Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Hitachi JR Station 日立駅

Award winning. When I arrived at Hitachi JR Station, I was surprised by the modern appearance and novel outlook of the train station! The train station was designed by Kazuyo Sejima, a Japanese architect from Ibaraki Prefecture, and has become a pride of Hitachi city. In fact, the train station has won the Good Design Awards in 2012 and the prestigious Brunel Award (under the category of Station Building) in 2014. Clean modernist elements were incorporated into its design and intelligent usage of huge glass panels transformed the train station into a viewing gallery of Pacific Ocean. Seamless connection between the train station to the seaside and city was also made possible by a spacious and transparent walkway.

Trivia. For most of us, the first thing that comes to our mind naturally when "Hitachi" is mentioned is household appliances. In fact, the headquarters of this renowned household brand was actually first established in Hitachi city and was shifted to Tokyo in 1918. Hitachi still owns offices and manufacturing plants here, and you will be able to spot them around the train station.

Limited express trains serving Hitachi Station include:
(1) Ltd Express Tokiwa ときわ
(2) Ltd Express Hitachi ひたち
Both commute along Joban line (常磐線), which connects Tokyo to Koriyama in Fukushima Prefecture. From Hitachi Station,
- train commutes southwards to Mito, Tsuchiura, Toride, Ushiku and Tokyo.
- train commutes northwards to Takahagi, and eventually to Koriyama in Fukushima Prefecture.

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What's nearby?

(1) Tourist Information Center, located near Chuo Guchi (Central Exit).

(2) Bus Terminal, located just in front of Chuo Guchi (Central Exit). The main bus operator in Hitachi city is Hitachi Dentetsu Kotsu 日立電鉄交通, and attractions such as Kamine Park and Nikko Mining Museum can be assessed via bus. Unfortunately, my stay in Hitachi city was a short one ( just to stay for the night at Unoshima Villa) and I did not get to visit any places of interest here.

Hitachi Dentetsu Kotsu website: http://www.hitachi-dentetsu.co.jp/
Bus routes from Hitachi JR Station (in Japanese): http://www.hitachi-dentetsu.co.jp/bus/bus_map_2017.pdf

(3) Sea view! Exit the train station from the Kaigan Guchi (Seaside Exit) to enjoy the comfortable sea breeze and a view of Hitachi Bypass 日立バイパス, the road bridge running alongside Pacific Ocean. This is one spot not to be missed after arriving at the train station!

(4) Hitachi Civic Center 日立シビックセンター, 3 minutes walk from Chuo Guchi (Central Exit).
http://www.civic.jp/center/

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Omuro Keishokudo おおむろ軽食堂

Visited 13.11.2017 (Mon)

Lunch. It was about lunch time after transiting back to the foot of Omuroyama by chairlift. Decided to settle my lunch here before heading back to Izu Kogen Station. In fact, before I ascended Omuroyama earlier in the day, I was already attracted to this natural modern looking restaurant situated at the entrance of chair lift station. Though keishoku (軽食) means light meals, the food served here at Omuro Keishokudo are actually more intricate than simple snacks. Firstly, all the main courses here are accompanied by appetiser plate and dessert. There is also decent variety of rice bowls and udon to choose from the menu. For example, rice bowl topped with freshly caught shirasu (whitebait) from Usami Port or chicken marinated with soy sauce and simmered in bonito flavoured broth (とりてり丼). On the other hand, the udon noodles are served with vegetable tempura, soy sauce marinated pork or butter flavoured clams. Being a fan of fried food, I could resist not ordering their fried fish rice bowl, which happens to be one of their most popular food item on their menu. In addition to that, seafood is a specialty of Izu Peninsula because of its coastal geographical location.

Exquisite. I was already quite impressed by the outlook of the appetiser at the beginning of my lunch course. Served on a rustic ceramic tile, the appetiser was made up of five different food items which varied from day to day. Featuring seasonal and locally grown ingredients, each appetiser dish on the plate has its own distinct flavour to whet diners' appetite. The fried fish rice bowl definitely earned its place as the signature creation here. The fillets were lightly breaded and deep fried to mouth watering shade of golden brown colour. Cooked to the right texture with its moisture retained completely, I was pleasantly satisfied by the outcome of the fried fish fillets. Halfway through, I finished the rest of my rice bowl in ochazuke style, by pouring dashi over rice. I have always enjoyed ochazuke since this is quite similar to how I will soak my last bit of rice in soup/broth and eventually slurp up everything at one go back at home. Dessert was served promptly after I finished my bowl of ochazuke. Comprised of a simple sweet, pudding and a bowl of lukewarm maccha, this delectable dessert set wrapped up the entire lunch course delightfully. One other noteworthy feature of Omuro Keishokudo to pay attention to while enjoying your meal is their tablewares which are all handmade,  piece by piece, by a local pottery workshop in Ito city.

