Fat And Furious: A Gluttonous Tour Of Japan (SQ Suites, ANA 787, RC Kyoto and more!)
Apr 27, 2015, 12:57 pm
#62
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 108
Amazing TR!
Such an amazing TR! Thanks for sharing, brings back memories.
Although I only travelled to Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara and areas around (not Tokyo like you & my husband)for about a month long trip many years ago as my husband was working with a client there, what struck me was the real high quality of their bread! Be it a donut or an indian bread naan, it was the most fluffiest, soft & delicious of donuts or naans I have eaten and I have eaten both of those breads in plenty. Japan had the most amazing breads ever I have tasted! Maybe speaks to their quality & perfection towards most things in life.
Although I only travelled to Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara and areas around (not Tokyo like you & my husband)for about a month long trip many years ago as my husband was working with a client there, what struck me was the real high quality of their bread! Be it a donut or an indian bread naan, it was the most fluffiest, soft & delicious of donuts or naans I have eaten and I have eaten both of those breads in plenty. Japan had the most amazing breads ever I have tasted! Maybe speaks to their quality & perfection towards most things in life.
Apr 28, 2015, 9:33 am
#64
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
Thanks, Fredrik74! Yes, it was a great coincidence and we had a wonderful time.
Glad to bring back some fond memories! Agree about the bread - while I generally try to limit my intake of breads/carbs, they were simply too delicious to pass up in Japan.
AHHH, I didn't notice any eggs because that's definitely something I would have tried. Once the food came out I must have had tunnel vision.
Such an amazing TR! Thanks for sharing, brings back memories.
Although I only travelled to Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara and areas around (not Tokyo like you & my husband)for about a month long trip many years ago as my husband was working with a client there, what struck me was the real high quality of their bread! Be it a donut or an indian bread naan, it was the most fluffiest, soft & delicious of donuts or naans I have eaten and I have eaten both of those breads in plenty. Japan had the most amazing breads ever I have tasted! Maybe speaks to their quality & perfection towards most things in life.
Although I only travelled to Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara and areas around (not Tokyo like you & my husband)for about a month long trip many years ago as my husband was working with a client there, what struck me was the real high quality of their bread! Be it a donut or an indian bread naan, it was the most fluffiest, soft & delicious of donuts or naans I have eaten and I have eaten both of those breads in plenty. Japan had the most amazing breads ever I have tasted! Maybe speaks to their quality & perfection towards most things in life.
AHHH, I didn't notice any eggs because that's definitely something I would have tried. Once the food came out I must have had tunnel vision.
Apr 28, 2015, 2:13 pm
#65
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
fear not, you might find a time to try the US banches of Men Oh....love the warning about raw eggs....
http://www.menohusa.com/home/
Apr 28, 2015, 2:31 pm
#66
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto
This hotel review could easily be summed up in a single sentence - The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto is one of the best hotels that I've ever stayed at, and I would be absolutely shocked if it didn't soon ascend into the rankings of "Best Hotels In the World".
But as tempting as it is to drop the mic and walk away, what's a trip report without a few pictures?
We arrived at Kyoto Station in the late afternoon, and while the hotel is semi-walkable from the station (25-30 minutes), we had our luggage with us and instead jumped in a taxi. The traffic around the river was backed up, and it took 30 frustrating minutes and more than $20 to get to the hotel.
As the taxi pulled into the garage, all the road rage was forgotten as we got our first glimpse of the hotel. Even though the Ritz Carlton Kyoto is a Western luxury hotel in the middle of one of the most historical cities in Japan, it's anything but an eye-sore. The building's architecture blends perfectly into its surroundings along the Kamogawa river, with no obnoxious signage or neon lights. In fact, other than the blue Ritz-Carlton flag outside, you wouldn't even know that this a 134-room hotel.
We were immediately greeted as we jumped out of the taxi, and escorted into the hotel. The path follows a beautiful water feature leading up to the main entrance.
The hotel organized complimentary bike tours twice a week, and also made the bicycles available for rental to guests. As you can imagine, independent bike shops are about 50%-75% cheaper, but you can't beat the convenience factor of renting directly from the hotel. In addition to the standard bikes, special "Lance Armstrong" edition bikes were available which provided battery-powered performance enhancement.
We walked through the hotel's entrance and into the lobby, which I'd describe as the perfect balance of modern architecture and traditional Japanese aesthetics.
There was beautiful bonsai tree at the entrance, and the hotel's signature scent which contained cherry blossoms and lychee wafted throughout the lobby.
