Ramen and Miyamoto Musashi. While the collaboration of ramen and famous samurai might look like a fancy gimmick on the surface, I can assure you that Menya Musashi is indeed, very, very famous. It was a huge hit with the Tokyoties when it first started out during the 1990s and now, more than 10 odd shops are located within Tokyo, with the newest Menya Musashi being an overseas outlet in Singapore.

Even before the Singapore outlet was opened, Menya Musashi has always been heavily recommended, as one of the top ramen places to eat while visiting Tokyo. But alas I had never grasped the chance to try it out, so this time I had to make the extra effort to visit the Singapore outlet.

Menya Musashi Singapore.

With heavy references to the famed samurai, the whole shop is decorated with Musashi art, even right down to the bowls and spoons we were using. The decor of dark walls and dynamic lighting does make for a posh and relaxing place to have a bowl of samurai noodles.

Menya Musashi serves both the usual ramen and tsukemen, which of course features the ever popular pork bone broth which is a hit with Singaporean palettes. But one look at the menu and tsukemen was swiftly decided by the Supermerlion noodle sampling team for the challenge.

The word "FREE" caught our attention.

More than half a kilograms of noodles if you decide to challenge the 5x.

For a fixed price, one can choose the amount of noodles to chomp on. 120g being the regular portion with a max amount of 5x the regular amount. Orders were quickly placed and a few 5x was noted. The manager looks unwavered by our orders, probably a sign that the 5x amount of noodles had been a regular order.

The ramen cook in the open kitchen didn’t look as much as excited as he dumped balls after balls of noodles into the boiling pot.

Looks perfectly normal on the surface, but that bowl hid 360g of noodles.

Woah.

For comparison's sake, that's a 600g bowl vs a 360g bowl.

Staggering amount of noodles aside, every order of tsukemen came with a good amount of pork and menma (bamboo shoots), with an additional noting of the half a half-boiled egg. There’s also 3 options of dip to choose from, the chili-red spicy version, the garlic-black extra fragrant version and the default milky-white soup version.

Frankly, 600g of noodles is too much for most people. It took us 10 minutes to make a dent in the half kilo bowl of noodles. Secondly, if one doesn’t finish their noodles fast enough, both the noodles and the soup turn cold and that will not be the most ideal tsukemen experience.

Good enough for a return trip? Yes. I probably have to make another return trip to try out their ramen.

Just try not to order the 5x noodles of tsukemen if you are not confident of your stomach space.

Samurai vs samurai.

Do take note, queue lines might go crazy during lunch and dinner times with disregard to either weekdays or weekends. I had to make a revisit twice since it’s pretty silly to queue 1.5 hours for noodles. The best way to go around the problem is to visit the shop during non peak afternoon hours as Menya Musashi is open all day from 10am onwards.

Mention the Singapore Sling and it would be a decent conversation topic with any foreigners you meet. While few Singaporeans would actually order it themselves in the bar, the Singapore Sling is a world famous cocktail and an iconic drink for visiting foreigners. It is little wonder that brilliant local minds have started marketing a pre-mix version of the cocktail to be made available to the rest of the world.

This particular bottle of concentrated pre-mixed Singapore Sling was an impulsive pickup from the airport when I came back from the recent Jakarta trip. The lone bottle of Singapore Sling was hiding quietly among other bottled liqueurs on the shelf, an indication that probably no Singaporeans from a return trip would be willing to carry her off the shelves.

I did.

Singapore Sling on the rocks.

Even if instructions on the manual state that the concentrated Singapore Sling pre-mix can be enjoyed neat on the rocks, I will strongly oppose anyone doing that since without the balance of another souring agent like pineapple juice, the mix is too sweet and bitter to be enjoyed. A friend who tasted it even stated that the taste difference was not too different from cough syrup.

For the best results, it’s still best to mix 1/4 of the concentrated mix with 3/4 pineapple juice as on the instructions, resulting in a slightly orange red foamy concoction that is the iconic Singapore Sling.

To be frank, this Singapore Sling does taste a little different from the ones I tasted from different bars in Singapore, but every of those also serves a slightly different tasting Sling.

There are perhaps a million different recipes for mixing a Singapore Sling that one can find on the internet nowadays. With the relevant spirits and ingredients available it is really not too hard to make a Singapore Sling from scratch either, even though for a lazy man like myself will probably stick to mixing it out from a concentrate. Here’s a recipe I found online to build a Singapore Sling from scratch.

For those who are interested in original recipe, one of the scribbled recipes is still on display at the Raffles Hotel Museum.

Singapore Sling

1.5 ounces Gin
0.5 once Cherry Heering
0.25 once Cointreau
0.25 ounce Benedictine
4 ounces Pineapple Juice
0.25 ounce Lime Juice
0.33 ounce Grenadine
1 dash Angostura Bitter

Garnish: Cherry and slice of pineapple.
Shake with ice. Strain into an ice filled Collins glass.

Sling mixed with pineapple juice.

It is also good to know a little bit about the roots of the Singapore Sling. It is of course invented here in Singapore, by a bartender named Ngiam Tong Boon while working at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel Singapore back in 1910s.

Raffles Hotel was the home away from home for Westerners stuck in the East during the colonial era. During that time gin slings were the most popular drinks ordered. It was then that the clever Mr Ngian created a tropical cocktail sling that was not only delectable but also easily recognizable. Since then, the Singapore Sling has made it onto the world stage.

Enjoy Singapore Sling your way.

Here’s another find from the popular series of Japanese DIY candy, Kracie’s Nerunerunerune. Nerunerunerune (ねるねるねるね) is a nonsensical repetition of the Japanese word for “knead”. At first glance it’s an uncomplicated, cheaper alternative to their other candy kits, isolating only the most interesting part of the candy making process. But this simple candy toy is actually one of their oldest products. It looks like DIY candies aren’t that new a thing.

Kracie’s Nerunerunerune is a popular children’s candy created in 1984. The candy has constantly made tweaks to its recipe and flavors throughout the years but two things remain the same today, Nerunerunerune’s 100 yen price and this commercial, which features a gaijin witch, mixing up the candy to a familiar jingle.

Nerunerunerune 1984 Commercial:

Nerunerunerune 2011 Commercial:

I managed to get hold of two packets here, a purple grape flavored Nerunerunerune and a blue soda flavored one.

Kracie's Nerunerunerune in Grape and Soda flavors.

Straight forward instructions behind.

We’ve had some trouble with some of the other DIY candy in the past but the instructions for Nerunerunerune look simple enough (considering this is aimed primarily at children). All you need to begin making your own kneaded candy is a little water on hand. I can imagine a crouched school kid funneling water out a pet bottle to make this.

