was getting late). There are several souvenir shops- I spotted a Hello Kitty and a Studio Ghibli souvenir shop, for those into souvenir shopping.

Walked further into the street and stopped by a shop selling Mitarashi Dango- a skewered Japanese sweet made out of rice flour. Really wanted to try a mix of both original and matcha flavours, but the shopkeeper didn't seem very flexible in selling a mix of both flavours in one serving. 

The shopfront- various sets to choose from.

Mitarashi Dango (300yen)

I got the regular Mitarashi Dango without drink. At first sight you would think the brown syrup would be exceedingly sweet, but it's not. The brown syrup is made out of a mix of sugar and soya sauce and it is not cloyingly sweet. The dango is chewy with a much firmer texture than its mochi cousin. It is also served with peanut powder here.