If I were to design my dream hotel, it'd look exactly like this.
The service at the hotel was simply phenomenal. Our information had been relayed from the garage upon arrival, so by the time we arrived at the check-in desk an attendant was ready to escort us to the room.
It's worth noting that this was one of the few times we were asked for our name. After this, about 75% of the time we were greeted by name, even by staff who we didn't remember encountering before.
It's refreshing to be in a hotel that isn't a huge sky-scraping monstrosity. The hotel only had 5 floors, and we were assigned to a room on floor 3.
As we walked up to our room, #342, we took a second to admire the gorgeous door.
You know how there's that signature new car smell that lingers for several months? Well, even though this hotel has been open for over a year, everything about the room still has that new hotel smell to it.
Since we had booked our stay on points in the middle of peak season, there was no surprise that we were assigned to an entry level room overlooking the courtyard.
The room featured all the high-tech gizmos, with some impressive blackout shades. In fact, all of hotels we stayed at in Japan had blackout shades, and I finally realized how big of a difference it made in terms of sleep quality. So much so, that one of first things I did after returning home was to install them in my bedroom.
There was a seating area overlooking the garden, with a delicious plate of strawberries waiting for us. The Japanese take their fruit really seriously, and each one of the strawberries was perfectly ripe and delicious.
One of the cool touches was our own mini-bonsai tree in the room.
The bathroom was really impressive, a perfect combination of design and practicality. Some of the over-stylized bathrooms take it too far, with complicated faucets or sinks that are so shallow that you end up splashing water everywhere.
The TV in the mirror was cool albeit excessive, given that the room's main TV was just 25 ft. in the other direction.
An incredible selection of amenities were provided, and the emery board actually proved useful after I chipped a nail.
And Asprey-branded shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
The shower room featured a shower/tub combo setup, with a unique floral pattern on the wall. The base of the shower was similar to that of an outdoor shower, with wooden slats that allowed the water to drain between them.
The room also featured an impressive selection of coffee, and tea, including both English and Japanese tea selections. The bottled water was refilled throughout the day, and was also available at the hotel's entrance.
After settling in, we went downstairs to the lobby to take a closer look at the the afternoon tea options.
We had passed the Pierre Herme boutique and had made a note to come back down as soon as possible.
I drooled over the wide range of macarons, including a signature black sesame flavor unique to the hotel.
The cakes were as pretty as they were delicious - we settled on the "original cake" which was lemony decadence.
Rather than have afternoon tea in the lobby, our Asian instincts kicked in, and we realized that we had everything we needed to have afternoon tea in our room for a fraction of the price. So we bought some stuff from the boutique downstairs and made our own afternoon tea spread.
Between all the sightseeing and walking around in Kyoto, the best feature was the hotel's incredibly sexy underground pool. Along with the pool there was a steam room and sauna, and we found it sparsely used each time we came by.
The hotel provided complimentary swim suits and gym clothes which was an added bonus.
Let's move on to the food - while we ate most of our meals outside of the hotel, we did stop by one morning for breakfast where there were both Western or Japanese restaurants to choose from. We settled on La Locanda which was the Western option where we had a view overlooking the Japanese garden.
The highlight of the breakfast spread were undoubtedly the Pierre Herme pastries which were just fantastic.
Of course we had to try each pastry, since after all, that was the only way to figure out which was best.
The best of the lot was the Ispahan croissant, which was a type of jam that was so good that we bought a jar to take home.
In addition to the buffet, there was an a la carte menu which featured many different egg dishes. The entrees were definitely quality over quantity, which was appreciated after all the pastries that had been consumed. The egg yolks were beautifully yellow, rivaling the rich, golden color of the ones we had in Dubai.
The only other meal we had at the restaurant was in the Japanese restaurant, Mizuki, where several different dining options are available, including kaiseki, sushi, teppan, and tempura.
We opted for the tempura dinner to try something new, and it was served at the tempura bar where all of the food was cooked right in front of us. There were 3 set menus to choose from, all of which featured a range of seafood and veggies.
Perhaps the most impressive part was the selection of 4 different flavored salts - sea salt, cherry blossom, seaweed, and matcha.
First up, a cold appetizer with poached firefly squid. We had actually considered adding Toyoma Bay to our itinerary, which is one of the best places to view the luminescent blue firefly squid in Japan. I guess eating them would have to do.
And then a selection of tempura cooked for us, a couple pieces at a time. My wife was happy with this pacing, since for a fast eater like myself, there wasn't any way to finish my meal quickly and then just sit there staring at (and annoying) her.
