Breakfast at Kuromon Ichiba Market
This is a definite must go place when in Osaka! It is a such a wonderful market with so much fresh seafood and delicious food.
As the Chinese always believe, never start with cold or raw food on an empty stomach. Therefore, we started our breakfast with piping hot beef (4129 Yen)! The meat is so juicy, tender and well-flavoured. It will definitely go very well with some warm Japanese rice. The higher quality beef actually does not have much of the beefy taste and is much more acceptable for my palate.
Our next choice of food was an absolute bad decision - Grilled scallop on stick (750 Yen). The 3 scallops on stick are neither hot nor cold and seems to be partially cooked kind. Maybe it is supposed to be like that but this is not for us.
We followed up with another butter grilled scallop (1000 Yen) and that is heavenly! The fresh scallop is washed and cut into pieces before being cooked over the grill on its own shell. It absorbed the sauce and butter in the process and the final product is way more flavourful than the one on the stick.
In the same shop, we ordered the expensive sea urchin (3000 Yen) too. You have to pick the type you want and they will open it up and wash it properly before serving. They top up a bit more in addition to the one unit bought.
The sea urchin just looks so fresh, orangy and moist. I don't know how to describe the taste of sea urchin because you either like it or you don't. It is creamy and sea-like, similar to the taste of the juice of the prawn head. A packet of crispy seaweed was given on the plate, and the combination is just wow.
Then, we refresh our taste buds with some really awesome sweet melon (1410 Yen)! I insisted on having the fruit as a whole by itself, rather than having the melon juice in which the fruit is already sliced into thin pieces. You know that crunch as you bite into the fruit, and then that sweetness of the juice bursting out? We also tried the milk ice cream (350 Yen) by itself after that. It is just so amazing and rich.
And then I had my best-est oyster tasted ever! I never liked raw oyster especially after having a stomach upset from my very first oyster experience. I reckoned my stomach was weaker when I was younger and a little trigger can cause big reactions. And then last year, I tried it again and it all seems quite nice. I was even craving for it and I have no idea why because I don't actually like it.
Now I know what it feels like! The 1000 yen raw oyster is so damn worth it. Although it is rather salty due to the saltwater, you can really taste the freshness of the sea. Coupled with their citrusy sauce, that slurp down cannot be described with words. My only regret is not having another one.
Our next indulgence was the snow crab and the big prawn (7000 Yen). After making our selection, they will grill it for you while you sit at the table. Unfortunately, I think steaming may be a better method of cooking. The crab and prawn served were lacking of its natural moisture. Only the crab pincer is slightly better with some juice within. The amount spent here was totally not worth it.
And then we came across an alcohol shop and bought a cute little pink sakura sake (756 Yen). The round bottle with a whole sakura flower within it is definitely what attracted me to this particular one. The drink is sweet and smooth, and just lightly warms me up in the cold. We tried a strawberry mochi with chocolate filling and it was a good way to end our foodie adventure at the market.
There are several snack shops and drug stores too. I bought my beauty pack from one of the stores and got tax rebates. For snacks wise, the corn snacks featuring a character that looks like doraemon is something you should try.
Be considerate and mindful of your cameras here. Some of them have clear signs put up that they do not allow photography or only allow just food photography. I guess it's understandable for such a touristy place.
Lunch at Tsurutontan Soemoncho
The husband squeezed this place in for lunch as it is recommended by NOC. It was still packed with people waiting for their seats at around 2pm but we did not wait that long to get a seat on the second level. Here, we have to remove our shoes and store them in the locker with wooden keys.
I felt like having something cold and light since we had quite a bit at the market. Therefore, I opted for the chilled whitebait & grated radish sudachi udon. I just googled that sudachi is actually the fruit similar to lime. Its critusy taste really makes the dish appetizing. In addition, the chilled udon taste so chewy and firm.
On the other hand, the husband chose the hot one with grated radish too and lots of vegetable. The yuzu taste in the soup is quite strong and this combination is a unique one. We tried the sweet shrimp but have no idea what the red thing is on top. It is super salty and weird. Thankfully, we have our sweet mung bean mochi dessert to cover up the taste.
My absolute favourite will be the salmon sushi. The raw salmon is the most similar to the best one we had in Hokkaido. It goes so well with the fish roe and the slight spice.
This place is recommended for people who like a different style & taste. (Total: 4190 Yen)
Dinner at Nikugekijou
With all our barang barang of snacks and facial products, we went back to the hotel before coming out for dinner. We have been passing by a long queue which never fails to appear before the shop even opens. It is a yakiniku restaurant that is similar to Yoshinoya. But why the hype and long queue, we thought.
And so because of our curiosity, we queued for almost 2.5 hours. I even went walking around and back to the hotel to put our Don Quixote stuff and the queue continues. The restaurant is small and only seats around 15 pax at one time. We even spot people taking away but still waiting around 30 minutes.
When we finally stepped into the store, we ordered via the vending machine and had to further wait a while more for the food to be served. We chose a mild sauce and spicy sauce respectively for the rice. You can also choose your rice bowl as a set, with a drink and an upgraded soup.
I would say that the assorted meats are really flavourful and tender. The taste is way better than fast food standard. Both the sauces compliments the warm rice so much. The upgraded beef soup is also rich and comforting. We were so hungry we gobbled down our food with satisfaction (Total: 2580 Yen).
However, if you ask me if I would queue again. I would probably come earlier or eat somewhere else. Other fast food chains are of pretty good quality too. Waiting in the queue out in the cold feeling hungry is no fun at all.
And because it was our last night in Osaka, I wanted to have my Creo-ru takoyaki and okonomiyaki again (The one I ranked first for takoyaki). Unfortunately, it was late and their hotplate seating area is closed. We sat upstairs at the normal tables and the food does not taste as good anymore (Total: 2883 Yen).
So full for the night!
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