Curb Market (札幌場外市場)

Curb Market (札幌場外市場) consists of nearly 80 stores and restaurants lined up along several blocks just outside of Sapporo's Central Wholesale Market. One of the city's largest public markets, the Curb Market specializes in Hokkaido seafood such as crab, sea urchin, salmon roe, squid and scallops, and local produce such as corn, melons and potatoes when in season.

The market's shops cater to both locals and tourists alike, and have a good selection at reasonable prices. Like other seafood markets around Japan, an excellent way to experience the market's offerings is to have a meal of fresh local seafood served over rice (domburi) at one of the local restaurants.

Read On >>>

JapanFunBox Original Box June 2018 Review

JapanFunBox is a long running Japanese snack subscription box service that started back in 2015 and they send boxes full of Japanese candies and snacks all the way from Osaka, Japan. They fill up the box with candy including the latest fads and limited edition releases. Thank you very much JapanFunBox for sending a box to me for review.

JapanFunBox offers three different boxes to choose from with a base price of $14.99 for the mini box, $34.98 for the original box and $49.99 for the family box. They have free shipping worldwide. The box that I'll be reviewing is the original box, which includes 15-25 items, 1 DIY kit guaranteed, and possibly a special item.

When you first open your JapanFunBox, you are greeted by this nice red cloth. Under that is the information card that gives a nice description of each snacks that are included in the box (mine is a sample box). It also includes the pictures for each items.

PURERAL Grape Flavored Gummy:

I love these type of gummys as you can really taste the natural fruit. What's interesting about these is that they're filled with grape flavors in the center. I ate all of these in one setting, I would recommend this brand to anyone. I'd like to try other fruit flavors. 

Noken Beeno: 

These were quite delicious, they’re similar to sun chips but with a green pea flavor. They’re not too salty, it’s very crunchy and they feel healthy when eating them, I’ll recommend these to anyone!

Minion - Banana Flavored Chocolate:

The packaging of this, for one, is so cute. The chocolate was very delicious, I didn't expect banana to work so well. The outer layer was milk chocolate and the inner layer was yellow for the banana flavor. This would be a nice small treat for kids. 

Ramen snack:

I wasn't able to try this ramen dish out since the seasoning, I believe, has pork in it. If it's like any other instant ramen packs, I'm sure it would have been tasty. 

Fettuccine Yogurt Flavored: 

I loved these, I have tried this candy before in other flavors such as orange and peach. I don't really like yogurt most of the time but I found the flavor of this quite interesting, kinda milky in a way. I would recommend this and any flavor of this candy.  

Dragon Ball Z Cheese Curl Puffs: 

These snacks are very similar to cheese puffs, very light in flavor though which I don't mind. Very simple snack, it was delicious and I finished it in one sitting. It also came with a Dragon Ball Z trading card!

Nihonichi Nagai Choco:

From the same company that does umaibo, this treat claims to be the longest chocolate treat. This was delicious and it taste like a chocolate wafer, chocolate on the outside and a cake filling. 

Candy DIY Kit: 

This was slightly different from all the other DIY kits I've done so far, these had lots of different parts. The first part, I had to make three different liquid flavors that change flavors and colors when mixed with yellow liquid. I had lots of fun with this!

Chocoball Caramel: 

These caramel balls are coated with chocolate. When you bite into the candy, the chocolate immediately dissolves in your mouth. The caramel at first taste like a tootsie roll but at the end, it's your usual caramel taste. 

Disney Chocolate Umbrellas: 

These were very cute, the wrappers had different Disney characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Stitch, etc. The chocolate was your usual milk chocolate and they were great. I found the packaging really nice and would be great as a small gift. 

Green Tea and Raspberry Kit Kat:

Matcha Kit Kat is definitely one of the most popular flavor of all the Kit Kat flavors.  It is not overly sweet and the delicate green tea flavor as just right. For the raspberry kit kat, you can definitely taste the fruity flavor as well as the small seeds of the berry. After that, you get the taste of white chocolate. Overall, it's delicious. 

Yokan:

Yokan has a very interesting texture, it looks like it would be like jelly but it’s not. It’s very similar to mochi and the taste is very light. The Ogura Yokan had anko (sweet red bean) in the center of the treat. The matcha one was my favorite ✨

Ninjin (carrot) Snack:

This is probably of the simpler tasting snack in the box, it's pretty much these mini snack puffs that are light in flavor. They fill up a packaging shaped like a carrot, which is really cute. 

Pretty Cure Chocolate Candy:

These chocolates are very similar to M&Ms and the packaging features an awesome design. When you lift up the inner package, the character changes in the circle. The chocolate themselves were good, your usual M&M style chocolates. 

Ramune: 

Ramune is a popular Japanese soft drink that has a marble sealing the bottle. This is a light tablet candy that taste like ramune. This taste like bubblegum and lemon-lime and it's similar to sweet tarts. 

Thomas the Train Bubble Gum:

These are your generic bubble gum with a twist, it comes with little paper slip with railroads designed on it. The flavor is also grape which is a nice change since I barely see those kind compared to bubble or fruity flavor. 

Refresh Mint:

This came with a lot of cubes of mint drops, at first the taste of very light and minty then it became very strong. I find this pretty good for when I have a cold or if I just need a fresh mouth. 

