Showing posts with label eating tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eating tour. Show all posts

Thursday, October 13, 2016

#hungryintaipeiTRAVELS: 48 HOURS IN TOBA, JAPAN


FOR MONTHS, I WAS TRYING TO FIND the words to write about Toba, this little seaside town that is one of Japan's best kept secrets. I wanted to figure out how to accurately capture the experience I had when I was invited to visit with a media food tour of the city. When we travel and think about Japan, we often think about the big cities- Tokyo, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Osaka, Okinawa- but if we take the time to travel a little further and explore, there's a completely unique experience that we might have otherwise missed.  Similar to when I traveled to Italy last year, I had to visit Rome, Florence and Venice because it was my first time to Italy and maybe my only chance, but one of my favorite parts of the trip was our road trip to Tuscany and a meal on the hilltop of a farm and just taking in all the history. 

Toba is a smooth two hour train ride from Osaka, or four hours from Tokyo. You might have heard about Toba when all the world leaders converged in the Ise-Shima region this past May for the G7 summit, just a week after we were there. If you are ever in Japan, I recommend adding a few days so that you can visit Toba and if you do, here's are some of the things I did and you should too.


1. EAT a seafood feast grilled by the ama women divers who dived and caught it that morning 

You rarely meet the people who catch your food, but here we were able to watch as the Ama women divers expertly grilled (and shucked) the magaki oysters, colorful noble scallops, sazae turban shells and aji fish, and chatted with them (through a translator). Hands down, eating with the ama divers in the amagoya, or the ama divers' hut, was one of the most memorable things I've ever done.

There was a sense of strength and camaraderie from the women, most of them who have been diving and earning a living for their families for over 50 years.  I can barely stay afloat in a pool, much less in the ocean, and these amazing women dive up to 90 times a day, for 50 seconds at a time, foraging for abalone, sea urchin or lobster deep underwater without any scuba gear or breathing equipment. Add to the fact that most of them are now over the age of 65. Seriously amazing.

The Ama hut is open to the public by reservation, but not as well known outside of Japan. I asked them if they ever get any US or Taiwanese tourists, and they said they would have some Taiwanese ones coming the following weekend, but rarely any Americans. So I'm so happy to share this experience with you, as I hope as many people get the pleasure of eating at the amagoyas and meeting the ama divers before there isn't a chance to anymore.

There are several amagoyas in the Mie area, but I strongly recommend going to this one- Osatsu Kamodo (1238 Osatsucho, Toba, Mie Prefecture, Phone:  +81 599-33-7453 http://osatsu.org/en/, 3500yen lunchtime only).





2. GAZE at the pearls at the Mikimoto Museum, learn about how pearls are made and watch the pearl diver show 

The Mikimoto Museum is actually on its own island, which is connected by a short footbridge from Toba. Once you've watched the graceful pearl diver demonstration, you can leisurely explore the museum and learn about how pearls are cultivated from oysters as well as gawk at the rooms full of pearl encrusted displays. Not only are there different grades of pearls, but also different colors and different shapes. It takes over two years for pearls to be cultivated, and only 5% of the cultured pearls are considered top tier for Mikimoto jewelry. One third is marketable and the rest are ground and used for makeup, skin care and medicinal purposes. We didn't have time to browse the shop, but if I did, I would have totally picked up something for my mom because how memorable would it be to have a Mikimoto pearl from Mikimoto Pearl Island?




3. LEARN about the fascinating history and culture of the ama divers at the Osatsu Ama Museum and Toba Seafolk Museum

The ama diving culture has been documented in Japan for thousands of years, but in the last fifty years the ama population has decreased by over 80%. There used to be 6000 ama divers in 1949 and now there are less than 800.  In the past, daughters learned the skills from their mothers and grandmothers when they free dived together, but now there are more career opportunities for women. According to Dr. Ishihara, the Director of the Toba Seafolk Museum, "Abalone is the most treasured and profitable catch. There used to be many ama who could catch 10-15 kg per day, 30-40 years ago. The abalone population of the Shima Peninsula has been decreasing since about 1980. This decline is not only due to pollution or ocean warming, rather, it is thought to be due to overfishing." The ama culture lent itself to sustainable fishing since they followed the harvesting regulations and could individually determine if abalone was undersized or not. The Toba Seafolk Museum has a collection of fishing boats, photos, artwork and equipment to document and preserve Toba's fishing traditions and culture. (1731-68 Ogitsu Uramura-choToba, Mie Prefecture, 三重県鳥羽市浦村町大吉1731-68, 0599-32-6006, http://www.umihaku.com/english/index_english.html)