Grape flavor Neru contents.

Separate sachets of blue and purple powder.

Apparently, I’m supposed to mix up the first sachet’s contents with one scoopful of water first. Then add in the second batch of powder to create a two color blue-purple whirl. I must had messed it up somehow though, as it ended up just purple.

Turned out just purple instead.

Maybe there was too much water but the candy ended up pastier than I had expected. When given a bit of time, it hardens into a meringue like texture though. The whole thing tastes like those powdery candy you get from those Syokugan (candy and toy combos) which I used to play with as a kid. Which is kind of funny since Kracie’s sweets are effectively both a candy and toy in one.

As expected, there is a bit of grape flavoring added. After a bit of research, I’ve learned that Kracie has more recently refreshed the grape flavored Nerunerunerune and made it sweet to match modern children’s tastes. This one here was from a previous batch and is really sour.

Final outcome. Actually quite pretty mush.

I uploaded a video of the creation process this time. My apologies in advance for the poor choice of elevator music.

The soda version is nearly identical to the grape Nerunerunerune except that although it is labelled Soda Flavor, it really is what the Japanese refer to as Ramune flavored. This is of course the standard Syokugan candy flavor. Heck, this version even replaces the sprinkles with the mentioned candy itself as a topping.

Soda Neru sachets.

Decide to try mixing both at once this time.

This time, I tried mixing both the powders in at the same time. But instead of the promised blue-yellow streaks, I got a fluffy light blue candy instead. Clearly I’m doing something wrong.

Didn't work.

Ramune candy on ramune paste.

The fact that you don’t have to physically mold it into anything with your hands makes Nerunerunerune immediately more appetizing than any of Kracie’s other candies. But like the other do-it-yourself candy toys, Nerunerunerune’s taste leaves much to be desired.

At the most basic level, it is essentially a mix of sugar and possibly egg. But to inquisitive young minds, this candy is probably meant to add a certain amount of entertainment (and a sense of achievement). What surprises me the most though, is how kids could afford to fork out 100 yen to pay for candy back in 1984.

Once again, here’s another video of the process.

During the last weekend of February, the Supermerlion team and friends had planned a short weekend getaway to visit Jakarta for the AKB48 x JKT48 concert. While the main objective was largely accomplished, I had a secondary objective to fulfill; to actually try out some real Indonesian food. Warning: Tasty food inside this post.

Due to the factor that this was going to be a short 2 day trip in Jakarta involving attending a concert and following up with whatever events the Japan Pop Culture Festival was going to throw at us, we did not have any extra time to actually do some sightseeing. But no matter how frenzied our schedule was going to be, everyone’s got to eat something. So, we had better make this trip more enjoyable by planning for some great food to go with it.

The plan was simple. Between the several hours from getting off the plane and before the concert, we were to stuff ourselves silly with food. Then on day two, stuff more food down into our stomach right before our flight back to Singapore. With the aid of an Indonesian friend accompanying us on the trip, about anything that might had posed as a problem was solved.

First thing off the plane, Pre-lunch snack.

And a drink to go with it. Oh that's not Coca Cola by the way.

Normally, trying out food places in a new country involves some luck and gut feeling in picking out places to dine in. But this time the mum of our Indonesian friend offered to take us around to her favorite spots, eliminating our worry and saving us a good load of trouble from playing the guessing game.

First proper meal of the day, of course had to be the world famous Indonesian Padang cuisine.

Real Indonesian Padang.

Padang food is famous for having small plates of tasty dishes stacking together.

Right off the bat our “Indonesian Mum” brought us to her favorite Padang restaurant to try out what real Indonesian Padang is all about. There’s always this special feeling when having a particular cuisine in its home ground. Eating the same kind of food that the locals are accustomed to is what I have grown to love about visiting other countries.

It was definitely very different from the Padang food I have tasted in Singapore, since the authentic one is not actually tuned to suit our Singaporean taste buds (we do expect much spicier food somehow). Since Indonesian cooks are not shy with their usage of seasonings, anyone who has a low tolerance towards salt or MSG might want to give this a miss. With me feeling “mission accomplished”, off we went to our concert avenue with stuffed stomachs.

Food related. JKT fan giving out free snacks for the rest of the waiting fans before the concert.

Should had taken a piece.

On a side note, generous and friendly Indonesian fans were giving out free snacks and Pokari Sweat drinks to fans who are queuing patiently under the sweltering heat. It is hard work to wait patiently to see your idols but it takes real dedication to buy extra food and water to share with everyone else who had the same motive as you.

After the concert was over, our “Indonesian Mum” even roped in “Indonesian Dad” to bring us for a good dinner. Their dedication has to be saluted, since bringing us to sample those great foods meant traveling over an hour from one end of Jakarta to another most of the time.

Dinner.

Grilled sambal prawns.

Mussels cooked in some spicy sauce.

Fish. I'm really hungry now from seeing the pictures again.

Fresh coconut water to cool us down from both the heat of the food and AKB x JKT aftermath.

Other than Padang, the other notable stuff to sample would had been the Indonesian style grilled seafood, a.k.a. Kuring. As it was already late in the night and most shops locally don’t really open till late, much of the seafood our Indonesian hosts wanted to order were already out of stock. But that was really a minor issue when the soul of the restaurant lay in their chili spices. This one did a great job. Most of us had a second or even third serving of food, a small part due to the fact that we had drained most of our energy during the concert.

Our hosts did promise to bring us to sample one of the best seafood restaurant the very next day, partly also since our Indonesian friend wanted us to try out a particular fish that he had been raving about even before the trip. Truthfully, this was also the very best meal we had before we caught our plane back to Singapore.

Hey good looking fish. Lets go on a date?

We were brought to this restaurant to specially sample this fish my Indonesian friend was raving about.

You know you have to order the very same fish if the restaurant displays a huge painted stone version right outside their doors. And it does not disappoint when my friend claimed that he can finish one whole by himself, fins and all. Like him, I was won over by the clean, fresh and simple taste that this fish has to offer. Goes great by itself or paired with some belchean chili.

Miss fish no. 2.

Miss fish no.3 bathing in a claypot of gravy.

Fish number 2 was a clear winner for the rest of the gang, partly because this variation of Indonesian style cooking is hugely popular back in Singapore. Guess Singaporeans really can’t resist a well grilled, spiced oily fish to pair with rice. Only managed to steal a small piece of flesh before said friend took the whole fish back to his plate.

Pairs together with rice well.

Last meal of the trip. Everyone ate like a king/queen.

