December 16, 2023

2023 November List | 十一月清單

December 16, 2023/ Brandy C.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. No need for superfluous decorations, and no worries about buying gifts. Simply gathering among friends and family to reflect on gratitude. This year’s Thanksgiving we spent it with our dear friends M&L’s family. So grateful that they have looked after our entire family since we moved to Cincinnati.

感恩節是我最愛的節日之一！不需要花俏裝飾品，更不需要絞盡腦汁買禮物，一家人聚一起回顧一整年感謝的事，最愛這種樸實過節的方法。今年感恩節我們在很照顧我們的M&L家過，謝謝他們全家從我們到這裡時就很照顧我們一家人。

Friendsgiving

Never thought our little house can host so many people to celebrate Friendsgiving! What a night! Everyone brought their signature dish, and I smoked a turkey for the first time ever and it was a success!

感恩節前夕，朋友們一起來我們家慶祝！沒想到我們小小的家能擠進這麼多人，真的特別開心。大家帶了拿手菜分享，而我（第一次）準備煙燻烤火雞，超級成功！

Mita’s

https://www.mitas.co/

This restaurant has been on my list since the summer when we moved to Cincinnati, and it did not disappoint! Every dish we ordered came as advertised. This place is perfect for friends gathering or date night!

好吃耶！暑假搬來之前心心念念想來的餐廳，好險沒讓我們失望！每道菜都有達到我們的期待值，絕對適合約會或是朋友聚會來的餐廳。

Cafe Mochiko

http://cafemochiko.com/

If you don’t want to wait in line, come here at 5pm when they open. They offer seasonal ramen, but supply runs out fast. They have quite the fan base, and is definitely the best ramen place in Cincinnati!

不想等的話，5點一開絕對要在門口簽到！店裡時不時會推出季節限定拉麵，但晚到賣光就吃不到。每天生意好到不行，說是辛城最好吃的拉麵店絕對不為過！

Sotto

http://sottocincinnati.com/

Sotto is our favorite restaurant in Cincinnati! After a football game, UN and I came here for early dinner, and we loved every bite! Must order is their donuts for dessert, definitely save room for them!

介紹完我們在這裡最愛吃的拉麵店，Sotto是我們在辛城最愛的餐廳！上次看完美式足球比賽，我和UN一起來這裡！天阿，我倆一直讚不絕口！最後一定要點甜甜圈，超級飽也要點喔！

December 01, 2021

Kagoshima: Kurobuta (aka Black Pork)

December 01, 2021/ Brandy C.

Another episode of almost missing our flight: we arrived at the check-in counter exactly one minute before closing, and rushed to the gate just in time to start boarding! Phew!

During the pandemic, Kagoshima was one of the “safest” regions in Japan, having only turned into a “red zone” once according to the map provided to us by the US military in Japan. We haven’t had a chance to visit Kagoshima due to the lack of direct flight from Okinawa. To get there, we flew into Fukuoka, ate there of course, then hopped on the Shinkansen headed for Kagoshima.

Accomodation

Remm Kagoshima

Conveniently located at the center of Downtown Kagoshima, minutes walk away from major attractions and restaurants. Nearby is Don Quijote, convenient stores, and coffee shops. The pro is this place is less than 4,000 yen a night; the con is the living spaces is small, but the bathroom is nearly the same size as the living spaces.

Day One

***Pro tip: purchase discount Shinkansen tickets from Daikokuya! Our friends A&W gave up this tip, and we saved thousands of yen for our Shinkansen tickets from Hakata to Kagoshima. You should be able to find Daikokuya near any major train station. Alternatively, you can easily find discounted train tickets at other “Ticket Shops” around train stations, they offer similar prices compared to Daikokuya.***

Maruichi: super oiishi kurobuta tonkatsu! There would be long lines before the pandemic. The fragrance of crispy tonkatsu permeated the entire restaurant, even spilling over into the hallway leading up to it. The friendly owner Yoshiaki-San greets you personally and teaches you the proper way to enjoy his tonkatsu. Smear some mustard on the tonkatsu, and drench it with his special tonkatsu sauce, and you can even put this sauce on salad! The owner speaks very good English, and once he learned that we were from Taiwan, he told us two years ago he hosted a tonkatsu workshop at a Shin Kong Mitsukoshi in Taiwan teaching how to make tonkatsu. Note: huge portions! Come with an empty stomach!

