Kyoto

I'm rushing to publish this post on Kyoto for 2 good reasons.

It's been 2 months since I returned from Japan. Gulp.

(Oh, you lazy blogger! Hey, I resent that... ) But more importantly,

I'm heading to Hong Kong soon and I want to clear my blog baggage. It's kind of like this feng-shui mentality when I need to declutter and start afresh. Oh gawd, I can't wait to visit Hong Kong. However, it's not so much of "getting into Hong Kong", but more towards "getting out of Singapore". I realise I sound like one of those super-unappreciative-why-can't-the-gov-do-MOREMOREMORE-for-us Singaporeans but I just need a break from life here. It's not as if I'm dying to throw myself into the POO-lluted skies and harbours of Hong Kong. Not so literally at least.

Do you know what's the best part about Hong Kong around this time of the year?

The weather. Oh the weather! 16-24 degrees celcius. Sunny. The weather which allows you to layer up for winer but casual chic enough for autumn. I'm thinking of alldressup, with a dash of Marni and Vera Wang. Think meufeuille, not Michelin man.

Dad: Young lady, do you think I'm made up of money or something?

Relax dad, I'm just getting "inspired". I know I sound like some poor deprived kid living on a tiny island one degree off the equator, starved of the opportunity to dress up for fall/winter. Wait erm, that's me alright.

Ok, back to Kyoto, memories of which feel and smell like three hours old sushi.

The Shinkasen version- Family of 4 took a day trip to Kyoto. Weather was sadistically hot one moment and raining-cats-dogs-and-whatever-they-eat-in-China next. It being a Sunday, most traditional small time shops where closed and the rest of the shops fed the souls of tourists who travel agendas include raiding every souvenir shop to compaare the price of postcards and magnets. Family of 4 returned to Osaka disillusioned.

And if you have the time (and please say you do because I sacrificed study time to write this), carry on reading the extended version-

Blame it on Arthur Golden, the man who immortalized Kyoto (or rather 'Gion') as a culture haven steeped in timeless tradition and Victoria Abbott, who had dished about her delicious sojourn in Kyoto. I guess it was naive on my part to expect a Kyoto that wasn't quite so commercialied or crammed with tourists.

There were parts of it that were quaint and cute like Ponto Cho but for most parts I felt like people were just chainselling yatsuhashi and hijiri.




A couple of things worth noting though:





On our way uphill to Kiyomizudera Temple, we staggered past this fishcake shop. Hot oil guzzling away, freshly scorched fishcakes- how could we say no? Temple will have to wait. Enigmatically softer than tofu (is that possible? Why yes, my dear reader), the fishcakes did not disappoint. We even bought a couple more to celebrate our triumphant climb up to the temple. Onward march!





Downhill, we past a shop selling steamed meat buns. Ain't that something? Well not really. Having grown up on steamed buns ("paos" as we affectionately called them) of various sweet and savoury fillings (char siew, lotus paste, red bean paste, yam paste, chicken chunks with egg etc), what can I say? I have seen them all.

Well, it must be the Kawaii-neh smiling face and straw hat imprint on the buns. Yes, that had to be it. That had to be the reason why we risked our lives to cross a 2-metre road, clear of raging traffic, to buy a couple of steamed buns.



I live life dangerously.



Cream-filled choux pastries for you?



Did I mention how frigging hot it was in Kyoto? Need kakigori NOW... It was probably as warm as Singapore but as a faithful citizen of Air-Con Nation, street gazing was my kryptonite. Hence, we decided to seek relief from midday sun and found the most nondescript place for lunch.



The 20-seater restaurant specializes in Izumo soba, which derives its darker tones from the skin of the buckwheat. The restaurant walls are awashed with wooden plate pieces, possibly scribbled with menu items but we relied on the single-sided English menu that featured 4 items, including plain Izumo soba served hot or cold.



Yang had the soba and wild duck meat in steaming mirin-based broth while the rest of us had tempura and cold soba. You know I never understood the significance of "cold food" (I like it HAUUUTE, remember?) till I met Summer. From then on, I say Bling It On.



Weaving in and out of the tiny alleys, I found a shop that sold kimono acesseries and fell in love with these Ivana Helsinki-ish hankies/ scarves. I had no idea what they were used for and two months later, I still don't know but what the heck, they are pretty and I have one!



Perhaps, the reason why I didn't warm to Kyoto was because I didn't get a chance to wander around like what I did in Osaka and Tokyo. After reading Kyoto Foodie and Lovescool, I feel like I have misunderstood the city and am all ready to head back for another round! Stay tuned.

Sorry Mr Golden, I should have blamed the weather instead.

LKF* About Me: I love OWLS. I heart stationary. 1+1= Couldn't stop oogling over these OWfully adorable stuff from Print and Pattern. Check out these cuter-than-shirley-temple owl stationary from ROCK SCISSOR PAPER.

Which stands for 'Little Know Fact,' not 'Lan Kwai Fong'.