I loved this painting at the museum, among others, that showed the fierceness of the ama women divers, who some call real life mermaids because of their ability to navigate the waters while holding their breath. You can also see the contrast of the romanticism of the paintings in the past to the current sign to the museum which has a grandmotherly figure to greet us. 



4. MAKE A WISH at the Ishigami-san shrine 
After visiting the Toba Seafolk Museum, we walked through the town towards the Shinmei Shrine and passed by this area where you could write a wish down,  deposit it a box, ring the bell. Follow the directions after making your wish, so you can join ama divers and locals in hoping that Ishigami-san, a stone goddess, known for granting wishes to women can fulfill your wish.  (1385, Osatsu, Toba, Mie)



5. RELAX with an onsen hot spring bath at the hotel 
This is the one thing I regret not trying while I was in Toba. I figured it would be similar to the hotsprings in Beitou or Yang Ming Shan in Taiwan, but my friends who tried it said it was a cool experience. There are public baths as well as private in Todaya Hotel, and there are light robes and slippers in the rooms for you to use. 


6. EXPLORE the town and eat udon, sushi, seafood, hotpot or crepes
On my last evening in Toba, I walked about 10-15 minutes away from my hotel to explore the quiet neighborhood in Toba. Beyond the train station, there were a cluster of residences and restaurants that included various Japanese restaurants, but I was surprised to spot this little hipster looking cafe, Killibilli, as well as an Italian restaurant. Living in Taipei, I'm always fascinated by new restaurants that open that are atypical from what you would expect in Asia and why people who are not native to that country choose to move and live there. I really wanted to try a crepe, but I'll have to save it for my next trip.





7. TRAVEL to nearby areas in Ise-Shima region


  • Even though Japan is so close to Taiwan (the flight is less than three hours to Osaka, only 90 minutes to Okinawa), this was only my second visit to Japan. I don't know why I waited so long to revisit Japan and this trip definitely inspired me to take more frequent visits to Japan so I can explore the different cities. On our first night in Toba, we were treated to an epic show and tell of the Ise-Shima region's culinary delights- the delicious dinner menu included abalone (dived for by local ama women divers), spiny Ise-ebi spiny lobster, tempura, sashimi, Matsusaka beef, sushi and sake. If you were a beef lover, you could find the best waygu in Matsusaka, a one hour train ride from Toba. There are also a lot of islands nearby to explore.




    8. ENJOY the local breakfast buffet 
    Loved the variety of foods, local vegetables and seafood that the Todaya Hotel offered in its breakfast buffet. There was also western pancakes, bacon and eggs offered, but definitely take advantage of the home court foods. 


    Thank you to Genuine Education Network and the city of Toba for organizing such a wonderful visit. GEN aims to educate about 'genuine' practices of food and sustainability, and the "wisdom and traditions behind the Japanese food culture," such as the ama divers, and is doing amazing work.  

    Ever since I returned from Japan, I have told EVERYONE that I know about the ama divers and told friends that they must plan a trip themselves. Many of my friends, who travel frequently to Japan, were even surprised to hear about the Ise-Shima region and Toba for the first time, and were equally fascinated by the ama divers stories. Before going to Toba, I didn't know what to expect since it was my first time accepting an invitation to a media event abroad (I previously had been invited to events in London, Malaysia and Vietnam, which I declined). I was a bit intimidated to go somewhere I wasn't familiar with and with people I didn't know, but in the end, I discovered that Toba was a lovely city with many friendly people and lots of delicious food. Even on my last evening when I was walking around the town, I randomly ran into a local journalist who recognized me from the first night and he walked me all the way to the train station and helped translate for me with the man at the train ticket booth who didn't speak any English to buy a train ticket from Toba to Tokyo. It's that sort of thing that made my trip so memorable and the kind of trip that makes you want to keep exploring the world. 