Day Two

Akashiya: Akashiya’s advertisement at the airport is very simple, but the picture of their white rice cake is hard to miss. I knew from first sight my sweet tooth wouldn’t be able to resist. I was correct, it tastes exactly as I remembered. The texture resembles Champion Cake from Tainan, doesn’t stick to your teeth, and brings back memories of my childhood snack.
Sakurajima: the most iconic sight of Kagoshima. From Kagoshima Port to Sakurajima Port costs only 200 yen each way, no advance reservation needed. There are tour buses on Sakurajima (1200 yen), but they stopped running due to the pandemic. Sakurajima is a live volcano, you can see the smoke coming off the summit. In addition to the daily weather forecast, here they also give you the volcanic ash forecast. You can see locals sweeping volcanic ash on the street in front of their house and in their yard, and putting them in designated trash bags. Getting around Sakurajima can be done on bikes, rental is 300 yen an hour. The bike rental shop owner is very honest, tried his hardest to dissuade us from renting bikes, told us that there’s a huge portion that is uphill and would take at least 5 hours to circle the whole island. But I had faith in our athleticism (where did I get the confidence?), and the owner finally rented us the bikes. Another couple saw us renting bikes, and rented also, and biked the same route as us. TBH, biking on Sakurajima was not that difficult (would you agree, UN?), but the whole time there’s volcanic ash falling onto your face. If you use a face wipe, you will see that the wipe turns black. We didn’t have time to circle the whole island, but the scenery along the way is very beautiful!
Karen: I’m usually not a huge fan of pork, and I rarely cook pork at home. The only time I order pork is probably when I get shabu shabu. But in Kagoshima, we had pork every meal. Compared to Okainwa’s Agu pork, Kagoshima’s kurobuta is much more tender, melts in your mouth, and does not taste gamey. Karen is now ranked in our top 3 shabu shabu restaurants in Japan. We couldn’t help but keep ordering more meat. In addition to kurobuta, they also serve kuro-ushi, mouth-watering wagyu grade beef. Kuro means black in Japanese. It is said that the cattle and poultry here get their dark color from ingesting the Sakurajima volcanic ash that fell on their feeds.
Tontoru: This ramen is prepared with fried scallion and minced meat, tastes more like Taiwanese noodles! It is here that we met and befriended two Taiwanese who live in Japan!

Day Three

Serendipitous friendship with our new Taiwanese friends led us to meeting up the next day and sightsee together. Thank God for meeting them, because our original sightseeing plan was thwarted by the closure of many places due to COVID. One of the new friends, Ms. R, is a licensed tour guide! Along the way, she taught us Japanese customs and culture, and I gained so much knowledge! So glad to have met these new friends!

Terukuni Shrine: I learned that when offering your prayer at a Japanese shrine, toss 5 yen into the donation box, because in Japanese, 5 yen sounds like “forming a relationship” with god. A Shinto shrine usually has a place not accessible by the general public, and has a mirror that represents the Shinto deity housed at the shrine.
Shiroyama Park Observation Deck: here you can get a picture-perfect view of Sakurajima with its smoke. Be careful of the steep trek up to the observation deck.
Tsurumaru Castle Ruins: finished renovation in 2020.
Tokunagaya: My favorite is satsuma-imo flavored fish cake and also the one with the Shimazu family emblem. In addition to kurobuta and kuro-ushi, Satsuma-imo is another Kagoshima delicacy.
Ichiniisan Shabu Shabu: Go up to the second floor! Don’t wait on the first floor and get into the wrong restaurant like us, lol. Recommended by locals as well as our travel book! Sprinkle some of their specialty yuzu pepper to enhance the taste!
Starbuck Kagoshima Sengan-en Shop: housed in a historical mining office building from the Meiji period, belonging to the Shimazu Clan. Sip and enjoy a cup of coffee at this space that connects the present and the past, the East and the West. You can also get a glimpse of Sakurajima from the second floor lounge.
Kurobuta: My stomach is growling as I’m writing this, thinking back on the Kagoshima kurobuta. This restaurant also serves kurobuta tonkatsu, and it’s actually black! The texture and taste slightly differs from regular tonkatsu. There are three condiments to choose from: tonkatsu sauce, miso sauce, and Yukushima salt. Grateful for our two new friends for taking us around!

Day Four

Before leaving Kagoshima, we went back to Akashiya to buy more white rice cake and other sweets. Makes me really want to go back to Taiwan now!

Miyama: Our last meal in Kagoshima is at this chicken restaurant. The grilling plate is made from lava. The chicken doesn’t have to be fully cooked. Although it's not the first time eating rare chicken, I'm still not used to the idea.

Due to time constraints, I didn't have the chance to visit Yukushima and Southern Kyushu. I hope to return and hike Yukushima, and of course continue my tonkatsu food crawl. Next post: Nikko!

