Kyoto! | Full of food and drinks during Cherry Blossom Season!

Kyoto! | Full of food and drinks during Cherry Blossom Season!

I had so much fun in Kyoto. We spent about four days in there. And you’ll see why. But six days after Tokyo we got. We hopped on the Shinkansen. I got an eel bowl, and we’re in Kyoto by 1 p.m.. We checked into our hotel, and the first thing we did is head to Nijo-jo Castle. But first we stopped for coffee at the soggy coffee. It was very relaxed, clean vibes. They had a neighborhood cat chillin on the roof. I got the charcoal latte and it was really good. It was more earthy tasting than matcha, so it was a nice change of pace. Charcoal coffee. Fire with the coffee demolished. Right across the street was Nijo Castle. I’m no history buff, but you don’t need to feel how special this place is. The rain was really coming down, though. It was steady and strong, making every surface glisten and every step sound sharp on the gravel. The castle grounds look like something out of a film. Dramatic and still under the heavy sky. We walked slowly, took photos and soaked it all in the sights, the sounds and the simple joy of being somewhere far from home. Eventually, our stomachs reminded us it was time to eat. So we made our way to Nishiki Market. Ikura, sea urchin. It’s raw oysters, baby. Cheers. Fire The Roe makes it so much better. Soo good! I wasn’t recording It was packed wall to wall with people. But through the gaps, the glow of shops pulled us in. Bright food, sizzling snacks and the smells that just would grab your nose. And I did not let go. We wandered, we tasted. And we just let the market lead us wherever. Chicken thigh and caviar, baby. It’s all right. It’s all right. Oh. That’s good. I like it The cherry blossoms along the Takase river were unreal. Just rows and rows of soft pink lining the water. From there, we crossed Donguri Bridge into Gion with no real plans. We wandered until we spotted a bar called Bar Craft and decided to check it out. I ended up trying to drink the Hojicha Highball and the Kyoto Craft Martini. Both were solid, but if I had to pick one, I’d go with the martini. Bold alcohol forward. It’s surprisingly tasty. After our drinks, we wandered over to the Yasaka Shrine and into Maruyama Park, totally unaware of the surprise waiting for us. The whole area was alive, absolutely packed with energy and rows of festival stalls. From sizzling street foods to quirky games and souvenir stands. It felt like a full on celebration. They really go all out during cherry blossom season. As soon as I saw these crab sticks, I just had to get one. They looked so good, so juicy, so fatty. Of all. Oh, the fu**** crab leg bro. Oh, it needs butter. But mayo works too. A pickled cucumber, baby. Oh, yeah. We ended the night eating and drinking beneath the glowing giant weeping tree. A perfect backdrop for good food and better company. After soaking it all in, we took a slow walk back to the hotel and called it a night. At 9 a.m., we were rushing to the JR station, catching the train out to Nara Park. We packed a lot into day two. It was my wife’s final full day in Japan, so we wanted to make it count. First up, the bowing deer. Cute. Cool. You feed them, and that’s kind of it. We probably spent about 30 minutes there. Fun, but definitely a quick check off the list. After that, we headed down to Higashimuki shopping street and we grabbed some kaki no ha zushi that’s sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves to help preserve it. Super local, super good. We also finally eat our Ichiban some Kyoto, the kind with the wild Self-Heating tech. Honestly, that alone it was the whole experience. Of the Conger Eel. Fire Kobe no steak and steak bento. Steam. We kept strolling, browsing, sightseeing. But with the mission in mind. That Mission Koushi, a cozy tofu restaurant known for its warm, welcoming vibe. I ordered the tofu croquette lunch set, and it hit the spot filling. But it was not too heavy, hearty, but in the best way. A great balance too. Perfect for getting some greens and good plant based bites. It was good. No why? Now it was time to lock in. Nara was a quick stop and we moved like Olympian speed walking through town to catch the train at Nara Station. Why? Because we’re on a mission. One goal, one word matcha. We got to Uji with full throttle, hitting every matcha spot we could find. Oh, that’s too sweet for me. What? That’s pretty good. 100% not sweet. Bro is so