JapanEats: Food-trippin’ in Nagoya

Outside, the weather’s raging. Storm Signal No. 3 for Typhoon Lando is up where I live, and work and classes have been suspended for tomorrow. I love staying home, but not when it’s because the heavy winds and rains are keeping me prisoner. I hope everyone stays safe, and the weather gets better real soon. For now, however, I’m in the mood for some gastronomic remembrances, particularly those that I was able to take photos of when I was in Nagoya. So, tighten your belts, remember your diet, and read on.

I’m really not that discriminating when it comes to food. As long as it tastes good, and it doesn’t kill me, I try ’em out. Of course, lately, I’m noticing some food stuffs that I do not react to as well as I used to, but I suppose that’s natural. I am glad, however, that, except for feeling stuffed-till-I’m-about-to-burst was the only real issue I had when enjoying eating around Nagoya.

Coco Ichibanya was one of the names I keep hearing when it comes to casual/fastfood chains in Japan, and we accidentally stumbled on it by chance when we spotted it right across the street of our hotel in Sakae. We made it a point to have one of our late lunches there.

Clearly, the place was made to cater to locals and tourists alike, because an English menu was readily on the tables.

food in japan nagoya 01 coco ichibanya food in japan nagoya 03 coco ichibanyaI was hankering for some greens, and this was the only one close to it on the menu. Their tuna-squid salad.

food in japan nagoya 04 coco ichibanyaWhat I ordered was Bifu katsu kare, or “beef cutlet curry”. Because I wanted to try something other than tonkatsu. It costs JPY802.00 (Php310.oo or USD 6.75)

food in japan nagoya 05 coco ichibanyaMeanwhile, my friend Peach opted for their Chicken cutlet curry. It’s JPY700.00  (PHP 270 or USD5.90)

food in japan nagoya 06 coco ichibanyaSo, how was it? I have long been resigned myself to the fact that curry in Japan (and even the ones in Korea that I’ve tasted) tastes waaaaaay differently from the curry in the Philippines. And I liked them better than the one at home, which I found to  have this weird aftertaste…

Getting caught off-guard by hunger while walking around the Nagoya Station is not such a bad thing, really, because it has whole blocks of food places. All you have to do is take your pick. This was one of the places where I got to eat their famous omuraisu or omelet-rice.

food in japan nagoya 08 omurice food in japan nagoya 09 omuriceAnd it’s not just your usual omuraisu, though, because it is omuhayashiraisu, but with chicken instead of pork or beef.

This is omelet rice, mixed in with a bit of hayashi or a thick demi-glace sauce that is mixed with a bit of red wine, tomato sauce, onions, and mushroom as basics. I liked it, but it was sooooo rich and filling. You gotta be real hungry to eat the whole thing, the serving is quite generous.

food in japan nagoya 10 omuriceOn our last night in Nagoya, we took the train from Sakae to Gifu to spend the night with relatives of Peach, who are based there. Too bad it was already evening when we got there (and we had to leave early the next morning to check out of our hotel and catch the movie), we could’ve done some sightseeing. 🙂

Peach took the whole family out for dinner, and other friends from home also came to join us. It was quite a spread, and a great meal all in all. It was quite surreal, really, because for the past 2 weeks, except for Peach, my conversations were spoken in English or Japanese. And then I was in a rowdy and fun table with conversations flowing in Ilocano, Tagalog, and even Ibaloi.

We went to this yakiniku place called Yakiniku Morimori. It looks like a really popular place, because it was hoppin’ when we got there. The tables were full, we had to wait for around 15 to 20 minutes before a table became available. There were large groups on all sides, and some of them were already inebriated and having a blast.

food in japan nagoya 11 nagoya yakinikufood in japan nagoya 12 nagoya yakinikuYakiniku means “grilled meat” and that’s exactly what we feasted on. Pork, lean beef, squid, and I don’t know what else, but dang they were sooooooo good~

food in japan nagoya 13 nagoya yakiniku food in japan nagoya 14 nagoya yakiniku food in japan nagoya 15 nagoya yakinikuI have not really subscribed to the Starbucks culture. I think their coffees are overpriced, but then again, I won’t call myself a coffee drinker. Still, I didn’t say no to breakfast at Starbucks, when we met up with a new friend Mariko, whom we bumped into on the train after the CNBLUE concert the night before. She was working somewhere in Sakae, and said she’d join us for breakfast at the Starbucks below our hotel the next day, before heading to work.

Starbucks was offering Christmas drinks in Japan that time, and I was intrigued by their Snow Maple Toffee Frappucino.

food in japan nagoya 16 starbucks food in japan nagoya 17 starbucksI found it too sweet for my taste. It was good, though, but not something I would really feel a craving for again.

Speaking of “craving for again”, we got one last chance to eat udon, before leaving Nagoya – and Japan. Again, this was somewhere in the Nagoya Station.

food in japan nagoya 20 udon food in japan nagoya 21 udonBy the way, when you walk around, you’d see these plates and decorations on storefronts. They are food replicas, but they look soooo real!

food in japan nagoya 19And, finally, it was in Nagoya where I laid my eyes on my first ever pomegranate. So, sue me for not having encountered this awesome awesome fruit before! I bought one (I think it was JPY300 (Php 115 or USD2.50) and brought it home with me. LOVED IT. Want more of it. But don’t know where to find it here.

food in japan nagoya 18In my next post, I will be talking about food-tripping in Kyoto! Yes, I loved eating there, too!

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