Breakfast at Marugame Seimen Udon
Have you ever tried Marugame Udon at Bedok mall? I already liked this outlet before I tried the original. Good to know that there are 3 outlets all in Namba area. There are several outlets in Tokyo too. It is nice to know that the quality turns out to be quite comparable to Japan's version.
If I remembered right, the english menu differs from their original menu. There are more items on the Japanese one. We can only rely on the picture to select our meal. I decided on a bowl of udon in what looks like sharkfins' soup consistency filled with crabmeat and crab miso. As anticipated, the udon is so firm and chewy!! The thick soup base is so rich with seafood flavour. I also chose a round piece of tempura thing which I have no idea what. It was such a pleasant surprise to bite into a tempura luncheon meat/spam! It is so delicious and fragrant! You should also definitely take as much tempura bits as you like (to take yourself, free flow) because it is so tasty, crispy and not oily at all.
My husband got a simpler udon in broth with grated yam. The yam gives the soup a thicker consistency. If you want something lighter, try this. Tempura shrimp is nice too. Nom nom nom.
Right after breakfast, we headed for a snack. Since we were passing by we might as well queue - for Wanaka. The queue suggests its popularity and so we had our first Osaka takoyaki. We had a variety box and ate it at their sitting area.
The first bite into it was quite disappointing. I was not expecting the takoyaki to be so hollow. The flour is kind of bland as well. The four flavours should be the green onion + salt, mayonnaise, bonito flakes & yuzu. I thought the first 3 flavours could have been together or something.
The Majestic Osaka Castle
We took the subway to Tanimachi 4-chome station for the Osaka Castle via Otemon gate. From a distance, you can already see the "small" castle.
The area was filled with so many people even though it was a Monday. It is a definitely a very touristy area. As the sun was warming us up, it was kind of hot to wear the ultralight jacket. Removing it made me feel cold though. Such a dilemma during the winter!
You start to see the crowd of people trying to capture a selfie with the castle nearer to the entrance. We got our tickets (600 yen per pax) to go up to the castle for a look. We could only take the lift up to level 5, and then walk up to level 8. The view on top is quite average as there are metal grills blocking. It was also quite warm and squeezy when there are so many people around.
The other levels include the background story of the historical era and how the castle was built. There is english translation on display and so we could read the contents. It is quite a small area for a museum and we had to squeeze with the crowd. Take note that photo-taking is not allowed on levels with the no-photography sign.
Snack at Miraiza Osaka-Jo
We had oden and ice cream at a standing store inside the mall. The cremia chocolate softserve turns out to be the husband's favourite ice cream already. Around 550 yen for one, how can it be not nice!
We walked down the lane of shops and found a nice cafe called The Konamon Bar Rikyu. The takoyaki was the determining factor to have another snack. The cafe has a cosy atmosphere and is a great place for gatherings with friends. We ordered the Konamon set (880 yen) which includes 4 takoyaki and 4 mini okonomiyaki.
The most interesting part is their self-help station with multiple different sauces and flavourings. With this, we got to sample most of the sauce. However, it is also why we did not get the full flavour since I added only a bit here and there. I tasted the takoyaki with excitement and I rate it better than Wanaka. It is more crispy and flavourful. The okonomiyaki is nice too, and goes well with chilli and mayonnaise.
We walked through the citizen's forest and arrived at a long flight of stairs which is a good area for photo-taking. The Osaka Castle park fountain is nearby and this big area is so relaxing to just chill and appreciate life. We wanted to enter the Lawson but somehow the door does not open. And then we observed many others who decided to walk away when they could not get in.
The view from Harukas 300
From Morinomiya station, we went to Tennoji station for Harukas 300. Initially, we bought our combination pass of Harukas 300 and Universal Studio Japan special VIP pass to enter USJ with certain privilege. Who knows, Harukas 300 turns out to be such a lovely place to visit!
The ticketing counter is located at level 10 within the office building and can be a bit confusing to find the directions from the departmental store. At level 10, we were lucky to enter the outdoor garden before it was closed! In fact, it should have been closed already. It was a short 5 minutes stay to just see how it looks like outside.
At the ticketing counter, we exchanged for the tickets and USJ VIP wrist pass. Like other tower attractions, we took the big lift up to level 60 and this one has some light show at the top of the lift.
I must say that the night view is absolutely amazing from the top. I have not been to any towers during the night, so this is the first and the best experience so far. The lights from the buildings brighten up the entire ground and make it look so romantic. The best part of this Harukas 300 is that there is no obstruction to this wonderful view. If you are afraid of heights, the full length glass view may make your legs go wobbly.
All angles/directions of the tower look quite the same. Everything is so small when you are that high up. As we walked around, there was also some light show projected on the walls.
At 2 levels down, there is a Sky Garden. It is an open air area! During the winter, you can feel the breeze and even have a meal outside. There are nice phototaking spots and I quite like the lover's sanctuary self-service selfie stand. Right in the middle, there is an interactive wall whereby it shoots fireworks up when you press it. I don't even know what to call it.