sweet. The weather was perfect. No clouds. Bright blue skies. Just warm enough to make an ice matcha feel like a reward. I don’t think I like matcha. This is the Samidori. Fire! Oh, you know what? Greeny. Herby. We stroll through Uji with no rush. Just taking it all in. And. Wow, this place is beautiful. I had a blast zigzagging through the shops. We grab some ice cream and chatter on a bench while watching people pass by. Then we cross the iconic Uji Bridge. From there, we soaked in the views of Tachibana Island and wandered along the river towards the Tea Museum and the heart of Uji Town. But we weren’t there just to sightsee. We were there to go all in on matcha, from shopping, from every kind of green tea imaginable, to actually learning how it’s made. We took a matcha making class. We ground up the leaves ourselves, brewed it by hand, and finally got to sit back and taste the real thing. The class was awesome. Honestly, a golden moment. We learned so much about the history of Uji, the tea far just outside, and the little details that go into making truly great matcha. It felt like a zen ritual. Everyone quietly focused, blooming our bamboo whisk. Scooping in the matcha, pouring in the water just right, and learning the technique to whisk it into that smooth, frothy green. I would 100% recommend doing this. We took the class at the Kyoto Tea Museum, and it was just one of those experiences that hits everything fun, peaceful, and generally enjoyable from start to finish. We took in the sights of the tea farm in Uji, before hopping on the train at Mimurodo station and heading back to Kyoto. The night before, we passed by a restaurant that caught our eye, but they were fully booked, so we made a reservation for the day. It was Kyoto Tempura Ten No Meshi in Gion, a spot that specializes in tempura omakase. They offered both a regular and vegetarian course, which was perfect for us. The place had two floors with seating wrapped around an open kitchen so you could watch everything being prepared right in front of you. All the temperature was phenomenal. I started out with this mixed seafood tempura, soft, juicy and packed with scallops. From there, it was a parade of flavors medium fatty tuna tart with caviar. Chicken tempura. So juicy. It, too. They just kept the juices in the chicken, dog. It’s like a bus, bussin’, and we got to try it with a little salt. I got the chicken. Yeah, and salt on it. And then. No bad reviews here. Bluefin tempura with ikura. Eggplant tempura glazed with miso. A seasonal vegetable tempura. Oh, that garlic flavor was so good. Oh my God! Lean cut Wagyu beef tempura. Then another wagyu. This one was rich with sukiyaki flavor. After we got to eat the raw egg over some pipping hot rice. Before the shrimp tempura bowl came out. Oh, yeah. Oh, good. And to wrap it all up, dessert. Sweet potato tempura with vanilla ice cream with egg. Sweet, sweet sweet potato tempura with ice cream. What a meal that was. Afterwards, we made our way towards Shijo Bridge, heading to the direction of the bars, just seeing where the night would take us. On the way we came across a little chopstick shop and decided to grab some custom souvenirs for ourselves and a few friends back home. The designs were adorable. We picked up our own pair with cats on them and another one with a cool checkerboard pattern. After getting them engraved on the spot, there’s one thing left to do drink the night away. Japan, baby. And it was lit. We kick things off at cosmos with some welcome whiskey. I tried some Japanese bottles that I’ve never seen in the States. Quick smash good vibes and we were off to PM Sound Music bar, this vinyl spinning bar with deep crates and chill bartenders. It wasn’t crowded, so we actually got to chat, make some requests, and nerd out about the music. And after that we went to our main event, Bee’s Knees, a top 50 Asia bar tucked away like a speakeasy. Every drink was wild. The flavors were insane. We got the Hershey’s cookies and cream, the Flora sour, the bees old Fashioned, and a drink. This is the Ninja smash, it is sick. This whole place was just amazing. We had put out our names like two hours before and finally got in. And this is how we ended the night. Well. Just kidding. There’s no other feeling like being sauce and getting late night ramen. And we went to Ramen Zundoya! What do you think? You don’t like it? No. It’s fire. Yo mine is spicy? What a great night. Day three. This is where