The only real regret, was that everyone had eaten from the hotel’s breakfast buffet an hour before we went for our actual meal at this seafood restaurant. Dining such great food at 50% fullness and not being able to sample more of the other dishes was a real pity that needs to be fixed during the next chance we get to visit Jakarta again. Recommended restaurant? Very much.

Best gifts to bring back home, fresh local fruits.

Jakarta food will be missed dearly. Perhaps they take overseas order?

To end off, a very huge thanks to both my Indonesian friend (who prefers his identity kept secret) and both his parents who had taken the precious time off their weekend to accompany us throughout the trip. Most of the plans in this trip wouldn’t had been possible if not for their intervention, right down from arranging a personal driver and car to fetch us around Jakarta to bringing us around the city with their superb knowledge of the locations and traffic. Thank you.

A couple years ago, Nissin, the company which founded both Instant and Cup Noodles introduced this new item to their lineup. Nissin’s Cup Noodle Gohan (Cup Noodle Rice) is instant rice flavored after the company’s staple cup noodle flavors in Japan. Instant noodles is not something one would opt to eat given a choice but cup noodle flavored rice?

It turns out that instant rice isn’t something particularly new, others have done it before and had probably marketed it in a more appetizing way too. But I stumbled upon the Cup Noodle Gohan for sale at Donki and for the sake of appeasing curiosity decided to grab one to try. The Cup Noodle Rice comes in Seafood and “Cup Noodle” (an actual flavor for Nissin Cup Noodles in Japan) flavors.

Nissin Cup Noodle Seafood Gohan.

Instructions.

Inside.

Opening up the contents, there are three sachets inside: one containing the rice, another for ingredients and a final oily sauce to be added later. I was told horror stories from a friend about instant rice and how it resembles mush. But the one here contained actual rice, just dehydrated and packed under the Nissin branding.

The rice.

Paper box. With a marking for the water level.

Toss everything inside and mix.

To prepare the rice, you just fill up the cup to the marked water level then toss both the rice and ingredients into the cup, mixing it up for good measure. Truth is, I had bought this with the intention of trying it out over when I was in Japan. But in a moment of folly, hadn’t realized that it required cooking after all. I had presumed it was mush but as it wasn’t, the Cup Noodle Rice requires about 5 minutes of cooking in a microwave, which our hotel room did not have.

Requires cooking after all.

The result.

I wasn’t expecting much but the rice turned out to be pretty good. And this coming from an Asian is the highest compliment possible. Naturally, plump short grained Japanese rice is used here which means that it’s already tastier than most, even when re-hydrated. And the seafood flavoring seeps surprisingly really well into the rice too. The result is that this cup of instant rice is actually more enjoyable than some of the paella I’ve had in Singapore.

Stir and serve.

Perhaps my only complain is how underwhelming the serving is, especially when considering the price. The suggested retail price for each pack of Nissin Cup Noodle Rice is 250 yen, but it is sold in stores for slightly less at about 200 yen. This still works out to about $3 to $4 a cup. In comparison, Nissin’s cup noodles cost between 120 yen (for the regular cups) to 160 yen (for their BIG cups).

I would think that for most, if you’ve already resorted to cup noodles then taste would come secondary to satisfying one’s hunger, something that the Cup Noodle Rice doesn’t do very well. From the pictures above, you can see that the rice hardly exceeds the water level, even when cooked.

Yet surely, there is a market for Cup Noodle Rice. In fact, yesterday Nissin released a new lineup of instant rice called GoFan. GoFan introduces three new flavors of instant rice, named after more appetizing international cuisine. They are Gomoku Chahan (Mixed Fried Rice/五目チャーハン), Spicy Jambalaya (スパイシージャンバラヤ) and Seafood Paella (シーフードパエリア). More information at the Official Nissin website.

Some time ago, this DIY Sushi Candy caught our attention when videos of it went viral on the internet. At the request of my little sister, we bought a whole bunch of these different candy toys to experiment with. I uploaded a video of her giving it a try to show that it wasn’t nearly as easy as it seemed. And while the video attracted nearly a million views, we also attracted dozens of nasty comments and racist remarks. So it’s no surprise if she wasn’t exactly excited to continue. But with boxes of these sweets still lying around, I figured I might as well give our readers a look at some myself.

Today, we take a look at Kracie POPIN’ COOKIN’ Tanoshii Keekiyasan (たのしいケーキやさん) which loosely translates to Fun Cake Maker. Despite the name, the main DIY item advertised on the gaudy box cover is a soft cream cone. Let’s see how fun it really is.

Kracie Popin' Cookin' Tanoshii Keekiyasan.

Instructions on the back.

The contents.

There are far fewer steps in this kit when compared to the DIY Taiyaki or Kracie’s sushi equivalent as most of the ingredients here already come pre-made. The most fun step is probably creating the “icing”, which involves stirring the two sachets of powder with water to create a starchy mixture. This is followed by the difficult task of actually getting the sticky paste into the small plastic sleeve which serves as a pipping bag. I expected the plastic sleeve to be separate into two halves (one for each colored icing) but it wasn’t.

Looking around at other people’s attempts, most didn’t fare any better. You’re going to have to go through many boxes before reaching the proficiency of RRCherryPie. For a first timer, it’s a really messy endeavor. While I would normally refrain from calling food disgusting, like the other candy toys it’s not exactly appetizing.

Messy.

After you’ve got the starchy paste into the bag, it’s just a matter of squeezing it onto the wafer cones and sprinkling some sprinkles on top. The paste doesn’t really harden or anything so there is no real magical step. It’d be a lot more appetizing if it actually worked as proper icing should.

Snow cone.

Cutting the wafer.

There are two more creations out of each box. One’s a tart and for the other we’re supposed to cut up the wafer sheets inside and stack them up to form a really tiny cake. This requires the most effort to create but ends up the least impressive of the three. It seems to be more of an afterthought for the creators.

The cakes.

Like the other candy toys in the Popin’ Cookin’ series, Tanoshii Keekiyasan costs about 200 yen a box. It’s not much to pay for the amusement you get out of it. But just don’t expect to want to eat it after.

Kuro Tamago or Black Eggs are one of Hakone’s trademark items.  This unique snack can only be found while at the volcanic valley of Owakudani. A small hut along the side of the volcano cooks and distributes the eggs here. Boiled inside of the hot sulfur springs, the eggs emerge their namesake black in color.

You’ll probably find a crowd gathered outside of the Kuro Tamago Shop at any point. Getting there will require some effort but since it is also the pinnacle of Owakudani (and thus Hakone), most visitors will want to take the climb up.

The shop atop Owakudani.