The best part of the meal was the green tea ice cream served at the end. Overall the meal was just OK, and given the vast array of delicious food available in Kyoto, I wouldn't necessarily recommended it unless you were too tired to venture outside the hotel.
This was our first Ritz-Carlton experience, and we can definitely see how much pride they take in the guest experience, as the service was simply top-notch throughout the stay. As another example, we made several dining reservations through the concierge, and each time a letter would be delivered to our room the night before as a reminder along with a print-out of a map with detailed directions.
Overall, this is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed at, and I can't imagine staying anywhere else next time I'm in Kyoto.
But as tempting as it is to drop the mic and walk away, what's a trip report without a few pictures?
We arrived at Kyoto Station in the late afternoon, and while the hotel is semi-walkable from the station (25-30 minutes), we had our luggage with us and instead jumped in a taxi. The traffic around the river was backed up, and it took 30 frustrating minutes and more than $20 to get to the hotel.
As the taxi pulled into the garage, all the road rage was forgotten as we got our first glimpse of the hotel. Even though the Ritz Carlton Kyoto is a Western luxury hotel in the middle of one of the most historical cities in Japan, it's anything but an eye-sore. The building's architecture blends perfectly into its surroundings along the Kamogawa river, with no obnoxious signage or neon lights. In fact, other than the blue Ritz-Carlton flag outside, you wouldn't even know that this a 134-room hotel.
We were immediately greeted as we jumped out of the taxi, and escorted into the hotel. The path follows a beautiful water feature leading up to the main entrance.
The hotel organized complimentary bike tours twice a week, and also made the bicycles available for rental to guests. As you can imagine, independent bike shops are about 50%-75% cheaper, but you can't beat the convenience factor of renting directly from the hotel. In addition to the standard bikes, special "Lance Armstrong" edition bikes were available which provided battery-powered performance enhancement.
We walked through the hotel's entrance and into the lobby, which I'd describe as the perfect balance of modern architecture and traditional Japanese aesthetics.
There was beautiful bonsai tree at the entrance, and the hotel's signature scent which contained cherry blossoms and lychee wafted throughout the lobby.
If I were to design my dream hotel, it'd look exactly like this.
The service at the hotel was simply phenomenal. Our information had been relayed from the garage upon arrival, so by the time we arrived at the check-in desk an attendant was ready to escort us to the room.
It's worth noting that this was one of the few times we were asked for our name. After this, about 75% of the time we were greeted by name, even by staff who we didn't remember encountering before.
It's refreshing to be in a hotel that isn't a huge sky-scraping monstrosity. The hotel only had 5 floors, and we were assigned to a room on floor 3.
As we walked up to our room, #342, we took a second to admire the gorgeous door.
You know how there's that signature new car smell that lingers for several months? Well, even though this hotel has been open for over a year, everything about the room still has that new hotel smell to it.
Since we had booked our stay on points in the middle of peak season, there was no surprise that we were assigned to an entry level room overlooking the courtyard.
The room featured all the high-tech gizmos, with some impressive blackout shades. In fact, all of hotels we stayed at in Japan had blackout shades, and I finally realized how big of a difference it made in terms of sleep quality. So much so, that one of first things I did after returning home was to install them in my bedroom.
There was a seating area overlooking the garden, with a delicious plate of strawberries waiting for us. The Japanese take their fruit really seriously, and each one of the strawberries was perfectly ripe and delicious.
One of the cool touches was our own mini-bonsai tree in the room.
The bathroom was really impressive, a perfect combination of design and practicality. Some of the over-stylized bathrooms take it too far, with complicated faucets or sinks that are so shallow that you end up splashing water everywhere.
The TV in the mirror was cool albeit excessive, given that the room's main TV was just 25 ft. in the other direction.
An incredible selection of amenities were provided, and the emery board actually proved useful after I chipped a nail.
And Asprey-branded shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
The shower room featured a shower/tub combo setup, with a unique floral pattern on the wall. The base of the shower was similar to that of an outdoor shower, with wooden slats that allowed the water to drain between them.
The room also featured an impressive selection of coffee, and tea, including both English and Japanese tea selections. The bottled water was refilled throughout the day, and was also available at the hotel's entrance.
After settling in, we went downstairs to the lobby to take a closer look at the the afternoon tea options.
We had passed the Pierre Herme boutique and had made a note to come back down as soon as possible.
I drooled over the wide range of macarons, including a signature black sesame flavor unique to the hotel.