Conclusion. I have to say that I am surprised to discover such a good restaurant located in a tourist attraction and I am quite sure that the relaxing ambience and delicious food served here can/will attract a decent group of people to return on another day... solely just to enjoy a meal here!

My bill:
- Fried fish don 地魚フライ丼 - 1,566 yen (tax inclusive)

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Omuro Keishokudo おおむろ軽食堂
伊東市富戸1317-5大室山リフト館1F; located near the entrance of Omuroyama chairlift station.
Operating hours: 1000 - 1600 hrs
http://izu-kukan.com/ohmuro-lunche/

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Patisserie Que Sera Sera パティスリー・ケセラセラ

Visited 12.11.2017 (Sun)

Sweet tooth. Just before I headed back to Izukyu Shimoda Station 伊豆急下田駅 after visiting Perry Road, I decided to make a detour to Patisserie Que Sera Sera to enjoy some sweets. My original plan was to fulfill my sweets cravings in one of the retro cafes lined along Perry Road ペリーロード however, the menu from several shops did not appeal to me. My last hope was Patisserie Que Sera Sera, housed in a stand-alone, modern looking and white washed building and located about 4 minutes walk away from the train station. The patisserie has also allocated a section, operating it as a cafe, for dine in customers to enjoy their sweets, accompanied with drinks here. The patisserie with a touch of European flair (Que Sera Sera means Whatever Will Be, Will Be) is opened by a couple who has previously worked in the well known sweets shop, Mont St. Clair モンサンクレール, located in the chic district of Jiyugaoka in Tokyo. 

Limited period apple pie. Was already spoilt for choice by all the delicious line up of cakes in the display fridge. As I stood in front of the display fridge and could not make up my mind what to order (for quite a while), the staff directed my attention to a basket with two pieces of apple pies left and recommended me to give it a try. Initially I was unconvinced that the apple pie was a better option than the rest of delectable array of cakes but eventually gave in to the suggestion. I have to say this is one of the best apple pie I have eaten; even has as an edge over the ones I have savoured in Hirosaki on a previous trip (a city in Aomori Prefecture which is famous for apple pies). The flavours of the apple pie itself was already very well balanced; and it was further elevated by a scoop of vanilla ice cream placed on top of it. Utilising apples harvested from Aomori, the highest producing prefecture in Japan, I later found out that their apple pie is actually the most popular item in Que Sera Sera and is only available for sale between September and May. Would highly recommend to give this legendary apple pie a try if your visit to the patisserie falls within this limited period of time!

One of the best apple pies I have eaten!

Bought this Shimoda Tea Castella cake just before I left the shop. Like the cake as well - not too dense in texture and is infused with fragrant tea flavour. 

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Patisserie Que Sera Sera パティスリー・ケセラセラ
下田市敷根３－４０
Operating hours: 1000 - 1900 hrs; closed on Tuesdays
https://www.facebook.com/p.queserasera/

How to get there?

(1) By foot. Approx 4 mins walk from Izukyu Shimoda Station.

Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Farm Tomita ファーム富田

Visited 28.10.2017 (Sat)
Previous post: http://hsuchia.blogspot.com/2013/03/hokkaido-summer-2012-farm-tomita.html

Pride of Furano. Farm Tomita is analogous to Furano and whenever someone mentions about Farm Tomita, lavender comes into my mind automatically. The story of how lavender was successfully cultivated in Farm Tomita, thereby elevated it to become an icon of Furano today continues to be an inspiring one. When I visited Farm Tomita on my first trip to Hokkaido in 2012, it was during the peak summer season in July when the park was packed with tourists. Despite that, I did not get to tour the premises extensively due to poor weather conditions then. This time round, though I managed to avoid the crowd at Farm Tomita, I missed the best time to see the carpeted lavender fields. It is hard to get the best of both worlds at times.

The slope of Choei Lavender Park covered by blooming lavender flowers in July.

Was lucky enough to capture a clear view of Tokachidake mountain range on the day of my visit! 

A close up shot of the snow-capped mountain.

