You’ve probably heard of (or seen) Sophisca‘s quirky condom shaped chocolates and sponge cakes packaged like sanitary napkins, but did you know that the Taiwan specialty candy shop recently opened another branch in Singapore? This time in the basement of Terminal 3 at Changi Airport.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would have seen or heard of Pokémon at least once. Having graced our Gameboys and TV screens for over two decades, the adorable Pocket Monsters recently invaded our shores and set up their first shop in the ASEAN region at EwF Bugis Junction!
Being an ardent fan of Pikachu and gang and having nothing better to do, I decided to visit the Pokémon Pop Up Cafe to see if it was *really* worth the seven hour wait.
Update June 2020: Pompompurin Cafe has closed.
There’s just something about character cafes that makes them so darned irresistible, even to us grown-ups. Hot on the heels of Japan, the mecca of kawaii-themed eateries and pop ups, Singapore is now home to not one, but two permanent Sanrio character cafes, including the Pompompurin Cafe at Orchard Central!
Voted as Sanrio’s most popular character in 2015, Pompompurin is a lovable golden retriever whose cream coloured skin and trademark brown beret make him resemble a pudding, hence his name.
As my first character cafe experience at the Gudetama Cafe in Osaka had left me eager for more, there was no way I could miss out on this.
If there’s one thing that puts Kansai on the culinary world map, it’s Kobe beef. Tender and succulent, this mouth-watering dish is the reason why tourists flock to Kobe on a gastronomic pilgrimage.
The significance of beef dates back to the 2nd century, when cattle was first used for rice cultivation and grown in small, isolated herds between the mountainous terrains of Japan. This led to unique types of beef throughout the archipelago. Back then, though, beef was not widely consumed.
Fast forward to post World War II, and Japan’s consumption of beef has spiked.
Only Taijima cattle (a breed from the Japanese Black family) that are born and raised in Hyogo – and meet a strict set of standards – can be considered Kobe beef by the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association 神戸肉流通推進協議会. So prominent is it that not only has it become a registered landmark, but it has also been cross bred with local cattle in the US to meet the high demand.
Now that that little history lesson is out of the way, let’s get down to business… KOBE BEEF AT KOBEGYU STEAK LAND!
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With a slight downpour on my third day in Kansai, I decided to take a break from old Japan and make my way to Kobe神戸, one of Japan’s busiest port cities. (Let’s just say that peeking at the sakura amidst an overcast sky and jostling with other tourists with an umbrella wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.)
Catch up on the rest of my Kansai trip here:
While often overshadowed by her more prolific neighbours, Nara is by no means lacking in culinary specialties.
Looking back at my travel photos, I realise that I walked – and ate – a hell lot on my Nara day trip. Talk about your metabolism fluctuating during your travels.
Soooo, I thought I would relieve some of my post holiday guilt by compiling everything I ate into a mini food guide! Hey, sharing is caring, right? 😉
(Or maybe I’m just looking for any reason to look through my food pictures again…)
All of these food stops are located within central Nara or Nara Park, and pretty friendly on the wallet (about 1000¥ per person).
Read my other Kansai posts!
Hailed as the first permanent capital of Japan, Nara 奈良 is home to a whopping six of her UNESCO World Heritage Sites, more than any other prefecture.
Being a history buff, there was no way I could miss out on this stop during my trip, especially after reading about the Todai-ji temple complex in my Japanese Studies class.
Read the rest of my Kansai posts here!
Chue On It 