Dinner at The Sky Garden -
This is a nice restaurant high up in the tower. The ambience is great. We ordered omurice and spaghetti. Even though we waited for a while, the quality of food is worth it. The mushroom spaghetti may look plain but the taste is so simple and delicious. We ordered additional fries and takoyaki after that. They are of pretty good standard, although the fries was served a little cold.
You should definitely try their royal milk tea with pearl if you are a bubble tea fan. Those bottled royal milk tea in Japan are so yummy too.
Before you leave this place, you should visit the restroom. The ambience of the the toilet is changed because of the full glass view, similar to the one in Namsan (N Seoul) tower.
The Majestic Osaka Castle
We took the subway to Tanimachi 4-chome station for the Osaka Castle via Otemon gate. From a distance, you can already see the "small" castle.
The area was filled with so many people even though it was a Monday. It is a definitely a very touristy area. As the sun was warming us up, it was kind of hot to wear the ultralight jacket. Removing it made me feel cold though. Such a dilemma during the winter!
You start to see the crowd of people trying to capture a selfie with the castle nearer to the entrance. We got our tickets (600 yen per pax) to go up to the castle for a look. We could only take the lift up to level 5, and then walk up to level 8. The view on top is quite average as there are metal grills blocking. It was also quite warm and squeezy when there are so many people around.
The other levels include the background story of the historical era and how the castle was built. There is english translation on display and so we could read the contents. It is quite a small area for a museum and we had to squeeze with the crowd. Take note that photo-taking is not allowed on levels with the no-photography sign.
Snack at Miraiza Osaka-Jo
We had oden and ice cream at a standing store inside the mall. The cremia chocolate softserve turns out to be the husband's favourite ice cream already. Around 550 yen for one, how can it be not nice!
We walked down the lane of shops and found a nice cafe called The Konamon Bar Rikyu. The takoyaki was the determining factor to have another snack. The cafe has a cosy atmosphere and is a great place for gatherings with friends. We ordered the Konamon set (880 yen) which includes 4 takoyaki and 4 mini okonomiyaki.
The most interesting part is their self-help station with multiple different sauces and flavourings. With this, we got to sample most of the sauce. However, it is also why we did not get the full flavour since I added only a bit here and there. I tasted the takoyaki with excitement and I rate it better than Wanaka. It is more crispy and flavourful. The okonomiyaki is nice too, and goes well with chilli and mayonnaise.
We walked through the citizen's forest and arrived at a long flight of stairs which is a good area for photo-taking. The Osaka Castle park fountain is nearby and this big area is so relaxing to just chill and appreciate life. We wanted to enter the Lawson but somehow the door does not open. And then we observed many others who decided to walk away when they could not get in.
The view from Harukas 300
From Morinomiya station, we went to Tennoji station for Harukas 300. Initially, we bought our combination pass of Harukas 300 and Universal Studio Japan special VIP pass to enter USJ with certain privilege. Who knows, Harukas 300 turns out to be such a lovely place to visit!
The ticketing counter is located at level 10 within the office building and can be a bit confusing to find the directions from the departmental store. At level 10, we were lucky to enter the outdoor garden before it was closed! In fact, it should have been closed already. It was a short 5 minutes stay to just see how it looks like outside.
At the ticketing counter, we exchanged for the tickets and USJ VIP wrist pass. Like other tower attractions, we took the big lift up to level 60 and this one has some light show at the top of the lift.
I must say that the night view is absolutely amazing from the top. I have not been to any towers during the night, so this is the first and the best experience so far. The lights from the buildings brighten up the entire ground and make it look so romantic. The best part of this Harukas 300 is that there is no obstruction to this wonderful view. If you are afraid of heights, the full length glass view may make your legs go wobbly.
All angles/directions of the tower look quite the same. Everything is so small when you are that high up. As we walked around, there was also some light show projected on the walls.
At 2 levels down, there is a Sky Garden. It is an open air area! During the winter, you can feel the breeze and even have a meal outside. There are nice phototaking spots and I quite like the lover's sanctuary self-service selfie stand. Right in the middle, there is an interactive wall whereby it shoots fireworks up when you press it. I don't even know what to call it.
Dinner at The Sky Garden -
This is a nice restaurant high up in the tower. The ambience is great. We ordered omurice and spaghetti. Even though we waited for a while, the quality of food is worth it. The mushroom spaghetti may look plain but the taste is so simple and delicious. We ordered additional fries and takoyaki after that. They are of pretty good standard, although the fries was served a little cold.
You should definitely try their royal milk tea with pearl if you are a bubble tea fan. Those bottled royal milk tea in Japan are so yummy too.
Before you leave this place, you should visit the restroom. The ambience of the the toilet is changed because of the full glass view, similar to the one in Namsan (N Seoul) tower.