the fourish part of the Kyoto trip begins. My wife was flying home today, so we booked it to Tokyo. Got some soba, and she was back on a plane back home to the United States. After seeing her off, I caught the Shinkansen from Shinagawa Station back to Kyoto and made it just in time for dinner. And with the only vegetarian in our group officially gone, we went straight to Kyoto Station to get some sushi and Musashi sushi. And this place was absolute fire. Kaiten sushi is never a bust. Just stack up those plates for a good time. We probably waited 30 minutes in line, and then once it was our turn, we went ham. I had the classic salmon, the tuna. I even had fatty salmon. This is where I’m going to change it up. Tell a little side story. So the time that I went back in 2018, my Japanese friend living in Tokyo at the time took me to kaiten sushi and the owner tried to get me to try raw horse meat and I couldn’t stomach it at the time, but since then I’ve regretted it. So this time I had to try it. It’s so chewy. It’s so chewy and tough. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Honestly you can try it is not that bad. Yeah, the taste wasn’t honestly that bad, but it just. You had to chew and chew and chew and chew it down. So much ginger. Just to get the first piece down. The second piece. I could not do it. It’s even chewier. Oh, no. After that, though, I went even more. More salmon, more tuna, yellowtail, some roasted duck corn. And just so much more. It was a delicious meal. All of these plates. And it was like less than $30 USD. That night we were still recovering, so we did some laundry because we still had another week left of our trip. Day four was our last full day in Kyoto before heading to Osaka, and we started it off right. I’ve always wanted to try Chicken Nanban and it did not disappoint. One of my favorite meals of the whole trip. That soggy fried chicken covered in tartar sauce. Phenomenal. I’ve never had anything like it. I also tried the assorted three types of wheat gluten. Kind of chewy. Not really my thing, but fun to experience at least once. And of course, because we were at a yakitori spot, I had to get some skewers. Liver, breast, heart solid all around but chicken nanban for life. baby! The place was near Teramachi, so naturally we headed back into that shopping alley while my brother wandered around jeans and a few other shops. Me and my buddy grab some karaage and it was fire like I don’t know what they put in it, probably MSG, but it was straight up bang in. It’s needs a beer. It’s isn’t like hella crunchy. It’s like a really chicken. It and like the salt and like the real spice fire. Eventually we ditched my brother and his friend. We were in the mood for some cafes and temples. So our first stop, Totaro. Super cute, super small shop where we grab some much a light taste and they gave us two little castella cakes on the side. So good. Usually back home it’s like 90% milk, 10% matcha. Not my thing, but this perfect. I down mine right there. No notes. So good. And it matched so well with the castella cakes. From there we walked a couple blocks to Shosei-en Garden. A peaceful temple garden with a big pond. It is so beautiful. The pond, the area, the cherry blossom. Just absolutely wonderful. We spent about maybe an hour just wandering, seeing the sights going up, down. We even saw Kyoto Tower from there. It was amazing. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, just so beautiful. And it was just one of those spots where you just slow down without even trying. Another two more blocks took us to Higashi Hongan-ji, this massive Buddhist temple complex. It felt like it could swallow the street. The wooden structures were huge and the touches of gold made the grain pop even more rustic and grand at the same time. Definitely one of the most impressive temples I’ve visited yet. But we weren’t done with temples yet. On our way to Hokan-ji. We walked alongside the Kamo River and it was again, just Kyoto’s just so beautiful. So nice. But we made a quick detour to Arabica for a caffeine break. I got the Kyoto latte. Best coffee latte I’ve had all trip. Still not beating my matcha lattes, but this one was absolute fire. And after that, we walked up to the pagoda and took a few photos. This thing was sick. Massive. Awesome. From there, we pushed up all the way through the crowd, going through so many people, climbing so many stairs all the way. Kiyomizu-dera I’ve been