Pretty Plates

Kaiseki at Seikoro Inn
A ryokan in Kyoto, Japan
October 8, 2014

Part 3

Breakfast and dinner were included in our accommodations. And the dinner wasn’t an ordinary one. We were served the kaiseki or five-course meal.

Enjoying our first kaiseki meal in a ryokan

Once again, I took pictures of everything and Saori, our nakai or personal butler, explained every dish she served. The food presentation took my breath away. Each plate was a work of art and even featured touches of the Fall season.

The First Course: a trio of appetizers

Appetizer 1: a small scoop of refreshing veggie salad topped with a single skinless grape

Appetizer 2: a small portion of chicken salad in a bowl and assorted sushi

Appetizer 3:  the hero dish of the appetizer trio -- a bowl of assorted sashimi

Alan ordered the local beer Asahi while I had premium sake with our dinner. I was so proud of Alan for trying everything we were served. And he masterfully used chopsticks too!

He was awesome in trying everything...with chopsticks!

Living it up Japanese style

The second course was a duet of soup and grilled fish.  There was a big piece of sponge-like tofu in the clear soup. I normally like tofu but I didn't particularly like this one. It's not the same tofu texture that I'm used to. 

The Second Course:  soup and grilled fish

But I enjoyed the broth. It was paired with a bite-size piece of grilled fish. The condiments came in a tiny pumpkin-shaped container. So cute!

The Third Course: a seafood ensemble

Third course dish:  Shrimp with veggies in broth

Third course dish: Another entree featuring local fish

Third course dish: A sampling of some more seafood

Then came the best part of the meal. The Fourth Course featured our favorite dish: tempura!

The Fourth Course and highlight of our meal: tempura with white rice and miso soup.

The Fifth Course: a refreshing dessert combo of honeydew and matcha pudding.

A small grape at the bottom of the matcha pudding bowl spiced up the overall dessert. It was a pleasant surprise to conclude the meal.

After dinner, Saori moved the table off to the side of the room. She then pulled the futons from the cabinet. With swift yet lady-like movements, she laid them out and neatly put the sheets on.

After dinner, Saori set up our futons

You know that the comforters are clean because they are covered with protectors.

Then we turned off this light and said nightey-night.

The next morning, Saori came back at our requested breakfast time. She cleared the floor of the futons and positioned the table back in the center of the room. Alan decided to stick to the Western breakfast while I asked for the traditional Japanese breakfast. Mine turned out to be a grand feast that included veggies, tofu, rice, grilled fish, and miso soup. Who knew?

I requested for the traditional Japanese breakfast. What a feast!

This story is a continuation of Inside the Ryokan (Part 1) and Take It All Off! (Part 2).

In my next blog post, I will be writing about our sightseeing tours in Kyoto. I can't wait to share the wonderful photos. Stay tuned!

Take It All Off!

The Public Bath 

Inside Seikoro Inn,

A ryokan in Kyoto

October 8, 2014

Part 2

Ever been to a public bath in a ryokan? Umm, what exactly do you do in here?

You wonder:  how exactly do you bathe in here?

Ladies are expected to completely take off their clothes and thoroughly wash themselves FIRST in one of the shower stalls. Just like in a regular spa, the hot tub is meant for soaking and relaxing.

You must wash yourself first in one of these shower stalls.

I couldn't do it. I kept my swimsuit on. Even if this public bath was exclusive to women (they have a separate one for the men), I couldn't bring myself to strip down completely. And I was alone in there for the most part.

The main entrance to the women's public bath

Before traveling to Japan, I researched the "How To's." I knew that in this communal bath, I was supposed to rigorously rinse myself clean while sitting on the little stool. It is only AFTER cleansing that I could soak in the hot bath.

The very first time I was introduced to this was when I visited the award-winning Grand Wailea Spa in Maui. (You can read that story here.) Also, see bottom of this post to learn the proper way of having a Japanese bath.

The steamy water in this spa helped soothe tired muscles.

After going through the drill, I sat in the spa and enjoyed how the hot water loosened up my muscles. It was exactly what I needed after walking all day.

In my previous post Inside The Ryokan - Part 1,  I talked about seizing this moment: when no one else was here so I could take as many photos as I wanted. I was so glad I had exclusivity...even for just a while.

Like a modern spa, they have complete amenities. Behind me is the shelving unit to store clothes.

Just as I was getting ready to leave, another guest walked in. Without hesitation, she fully unrobed and stashed her clothes in one of the cubby shelves. I'm not sure if she noticed I had a swimsuit on. She must've thought I was some kinda weirdo.