Free foot bath rest on Sakurajima | 櫻島免費足湯

Shiroyama Park Observation Deck | 城山公園展望台

Starbuck Kagoshima Sengan-en Shop | 星巴克鹿兒島仙巌園店

Chinese Translation

差點趕不上飛機的故事又多一則！我們在航空公司把Check-in機器關起來前一分鍾到，順利check in，到登機門時直接登機！呼！

疫情期間，鹿兒島一直是日本‘最安全’的地區，也是我們還未踏上的縣市。美軍地圖裡鮮少變成紅色地帶，但也因為飛機班次少而無法直達。從沖繩直飛福岡（我們的最愛），坐新幹線到鹿兒島，非常方便，也從福岡吃到鹿兒島！

住宿清單

Remm Kagoshima

位在鹿兒島鬧區，走路就能到達大部分的景點和餐廳，附近有有唐吉軻德、便利商店、咖啡店，非常方便。一晚不到四千日幣的這種好康旅館，房間空間雖然小，但廁所卻和房間一樣大。

第一天

從福岡博多車站坐新幹線到鹿兒島中央車站，車票是好友A&W教的日本旅行小技巧：車站附近通常有大黑屋，那裡能買到優惠的車票。***查了一下，大部分車站附近有許多“金卷商店”，招牌寫著チケット（門票 ticket），在博多車站裡也有販賣車票的攤販，和大黑屋一樣都有很棒的優惠。***

丸一：好吃的炸黑豬排！聽說疫情前可要排隊超久才能吃到的，我們當然要趁日本還未開放觀光前快點來吃！店裡濃濃豬排味，親切的老闆（武良章 Yoshiaki San）還親自教我們怎麼吃炸豬排，沾黃芥末醬，豪不客氣淋上特製醬料，連生菜都要淋！老闆英文超好，和我們聊天，一知道我們是台灣人，開始分享兩年前在台灣新光三越的美食展表演炸豬排，住台灣也太幸福了吧！切記，份量超大，記得空肚來！

第二天

明石屋：明石屋在機場的廣告非常簡約，海報上很像白糖糕立刻引起我的注意力，直覺告訴我那甜點很好吃！果然沒錯，就是我思念已久的白糖糕的味道。口感類似台南狀元糕，糕狀但帶點米味，但不黏牙，很像我在台灣的兒時甜點。
櫻島：鹿兒島最具代表性的景點之一！從鹿兒島港到櫻島港坐船到櫻島一趟200日幣，無需提前訂票，島上也有觀光巴士（約1200日幣），但疫情期間停駛。櫻島是一座活火山，可以看到火山頭有冒煙，更特別的是鹿兒島除了天氣預報，這裡還有火山灰預報。路上也看得到住戶們清理家門口的火山灰，裝進特別火山灰的袋子。我們在櫻島以腳踏車代步（一小時300日幣），但腳踏車老闆非常誠實，租腳踏車時一直阻止我們騎腳踏車，說有很陡的上坡，還以繞整個島需要至少5小時的理由努力說服我們。當我們準備打退堂鼓時，我莫名的自信深信我們的體力一定能騎到我們想去的景點。腳踏車老闆只好面有難堪的把腳踏車租給我們（一對日本情侶看到我們租腳踏車，也跟著租了，還和我們騎一樣的路線呢！）老實說櫻島騎車不算難（UN你覺得呢？），但一路上被火山灰弄的灰頭土臉，用濕紙巾擦臉，每張都是灰。由於時間關係，我們沒法繞整個島，但一路景色不錯！
華蓮：我一直不太愛吃豬肉，家裡也極少煮豬肉（吃火鍋除外），在外更不會特別主動點與豬相關食物。但在鹿兒島，我們餐餐有豬。比起沖繩阿古豬，鹿兒島豬（kuro-buta）肉質更嫩，瞬間在嘴裡融化，也沒有擾人的豬腥味。這天，吃了榮登我們心目中日本刷刷鍋店前三名名，黑豚和黑牛入口即化的肉質讓我們一直追加肉。據說這裡的豬和牛和他們的食物因為長期被櫻島火山灰覆蓋，而成為黑豚和黑牛。
Tontoru拉麵：這拉麵好有有台灣味！油蔥酥和肉燥，這不是台灣麵攤標準配料嗎？飯後我們遇到兩位住在日本的台灣人R&Y！

