Sukiyaki Food Experiences(8)

All of the food was well prepared and presented throughout the tour, and the portions were large. The room was very nice as well. The guide was friendly energy, knowledgeable, and funny.

My favourite dish was the eel. Eel is an unique dish that you do not have the chance to enjoy most of the time. The tenderness of the fish, cooked by experienced chefs made it an incredibly enjoyable meal. The portion of all the food was incredibly filling, and the the guide was enthusiastic.

Our guide, Russ, was very knowledgeable and, true to his Welsh roots, he entertained us with many fun stories and anecdotes about both the old and new Osaka . Wondering through the streets and side alleys, Russ introduced us to many restaurants, shops, and (yes) even a temple that is also home to a large family of cats. As well, a shout out to Virginia who accompanied us as a guide-in-training. Lots of fun and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to experience a special part of Osaka!

We had an amazing time! We brought 12 Americans that spoke zero Japanese and were hoping for a truly cultural experience and this delivered! Out of everything we did in almost 3 weeks across Japan, this was everyone’s favorite. The family was so welcoming and friendly. And the food was incredible, some of the best we had in Japan. But just having the experience to break bread, tell stories and jokes with people from difficult cultures is really incredible and not something people take the time to do. It’s truly a beautiful experience. And the story behind why they began hosting is very touching. I am really doing a poor job of articulating how wonderful the experience was. Just know if you’re on the fence, do it, and you won’t be disappointed. To the family, thank you again and you’re always welcome to join us in Wisconsin!

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.