Hawaii is well known for it’s shaved ice. Having never tried the famous summer snack, I decided to give it a go. Above is strawberry, guava, and lilikoi (passion fruit). The flavors were strong and tasty but when melted down, it tasted like syrup water.
At Matsumoto’s you can order a large or small, above is the small, with up to three flavors. Extras include condensed milk, ice cream or mochi.
Nestled among Oahu’s suburbia is the rainforest Manoa Falls.
You will experience many ecosystems in this arborous rainforest. It rained on and off throughout the 0.8 mile hike to the waterfall. Note: Bring an umbrella and wear appropriate clothes.
Despite the stairs, the incline is gradual and the hike is an easy one.
The trail does get muddy so wear appropriate shoes.
It took about 45 minutes to reach the 150 feet waterfall.
Osaka’s Dotonburi district is know for okonomiyaki. We got lost looking for this place amongst the crowds in Shinsaibashi and walking around in the rain. Luckily, we found this on the row of restaurants in Dotonburi.
We ordered the oko tako, which is octopus wrapped in egg topped with teriyaki, mayonnaise and bonito flakes. I loved the bonito flakes because they were bursts of flavor compared to the bland ones I’ve had before.
On the okonomiyaki with everything i.e. beef, pork, octopus, and squid, we opted for the additional green onions and egg toppings. The okonomiyaki is plated on the grill in the middle of the table.
This is the location I went to 千房 道頓堀支店 Japan〒542-0071 Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, but there are locations throughout Osaka and one in Oahu, Hawaii.
While researching for a brunch place, the name bills Sydney, a famous Australian brunch place that has made its way to Tokyo, kept popping up. We decided to give it a try. Our first attempt was unsuccessful. We arrived at 10 am and they told us to come back at 1 pm. The wait was THAT long.
The next day, we tried to go again and only had to wait 20 minutes for a table. Not knowing what the to expect, we were in for a surprise. The food was AMAZING!
Sweet corn fritters, roast tomato, spinach, bacon and avocado salsa– The corn was naturally sweet and perfectly seasoned. I had to stop myself from gobbling it all up at once.
Ricotta hotcakes, banana and honeycomb butter– The fluffiest pancakes ever! Heavenly and not overly sweet. I can’t wait to try to recreate these. Or travel to have these again.
Tip: You can make reservations in advance. It’s located on the top floor of Tokyu Plaza.
(Tokyu Plaza, Omotesando Harajuku 7F, 4-30-3 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001)
If you can’t go to Japan to try these amazing hotcakes but happen to be in Hawaii, check out their Oahu location. (280 Beach Walk, Honolulu, HI 96815)
YUMTRAVELS 