第三天

要不是前晚認識的兩位台灣人這天帶我們一起出遊，我們原計畫因疫情關係都沒開。更棒的是朋友R有導遊執照，一路介紹日本傳統習俗，學了好多，真幸運能認識大家！

照國神社：原來在日本神社投錢時，以數字五（5 yen）做結尾意思是與神結緣。神社裡通常不能讓一般民眾進去的地方，有一面鏡子代表神，下次去神社一定會注意這些小細節。 http://www.terukunijinja.jp/
城山公園展望台：展望台能看到櫻島，還能看到火山冒出來的煙，但到展望台路上有一段滿陡的上坡。
鶴丸城跡：2020年剛修建好的城跡。
徳永屋：我最喜歡薩摩芋口味，和島津家家徽的魚板。忘了一題，鹿兒島除了黑豚黑牛有名，薩摩芋也是必吃食物。
遊食豚彩いちにさん：別像我們一樣傻傻的在一樓等，直接往二樓走，哈哈哈！當地人推薦，旅遊書也有介紹！好喜歡店裡的獨家柚子胡椒。
星巴克鹿兒島仙巌園店：這是第三家星巴克利用世界遺產與咖啡結合，門口有島津家家徽，店裡裝潢使用當地鹿兒島木材，二樓能看到櫻島和仙巖園。
黑福多：寫著寫著，我開始肚子餓了，想念能天天吃鹿兒島黑豚。這家有黑色炸豬排，味道和口感和一般炸豬排非常不一樣。有三種醬料：豬排醬、味噌、屋久島鹽。感謝兩位新認識的朋友們這一整天帶我們玩！

第四天

離開鹿兒島前，我們又去了一趟明石屋買白糖糕和其他想吃的甜點。他們的甜點真的好讓我想念台灣！

Miyama：午餐我們來這家雞料理店，烤盤是鹿兒島的熔岩燒製而成。這裡的燒烤雞肉不需烤全熟。雖然不是第一次吃半熟雞肉，但還是不太習慣。

這次時間太短，沒機會去到屋久島和南九州一帶，期待下次去屋久島爬山，當然還要繼續吃豬排。下一篇，日光！

March 12, 2021

Weekly List: Indoor Dining

March 12, 2021/ Brandy C.

You read it right! This week features a restaurant list, because we can finally dine in again after one year! YAY!!!! On Friday at 12pm, the restrictions relaxed, and what followed was an American invasion of the yakiniku and conveyor belt sushi restaurants near military bases. Lines that stretch for blocks, instagram feed flooded with gluttonous, I mean satisfied, faces. UN and I weren’t any different. We shut down our kitchen for the whole weekend. Even on Monday when UN came home from work, he asked if we were still going out for dinner.

The Lobby Lounge at Ritz Carlton Okinawa

Reservation & Afternoon Tea Information

Hey friends, you should stay here for your next Okinawa visit! At the time, we could only do outdoor dining, the staff was concerned we would be cold, so they offered us blankets and hot tea. Afternoon tea is reservation only from 1pm to 6pm, and has a 2 hour limit. If you have special dietary needs, the chef will customize your food for you (must inform ahead of time). Costs 3,900 yen per person, and Marriott members enjoy a discount.

Onna Glass Workshop

http://onna-glass-okinawa.co.jp
Address: 85 Fuchaku, Onna, Kunigami District, Okinawa 904-0413

Make your own ryukyu glass. Remember to wear closed-toe shoes and pants. It takes only 30 minutes, very hands on instructions to ensure no glass is damaged or broken in the process. The teacher is the renowned glass craftsman Tsuguo Miyaguni, his work is featured in many luxury hotels. There are many types of glass products you can choose to make, the price differs by the colors and levels of difficulty. The ones that we were interested in making were priced around 8000 yen. You can pick up the finished product after three days.

Smile Spoon

Website: smilespoon.business.site
Address: 2795-1 Izumi, Motobu, Kunigami District, Okinawa 905-0221
Facebook & Instagram

Smile Spoon is No. 1 on my list of restaurants to dine in when restrictions are relaxed. I made the reservation as fast as I could. This cute barn house restaurant is run by a middle aged couple. They welcome everyone with the warmest smile while keeping busy running in and out of the kitchen. There are two menus to choose from every day. We had the options of Yanbaru pork or white fish. Set menu includes appetizer, dessert, and a drink. The cost per person is 1900 yen and cash only, and reservation is required.

Fifi Parlor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fifi_parlor/
Address: 〒905-1154 Okinawa, Nago, Goga, 大真利原1335-4

Perfect spot for the gram! Located on the 505 freeway, the silver pumpkin shaped shop is hard to miss. The view of Yagaji island and Ojima is spectacular. Great spot for a nice cup of joe and light afternoon reading.

