A Newbie's (Mini) Guide to Osaka

Hello!!!

I can't believe summer is almost over and the kids are going back to school next week!  (I don't know who is more excited, me or them? Since both of them are now going to the same school, things will be easier for this Mama and this means a little bit more "me" time as well . . . yessss! Haha)

I am all charged up because we just came home from Philippines for a month long vacation.  We always try to visit a new place or country with my Mom and my sister whenever we are back home.  This year, our travel plans included Osaka, Japan.  They have actually visited this beautiful city last year and they loved it so much that they don't mind going back!  (And after visiting Osaka, I can't blame them!)

I know that Japan is becoming a popular tourist destination right now so I thought of sharing with you some of our experience/tips which I hope you will find useful one day when you plan to visit this country too.

1. TICKETS - We weren't really planning on going to Osaka but when there is an opportunity that  arises (like a seat sale!), you might as well grab it! LOL . . . We booked our tickets through Jetstar Asia which flies from Clark International Airport to Osaka (Kansai Airport).  This worked really well for us because the Clark is just around 30 kms away from where we live!

2. ACCOMMODATIONS - Hotel or Airbnb? That is the question. . . .

My sister and my Mom stayed at the Namba Oriental Hotel (which is in a really good location!) in their last trip to Osaka.  But since our group of 6 needs 2 rooms for 5 nights in a hotel, Airbnb is the best way to go, haha.  It is definitely cheaper and more than anything, I love that we get to be in one house together!  Plus we can do laundry for free! LOL

If you are not sure where to stay, for first time visitors (like us), I highly recommend that you stay in the Namba/Shinsaibashi area.  This area has so much to offer in terms of shopping and dining!  Seriously, I want to go back to Osaka, just to EAT! Haha . . .

For more details about Osaka and its other districts, please click on this link.

3. ITINERARY - When we were planning for our itinerary, we just made sure we included something for the kids (5 and 7 yr old) and a day trip to Kyoto (Kyoto is a MUST!  It is another beautiful city that one day is not enough).  To give you an idea, for the kids, we went to Kaiyukan Aquarium and Kids Plaza.  I will blog more about what we did in a separate post.

4. TOUR GUIDE/GROUP TOUR - When my Mom and my sister went to Osaka for the first time, they booked a private tour guide through Triple Lights.   In our trip, we thought we will do a DIY tour of Kyoto and regard it as an adventure!  But after being in Osaka for a few days and with ALL the walking we did (did I say we have 2 kids and my Mom with us?), we thought it was best to sign up for a group tour, haha!  After seeing all the places we went to, I sure am glad we did!

We went to the Tourist Information Center in Namba and got a flyer of a travel agency.  By the way, the Tourist Center DOES NOT book any tours for visitors.  They can answer questions regarding sightseeing or anything that can be of help to tourists.  You can also get city maps from here.  For more details about the Tourist Information Center, please click on this link.

We booked online a one day bus tour (which includes 4 must visit tourist places) to Kyoto with Hankyu Travel.   For our tour, we went to a meeting point where the bus will pick up the group.

Please click here to go to Hankyu Travel's website for more details and for the other tour packages that they offer. 

At the end of the day . . . 😄

5. TRAIN TICKETS - Okay, the train system in Osaka can be overwhelming for first time visitors!  It is a bit tricky because there are different railway companies operating in different lines.  There are a variety of deals/rail passes you can avail of.  Each of these come with certain conditions.    For example, Kansai Thru Pass is a rail pass that you can use in trains, private railways and even buses.  However, you cannot use it in train lines operated by Japan Railways (JR).  See what I mean?  Haha

And that is why I let Hubby and my sister handle all train-related matters! heehee  

Don't worry, there is a button for English users 😊

We did not avail of any rail pass because when we reviewed our planned itinerary, we don't have a great need to use the train. 

If you have any questions regarding the use of train and how to get around, the staff at the Tourist Information Center are helpful and would be able to assist you on this matter.

I found something which I hope I can help you understand more about the train system in Osaka.  Please click here.

6. Pocket Wifi - SUPER important!  I suggest you rent a pocket wifi with unlimited data plan during your stay in Japan.  You can order one online and have it delivered to where you are staying (for a delivery fee).  My sister swears by Pupuru.  Returning it is easy as there are mail boxes inside the airport where you can just drop it.