Monday, June 29, 2015

#exploretaipei: hungryintaipei's guide to YONG KANG STREET


YONG KANG ST  永康街
(between XinYi Road, Sec. 2 and Jinhua St.)



The first time I ever heard of Yong Kang Street was during one of my first trips back to Taipei after being away for over 12 years. I was back for just one month and had no clue where anything was. After lunch at Zhu Ji, my aunt told us that we had to go to the mango shaved ice place on Yong Kang Street.  

"What's the name of the place?" we asked her.  

"Just tell the taxi driver that you want to go to the mango ice place on Yong Kang Street and they will know," she responded. 

And it was true. Even ten years later after my first (blurry) post ever for hungryintaipei about it, and even though that spot is no longer Ice Monster after several changes in owners and shop revisions, it's still crowded with people getting their shaved ice on.

But Yong Kang Street is more than its famous bookends of the original Din Tai Fung at the front and mango shaved ice near the touristy end. Yong Kang Street, or aka Yong Kang Jie, is full of Taiwanese restaurants, dumplings, noodles, street eats, boba milk tea and even cute dessert cafes and amazing sushi bars if you know where to wander off to find them. You could even put your name down at Din Tai Fung and explore and snack for half an hour to come back in time for your number to come up for xiao long bao. 

If you want to eat like a tourist, then you'll just go to Din Tai Fung and mango shaved ice. But if you want to eat like a local, then you'll have to dig a little deeper into this street of good eats.  CNN readers just voted Taipei as their number one food destination as having the best food. I totally believe that's true! If you only had one day to eat in Taipei, Yong Kang Street wouldn't be a bad place to spend it.



7 THINGS TO EAT AT YONG KANG ST

(1) XIAO LONG BAO or DUMPLINGS
Whether you try it at Din Tai Fung, or its competing neighbor Kao Chi, get some dumplings in your belly! If you're willing to explore, further down on Yong Kang St are some hole in the wall dumpling places for a lot less.

DIN TAI FUNG 鼎泰豊the original DTF always has a line out front. Even though this location takes up four floors now in the building, it's one of the more cramped locations because it's too popular for the small building's size. Grab a number, ask for estimated wait times and take a quick stroll down Yong Kang St for your next stop.


KAO CHI is right around the corner from DTF and some say the xiao long baos are equally good and slightly cheaper. I've had good as well as mediocre visits there and I think DTF's xiao long bao skins are more delicate, but you could consider a visit if you are too impatient to wait in line. What Kao Chi's specialty is though are the sheng jian baos, with a thicker skin and steamed and pan fried at the same time so that they have crisped bottoms.



(2) SPRING ONION PANCAKE 

Oddly housed under a sign for Thanh Ky's Pho, the spring onion pancake vendor is worth waiting in line for. You can opt for plain (which I prefer), with egg, cheese, ham or the works (NT$25-50). English menu available to point at. Order one to share and eat while you keep exploring. Crispy, flaky on the outside, doughy on the inside, the cong you bing is hot and quite filling if you eat the whole thing.





Totally prepared with individually wrapped dough to press and flatten with a machine and throw onto the hot griddle. 


(3) BEEF NOODLE SOUP 

Only have time to hang out near Yong Kang Street, but craving some beef noodle soup? Most people will wander over to the famous Yong Kang Beef Noodle Soup



Or you could give this knife cut noodle shop a try, Yi Ping Shanxi Dao Xiao Mian, with a bowl of tomato based beef noodle broth, chunks of beef and slivers of knife cut noodles. CNN liked it enough to include it on their best beef noodle soups list after I took them there when my other fave knife cut noodle shop was closed (and we had already hit up Lin Dong Fang and W Hotel's beef noodle soups). There's also another knife cut noodle shop in the alley around the corner, but I always seem to pass by when it's already closed. Of course, if you have more time in Taipei, my personal favorite beef noodle soups are elsewhere, but this is a decent bowl for your walking tour of Yong Kang St.