The cakes were as pretty as they were delicious - we settled on the "original cake" which was lemony decadence.
Rather than have afternoon tea in the lobby, our Asian instincts kicked in, and we realized that we had everything we needed to have afternoon tea in our room for a fraction of the price. So we bought some stuff from the boutique downstairs and made our own afternoon tea spread.
Between all the sightseeing and walking around in Kyoto, the best feature was the hotel's incredibly sexy underground pool. Along with the pool there was a steam room and sauna, and we found it sparsely used each time we came by.
The hotel provided complimentary swim suits and gym clothes which was an added bonus.
Let's move on to the food - while we ate most of our meals outside of the hotel, we did stop by one morning for breakfast where there were both Western or Japanese restaurants to choose from. We settled on La Locanda which was the Western option where we had a view overlooking the Japanese garden.
The highlight of the breakfast spread were undoubtedly the Pierre Herme pastries which were just fantastic.
Of course we had to try each pastry, since after all, that was the only way to figure out which was best.
The best of the lot was the Ispahan croissant, which was a type of jam that was so good that we bought a jar to take home.
In addition to the buffet, there was an a la carte menu which featured many different egg dishes. The entrees were definitely quality over quantity, which was appreciated after all the pastries that had been consumed. The egg yolks were beautifully yellow, rivaling the rich, golden color of the ones we had in Dubai.
The only other meal we had at the restaurant was in the Japanese restaurant, Mizuki, where several different dining options are available, including kaiseki, sushi, teppan, and tempura.
We opted for the tempura dinner to try something new, and it was served at the tempura bar where all of the food was cooked right in front of us. There were 3 set menus to choose from, all of which featured a range of seafood and veggies.
Perhaps the most impressive part was the selection of 4 different flavored salts - sea salt, cherry blossom, seaweed, and matcha.
First up, a cold appetizer with poached firefly squid. We had actually considered adding Toyoma Bay to our itinerary, which is one of the best places to view the luminescent blue firefly squid in Japan. I guess eating them would have to do.
And then a selection of tempura cooked for us, a couple pieces at a time. My wife was happy with this pacing, since for a fast eater like myself, there wasn't any way to finish my meal quickly and then just sit there staring at (and annoying) her.
The best part of the meal was the green tea ice cream served at the end. Overall the meal was just OK, and given the vast array of delicious food available in Kyoto, I wouldn't necessarily recommended it unless you were too tired to venture outside the hotel.
This was our first Ritz-Carlton experience, and we can definitely see how much pride they take in the guest experience, as the service was simply top-notch throughout the stay. As another example, we made several dining reservations through the concierge, and each time a letter would be delivered to our room the night before as a reminder along with a print-out of a map with detailed directions.
Overall, this is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed at, and I can't imagine staying anywhere else next time I'm in Kyoto.
Last edited by sfoactuary; Apr 28, 2015 at 2:52 pm
Apr 28, 2015, 9:24 pm
#68
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: LAX now, previously SEA
Programs: BR Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 206
Hi sfoactuary - Thanks for your amazing report on the RC Kyoto.
I'm actually planning a trip to Kyoto this summer, and I'm wondering if you can comment on how walkable/convenient the area is around the Ritz? My wife and I will be bringing our 15 month old daughter with us, and we'd like to be able to walk to local shopping areas with her stroller, avoiding taxis as much as possible.
I'm actually planning a trip to Kyoto this summer, and I'm wondering if you can comment on how walkable/convenient the area is around the Ritz? My wife and I will be bringing our 15 month old daughter with us, and we'd like to be able to walk to local shopping areas with her stroller, avoiding taxis as much as possible.
Apr 28, 2015, 10:40 pm
#69
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: YTZ, YYZ, AMS
Programs: Platinum Zirconium in Life, aeroplan, FB, Avios, IHG
Posts: 603
Great report. I liked that you went to a different place than the norm (matsayama) how many points did you use for the ritz? Looking forward to more Kyoto!
Apr 29, 2015, 6:27 am
#70
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
Hi sfoactuary - Thanks for your amazing report on the RC Kyoto.
I'm actually planning a trip to Kyoto this summer, and I'm wondering if you can comment on how walkable/convenient the area is around the Ritz? My wife and I will be bringing our 15 month old daughter with us, and we'd like to be able to walk to local shopping areas with her stroller, avoiding taxis as much as possible.