For more details about Pupuru and their products and services, please click here.

During our trip, we decided to get another one (our Airbnb host actually provided pocket wifi but with limited usage per day) upon our arrival at the airport from Softbank, another reliable provider.  Please click here to know more about them. 

We suggest that you arrange for your pocket wifi in advance as there is a chance that the providers at the airport run out of rental units. 

7. USEFUL PHRASES - Most of the  Japanese population may be able to communicate English in a limited manner so having a list of useful phrases such as the list below is going to be helpful as you go around.

We survived going around just by using one word. . ."DOKO" which means "where?" I swear, just knowing this word have helped us a lot of times during our trip! Haha  

One thing that I love about the Japanese is they are sooooo helpful.  They may not be comfortable speaking in English but they will still try their best to help you. 

Source

I hope this post helps you in some way.  As I've said this is a Newbie's guide and is based on our experience. 

Please feel free to share any tips or useful information you might have about travelling to Japan.  I am sure I will put them in good use. . . when we go back!  (Huney, I know you're reading my blog so I know you got the message, haha) 😊

Arigatou gozaimasu!

On finding a good Ilocos Empanada

I don't know how many times I've been to Ilocos since Hubby and I got together but I can count how many times I've eaten an Ilocos empanada!  ZERO!!! Haha . . .We haven't eaten one in the many times we've been there!  I guess because we know that we always go there anyway plus I am not really a fan of this empanada because I didn't like it the first time I tried it . . .in Manila!  I know, I know, I should know better.  Of course I have to try it in its birth place!  

As they say, everybody deserves a second chance . . . including this empanada!  Haha!

After we checked in at Hotel Luna, we had some time to spare before attending the 7PM Sunday mass in St. Paul Cathedral in the Plaza.  We thought this is a good time to get some.

My sister told me that the two famous empanadas in Vigan are Irene's and CJ's.  Our Aunt though recommended Insiang's which she has personally tried and liked.  Now, if a local tells you that it is good, you have trust them because they know what they are talking about!

We walked along the streets of Vigan and we couldn't find it (because we got the wrong directions, haha).  We asked several locals but somehow they couldn't give us an answer (a bad sign? haha). We were even second guessing ourselves if we have the right name!  

But we (our tummies) didn't give up!

But thanks to Manong Kutsero, we found Insiang's!  

Yes, it exists! Haha

Literally, a roadside eatery.

There is a funny story about the picture below.  The table wasn't there when we got there.  They literally pulled out the table from somewhere (ala bunny out of the hat trick, haha) and just set it up for us when we told them we are going to "dine-in". 

Food adventure ba kamo?  haha

Since we were on a rush (because we are still going to attend Mass), we just ordered Empanada. They actually have different choices for Empanada (e.g. Special, Double, etc.) and they also have Okoy.

So here it is. . . Insiang's Empanada!  (aka the first Ilocos Empanada which I loved, haha)

Best when eaten hot and with Sukang Iloko!  I love how the crust is thin and crispy and not doughy.

I also like how the egg yolk came out runny.  I am not sure if this was meant to be runny or if it was just probably fried quickly than the rest but at any rate, this worked well for me!

I love that Insiang uses Papaya instead of Cabbage for Empanada.  They said there are times that they use Cabbage if there is no Papaya on hand.  

Side story: My sister got the chance to eat Empanada in Paoay (a place North of Ilocos) and she told me that they (at least the one that she tried) have an orange-colored crust which is thicker versus the empanada which we had in Vigan (down South) which we had.  One difference too is that the empanada from the North uses cabbage and togue as filling.

If there is one thing that Insiang's can improve on, we wish there was more meat (they use Vigan Longganisa) in it.  The longganisa they use is actually good.  We liked the Empanada so much that we ordered 50 pcs of Empanada to bring back home (to share with family and friends), haha! We also ordered longganisa from them.  We appreciate that they delivered everything to our hotel too.  

I have yet to try the other empanadas in Vigan but for now, I am happy to say that I enjoy eating the Ilocos Empanada now, thanks to Insiang's! (Agyamanak Manang Insiang!)

In case you are wondering about the Empanadas we brought back home, I have to say that they are really best when eaten hot and freshly cooked.  We re-heated them in a toaster and let them cool for a bit (so they will get crispy) and still enjoyed eating them the day after.