Familiarity. However, this recent visit to Farm Tomita has affirmed that this well received sightseeing spot is still worth visiting during its off-peak season. Walked from Nakafurano JR Station to Farm Tomita after a satisfying lunch at Chevre. Along the way, I passed by Choei Lavender Park, another popular lavender sighting location in Nakafurano which I have visited on my first trip to Hokkaido. During summer, the slope is fully covered with blooming lavender and visitors can make use of the chairlift to gain enough elevation to capture a spectacular view of surrounding Tokachidake mountain range decorated with lavender flowers in the foreground.

As expected, Farm Tomita was so much quieter during an off peak season without the usual sighting of buses ferrying groups of tourists here. All the shops within its premises, except for Hanabito House 花人の舎 and Dried Flower House ドライフラワーの舎, were already closed for the year. In Hanabito House, visitors can bring back home Farm Tomita's huge array of lavender related items, such as fragrances, cosmetic products, food and stationery. At the cafe located within the same building, I could not resist not getting a lavender flavoured soft serve cone to relish (the feeling is like something I had to tick off from my to-do list). Love the smooth texture and rich milky flavour, infused with the signature soothing scent of lavender. This is definitely a delectable dessert that should not be missed during a visit to Farm Tomita or even to Furano in general.

Greenhouse. Though there were no vibrant flowers sighted in the outdoor fields, a completely different outlook awaits in this small greenhouse situated in the center of Farm Tomita. Here, beautiful lavender flowers blooming out of their bushes can be enjoyed all year round. The indoor scenery certainly pales in comparison to the flower carpeted fields which will make everyone be wild about during summer. But think otherwise. Due to less facilities/attractions to explore in other parts of the park at this time of the year, visitors can spend more time admiring these enthralling stalks of flowers closely and carefully instead. This is something that is difficult to accomplish when the flower park is packed with tourists. I had the luxury to take numerous close up shots of these endearing flowers and the bees buzzing around the bushes, without much disturbances. Apart from lavender, I was also greeted by beautiful white and pink coloured Geraniums planted at the sides of the greenhouse during the time of my visit.

In conclusion, despite not being able to witness the rainbow fields again, I felt that I enjoyed myself more thoroughly at Farm Tomita this time round...

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Farm Tomita ファーム富田
071-0704 北海道空知郡中富良野町基線北15号
Free admission.
http://www.farm-tomita.co.jp/

How to get there?

(1) Approx 20 mins walk from Nakafurano JR Station 中富良野駅.

(2) Approx 7 mins walk from Lavender Farm JR Station ラベンダー畑駅, a temporary train station which is only opened when Furano-Biei Norokko Train 富良野・美瑛ノロッコ号 is in operation.

Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Farmers Cafe Fudo ファーマーズカフェ風土

Visited 03.11.2017 (Fri) 

Luck. During my stay in Higashikawa-cho for a month, I stayed out on most weekends to visit nearby places such as Furano and Biei. At the back of my mind, there was one food in this quaint countryside which I longed to eat - the famous omu rice from Farmer's Cafe Fudo. However, to accomplish this mission, some luck is required. What makes it difficult for me to visit Fudo is its operating hours. It is only and usually opened on weekends; infrequently on Fridays and Mondays. When I decided to stay put in Higashikawa-cho on my second Sunday in, Fudo was coincidentally not opened for business that weekend. And when I came to terms that I would most likely not be able to relish this before I depart from Hokkaido on a Saturday morning, I leapt for joy after finding out from their blog that it was opened on Friday (the day before I leave)! On that particular day, I pulled along a classmate and we cycled to our destination which was about 2 km away from our dormitory. I even timed it such that we were first in the queue and to beat the lunch crowd. When the clock struck 11 am, there were already three groups of diners including ourselves waiting eagerly to "bash" into the cafe.

Background. Cafe Fudo opened 1 year after Mr and Mrs Nitta-san 新田さん shifted from Wakkanai to Higashikawa-cho in 2007. Mr Nitta-san decided to settle down here to carry out organic cultivation of rice. On the other hand, as their kid is allergic to chemical additives in food, they wanted to foster natural style of living and it started with rearing their own chickens, using carefully chosen poultry feed which comprised of Higashikawa's rice fragments and wheat produced from nearby areas. Chickens reared here are not subjected to any form of hormonal or antibiotics injection, therefore the harvested eggs are not only safe for consumption, it also eliminates body burden. There is even an exclusive name given to the eggs produced by Farm Rera ファームレア (the farm owned by Mr and Mrs Nitta-san) called “Daisetsu na tamago 大雪なたまご” and the best way to savour these eggs is to pay a visit to Fudo to eat the omu rice prepared by Mrs Nitta-san herself.