The Kuro Tamago are sold in packs of 5 for 500 yen. Which is kind of pricey as far as eggs are concerned but perhaps not so outrageous as other souvenir or novelty snacks. It might be the reason why Kuro Tamago enjoys enduring popularity, even among the locals. Business is amazingly good, with hundreds of people coming and leaving the shop each hour.

Sold in packets of 5 only.The famous black eggs.Bought a pack.

Legend has it that eating one of the black eggs increases one’s lifespan by 7 years but it is also said that one should not eat more than two and a half eggs (the “or else” is not explained). No real source can be accounted for this tale, except the shop of course. It is further suspicious that each packet comes with this exact serving for two. Everything seems to point toward the legend being popular modern myth.

The famous black eggs.

Unlike regular onsen eggs, Kuro Tamago are hard boiled. The egg shells turn black due to a chemical reaction with the sulfur in the springs. Fear not as the trace amounts of sulfur in itself is not poisonous. Small amounts of sulfur is often used in medicine, which might also explain the longevity effects claimed by the eggs.

Spending too much time breathing in the sulfuric gases from the vents is a different question though. But the shopkeepers and their cats seemed to have built up an immunity to it.

Just like regular eggs.

500 yen is a small sum to experience this amusing snack. But if you’re not very fun, do take note that sadly, the sulfur does nothing for the flavor of the eggs (which might not necessarily be a bad thing). Peeling away the black shell, you’ll find that Kuro Tamago are identical to normal hard boiled eggs when it comes to everything else other than appearance. For this reason, each packet of eggs come with some salt for those who find them too bland.

Steak House Nobu (ステーキハウス のぶ) in Asakusa, or Asakusa Nobu for short is a homely hole in the wall eatery that we raved about during last month’s trip to Tokyo. The small counterside shop sits only 11 people but don’t let the simple looks deceive you, Asakusa Nobu serves a mean plate of omurice.

We stumbled by chance into Asakusa Nobu along one of the side streets near the Sensoji Temple. Perhaps we were early, as there wasn’t a queue when we entered. But one soon formed outside. If the queue was any indication, it was going to be an enjoyable meal.

Attracted quite a queue.

Much like hawkers in Singapore, Japanese eateries tend to keep their menus concise. But the reason here being to specialize a what they’re best at, rather than to avoid competition. Despite being called a steakhouse, the only namesake dish here is their Sirloin Steak, which costs 1890 yen. However, the first 20 customers each day can get it for only 1360 yen as “Service Steak”.

Looking around, we realized that everyone was here for either their Hamburg Steak or Omurice. These two staple meals cost 840 yen (SGD$13 or USD$10) each. The Omurice looked especially noteworthy, since it was emphasized on the menu that it had been featured in a number of media outlets before.

Judging from the newspaper clippings and certificates awarded to them from television programs pasted on the walls, this was something the owners were deservingly proud of.

Inside.

We decided to go with the omurice. The man behind the counter whipped up our servings in no time. While he handled most of the cooking, he was existed by his wife and parents who helped prepare and pass him the ingredients. The four of them worked in unison behind the narrow counter.

The result was the lovely dish you see here. Beneath the tangy demi-glace and omelette was some of the most soft, plump tomato soaked rice. Hidden inside were also small chunks of their tender beef. We weren’t particularly hungry, but somehow managed to down the dish easily.

Their speciality.

Looking through other reviews, pretty much everyone has walked away from Asakusa Nobu happily. A list of Tokyo’s best omurice restaurants gives it 3 out of 5 stars, with many praising it for its homely taste.

Personally, I’m no foodie nor can I ever understand the Singaporean affliction of putting a score to something as intangible as taste. Instead, I’m simply going to go with Asakusa Nobu being probably the best omurice I’ve had (from the few occasions where I actually had any). Definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the dish. My only regret is not trying out the Nobu’s hamburg or steak. Something we’ll have to fix in a future visit.

If the previous articles on Ginza Cozy Corner and Fujiya Milky weren’t an indication enough of my love for pastries, here’s yet another Japanese cakes post.

We came across this small cake shop called Maplies Collection in the basement of Shinjuku Station. It’s main draw seemed to be that it sold cakes for only 105 yen (SGD$1.70) a piece. Tempted, we decided to grab a few to try.

Maplies Collection’s location is prime for people to pick up a few cakes before heading home. It seems to open till later than most other cakes shops too. Size-wise, their cakes were smaller than competitors but this is offset by the low prices of only 105 yen, possibly some of the cheapest you’d find in Tokyo.

Maplies Collection.

Cakes!

Expectantly, Maplies Collection’s cakes are inferior in not just size. Here we tried their Matcha, Chocolate, Cheesecake and Strawberry Spongecakes. While still pretty, all of them turned out to be rather dry and floury.

The closest comparison would be the type of cakes you get from neighborhood bakeries in Singapore. But while I have a certain sentimentalism for the old school bakeries, Maplies’s cakes pale in comparison to the sheer number of options available in Tokyo.

Cheesecake.

Matcha cake.

Not recommended. You can pretty much pick any cake shop in Tokyo and (while slightly pricier) almost certainly find a more satisfying treat.

If you’ve been following this site or my Twitter, you’d probably heard these glorious waffles mentioned many a time already. But we’ve have yet to feature Manneken on its own post that it so deserves. Simply put Manneken’s waffles are possibly the best you’ll find in Japan.

Manneken’s waffles boasts a 26 year old history, with the first store opening in Umeda, Osaka back in 1986. The waffles soon proven popular with the locals, spreading throughout Osaka and to other parts of Japan too. Today, there are 12 stores in Osaka alone with another 14 stores around Japan.

Thanks to a recommendation by Wilson, I had the chance to give the wonderful Manneken waffles a try last year in Osaka. I’ve been hooked ever since then.

Manneken shop in Ginza.

Thankfully, you don’t have to go as far as Osaka to get the waffles. There are two stores in Tokyo, one appropriately located at the crossroads of Ginza and another strangely in Akihabara. The Ginza shop is especially easy to spot as it almost always attracts a queue.

The Manneken logo.

Manneken is of course named after the famous landmark in Brussels. The Manneken logo is the literal likeness of the urinating sculpture. Even if it was their first thing to come to mind when thinking of Belgium, only Japanese craziness could have justified its use. Be reassured, their waffles taste nothing like piss.

Lovely chocolate coated waffles.

Manneken’s Belgian waffles come in a small selection of staple flavors, with an occasional seasonal special like their reason Fromage or Sweet Potato flavors. Plain waffles cost 126 yen each while the flavored ones cost 147 yen.