Do you have a favorite Ilocos Empanada?  Care to share?  😁

Insiang's

Calle Salcedo and V. De Los Reyes St.

near Gordion Hotel

Vigan City

One Night in Vigan - Revisiting Hotel Luna

Every time we go home to Philippines, we make sure we visit Hubby's Grandma (she is 93  years old) and Aunt in Ilocos Sur.  Due to time constraints, we were able to stay only for a night but we are glad to be able to have spent some time with his side of the family.  

We stayed at our favorite hotel in Vigan, Hotel Luna (which I blogged about here).   I am so happy to see that nothing has changed in their impeccable service.  Everyone. . . like EVERYONE (I swear) was so courteous and helpful.  

Business must have been good since the last time we came because the hotel has built an Annex which has 17 rooms.  I am just not sure if the main hotel takes care of reservations for both hotel or each property handles its own reservations.  If you do an online booking with third party vendors (e.g., Agoda, Expedia), the Annex is listed as Hotel Luna Annex.  By the way, they apply the Senior Citizen Discount only when the booking is made directly with the hotel.   

For Dinner, Hubby and I were able to go on a "date" because the kids (and my Aunt) had dinner at the room.  (Thanks to McDonald's! Haha)

If I wasn't too tired from the 6 hr trip (I drove!  Yep, moi!), a walk around the Plaza or in Calle Crisologo would have been nice but dinner in an air-conditioned place where you just have to take an elevator sounded more appealing to me that time, haha!  And I heard from my sister that the dinner buffet in Comedor (the hotel's restaurant) is good.  Unfortunately, there wasn't a buffet that night (I think buffet nights are only on weekends).

At any rate, we were happy with what we ordered.  By the way, the restaurant's ala carte menu has a wide array of choices.

We ordered Pinakbet Paella which was good.  It has Vigan longganisa, bagnet, salted eggs and veggies as toppings.  It was a meal in itself!  The only thing I was missing is the soccarat (sosyal name for "tutong", haha). 

And we also tried their Dinakdakan (an Ilocano dish which is similar to sisig).   I don't eat Dinakdakan because it usually has pig's brain mixed into it to make it creamy.   I enjoyed this version because it is like the standard sisig.

The hotel also has a good breakfast buffet, something I look forward to whenever we stay in this hotel, haha.

If you need a place to stay in Vigan, I highly recommend Hotel Luna for a comfortable stay, yummy food and excellent service from the staff! 

Hotel Luna

General Luna St., 

Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

Tel. No. +63 (77) 632 2222

For more details about Hotel Luna, please click here to go to their website.

Bangkok Adventure: Food Diary

As a follow up to my last post, I am going to share with you some of our food adventures.  Honestly we were not able to do much "culinary exploration" in Bangkok (fancy name lang for food tripping, haha) as much as we would like to because there are some days when we are just too tired to go out, haha!

Here are snapshots from our food diary:

We only saw a limited number of street food during our stay in the city as we did not have enough time to go on a Street Food adventure.

(I googled and am saving this blog post about Street Food in Bangkok from migrationology.com for future reference!)

When we went to the Night Market across our hotel, we tried this BBQ pork sausage which hubby liked because it tasted like our the Pinoy Vigan longganisa.

We also tried fresh fruits.  The watermelon and pineapple (I love that its core was crunchy) were just okay.  All the fruits were refreshing but the melon was our favorite because it was sweet! 

Fresh fruits come with a dip that consists of sugar, salt and chilies.

There was one evening where we just bought food in the different food stalls that we found near our hotel and just ate at our room. (Picnic!!!) 

The Chicken satay was good!

Across the Platinum Mall, we saw this place that sells Chicken Rice (similar to Singapore's Hainanese Chicken) that is a favorite among the locals.  Personally I am not fond of any kind of Hainanese Chicken but if I have to choose between Singapore and Bangkok's version, I would pick Singapore. 😁

But it is always a good idea to try local favorites right?! 😄

Lining up for Take-Out (or Take Away as the locals say)

Details:

Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Address: 

966 Phetchaburi Rd, Khwaeng Makkasan, 

Khet Ratchathewi, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 

10400, Thailand

(across Platinum Mall)

*just look out for the pink logo and the staff wearing pink 😁

Beside the Chicken place is a stall that sells Mango Sticky Rice (a must eat when in Bangkok!)