inside before so quick pic was enough this time. Plus we were starving so we headed back down. We took the first train we could find and Bam! We were at Gyukatsu Motomura. And this place is simple. Meat sauce. Cabbage soup, miso soup, beer rice. That’s it. There’s like. It’s really just about the meat. And the meat’s amazing. It is so juicy. It’s almost like a katsu. But they don’t cook the meat all the way. You get to cook it yourself. You put some wasabi on it or show you it. It’s just. It’s so fire. So juicy, so good. I would have 100% do this. A good no hesitation. One of the most satisfying meals of the whole trip. It’s just it’s just meat. That’s. That’s it. So good. Bellies full. Time to drink. We walked along the Takase River all the way to L’Escamoteur. Here, a super dark bar filled with magic and alchemy. The whole place felt like an industrial revolution. Collided with voodoo magic, wild lightning, smoky shadows and pure theatrics. They had a whole section of drinks called stage magic cocktails that come with a live performance while they’re being made. It wasn’t just bartending, it was full on acting and illusion work. Honestly, the drinks were great even without the show, but the show made them unforgettable. My personal favorite was the yuzu gimlet clean, citrusy, not one of the performance drinks, but super refreshing. We all tried, but one of the stage magic cocktails. One of them, the Boom-Boom, was a strawberry Ichi drink. Flashy, fun just like the rest of the night. I’m going to call this the morning of day three because I had to take the wife back to the airport, but we’re heading to Osaka at 2 p.m. so after checking out of our hotel, we went straight to Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Temple. This was the one thing I had to see in Kyoto and it absolutely delivered. At first I thought it was going to be a quick see it and dip kind of thing, but there’s actually way more to explore. Gardens, walkways, different angles of the temple. I ended up taking a bunch of photos and videos totally in awe. And what can you say? I’m a little brown boy that loves my gold things. It was so beautiful. Lots of people there. Some of the cherry blossoms were in bloom, so we got to see it and I got to take some videos like this one I’m about to show you. Yup. But after that, we hopped on a bus back to Teramachi for one last stop at Kyoto, a Japanese watch brand. I wanted something to remember this trip. And then also this was me and my brother’s first time traveling internationally as adults without our parents. So I wanted to pick out something cool. So we both picked out gold color watches. Honestly, that’s the only medal that hits right on our brown skin. And this is what we got. Mine on the right is on the left and it just looks absolutely stunning. And for our last meal, further down Teramachi was Katsukura Shijo Teramachi, a delicious tonkatsu shop. You grind your own sesame seeds, and then you pour your own katsu sauce of your choice to dip it in there. The place was so good. It’s not my first time. I went back in 2018 so I just had to come back. I got the medium katsu with a big old shrimp. The meat was so juicy, so crunchy, so fatty, and combining with the cabbage was so refreshing. They have a yuzu dressing for the cabbage. Ten out of ten I need. So good, so delicious. The best way to end the Kyoto trip. And just like that, we wrapped up Kyoto. From chicken nanban to matcha that actually tastes like matcha yakitori in back alleys. Magic bars with voodoo bar, temples, temples that took our breath away, and that final crunchy bite at Katsukura. So next stop, Osaka. See you in the next video.

KYOTO WAS AMAZING! I had some much fun walking and seeing all the sights. It was beautiful! We spend 4ish days there, and I say 4ish because 1 day I had to take my wife back to Haneda airport to go back home I returned back.

00:00 Intro
00:25 Day 1 (Nijo-jo, Nishiki Market, Gion, Maruyama Park
04:40 Day 2 (Nara, Uji, Tempura, Drinking around Pontocho)
14:15 Day 3ish (Taking the Wife to Haneda, Musashi Sushi, Laundry)
16:07 Day 4 (Chicken Nanban, Cafe, Some Temples, Gyukatsu, Magic Drinks)
21:07 Day 3 morning after 4 (Golden Temple, Watches, Tonkatsu)
22:29 Outro

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If you’re reading this far, here’s some old Japan videos unlisted from my 2018 trip

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#Japan #cherryblossom #travelvlog #kyoto