Having tried quite a few flavors, I would have to say that their safest bets, the plain and chocolate ones are the best. The others, with their flavors baked directly into the waffle, tend to distract from enjoying the original waffle’s taste. All of the waffles have a plain crust of sugar already that provide enough sweetness, while at the same time helping to keep the crunchy texture.

Gift packs.

All of Mannkene’s freshly baked waffles are intended to be consumed on the day of purchase itself. For those who want to take home the waffles, there are gift packs available at the stores. They contain individually sealed waffles that can be kept for up to a month.

We’ve also found these packed versions selling at certain supermarkets. While they won’t be able to compare with those fresh out the iron, they’re still darn good as far as waffles are concerned.

Inside.

If you’ve haven’t already. You’ve definitely got to give the Manneken waffles a try. For more information, check out the Manneken website. I’ve also marked the locations for the two Tokyo outlets below.

Manneken Ginza

View Larger Map

Manneken Akihabara
The Akihabara Store is located at the North-Eastern Showadori exit of Akihabara Station.

View Larger Map

While the sparsity of Krispy Kremes often attracts long queues to the cafe during lunchtime hours, Mister Donut shops are rarely packed. I used to be an avid Krispy Kreme supporter too but when comparing the two now, Mister Donut takes the cake for being my preferred doughnut place.

Mister Donut was originally an American brand but almost all of the stores back there have been converted to Dunkin’ Donut chains. A company in Japan acquired the rights a long time ago and has expanded the business to over 1,300 stores spread around the country, making Mister Donut the largest doughnut chain in Japan. Osaka is the home of Mister Donut but you’ll have a hard time not being able to find one with dozens scattered around every city.

Mister Donut Ameyoko.

Mister Donut at Shinsaibashi Osaka.

Mister Donut at Odawara Kanagawa.

Mr Donuts offers an admirable amount of choices at discount prices (at least when compared to other cafes). Mr Donut holds promotions all year round, with a point card system that lets you claim free doughnuts or stationery of their brand mascots. Prices start slashing near closing hour too despite fresh ones being made throughout the day.

Great variety, at least before everything sells out.

I seem to have found a fave in their “pon de ring” lineup though. The light eggy pastries maintain their bounce for long stretches of time and the amazing springy texture is accented by its small beaded shape. Would definitely recommend these.

Pon de rings are my regular faves.

They remain springy for long enough to enjoy on the go or at home too.

Many of their menu staples mirror those found at other doughnut places but are less sweet especially when compared to Krispy Kreme, something that I appreciate since you can eat a lot more without being sick of it. Not too fond of their “old fashion” doughnuts though, which are cookie like blocks that are kind of dry.

A interesting thing to note is that there are always unique seasonal offerings at any point of time, such as the teddy bear ones in the title image above.

Just some of the many types available.

In more recent times, Mister Donut opened Cafe Andonand, which positions itself as a more up-classed doughnut cafe. Prices are twice the original but they offer more fancy varieties here. The coffee is also Rainforest Alliance certified, something that might resonate those who liken themselves hipsters. Cafe Andonand has been around for more than a couple of years now but only runs two outlets, at Yokohama and Namba Osaka.

Donuts from Cafe Andonand.

It has always been a struggle to find food that agrees with the rest of the crowd while not breaking the wallet, especially when one is in town over the weekends. I’m happy to announce that with the recent addition of Yomenya Goemon in town, it could really be a good option to dine at. After all, how many people can say no to both Western and Japanese food?

While a relative newcomer to the Singaporean culinary scene, Goemon is a long established restaurant in Japan. Consider them as the Pastamania of Japan. You can find them in just about area in Tokyo and major cities in Japan. With their success, they’ve managed to break into the China market in Shanghai and more recently, Singapore.

Yomeonya Goemon, 313 Somerset branch.

Before you make any wild guesses, Goemon serves up Italian spaghetti, with a Japanese touch. Well you could consider it Japanese-Western fusion food. But if it’s delicious, no one would be complaining anyway. With 34 years of experience under their belt, there should be no way that they would mess up by serving highly experimental pasta dishes that will shock the diners.

Cook on order spaghetti is the way to go.

While still on the variety topic, diners will definitely be overwhelmed by the sheer variety of flavors offered at Goemon. Aside from the usual 3 styles of tomato, cream and olive oil & garlic, there’s also the more experimental Asian and Japanese styles like butter & soy sauce and cod roe flavors. For those opting for even more unusual stuff, there are a few soup and cold pastas offerings.

Spoiled for choice.

It is also good to know that instead of serving par-cooked pastas, Goemon only start cooking individual servings after the order is place. It ensures that el dente pastas are served every time to the diners’ delight.

Another twist that goes on when dining at Goemon is that everyone is given chopsticks instead of the usual fork and spoons to eat their pastas with. A funky Japanese gimmick to remind one that they are eating fusion pasta? Maybe.

Fork and spoons can still be requested from the staff if diners find it a hassle to eat their pasta with chopsticks. But I’d stick with the interesting chopsticks way of eating.

Tomato based seafood pasta. Regular set meal.

Pastas in Goemon come in 2 sizes, regular and “oomori” size which is an extra 250g serving on top of the regular size. Unless you are really very hungry, I would recommend against ordering the larger size since most would have trouble finishing it.

I once had a few friends with me who all ordered an oomori size each, but only one managed to finish his plate. Yomenya’s regular servings are already ample and are served with a plentiful amount of sauce, filling one’s stomach quite easily.

Cream based four cheese smoked chicken pasta. Alar carte.

For those who want to try more varieties of their pasta at one go, Goemon serves up a half-half set meal, which consist of two half portions of different pasta styles of your choice. There’s also the option of a regular set meal and the oomori set meal to choose from if you desire to have your salad, drink, pasta and dessert all in one sitting.

Or plain fried with olive oil and garlic, with a Japanese twist.

Being spoiled for choice is one sin that we humans desire for, and Goemon serves that up in abundance. So if you’re up for either some great made to order pasta or trying out experimental flavors, Goemon will be the place to hit up in town. Either way, Goemon serves up affordability, fullness and variety in one good package. Just try to perfect your chopstick holding skills before visiting.

If you’re walking in the middle of Kyoto taking in the cool atmosphere while the yellow autumn leaves wavering with each caress of the wind, you’ve had that craving for soba. Honke Owariya is one soba shop that is worth a try. The restaurant has been making buckwheat soba since the Edo period. Their soba noodles have served the Japanese Imperial family since then.

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Located near the Subway Karasuma-Oike Station, the restaurant is about a 10 minutes walk. Nearby attractions include the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Nijyo Castle, making this a well located place for a meal after much sightseeing. Honke Owariya originally opened as a confectionery shop about 540 years ago but it moved on to serve soba dishes prepared in a wide variety.