Best omu rice. As Mrs Nitta-san handles everything in the restaurant, from taking the orders, cooking to serving, all by herself, the seating capacity in Fudo is limited to only 9 people. Waiting time could be longer than expected since each plate of omu rice is cooked upon order. There are two types of omu rice to choose from the menu (Fuwatoro Omu Rice or Fuwatoro Omu Curry). Apart from omu rice, patrons can also wrap up their meals with pudding made from Daisetsu no tamago as well.

- Fuwatoro Omu Rice ふわとろオムラス [950 yen]: The term "fuwatoro" is actually made up of two words "fuwafuwa ふわふわ" and "torotoro とろとろ". The former means fluffy/airy, while the latter means lava like; and the combination describes how an excellent omelette should look and taste like. The soft and fluffy omelette is laid over fried tomato rice and the dish is completed with a ladle of lightly flavoured homemade sauce poured on top of it. I have to exclaim that this is the best omu rice I have ever eaten to date; it was so delicious that I could not bear to finish the very last bit. The aromatic eggy flavour and smooth texture felt so satisfying to my tastebuds and this is truly a soul food which will win the hearts of many, regardless of age.

- Fuwatoro Omu Curry ふわとろオムカレー [980 yen]: The tomato rice is replaced with normal white rice and this omu rice is eaten with curry cooked using spices, vegetables and beans (the colour resembles that of dhal curry). Both set meals are served together with soup and salad. My classmate had the omu curry and he like it very much too. 

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Farmer's Cafe Fudo ファーマーズカフェ風土
北海道上川郡東川町東4号北2
* Normally opens on weekends, infrequently on Fridays and Mondays (if it happens to be a public holiday). Please check their blog to find out the days of operation. Usually the owner will post relevant information 1 or 2 weeks before its actual days of operation.
Operating hours: 1100 - 1600 hrs; last order at 1530 hrs
https://blog.goo.ne.jp/miyuki_rera

More about Daisetsu no tamago from Farm Rera: http://farmrera.com/




How to get there?

(1) Bus 66 from Asahikawa Station Bus Terminal 旭川駅バスターミナル Platform 9 or from Michikusakan 道草間, heading for Asahidake 旭岳. Alight at Higashi-4-go 東４号.

* Instead of taking Bus 66 from Asahikawa Station Bus Terminal which will make a detour to Asahikawa Airport before arriving at Michikusakan, you can take Bus 60 and 67 (which have more regular services) from Asahikawa Station Bus Terminal (Platform 10) to Michikusakan, followed by transferring to Bus 66 here.

Bus 66 schedule: http://www.asahikawa-denkikidou.jp/manage/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/d9af3c4bfbbd86979b52b2d278d7cd34-2.pdf

(2) By rental bicycle from Michikusakan.
For greater flexibility (and if you can ride a bicycle), you can rent a bicycle from Michikusakan for 500 yen/hour. From Michikusakan, turn left and cycle along the main road towards direction of Asahidake (National Route 1160). Takes approx. 10 - 15 mins. Keep a lookout for Farmer's Cafe Fudo on the left side of the road when you arrive at Higashi-4-go 東４号.
http://www.welcome-higashikawa.jp/michikusa/

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - cafe Tati sweets カフェタチスイーツ

Visited 14.11.2017 (Tue)

Lunch. Wrapped up my day trip at Ito with lunch and dessert at cafe Tati sweets. Reached the cafe slightly just before it was opened for the day and was surprised to see another person who did the same too. Tati has been featured in several travelogues that I have read and being a person with a sweet tooth, I was definitely looking forward to this visit. While standing outside to wait for the clock to struck 11:30 am, I was already attracted to this 2 storey, white coloured and cute looking building which Tati is housed within. Upon entering the shop, I was immediately dazzled by the beautiful and delicious looking sweets arranged neatly in the display fridge.

Cafe Tati sweets is a family operated cafe and patisserie, located near Matsukawa Yuhodou 松川遊歩道. While the husband is in charge of the shop front, the wife, who is a pastry chef, handmade all her creations wholeheartedly. The interior of the cafe is also nicely done, with a modern country style outlook. Found a corner seat and sat down to read the menu. There are two set lunches available on the menu - (1) Saba fish, harvested in Ito, minced and cooked in miso, served with onsen tamago and rice, (2) homemade sandwiches with three different fillings to choose from (egg, curry and pork). Chose the latter because I had something similar like the former (but in ochasuke style) during breakfast in Kai Ito.