I'm actually planning a trip to Kyoto this summer, and I'm wondering if you can comment on how walkable/convenient the area is around the Ritz? My wife and I will be bringing our 15 month old daughter with us, and we'd like to be able to walk to local shopping areas with her stroller, avoiding taxis as much as possible.
Apr 29, 2015, 3:59 pm
#71
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
too bad. you will notice in your ramen they used "butabara", or belly. i noticed your slices were slightly thicker than some of the other places i have seen, some are very thinly sliced and are curled like the bacon you probably cook at home.
fear not, you might find a time to try the US banches of Men Oh....love the warning about raw eggs....
http://www.menohusa.com/home/
fear not, you might find a time to try the US banches of Men Oh....love the warning about raw eggs....
http://www.menohusa.com/home/
Hi sfoactuary - Thanks for your amazing report on the RC Kyoto.
I'm actually planning a trip to Kyoto this summer, and I'm wondering if you can comment on how walkable/convenient the area is around the Ritz? My wife and I will be bringing our 15 month old daughter with us, and we'd like to be able to walk to local shopping areas with her stroller, avoiding taxis as much as possible.
I'm actually planning a trip to Kyoto this summer, and I'm wondering if you can comment on how walkable/convenient the area is around the Ritz? My wife and I will be bringing our 15 month old daughter with us, and we'd like to be able to walk to local shopping areas with her stroller, avoiding taxis as much as possible.
Be prepared for it to be extremely hot. IMO the location is not too bad but still a walk to the main shopping area down on Shijo Dori. I have pushed my daughter around Kyoto several times. Most recently this past june. It just depends how much you can walk and how you tolerate heat. We walk a lot at home and rarely drive so really, so one day we walked from kyoto station to gion and it was long but did not kill us. Then again, it was not in the summer. Why not just take buses? You should be able to sort them out pretty easily. Just make sure your stroller is small.
Last edited by sfoactuary; Apr 29, 2015 at 4:40 pm
Apr 29, 2015, 7:54 pm
#72
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: LAX now, previously SEA
Programs: BR Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 206
Be prepared for it to be extremely hot. IMO the location is not too bad but still a walk to the main shopping area down on Shijo Dori. I have pushed my daughter around Kyoto several times. Most recently this past june. It just depends how much you can walk and how you tolerate heat. We walk a lot at home and rarely drive so really, so one day we walked from kyoto station to gion and it was long but did not kill us. Then again, it was not in the summer. Why not just take buses? You should be able to sort them out pretty easily. Just make sure your stroller is small.
Aside from the weather, would you say the area is decently equipped to handle strollers (even pavement, wide sidewalks, etc...)?
Apr 29, 2015, 8:11 pm
#73
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
Thanks for the advice mkjr. We have lived in Taipei for the last 5 years, so no stranger to 35+ degrees C in the summer. We also don't own a car and rely solely on public transportation, so walking a lot is not bad for us either.
Aside from the weather, would you say the area is decently equipped to handle strollers (even pavement, wide sidewalks, etc...)?
Aside from the weather, would you say the area is decently equipped to handle strollers (even pavement, wide sidewalks, etc...)?
I think there were only a couple streets that were on the narrow-side around Gion, and some that were cobble-stoned which would be an issue.
But in general I can't see you having any issues at all.
Apr 30, 2015, 7:29 am
#74
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
From what I recall, the streets were plenty wide and well-paved. In fact, saw many locals pushing strollers around without any issues.
I think there were only a couple streets that were on the narrow-side around Gion, and some that were cobble-stoned which would be an issue.
But in general I can't see you having any issues at all.
I think there were only a couple streets that were on the narrow-side around Gion, and some that were cobble-stoned which would be an issue.
But in general I can't see you having any issues at all.
May 1, 2015, 2:31 pm
#75
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 700
Eating Kyoto - The Search for Matcha and Geisha
As first-timers to Kyoto we realized that there was a LOT to see and do, and we were going to attempt to cram as much as humanly possible into the next 4 days.
By the time we had settled into the hotel it was early evening, and we headed out to Gion with a couple goals in mind. Firstly, we wanted to find some good food, but we soon realized this was one of the few places where our "tourist trap" radar went off and ultimately decided to eat elsewhere. Secondly, we wanted to go Geisha-spotting, and had heard that around 5-6pm in Gion was one of the best times to do this.
After an hour of walking in circles through Gion we eventually gave up and turned out attention to food. With the help of Yelp we discovered Chojiro Sushi and arrived to find a long line stretching out-the-door. It was filled with a mix of locals and tourists, and the windows of the restaurant were plastered with TripAdvisor signs which is usually a tell-tale sign of a tourist trap.