Honke Owariya.

The restaurant itself is a very old building. The rooms are traditional Japanese design with tatami mats, sliding paper doors and Japanese dolls as decorations. And yes, you will be sitting on your knees and smelling the pleasantries from your socks. The lights were rather dim, yet it gave a very cosy feeling that complemented the colors of the room.

They continue to dabble in buckwheat snacks.

Customers are served with tea and confectioneries when seated. They do sell them over at the counter by the main entrance, or locate their confectionery outlet a few blocks away if you want more.

English friendly.

For the non-Japanese folks, the restaurant might look old, but they do cater for the international crowd with an English menu.

Their original Hourai Soba.

If you are spoiled for choices, we do recommend the Hourai Soba under the “Honke Owariya” Specialties menu. It has a spread of 8 toppings – mushroom, sliced egg, sesame horse-radish, seaweed, leek, deep-fried shrimps, grated white radish and grated red pepper.

For the uninitiated, who have only tried eating cold soba dipped into sauce, they do provide a slip of instructions in English to enjoy the dish the correct way.

Each level of the dish tower contains some servings of soba, seemingly catered perfectly for each topping. The buckwheat soba noodles were delicious, and the Hourai gave an interesting and refreshing way to enjoy soba.

Mixed tempura sides.

Also do have a try of their Tempura Chirashi Hors d’oeuvre

Hope you have the chance to drop by this traditional soba restaurant and enjoy the flavors of their noodles. Do check out their English website for the menu.

Another bubble tea post again? I have no excuse for delivering yet another drink post. But this time it’s a standalone shop located in Tanjong Pagar, yet another local entrepreneur setting up to join in the fierce bubble tea competition currently ongoing in Singapore.

Like Artease Cafe, Woobbee is another homegrown bubble tea shop that is attempting to conquer the taste buds of the working crowd here in our CBD area. What’s more, the two are located in very close vicinity of each other.

Artease, being a fierce competitor who can serve up an excellent cup of bubble tea could reasonably be called the crowd’s favorite spot. And yet, if Woobbee manages to stand firmly on its own and attract a good amount of followers that would mean that they do serve a comparable drink.

Office workers getting their daily dose of drinks.

Like my ramen adventures, sometimes I happen to pass by a new shop that I have never seen before and impulsively go ahead to try it out. Woobbee was another such find, when I was in town trying to locate Artease instead. A score for them, too bad for Artease. Lets just say that I’m sometimes still torn between which of the two shops to patronize when I’m in the vicinity.

If there's a waiting line for your drinks, you will be given this instead.

When it comes to its drinks, Woobbee will not disappoint. Since they boast of using natural raw sugar for their drinks, it’s definitely a boost for the health conscious who also can’t get enough of their bubble tea fix. Rest assured that they do use premium Taiwan tea leaves and creamer for their bubble teas too.

While their bubble teas are definitely on top of the game, what gives them the edge over the competition would be their fruity teas. Not many places serve up a lychee fruit tea now and their fruity yogurt spins are definitely the drink of choice on a sweltering hot afternoon.

Also their pudding would sure to be a bestseller if they were to start selling them by the box instead of just offering it with their bubble teas. Although I’ve tried it and it has a more chewy jelly0like texture than how I would like my pudding, they are still pretty decent.

Drink comes either in a 500cc regular or 700cc large.

Dedicated? Might have just the thing for you.

To give it a try against Artease? Please do. Both are excellent homegrown bubble tea shops that deserve your support. Woobee even has an excellent website to wow online viewers before deciding. My good friend will always say that all the new bubble tea shops are about branding and making a visual impact to attract customers, but if they can do both while still holding up a good job in making their bubble teas, I’m not one to complain.

Woobbee
1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza
#01-18
Singapore 082001

Tel: 62208220
Open Monday to Saturday, 10.30 AM – 7.30 PM (Closed Sundays)

A household name, Fujiya has been in the confectionery business in Japan for more than 100 years. You’ve probably come across their mascot, Peko-chan a cheeky looking child with her tongue stuck out. All of Fujiya Milky’s treats are decorated with the iconic symbol and occasionally her male counterpart Poko. The company is well known for their various pastries and confectioneries, often featuring their namesake flavor.

Milky’s candies can be found in stores globally. Their classic “Milky” candy the original Japanese equivalent of the more prevalent (at least in in Singapore) White Rabbit candy. But like the Chinese brand and their Melamine scare, Fujiya Milky was involved in scandal involving expired ingredients in 2008.

Now, as much as people want to deny it the use of expired ingredients is a fairly common occurrence in the F&B industry. It’s something that is often swept under the rug. But when such an issue is brought to light, it can mean devastating results for a company. Especially in Japan, where competition is fierce and quality is a major issue. The previous president of Fujiya was made to step down, and till now the company has had to steadily rebuild their lost trust with the public.

Fujiya Milky.

But perhaps enough people have grown up with fond memories of Milky products to make this an easier task. When a brand has such an extensive history, they would also surely attract customers occasionally yearning for its familiar taste.

Ignoring the scandal, Milky still brings us some of the most delectable deserts and stores are located around every part of Japan. The prices of their pastries aren’t exactly cheap, but customers can be assured that the quality (and quantity) does not disappoint. Here’s a picture of one of their more common items, the Milky Cream Puff (Shu Cream).

The giant puff still remains incredibly light despite its large size and is filled with a generous amount of sweet filling. There’s even an ice cream equivalent available now.

Famous for their cream and milk pastries.

More information about Fujiya, Milky and an extensive list of their products is available at their official site.

Perhaps it’s all that walking, but sometimes it amazing me how most Japanese manage to sustain their slim physiques when there are so many tempting confectionery shops all over the place. Departmental stores beside subway stations are filled with entire levels selling all manner of classy desserts and residential streets often have their own loved patisseries around the corner too. One of the shops that caught my attention was the colorful Ginza Cozy Corner.

Like Milky, Ginza Cozy Corner (銀座コージーコーナー) is a franchise of patisseries (their color schemes are even similar) but this doesn’t mean that it isn’t very good. On the contrary, as the fact that the chain has spread to every corner of Japan could be seen as a testament to its popularity.

One of the Ginza Cozy Corner outlets.

Though we passed by a number of other outlets, this particular store was found along the main path at Nakano. It stood out for genuinely being located at the cross section of the street. The bright red signage and colorful contents shouted out to this sweets lover.

Colorful visuals to entice.

The cakes here were average priced (at least in yen). Slightly lower than similar pastries in the departmental stores and well worth their cost.