My eyes discreetly followed her. She went straight for one of the stalls, plopped on a stool, and then scrubbed herself clean like nobody's business. Truthfully, I wanted to watch to see how it's really done but I'm sure she would not have approved. 

The stairway that takes you to the communal bath.

I gathered my things and headed back to my room. As I wandered down the hallways, I found so many interesting art pieces at every turn. This ryokan is really lovely. 

This right here is one of my favorite art ensemble in the ryokan.

Interesting art pieces make this ryokan even more homey.

Lovely wall art

The hallway leading back to my room.

I was happy that I had my fill of relaxation for the day. After that much needed interlude, I was ready to eat. In my next post, I'll take you through my kaiseki, or five-course dining experience in the ryokan.

What is the proper way of having a Japanese bath? ~ Source: JAPANiCAN.com

In the changing area, remove all your clothes. You may take a small towel with you into the bathing area. After entering the bathing area, but before entering the main bath, you should wash your entire body. The reason for this is that in Japan, the bath is a shared facility to soak and relax in; it is not used for washing. Once you have washed yourself, enter the bath and relax!

The showers in Japanese public baths consist of seated-type stalls. It is considered bad manners to stand while taking a shower in this kind of stall. It is also considered bad manners to immerse your towel in the bath water.

Please note that some ryokan do not allow guests with tatoos to use the public bathing areas. If you have a tattoo, you should contact the ryokan or JAPANiCAN Customer Support beforehand to confirm that you will be able to use the baths. Many ryokan that do not allow guests with tatoos to use the public baths will still allow them to use the private reservable baths.

Hey, It's Joseph!

Kyoto
October 8, 2014


I was excited to see an old friend. He's practically a brother to me. I remember our college days when he and his buddies would come over to the house and just hang out with my sisters and me. Ah, those were the days. And we both have so fond memories of those fun times.

I caught up with my good friend Joseph in Kyoto.

Through Facebook, we found out that we were both in Japan. I was visiting the country with Alan as part of my birthday celebration. Joseph happened to be there vacationing at the same time.

"I'm in Osaka right now but I can meet you in Kyoto," Joseph said in his FB message. It would be good to see you after sooo many years!"

"Oh yay! You'll get to meet my hubby!" I was just as thrilled.

Alan and I took the Shinkansen to Kyoto the next day. Through Facebook messenger and text messages, we coordinated where and when to meet each other at the Kyoto bullet train station.

Alan and I took the Shinkansen or bullet train to Kyoto.

Soon as we walked past the train station's exit turnstiles, we found Joseph patiently waiting for us. After more than twenty years, it was sheer delight to see him again and to give him a big warm hug.

Like a big brother, Joseph immediately took charge. He helped us into a cab and accompanied us to our hotel, a ryokan called Seikoro Inn.

We dropped off our bags at the ryokan, Seikoro Inn.

After dropping off our bags there, he took us to the nearest subway station and showed us how to get back to town. Unlike Tokyo's subway, Kyoto's was a little confusing. We were glad Joseph was with us to lead the way.

Joseph was sharing his WiFi connection

Waiting for our train in the subway station

He only had enough time to have lunch with us before catching his flight back to Hong Kong. As we weaved our way inside Kyoto's big mall called Avanti, he kept asking us, "What would you like to eat?"

It didn't take long for him to find a nice restaurant called Kyoto Suehiro that featured hot stone cooking. Excellent choice!

At the center of our table was a square slab of Mount Fuji lava stone where we personally grilled our choice of steaks and veggies. Well, it was mostly Joseph who took care of the cooking. With his chopsticks, he would put the bite-size steaks on the hot stone and grill them to perfection. Then he'd transfer them onto our plates. The miso soup, salad, and rice helped round out the delicious meal.

Joseph treated us to a delicious lunch at Suehiro restaurant inside Avanti Mall.

Enjoying lunch with Joseph in Kyoto. I'm glad Alan had the chance to meet him.

To make my sisters jealous, I posted our photos on Facebook with the caption, "Guess who I found in Kyoto?"

"Hey, it's Joseph Dee!" My family and friends were pleasantly surprised to see us together in Kyoto.

We talked about a lot of things, remembering our good old days with my siblings.  My mind was flooded with memories of the simple joys we shared back then. He always treated us like his family away from home. And to us, he will always be a dear brother. We all share a strong bond, a unique connection that is almost hard to explain.

It's great to be reunited with a special friend who is just like a brother to me.

Thanks, Joseph, for hosting a delicious lunch, for the helpful Japan shopping tips, and most importantly, for reminding me about our special kinship. It's so nice to be reunited with family even in this part of the world.

Grilling our steaks using hot lava stone in Suehiro.

This story was continued from Tempura Master. Stay tuned to follow my Japan adventure series. More to come.