We ultimately stuck around, mostly because I was starving and didn't want to move, and the food here turned out to be damn good food and relatively cheap. The best feature was the restaurant's menu and ordering system - the menu was loaded onto and iPad with detailed descriptions and pictures in several different languages, and everything could be ordered directly from there.
Highlight of the meal was a live mackerel which was filleted on the spot, with the carcass then deep fried afterwards.
Kyoto is well-known for its abundance of matcha, or green tea-flavored food, and after dinner we were on the hunt for dessert. We stumbled into Tsujiri and walked out with this amazing green tea ice cream parfait.
After a fantastic night of sleep at the Ritz-Carlton, the next day we were fully rested and ready for some serious sight-seeing. We started on foot toward Kyoto Station. The weather had been unseasonably cold this year, which meant that the cherry blossom-lined streets had barely started to bloom.
About 30 minutes later we arrived at Kyoto Station along with the morning crowds. First order of business, finding some breakfast.
KFC-flavored chips!?!? Yes, please.
But since I was in Kyoto with a matcha-maniac, my wife's rule was that every meal had to have something with matcha. So off we were to line up at Manneken for breakfast part II.
The line was particularly slow, which I suspect was due to the fact that each individual waffle that people bought was wrapped beautifully. Like the express-lane at the supermarket, there should have been a separate line for "No Need For Packaging - Eating RIGHT NOW". But my irritation was soon erased after a bite of those delicious Belgian waffles.
Even though we enjoy walking as much as possible, our abbreviated timeline meant that we were going to need some wheels to help us get around.
Kyoto is extremely bike-friendly, and we loved cruising along the river and the streets. Unlike the San Francisco Bay Area where bikers and cars seem to mix like oil and water, the drivers in Kyoto couldn't have been nicer and despite our erratic and reckless biking, we didn't get honked at once.
We joined up with the "Kyoto Small Group Bike Tour" booked via Viator on our first day which took us around to a few of the second-tier sites. While I wouldn't recommend the tour, it was nice to have a guide give us a crash course in navigating the city which made us more comfortable biking by ourselves later on.
Here's one of the first stops we made on the tour, the _________ temple [like I said, I wouldn't recommend the tour and clearly wasn't paying attention].
While we had been searching for Geisha, we instead had the pleasure of stumbling upon a sumo wrestler.
While 99% of the cherry blossom trees in Kyoto had yet to bloom, that made us appreciate the early-bloomers even more. Each time we saw one we'd stop by to take a closer look.
After the half-day tour we were on our own for the next couple days, and we went on a binge of temples and shrines, starting with Ginkaku-ji, or the Silver Temple.
While the temple itself didn't stand out, the sand art was absolutely stunning.
And a beautiful and serene stroll around through the garden along the water.
Outside each temple there was always an large array of food and shopping stalls, and this was where we did most of our eating during the day. Outside the Silver Temple we started off with some of the freshest mochi I've ever had which had been coated in matcha dust.
Then some matcha ice cream to wash it down.
We tried the "special" Kyoto beef bun which wasn't anything but special, but the fried chicken was fantastic.
Next, we biked across town to the Kinkaku-ji, or Golden Temple and with the help of our electric bikes, we were able to make it across town in about 20 minutes. In my opinion, biking is the best way to get around and often times is just as fast, if not faster, than taking the bus or subway especially when taking into account waiting times.
We met up with our friend Haagen-Dazs for a snack.
And then inside to view the Golden Temple, which was pretty darn magnificent. This is probably one of the most heavily visited attractions in Kyoto, and it was wall-to-wall people from the moment we stepped inside.
As we biked back through Gion afterwards, our luck turned and we stumbled upon a Geisha. There were plenty of Geisha imposters around, but my wife who is a self-proclaimed expert in this topic after reading Memoirs of a Geisha confirmed the authenticity of this one.
All along both sides of the Kamogawa there were paths leading down from the street to the river banks. This was by far the best place to bike since there was no traffic and the scenery is just gorgeous. There were a couple stone walkways across the river, including one right by the hotel, and we had some fun hopping across.
We ditched the bikes for part of the day and traveled via subway to Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is one of the signature sites in Kyoto. We thought that the shrine was just going to be a photo op, and didn't realize until we arrived that it's actually a serious hike. We only made it about halfway up before turning back since we were ill-prepared, and I'd imagine that it's at least a 2-3 hour hike to do the full trail to the top of the mountain.