To go.

Whenever you purchase cakes and such in Japan, the shops tend to include chilling packs in the box and are pretty meticulous about you eating them within their “best before” period, which is usually just an hour or two.

This leads me to believe that such pastries are usually purchased on your way home, fitting for a nice dessert after dinner or perhaps it wouldn’t be too sinful to sneak off during office hours to get one for a tea time snack.

Cozy indeed.

When it comes to pastries, their presentation are almost always as important as its taste. Exquisite effort must had been put in to make each slice of their cake picture perfect, while still satisfying the taste test.

Strawberry Shortcake.

I must admit though, even for someone with a sweet tooth, the Strawberry Shortcake might had been a little too sweet for my liking (which usually tends to be the case for many Japanese desserts). The Gateau au chocolat cake was fine though.

Gateau au chocolat.

More information and delightful pictures of all their available pastries at Cozy Corner’s official website (Japanese only). You shouldn’t have problem finding one when roaming around Japan.

Endo Sushi is a tiny restaurant located within Osaka Chuo Oroshiuri Shijo, the city’s humble equivalent of the Tsukiji Fish Market. Unlike the Tokyo counterpart that is ridden with bustling streets of tourists and locals alike, Endo Sushi is one of only 5 or 6 restaurants here. I’d like to think it’s because not many eateries can survive in the competitiveness of Japan’s food capital. The fact that Endo Sushi has till now, speaks for itself.

Osaka Chuo Oroshiuri Shijo is the wet market complex which Osakan businesses come to to purchase their fresh produce and the latest catch. The wholesale market is located at the fringe of central Osaka and slightly upstream from Osaka port. To get there, you would have to walk over from Noda but a more likely option is to cross over the river from Awaza. Either is a 15 minute distance on foot. Any more, and it’d mean that you’re probably lost in the quaint residential district.

Osaka's humble equivalent of the Tsukiji Fish Market.

Endo Sushi opens from as early as 5 AM in the morning, staying open only until 2 in the afternoon. The combination of being located just beside the main complex and without many surviving competitors means that you will be getting the freshest fish served every day. It’s a popular spot for people to drop by in the morning to get their sushi fix before heading to work.

Perhaps Osakans are really spoiled for choice or (more likely) we had already beaten the morning crowds. For by 10, we were the only other people within other than a couple of ladies. A stark contrast to the ridiculous queues you would have to endure at Tsukiji at any hour.

Located to ensure maximum freshness.

The restaurant’s tiny interior made for a comfortable and quiet meal. There were a total of three tables only, with the tiny counter fitting another four customers if necessary. Yet despite its humble appearances, Endo Sushi has been graced by famous customers from all around Japan (and beyond), including many popular actors, entertainers and some mangaka. Their autographs plastered along what little wall space within.

The inside, plastered with autographs by famous celebrities.

The boss, Endo hardly has to lift a finger these days, with not one but a number of apprentices to his name. But the sushi remains top notch as he continues to oversea all kitchen activity closely while chatting friendlily to his staff and customers.

The main highlight here is of course the house’s choice, “omakase” or literally “leaving it up to you” is something you’d hear quite often in exquisite Japanese dining. Exquisite, but not necessarily pricey.

お任せします！

For 1000 yen, you will get 5 pieces of sushi, left up to the discretion of the boss. But be relieved that these are the best cuts you could possibly get.

One piece will always be ootoro, the highest grade of fatty tuna, while others are selected from premium cuts of other delectable meats.

Generous portions of the freshest catches.

Sushi of the same ingredients would cost you many times over in Singapore, without reaching anywhere near the freshness or quantity that you would get at Endo Sushi. Eating here is definitely an eye opener. This is what sushi really is. And nothing quite matches up after.

Thanks to the generous quantity, two plates should more than suffice in most cases.  Other things to look forward to include their own specialty Seafood Miso Soup chocked full of clams and of course their Tamagoyaki.

Sushi the way it should be.

Kudos for authentic sushi without any of the wait associated with Tsukiji. In fact, some might even consider Endo a superior choice but Osaka and Tokyo couldn’t be two more different cities. If you happen to be in Osaka though, Endo Sushi is not something you’d want to miss.

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Increasingly, many are seeking healthier food options when dining out. Cedele Cafe comes to mind when looking outside for what I consider organic, nutritious and delicious food, without having to pay an arm or an leg.

I’m pretty sure with it being in business for more than a decade in Singapore, people should be slightly familiar with the Cedele name even if you had not tried their stuff before. With a combination of several cafe, dine in restaurant and bakeries littered mainly around the town and east side area, Cedele is a mainstay homegrown brand that serves up healthy organic food.

This time round I’ll be focusing on just Cedele Cafe, to give everyone a introduction to what their cafes can offer.

Cedele Cafe, most of the information you need is well labeled on the boards.

If anything, Cedele Cafe is rather well known for their soups. The reason is clear. I know people to regularly drop by Celede Cafe and order nothing but a large bowl of their soup offering for the day. Coupled with the free flow of their tasty bread (now it cost a dollar for free blow breads) it pretty much makes for a healthy and satisfying full meal without breaking much of the wallet.

Soups, free flow of bread with a token sum.

But of course, if one has some cash to spare then their sandwiches are definitely recommended. When it comes to variety and the quality of the sandwiches,  Cedele is one tough opponent to beat. Not many places do manage to serve such a wide range of toppings from meat/seafood/vegetarian and still do it properly.

With your choice of bread, desired toppings, condiment pairings and a generous helping of lettuce and sliced tomatoes, Cedele’s sandwiches make for a really simple yet satisfying meal that you can enjoy everyday without getting sick of it. In fact, they have so many toppings to choose from that one will be able to eat a different kind for every meal in a week.

Well made sandwiches.

One has to try out to believe.

Alternatively, getting their soup & sandwich combo will be the best option since it gives you the best of both worlds of what Cedele cafe can offer. For a lighter option, they also offer a soup & salad combo for those who might find sandwiches a little heavy.

Soup & sandwich set or soup & salad set.

If a full meal is not what you’re looking for, Cedele Cafe also has a wide array of desserts to choose from. Like all their other offerings, their cakes are made to be healthy, yet do not lose any richness and flavor associated with desserts. It’s a mystery to me how the cakes be healthy and tasty at the same time.

And also, like all their other shops, one can buy their artisan breads to go instead of opting to dine in.

Desserts for the sweet tooth.

Cedele Cafe serves as an inexpensive option for a meal when one is around town, since unlike their all day dining restaurant counterparts the cafe does not have any extra taxes and surcharges to worry about. Coupled with their belief in serving great tasting, healthy food, it’s a no brainer why Cedele Cafe has been well received with the working crowds.