Sweets rule! The set lunch comprised of egg sandwich タマゴサンドイッチ as the main and accompanied by soy milk and vegetable soup, salad with pasta, dried fruit, biscuit and coffee/tea. When my meal was served, I was slightly disappointed by the outlook of the egg sandwich which was prepared beforehand (rather than upon order), wrapped with a plastic sheet and kept in the cooler until it is served. The egg sauce filling was actually quite delectable and tasted better than it looked. However, it still fell short of my expectation as I would have preferred it to be served warm. Made my way to the front counter to choose a dessert from a good variety available to make up for the slightly mediocre lunch. Glad that I did not give up on their sweets - had a maccha cream puff and it was so good that I wanted to order another! The cream was smooth, rich and aromatic, with a subtle bitter aftertaste that is distinct to maccha which I like alot. In fact, there are many other sweets (that are very photogenic as well) which I hoped I could savour, especially after the excellent impression derived from the maccha cream puff. This totally brightened up my day again!

For the delicious sweets, I am quite sure I will make a return visit to cafe Tati sweets again.

- Egg sandwich: 280 yen + 600 yen to upgrade into set lunch
- Maccha cream puff: 230 yen

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cafe Tati sweets カフェタチスイーツ
 〒414-0023 静岡県伊東市渚町2-6
Operating hours: 1130 - 1830 hrs; closed on Mondays
http://cafetati.sakura.ne.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By foot. Approx. 12 mins walk from Ito JR Station 伊東駅.

Japan Autumn Nov 2017 一人で日本の旅 - Cafe Kichi カフェキチ

Visited 12.11.2017 (Sun)

Flagship. Ever since the pleasant dining experience at Kichi+ on my first visit to Atami, I have been thinking of visiting Cafe Kichi, the original flagship store. On my two weeks stay in Japan, I managed to drop by Atami again to tick off this item from my to-do list. After enjoying a satisfying Sanshoku don (three coloured don comprised of raw and boiled whitebait and boiled sakura shrimp) at Kichi+, I extended my stay in Cafe Kichi to savour some dessert and drink before heading back to the train station.

Cosy. Cafe Kichi occupies a refurbished 2 storey wooden shophouse situated in an alley connecting Nakamise-dori 仲見世通り to Heiwa-dori 平和通り, two of the busiest sheltered shopping streets in the vicinity of the train station. The emergence of Cafe Kichi appealed to a younger and inquisitive audience and this fueled the revitalisation of the long established shopping streets. Upon stepping into Cafe Kichi, I felt that I have entered into a completely different space from the outside world. I was immediately engulfed by the calming and peaceful ambience in the cafe when I pulled open the wooden door of its entrance.

The open concept kitchen and a wooden bench table took up most of the space on the ground floor. I was brought to a table on the second floor and the interior decor was very much to my liking. Since it was still early and there were no other customers on the second floor, I had the entire space to myself for most part of my stay in the cafe. The usage of wooden furnishing and warm lighting generated a cosy dining environment. The ceiling was decorated by tree branches and I love its natural silhouette cast onto the walls - creating this dining-in-the-woods atmosphere. Here, I also got to know Takagi Masakatsu (高木正勝), a talented Japanese musician who was born in Kyoto, from his soothing musical compositions/arrangement played over the audio system in Cafe Kichi. 

Sweets. As there is a limited number of items available on the sweets menu - chiffon, no-bake cheesecake, chocolate cake, pumpkin pudding and scones, I did not take long to decide what to have Ordered a no-bake cheesecake (レアチーズケーキ) and a cup of their coffee blend to go with my dessert. The cheesecake was delectable - the cream cheese was rich but not overpowering and I love its overall consistency in terms of texture. The sweet blueberry jam also helped to cut the saltiness inherent of cream cheese. Their coffee was delicious; having a strong captivating aroma and not too acidic for my liking. After eating the no-bake cheesecake, I was very tempted to try the rest of the sweets on the menu! It is always during such occasions I wish for some companions who will be able to indulge into a variety of food together with me...

I can finally resonate to why Cafe Kichi is so popular and I hope it will continue to stay here in Atami city. In conclusion, Cafe Kichi is such a pleasant and comfortable place to hang out in, whether you are alone or with a group of friends, with the company of their delicious sweets and coffee.

- No-bake cheesecake: 410 yen

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Cafe Kichi カフェキチ
静岡県熱海市田原本町5-9
Operating hours: 1100 - 1900 hrs; closed on Wednesdays
http://www.cafe-kichi.com/cafekichi/index.html
Approx. 3 minutes walk from Atami JR Station.