Outside the shrine we grabbed some snacks, including some fresh takoyaki, and a red bean-flavored pancake in the shape of fish that was unfortunately devoured before I remembered to take a picture.
Then onto the other signature site in Kyoto, the bamboo forest. This place is truly magical and pictures really don't do it justice.
The next day we were on a mission to eat, and the day started with a visit to Daimaru department store where we headed straight for the basement level. There was an impressive Kit Kat storefront featuring some special edition green tea flavors. We regrettably bought some here, and later found the same thing in the Harajuku district of Tokyo for a fraction of the price.
I prefer savory over sweet anytime, so you can imagine my excitement when I spotted this huge vat of braised pork belly, and wanted to stick my face in it like I was bobbing for apples.
Daimaru actually had an outdoor seating area so we grabbed a few things and had a department store picnic. The pork belly didn't make it in to this picture, since it was devoured en route to the table.
Afterwards, we walked across the street to Nishiki Market which is a huge outdoor food market featuring all types of foods, but seemed to specialize in fish and other seafood products.
One of the first things we got were baby octopus with a quail egg stuffed in the head.
Next up, an assortment of fried and grilled fish.
For a food-lover like myself, to me this was as much of an attraction as the Bamboo Forest and Golden Pavilion. It was incredibly fun soaking in all the sights and smells.
And now, the highlight of our visit to Nishiki Market, matcha kettle corn mixed with matcha ice cream. It was so good that we actually walked back for seconds.
On our way out we passed by this insanely huge and daunting crab statue that subsequently haunted my dreams for the next couple days.
Our last stop in Kyoto was on the way back to the hotel at Ippodo Tea Store. We passed by this pink pig smoker which I thought was cute at first, until I realized the irony of cooking pork ribs inside a pig. Hannibal Lecter would be proud of the cannibalistic symbolism.
Ippodo had a great selection of teas, and some good instructional material for novices like ourselves. After trying no fewer than 10 different types, we settled on some sencha tea.
By the time we had settled into the hotel it was early evening, and we headed out to Gion with a couple goals in mind. Firstly, we wanted to find some good food, but we soon realized this was one of the few places where our "tourist trap" radar went off and ultimately decided to eat elsewhere. Secondly, we wanted to go Geisha-spotting, and had heard that around 5-6pm in Gion was one of the best times to do this.
After an hour of walking in circles through Gion we eventually gave up and turned out attention to food. With the help of Yelp we discovered Chojiro Sushi and arrived to find a long line stretching out-the-door. It was filled with a mix of locals and tourists, and the windows of the restaurant were plastered with TripAdvisor signs which is usually a tell-tale sign of a tourist trap.
We ultimately stuck around, mostly because I was starving and didn't want to move, and the food here turned out to be damn good food and relatively cheap. The best feature was the restaurant's menu and ordering system - the menu was loaded onto and iPad with detailed descriptions and pictures in several different languages, and everything could be ordered directly from there.
Highlight of the meal was a live mackerel which was filleted on the spot, with the carcass then deep fried afterwards.
Kyoto is well-known for its abundance of matcha, or green tea-flavored food, and after dinner we were on the hunt for dessert. We stumbled into Tsujiri and walked out with this amazing green tea ice cream parfait.
After a fantastic night of sleep at the Ritz-Carlton, the next day we were fully rested and ready for some serious sight-seeing. We started on foot toward Kyoto Station. The weather had been unseasonably cold this year, which meant that the cherry blossom-lined streets had barely started to bloom.
About 30 minutes later we arrived at Kyoto Station along with the morning crowds. First order of business, finding some breakfast.
KFC-flavored chips!?!? Yes, please.
But since I was in Kyoto with a matcha-maniac, my wife's rule was that every meal had to have something with matcha. So off we were to line up at Manneken for breakfast part II.
The line was particularly slow, which I suspect was due to the fact that each individual waffle that people bought was wrapped beautifully. Like the express-lane at the supermarket, there should have been a separate line for "No Need For Packaging - Eating RIGHT NOW". But my irritation was soon erased after a bite of those delicious Belgian waffles.
Even though we enjoy walking as much as possible, our abbreviated timeline meant that we were going to need some wheels to help us get around.
Kyoto is extremely bike-friendly, and we loved cruising along the river and the streets. Unlike the San Francisco Bay Area where bikers and cars seem to mix like oil and water, the drivers in Kyoto couldn't have been nicer and despite our erratic and reckless biking, we didn't get honked at once.