Azalea Festival in Higashi Village

Website: www.vill.higashi.okinawa.jp/
Address: 766-1 Taira, Higashi, Kunigami District, Okinawa 905-1204, Japan

Blossoms of different color azalea can be found here. This festival in Higashi Village will last till 3/21, great for a weekend stroll. Adults pay 300 yen for entry while kids get in for free. They have very safe COVID measures in place, taking your temperature and having you fill out a health questionnaire, along with hand sanitizers before you enter the park. Vendors right outside sell plants that claim to cure headaches, diabetes, liver and heart problems. We bought a couple plants home, who would like to come to our pharmacy?!

Posillipo Cucina Meridionale

Website: www.huge.co.jp/restaurant/posillipo/posillipo
Address: 174-5 Senaga, Tomigusuku, Okinawa 901-0233, Japan

Happy (Legal) Anniversary! This is our first indoor dining date night in almost a year! Highly recommend their pizzas and homemade bresaola. You can watch airplanes landing here. Perfect for date night. Be sure to take a stroll by the water and enjoy the view!

With the relaxed restrictions, I just want to dine out every meal. Next week’s list will also feature many restaurants. Tune in! Until next time…..

Chinese Translation

本週清單裡有許多餐廳，因為我們終於能在室內吃飯啦！整整一年的疫情禁足令，終於在星期五12:00時放寬。基地附近的燒烤店、旋轉壽司店被美軍佔據，店門口大排長龍，好多朋友們也紛紛在網上分享照片。我和UN一知道消息，堅決這週末不開火，拒絕在家用餐（就是這麼激烈）！連星期一UN回家時，第一句話馬上問”要不要出去吃飯“，我們都悶太久了！

The Lobby Lounge at Ritz Carlton Okinawa

預約網站 & 下午茶資訊

朋友們，下次來沖繩玩可以住這裡！即使當時只能在室外用餐，飯店人員貼心送上毛毯，幫我們的茶加熱，怕我們冷到。下午茶目前僅限預約制，從下午一點到六點，用餐時間為兩小時。如果有特殊飲食習慣，廚師能幫你訂做不同的食物（需事先預定）。一人定價為3900日幣，Marriot會員有特別優惠。

恩納玻璃工房

http://onna-glass-okinawa.co.jp
地址: 85 Fuchaku, Onna, Kunigami District, Okinawa 904-0413

琉球玻璃製作體驗，切記要穿包腳鞋子和長褲。過程約30分鐘，但製作時非常快速。老師會在旁邊輔助我們，也確保玻璃不會在製作過程損換。教課老師是沖繩相當有名的宮國次男(Tsuguo Miyaguni)，許多沖繩飯店都有擺放老師的作品。店裡非常多選擇款式，價錢會因顏色和製作難易度而有不同價格，我們想做的玻璃器皿都約8000日幣上下。製作完後，約三天能拿到成品。後來我們去了幾家製作沖繩玻璃工廠，雖然價錢便宜許多，但這家的成品材質比較明顯厚實許多（比較耐摔/適合搬家？）

森的食堂

網站: smilespoon.business.site
地址: 2795-1 Izumi, Motobu, Kunigami District, Okinawa 905-0221
Facebook & Instagram

解放前，每當大家聊到放寬禁足令要去哪吃飯時，我的答案應絕對是Smile Spoon。一聽到風聲能在室內用餐後，立刻打電話訂位。店裡是很可愛的日本爺爺奶奶，兩人在餐廳裡忙進忙出，客人進來時會用親切笑容迎接大家。Smile Spoon提供兩種洋食菜色，當天有山原豬和白身魚，套餐有附前菜、主食、甜點、和飲料。店裡只收現金，一份為1900日幣。需要提前預訂，能從Facebook或Instagram或電話預約。這裡非常適合全家一起用餐，餐廳有完全無違和感的嬰兒搖籃和給小孩玩的玩具。可以在Facebook、Instagram、電話預約。

Fifi Parlor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fifi_parlor/
Address: 〒905-1154 Okinawa, Nago, Goga, 大真利原1335-4

網美們快來這裡唷！開車在505公路上，你會看到長得像銀色南瓜的Fifi Parlor。位在鹽屋這帶，有著沖繩瀨戶內海之名，風景是屋我地島（yagaji island)和北邊的奧武島(Ojima)。即使當天陰天，我和UN一致認同很有台灣網美打卡景點的水準。我們點了兩杯飲料（只收現金）在那裡看書，非常安靜度過我們的下午。