Sukiyaki Food Experiences(5)

The hosts were great! There are several buildings to stay in. We were the only group for our one night stay, but in theory I believe separate parties would each use a different building. We made takoyaki, and the hosts made tempura and katsu along with the star Matsusaka beef (bbq’ed and in sukiyaki), plus small side dishes. Way more food than we could possibly consume. Breakfast included homemade rice flour bread, and they sent us off with bentos as well. In fact, because our next stop was a 45 minute drive away (Ise), they drove us to our hotel to drop off our luggage and then dropped us off at Ise Jingu to save us the train ride. I wouldn’t get too excited over the vegetable garden; I don’t think we even ate the vegetables we picked, and if you’ve ever kept a small garden yourself it’s essentially the same experience.

Truly amazing experience. I loved the Japanese hospitality of my hosts and their thoughtfulness. Although they can’t really speak English, they make an attempt to use translation app on their mobile phone. Food was home cooked and home made. Totally delicious.

Spencer exceeded our initial expectations as our tour guide for the evening. The tour started a bit awkwardly, but Spencer’s eclectic knowledge helped spark conversations which connected us as a group. The tour started at the bridge overlooked by the popular Glico man where Spencer provided history on the origins of the company and mascot. At the first food stop, we had 4 different types of takoyaki which was the best we’ve ever had - piping hot crispy crust, decadent gooey insides, and juicy pops of chewy octopus. The tour continued through some cute alleyways where Spencer highlighted art work depicting the history of Osaka and a tiny shrine for the 1 inch-high samurai. The next food stop, which we never would have discovered on our own, was a quiet restaurant featuring homestyle cooking. Here we had tonjiru (pork-based soup), agedashi tofu, and a tsukune skewer. Spencer also bought us a round of drinks. We then walked through the busy streets of Dotonbori and marveled at the oversized mascots and kitschy decor above the restaurants. Spencer pointed out the restaurant where conveyor belt sushi was invented, which we went back to try later. The next stop was a busy izakaya packed with locals that would be intimidating for foreigners to enter unguided. We had 2 types of okonomiyaki, chicken karaage, and more drinks. We felt like we got a taste of being a local. Last was a taiyaki stall with hot fish shaped cakes - the perfect street dessert capping a fun night in Osaka!

The host family were super friendly. Even if you don’t know or know little japanese, they make huge efforts (using translation apps) to communicate with you. During this stay, i learnt about the true origins of Matsusaka beef (actually from Taiki!) and got to taste a huge sukiyaki feast cooked with vege gathered from their local farm and water from a nearby mountain source. The house is also clean and comfortable with toilet, bedding, kitchen and amenities. I am so touched by their hospitality (they even prepared onigiri for me the next morning for my next journey), i will return again with family!! Thank you so much, i wont forget this experience..

Very fun countryside tour, the hosts are amazing and so so so welcoming. It felt like I was coming home.