We joined up with the "Kyoto Small Group Bike Tour" booked via Viator on our first day which took us around to a few of the second-tier sites. While I wouldn't recommend the tour, it was nice to have a guide give us a crash course in navigating the city which made us more comfortable biking by ourselves later on.
Here's one of the first stops we made on the tour, the _________ temple [like I said, I wouldn't recommend the tour and clearly wasn't paying attention].
While we had been searching for Geisha, we instead had the pleasure of stumbling upon a sumo wrestler.
While 99% of the cherry blossom trees in Kyoto had yet to bloom, that made us appreciate the early-bloomers even more. Each time we saw one we'd stop by to take a closer look.
After the half-day tour we were on our own for the next couple days, and we went on a binge of temples and shrines, starting with Ginkaku-ji, or the Silver Temple.
While the temple itself didn't stand out, the sand art was absolutely stunning.
And a beautiful and serene stroll around through the garden along the water.
Outside each temple there was always an large array of food and shopping stalls, and this was where we did most of our eating during the day. Outside the Silver Temple we started off with some of the freshest mochi I've ever had which had been coated in matcha dust.
Then some matcha ice cream to wash it down.
We tried the "special" Kyoto beef bun which wasn't anything but special, but the fried chicken was fantastic.
Next, we biked across town to the Kinkaku-ji, or Golden Temple and with the help of our electric bikes, we were able to make it across town in about 20 minutes. In my opinion, biking is the best way to get around and often times is just as fast, if not faster, than taking the bus or subway especially when taking into account waiting times.
We met up with our friend Haagen-Dazs for a snack.
And then inside to view the Golden Temple, which was pretty darn magnificent. This is probably one of the most heavily visited attractions in Kyoto, and it was wall-to-wall people from the moment we stepped inside.
As we biked back through Gion afterwards, our luck turned and we stumbled upon a Geisha. There were plenty of Geisha imposters around, but my wife who is a self-proclaimed expert in this topic after reading Memoirs of a Geisha confirmed the authenticity of this one.
All along both sides of the Kamogawa there were paths leading down from the street to the river banks. This was by far the best place to bike since there was no traffic and the scenery is just gorgeous. There were a couple stone walkways across the river, including one right by the hotel, and we had some fun hopping across.
We ditched the bikes for part of the day and traveled via subway to Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is one of the signature sites in Kyoto. We thought that the shrine was just going to be a photo op, and didn't realize until we arrived that it's actually a serious hike. We only made it about halfway up before turning back since we were ill-prepared, and I'd imagine that it's at least a 2-3 hour hike to do the full trail to the top of the mountain.
Outside the shrine we grabbed some snacks, including some fresh takoyaki, and a red bean-flavored pancake in the shape of fish that was unfortunately devoured before I remembered to take a picture.
Then onto the other signature site in Kyoto, the bamboo forest. This place is truly magical and pictures really don't do it justice.
The next day we were on a mission to eat, and the day started with a visit to Daimaru department store where we headed straight for the basement level. There was an impressive Kit Kat storefront featuring some special edition green tea flavors. We regrettably bought some here, and later found the same thing in the Harajuku district of Tokyo for a fraction of the price.
I prefer savory over sweet anytime, so you can imagine my excitement when I spotted this huge vat of braised pork belly, and wanted to stick my face in it like I was bobbing for apples.
Daimaru actually had an outdoor seating area so we grabbed a few things and had a department store picnic. The pork belly didn't make it in to this picture, since it was devoured en route to the table.
Afterwards, we walked across the street to Nishiki Market which is a huge outdoor food market featuring all types of foods, but seemed to specialize in fish and other seafood products.
One of the first things we got were baby octopus with a quail egg stuffed in the head.
Next up, an assortment of fried and grilled fish.
For a food-lover like myself, to me this was as much of an attraction as the Bamboo Forest and Golden Pavilion. It was incredibly fun soaking in all the sights and smells.
And now, the highlight of our visit to Nishiki Market, matcha kettle corn mixed with matcha ice cream. It was so good that we actually walked back for seconds.
On our way out we passed by this insanely huge and daunting crab statue that subsequently haunted my dreams for the next couple days.
Our last stop in Kyoto was on the way back to the hotel at Ippodo Tea Store. We passed by this pink pig smoker which I thought was cute at first, until I realized the irony of cooking pork ribs inside a pig. Hannibal Lecter would be proud of the cannibalistic symbolism.
Ippodo had a great selection of teas, and some good instructional material for novices like ourselves. After trying no fewer than 10 different types, we settled on some sencha tea.