If you’ve had reservations about trying them out, think no further. You’d be pleased by the quality of the food served in Cedele Cafe. As quoted by the people at Cedele – Our philosophy is to eat good, live well. Healthy food that tastes great. You will be surprised!

Before you wonder why there’s another bubble tea post, it’s good to know that just like 10 odd years ago, bubble tea is all the rage in Singapore again. Bubble tea shops are sprouting like crazy in every corner of this little red dot and if you ever wandered around town, chances are you’d find a bubble tea shop every hundred steps or so. This time I’m going to introduce one of our homegrown shops, Artease Cafe.

For readers who had not realized yet, Artease Cafe is one of those bubble shops that is entirely managed by one of our own local bloods. Despite operations running shy of a year, they have been enjoying tremendous success and now have a couple branches around town.

Ice cream milk tea (large cup).

Grapefruit green tea (regular cup).

To some, Artease might just be another convenient bubble tea shop to get their fix of drinks. But on second look, their drinks are a notch pricier than those offered by other shops. So what gives them the edge over the rest of the shops?

I’d definitely say it’s the drinks themselves. Having tried out most of their offerings, I can also say that their drinks are also a small notch tastier than what the rest offers. Versus the stiff competition from popular franchises from Taiwan like Gong Cha and KOI Cafe, Artease definitely stands up on its own ground without any difficulty.

It also helps that Artease offers not only customizable drinks (like varying sugar levels and ice), even their pearls are offered in both large and small versions (hence the reason why I do see a lot of people insist to have their pearls small now). Their well trained and attractive staff likely have a impact in drawing lines to their shops too.

Who doesn’t appreciate someone who can prepare your drink on the spot skillfully and also some eye candy on the side?
But just maybe, some will just support them because it’s right to support homegrown brands? I’m leaning towards that direction.

One can rest their legs inside the cafe and enjoy a nice bubble tea and some snacks at the same time.

Fish mayo burger.

Unlike other shops that offer strictly drinks only, Artease itself is also a small cafe that offers set meals and small bites to accompany their beverages if desired. It might not be big enough to house a party, but it definitely is small and cozy enough to house a few groups of four comfortably.

I gave their burgers a try and was quite surprised that it was pretty well done and tasty. Pity that I didn’t have the chance to try out more of their snacks but I know I’ll be back for more another day. Not many places in town does offer above average food without all the prevailing taxes and surcharges now so it’s definitely a draw point.

Life without some tea, is just arse.

So why love Artease? I’ll just quote from the shop themselves. “We also think that life without tea is just plain arse… You’re a smart fella, you can figure the rest out.” Give them a try, and you might find yourself supporting this homegrown bubble tea shop too.

With the newly opened esplanade branch, Artease Cafe now has a grand total of 3 stores littered around town awaiting to be savored. For those who are interested, one can find their webpage over here.

Artease Cafe Tanjong Pagar
1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza
#01-35 Singapore 082001

Artease Cafe Cineleisure
8 Grange Rd
#01-03 Singapore 239695

Artease Cafe Esplanade
8 Raffles Avenue
#01-13C Singapore 039802

Tomorrow will mark the grand opening of the brand new AKB48 themed cafe and shop in Akihabara, and grand it is indeed. The new cafe occupies a large area underneath Akihabara Station and is located just beside the existing Akihabara Gundam Cafe and Bar.

These days, images of the popular Japanese idol group are plastered all over Tokyo. Their foothold in the city’s otaku haven is so strong that shops have sprung out seemingly just to accommodate AKB48 merchandise. Through the dominance of the radio waves, AKB48 have captured the hearts of Japan’s youth. But now, they are eying your stomach too.

As explained before, this is hardly a new concept. But thought the company has experimented with the cafe concept in the giant sandbox that is Singapore, this first time that AKB48 will be reviving the idea in Japan after the previous cafe closed its doors in 2009.

The new AKB48 Cafe and Shop Akihabara occupies 4 shop spaces underneath the North exit of the JR Akihabara Station. The Gundam Cafe beside occupies only 3. As seen from the cafe’s official site, the four spaces will be used to host a 4-in-1 concept, where each area will provide a different function.

Fans will be able to enjoy a buffet meal while watching videos on the large 136 inch screen at the cafe’s Theater Area. Videos of the latest AKB48 Theater performances (LODs) from the past week will be shown here. Tickets for the Theater Area buffet costs 2,700 yen (approximately SGD$45).

The Cafe Area will function more like a regular cafe. For 2,000 yen (SGD$34), visitors will be able to choose a main meal with free flow of drinks and sides. In a move more similar to Akihabara’s maid cafes, tickets for the Cafe Area also include a commemorative photograph.

The third section is a 16 person Private Area. This is a private function room that can be booked in 2 hour blocks for 10,000 yen (SGD$170). It will provide visitors a place to hold parties and celebrations. But like the Singapore AKB48 Cafe, it will also probably serve as a place for the management to hold events too.

Finally, as the title suggest the new cafe will also feature a Shop Area where AKB48 related goods will be put up for sale. The shop promises to sell original cafe themed goods that are not available anywhere else.

In Japan, AKB48 have expanded far larger than what their tiny theater in Donki can accommodate. To handle the problem, entry to the Theater has been much more restricted in recent years. If executed well, the emergence of their new cafe will hopefully provide like-minded fans a nice place to hang out and mingle, at least until the theater finds its rumored new home.

Reservations for the different areas are available online but the cafe area has already been completely booked out for the next 3 weeks! If you happen to be visiting Japan soon or have plans to, do drop by to take a look. But be sure to place your reservations early.

Mostly everyone ought to be familiar with regular ol’ Takoyaki. The Osakan snack has long spread across the globe as a signature Japanese dish. But surely this soup takoyaki has got to be one of the lesser known variants.

Takoyaki, the savory fried octopus balls most enjoy with a generous topping of crispy bonito flakes is probably the last thing you’d expect to find served soggy. But we found this street side vendor outside Osakako Station serving bowls of soup takoyaki.

The elderly store owner must have seen her fair share of foreigners passing by these streets. She chatted up all stray tourists who had curiously stopped by her shop this evening.

Road side stall.

It’s kind of hard to imagine it being a regular choice, but soup takoyaki can be found and appreciated over in its city of origin. Perhaps it was cold rainy days like this that give it its purpose?

Soup Takoyaki.

In fact, the soup takoyaki was actually a pretty nice snack. Considering that most of Osaka’s specialties tend to be deep fried, a more hearty dish like this makes for a welcome change.