“Curry 2” Cedar Park, 2026
There is nothing better than second-day curry. 🍛 The flavors always deepen overnight, and today’s bowl did not disappoint.
Two eggs tucked underneath made it even better. 🥚
Curry Nite 2
“Curry 2” Cedar Park, 2026
Tag: Japanese food
“Curry 2” Cedar Park, 2026
Curry and TV
“Terebi-Time” Cedar Park, 2026
There’s a great song by Blur called Coffee and TV, but tonight I had my own version: Curry and TV. 🍛 The hardest part of the evening was picking what to watch from my “Continue Watching” queue. I ended up going with Gimbap and Onigiri followed by Tokyo Love Story. Good times! 📺
Oh, and that bottom photo? That’s the scene of the crime. I’m pretty sure Anko was licking the ladle and knocked it right onto the floor! 🐱
“Beef Curry” Cedar Park, 2026
“Scene of the Crime” Cedar Park, 2026
Leaving Osaka: River Café, Muji Shopping, and Yakitori in Tatsuno
“Chicken Nanban” Osaka, 2026
Time to leave Osaka and head home to Tatsuno. But not before one more good meal. 🍗
River Café specializes in chicken nanban, so of course I had to get the classic set. It was delicious and filling, exactly what you want before a two-hour train ride. Definitely worth a visit, just come early because the line can get long.
After lunch we squeezed in a bit more shopping, including a stop at my favorite store: Muji. I love their clothes because they are simple, good quality, and actually fit me well. This location at Grand Front Osaka had a really cool section with sample home rooms, kind of like IKEA but make it Japanese minimalist. I spotted a pair of shoes that caught my eye and took a photo for future reference.
Then it was time to grab our luggage from the station locker and make the trip back to Tatsuno. Once we got home and dropped everything off, we headed to a neighborhood yakitori spot for dinner and drinks. 🍢 A long day, but a really good one.
“Cool Shoes” Osaka, 2026
“The Train Home” Osaka, 2026
“Local Manhole Cover” Tatsuno, 2026
“Yakitori Restaurant” Tatsuno, 2026
“Evening Drinks” Tatsuno, 2026
Kobe and Yakitori
“Ikuta Shrine” Kobé, 2026
Today we traveled from our home in Tatsuno to Kobe using the Kishin Line to Himeji, then switching to the JR Kobe Line to Sannomiya. It took about an hour and 20 minutes and cost ¥1,340 (about $8.40 USD) 🚃. Tomorrow I have a health check-up in Kobe, and after that we’ll be heading to Osaka to meet up with Mariko’s mom.
Walking around Sannomiya Station was a lot of fun. There were so many people compared to Tatsuno, and so many places to shop! 🛍️ I bought a jacket and scarf at Uniqlo, and Bay picked up a new pair of glasses 👓. I also spotted some really cool Seiko watches, but they were way out of my price range! 😅
After shopping, we met up with Mariko and headed to Trattoria Bamboo (トラットリアバンブー) for yakitori 🍢. We ordered the classic negima (green onion and chicken), tsukune (chicken meatball), and kawa (chicken skin), plus tori sashimi — raw chicken. It sounds unusual, but it was actually delicious! Other standout dishes included tofu, risotto, foie gras, and karaage. Everything was incredible 😋.
Since my health check was scheduled for first thing the next morning, I wasn’t supposed to eat anything after 8 pm or drink any alcohol 🙅, so we wrapped up dinner and headed back to the hotel for an early night. What a fun day! 🌟
“Tarisashi” Kobé, 2026
“Negima” Kobé, 2026
“Tsukune and Kawa” Kobé, 2026
“Karaage” Kobé, 2026
“Soft Drink” Kobé, 2026
Himeji Shopping and Shabu-Shabu
“Muji Stationery” Himeji, 2026
Today we headed over to the city of Himeji to do some shopping at Muji, one of my favorite stores. I love everything about that place!
Although they have a respectable sized stationery section, I resisted buying anything. I admit to having a mechanical pencil and notebook in my basket, but I put them back since I don’t really need them. My collection at home is already overflowing! However, I did find a couple of shirts that fit perfectly, so I bought those. They were at a great price too, at around ¥1,200 JPY ($7.50 USD) each. Such a steal!
After shopping, we went to Shabu-yo, an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu restaurant. It was delicious and we stuffed ourselves! By the time we left the restaurant, it was full of high school kids. We later saw the sign outside that advertised a special price for high school students. No wonder! I’d be eating here all the time if I were still in high school! 😄
“Shabu-shabu” Himeji, 2026
Seaside Oysters at Tsudau-Suisan
“Kaki Section” Tatsuno, 2026
Today we headed to the seaside for lunch at Tsudau-Suisan, this amazing seafood restaurant perched right on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The views were absolutely spectacular! 🌊 We had reservations and they gave us one of the best tables in the house. I was so excited when they showed us to our spot! ✨
One of the specialties here (and the area in general) are the oysters, so naturally I went a little crazy. 😅 I ordered a whole bucket of oysters to be steamed at the table, some rice with oysters that were also cooked tableside, and oyster roll sushi. It was all delicious! We also got sashimi and gratin, plus I had a nama-biiru to wash it down. Such a memorable meal. Definitely recommended! 🦪
Afterwards we stopped at Road Station Mitsu to do a bit of shopping, and that’s where I saw the largest daikon I have ever laid eyes on. And it was only ¥160 JP ($1 US)! Unbelievable! 🥕
Lastly, I was happy to get my first stamp in my notebook. It’s so funny because it has an oyster and daikon on it! 📓
“Seaside Beer” Tatsuno, 2026
“Oyster Sushi” Tatsuno, 2026
“Oyster Bucket” Tatsuno, 2026
“Yummy Beer” Tatsuno, 2026
“Oysters on the Half-Shell” Tatsuno, 2026
“Fresh Shellfish” Tatsuno, 2026
“Enormous Daikon” Tatsuno, 2026
“Mitsu Stamp” Tatsuno, 2026
“Fishing Harbor” Tatsuno, 2026
Lunch at Kura Terrace クラテラスたつの
“Kura Terrace Lunch” Tatsuno, 2026
Today we had lunch at Kura Terrace (クラテラスたつの), and it was exactly what I needed! The set meal came with a variety of vegetarian dishes – super filling and satisfying. I went with the brown rice topped with raw egg, and wow, it was delicious! 🍚✨
The place gets pretty crowded, so I’m glad we made reservations ahead of time. It felt great to have such a healthy meal while dining out for a change. After lunch, we went for a walk around the area and I felt totally energized. Love finding spots like this! 😊 I’m so happy that it’s only a short walk from our house.