We also ordered Oyster Omelette, Thai Basil Chicken and a Noodle dish from this man. 

One morning, I saw these fresh fruits and just had to buy Lanzones and Mangosteen (both were sweeettt!) because I miss having them!  These are some of the fruits I miss eating since moving to LA.  I wanted to buy the Atis (custard apple) but I wasn't willing to pay the price for it, haha! 😆  Besides, the seller said they were not in season (so they might not be sweet then.  Thank you to her for being honest!)

We have also tried several food courts and my most favorite is the Paragon Food Hall located at Siam Paragon Mall because it's big and it has a wide range of food choices.

Tip: Some food courts do not accept cash.  You have to avail of a prepaid card from a counter and load it up.  I suggest you go around first to see what you like and how much it would cost so you have an idea on the amount you need.    If you have a remaining balance on your card, you can just ask for a monetary refund from the cashier after.

Just like Mango Sticky Rice, Pad Thai is synonymous with Bangkok.

I can never get enough of this Thai iced dessert!  I think I ate it three times during our stay!  It is a mix of different sweet treats like jack fruit, sweet potato, taro, corn, water chestnuts (my fave!) , tapioca, gelatin, etc. and then bathed in coconut milk.

And because we couldn't get enough of Mango Sticky Rice (haha!), we just had to try Dairy Queen's interpretation of this Thai food speciatly in Blizzard form! 

I know, it sounds weird and you could not imagine having sticky in your ice cream but you know what, this rocks!  You have to try it. 

It makes me (and my tummy! Haha) sad that we weren't able to try more culinary delights that Bangkok has to offer.  It is truly a food haven that is rich both in sweet and savory treats!

This can only mean one thing. . . . I see another trip to Bangkok in the future! Haha!

And if you go to Bangkok, I wish you a food trip that would make  your tummies happy!  Enjoy!

Bangkok Adventure: T & K Seafood Restaurant

I could have called it a "MISadventure" but I would rather look it as a blessing in disguise because something came good out of this adventure, haha. 

So we (Hubby, me and my sister) thought of going to Bangkok's Chinatown's Night Market hoping to do some shopping and food tripping.  We took a cab from the hotel and got off in Yaowarat Road (home to Bangkok's Chinatown) and just started walking.  We passed by lots of street food stalls (one stall who sells buns even had a super long, crazy queue!  Parang sa concert lang promise) and restaurants.  We were almost at the end of the road and yet, we couldn't see anyone selling anything! Haha!  So here's a travel tip for you. . . Bangkok's Chinatown doesn't have a Night Market, it is all about food!

(For a list of  Bangkok's Night Markets, please click here to read.)

So before heading back to the hotel, we thought of grabbing something to eat but we don't have any idea where.  So we just went with the flow. . . literally.  

We just chanced upon this frenzied place which seemed to be a popular choice judging from the people who were eating and waiting for a table.  It was a full house!  There was dining "al fresco" and they also have an air-conditioned restaurant.  

Yes, it's a busy restaurant!

We got seated at the second level of the restaurant (it has 3 floors).  It is a narrow building so this is how our dining room inside looks like . . .

We were actually seated at the back of the guy in white shirt.  Too close for comfort in a way, haha! We also enjoyed a brief conversation with the group beside us (the guy in blue shirt wearing glasses) who were from Singapore.  They told us that they always come to eat in this restaurant whenever they go to Bangkok.  

There was a lot to choose from!  Their menu has a good range of seafood choices which include Fish, Prawns, Squid, Oyster, Mussels, Shellfish, Crabs and they have Vegetables and Noodles too.  We weren't super hungry (I wish we were so we could have ordered more! lol) so we just ordered the following:

It may look simple but it is tasty.

Fried Squid with Garlic and Pepper - Meh, we should have ordered something else.

Deep fried White Snapper in Tamarind flavored soup

This is a Shrimp Dish, sorry I forgot what the name is.  But this was clearly our favorite!
It is one of those dishes where you would say, sauce pa lang ulam na!

If you are a seafood lover and also in a seafood diet (where you eat everything you "sea", haha), I recommend this restaurant.

Going to Chinatown for food tripping is always a good idea! =)

Got the details for T & K Seafood Restuarant from their FB page