(4) MANGO SHAVED ICE 

Sit downstairs for the feeling of having your shaved ice in the original shack, or sit upstairs in an air conditioned room, which was added during a recent expansion when Smoothie House 思慕昔 took over the reins for this spot from Ice Monster/Yong Kang 15 a few years ago. One bowl is big enough to share and the menu has tourist friendly photos and English to browse, though if you choose to sit upstairs there is a minimum fee per person.



(5) FRESH FRUIT, FRUIT JUICE OR BOBA MILK TEA

You can also get some fresh fruit or fruit juice... somehow the fruits are incomparably sweet in Taipei. Give wax apple or custard apple or watermelon juice a try if you've never had it. There's several shops along Yong Kang Street serving fresh squeezed juices to quench your thirst or pre-sliced fruits packed for easy eating on the go.


custard apples

Currently there are three popular boba drink shops along the short stretch of Yong Kang St. My personal fave is 50 Lan- I like to get fresh milk w/ mini bobas, no sugar, less ice, sometimes with extra pudding. There's also lots of ice teas, green tea, fruit teas, milk teas and fruit juices to choose from. You'll be asked how sweet and how icy you want your drink, and you can ask for an English menu if you don't spot one.



 

(6) TAIWANESE EATS 

If you're up for trying something local, there's also a lot of shops specializing in dishes from other Taiwan cities, like Tainan or Yilan. I love the fried gaozha and lu rou fan from Lu Sang and sometimes will stop in to get just that as a snack on my Yong Kang St food crawl, but you could do a whole family style meal at these restaurants too. See what other dishes are family favorites on my past review here.


gao zha- deep fried chicken broth!!
TU HSIAO YUEH/ DU HSIAO YUEH / 度小月 or SLACK SEASON NOODLES is near the front of Yong Kang St, near DTF and Kao Chi. Famous for their Tainan dan tsai noodles. Good if you have a large group and want to try Taiwanese food in a modern setting. Check out this past review for some pictures. 


FU CHEN TAINAN EATS




(7) DESSERT 

8% ICE has a two story shop and a lot of unique flavors like french peach with rosewater or hojicha with honey to try (though no samples given at this location! Boo!). If you can find it, I also love the macarons and desserts from Patisserie La Doceur or red velvet cupcakes from Les Bebes Cupcakes, which both have other outlets elsewhere in Taipei, but you could do just a dessert crawl if you have the stomach space (I'd do red bean paste xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung, mango shaved ice, ice cream from 8% ice, soufflé from C'est La Vie then macarons and cupcakes! haha!)





Of course, there's many more restaurants in the offshoots of Yong Kang St to try, but just the restaurants on Yong Kang Street will keep you busy for an extended lunch and afternoon of snacking.   Did I miss your favorite eats on Yong Kang Street? Share in the comments!


Note for travelers, you can also grab a local SIM card at one of these telecom shops Far EasTone or Chunghwa Telecom since you can't just get them at 7-11 anymore. I recently helped a journalist get one here (have your passport ready) before our walking tour of Yong Kang St. Yong Kang Street also conveniently has both a 7-11 and Watsons, perfect for picking up some bottles of water, makeup or toiletries. 


Right off of Dongmen MRT (Exit Number 5!)

hungryintaipei's guide to Yong Kang Street

DIN TAI FUNG 鼎泰豐
No. 194, Section 2, Xinyi Road
(02) 2321-8928

KAO CHI 高記
5 Yongkang Street 
(02) 2341-9984

SPRING ONION PANCAKE VENDOR
No. 1, Lane 6, Yongkang Street

YI PIN SHANXI KNIFE CUT NOODLES 一品山西刀削 
10-6 Yongkang Street
(02) 2321-1562

YONG KANG BEEF NOODLES 永康牛肉麵 
No. 17, Lane 31, Section 2, Jinshan S. Road
(02)2351-1051 

SMOOTHIE HOUSE
15 Yongkang Street

DU HSIAO YUEH 度小月 
9-1 Yongkang Street
(02) 3393-1325

LU SANG YILAN RESTAURANT  呂桑食堂
12-5 Yongkang Street
(02) 2351-3323

8% ICE
6, Lane 13, Yongkang Street
(02) 2395-6583

PATISSERIE LA DOUCEUR
No. 223, Jinhua Street
(02) 3322-2833

:)