Everything in this box tasted delicious, my favorite was definitely the Youkan sweets. Surprisingly, I also liked the Noken Beeno, it wasn't weird tasting (since I don't like vegetable snacks, I'd rather eat the actual vegetable). Overall, all the snacks in this box were fun to taste and review. JapanFunBox are definitely are one of the best so far and have great costumer service. Plus, they have the cutest mascot out there. 

For more information, be sure to check out JapanFunBox's website and subscribe today!

Disclaimer: This box was provided by JapanFunBox for review. All opinions are my own, honest opinions ^_^

Read On >>>

4 Dishes to Try Out When Visiting Fukuoka

As one of the closest cities to the Asian mainland, Fukuoka has developed a unique and interesting food culture that has been influenced by Korean and Chinese cuisine. Some Fukuoka dishes, such as Hakata Ramen and motsunabe, have swept Japan by storm and become widely popular across the country.

1. Hakata Ramen

Hakata Ramen is a local ramen dish that features thin noodles in a thick, creamy tonkotsu soup, topped with slices of chashu. Some of the best places to enjoy Hakata Ramen are the city's emblematic yatai food stalls. Hakata Ramen can also be found at any of the numerous ramen-ya in Fukuoka, especially around Hakata Station.

2. Mentaiko

Mentaiko, the spicy version of salted cod roe (tarako), is a common Japanese food that can be found nationwide accompanying rice or alcohol, used as filling for rice balls, or as a seasoning in pasta dishes. Mentaiko is particularly famous in Fukuoka, where it originated by way of Korea, and is a typical menu item at the yatai food stalls and izakaya around the city where it is usually served raw or lightly seared.

3. Motsunabe

Motsunabe is a local hot pot dish typically made up of beef or pork tripe, cabbage, garlic, chives and togarashi peppers in a soy sauce or miso based soup. The inexpensive, slightly spicy stew is usually cooked at the table on portable burners and served together with a bowl of white rice. Noodles or additional rice may be added to the leftover soup in the pot at the end of the meal to finish the dish.

4. Tetsunabe Gyoza

Gyoza are pan-fried, Chinese style dumplings, which are typically stuffed with a mixture of ground pork, cabbage and green onions. While gyoza appear on the menus of ramen-ya, izakaya and other restaurants nationwide, they are also a popular Fukuoka specialty where they are served in large batches on ceramic or hot iron plates. Fukuoka, or Hakata, style gyoza can be found at specialty gyoza shops around the city, especially around Hakata Station.

The local specialties are probably best sampled at one of the popular yatai food stalls found around the city. But there are also countless restaurants in Fukuoka especially around downtown Tenjin, the Nakasu entertainment district and Hakata Station where some nice restaurants are located on the upper dining floors of the station building.

Read On >>>

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a popular pan fried food that consists of batter and cabbage. Selected toppings and ingredients are added which can vary greatly (anything from meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese). This variability is reflected in the dish's name; "okonomi" literally means "to one's liking". The dish is available all over Japan, but is most popular in the west, particularly the cities of Hiroshima and Osaka.

Okonomiyaki is sometimes translated into English as "As-you-like-it Pancake". However, this may be misleading. Though it does consist of batter cooked on a griddle, okonomiyaki has nothing of the sweetness or fluffiness of pancakes, not to mention that it is usually filled with octopus, shrimp, pork, yam or kimchi. A more accurate comparison, which is also made, is between okonomiyaki and pizza.

In Japan, people usually eat okonomiyaki at restaurants that specialize in the dish. At some of these restaurants the dining tables are each equipped with an iron griddle ("teppan"), and customers are given the ingredients to cook the meal themselves. As this can be rather daunting, the stages of cooking are enumerated below. Information about regional variations can be found thereafter.

Read On >>>

Soba (そば)

Soba (そば) noodles are noodles made of buckwheat flour, roughly as thick as spaghetti, and prepared in various hot and cold dishes. Soba dishes are very popular and easily available nationwide. As 100% buckwheat soba noodles tend to be brittle, many restaurants add some wheat flour when preparing their noodles. Depending on the shop, the percentage of buckwheat flour in soba noodles typically ranges between 40% and 100%.

Note also that there are a few noodle dishes named soba (e.g. yakisoba, chukasoba or Okinawa Soba) that are not made with buckwheat noodles. More often than not, however, "soba" refers to buckwheat noodles.

The most basic soba dish is mori soba in which boiled, cold soba noodles are eaten with a soya based dipping sauce (tsuyu). Many soba dishes are eaten throughout the year, while others are only available seasonally. A special kind of soba dish is Toshikoshi Soba, a symbol of longevity, that is only eaten on New Year's Eve.

Photos:
Image Source 
Image Source 
Image Source

Read On >>>

Lunchtime: Ramen, Karaage, and Takoyaki!

Trying to find something to eat for lunch? Well look no further because we've got the perfect idea. When watching your favorite anime, you may have noticed some delicious dishes that you may not know the origins of and I'm here to give you guys some info.

Ramen:

We'll start with Ramen, one of Japan's well known dishes along with Sushi. A Ramen bowl consists of Chinese style noodles served in meat based broth flavored with either soy sauce or miso. Toppings such as sliced pork, dried seaweed, bamboo shoots, and green onions are quite common.

In Japan, almost every region/prefectures has their own variation of Ramen from the broth to the toppings. The Ramen you see above was ordered from a local Ramen shop chain and it's known as the Tokyo style Ramen which consists of curly noodles in a soy sauce based chicken broth. Toppings here include sliced chicken, spinach, green onion, and fried onion. 

Takoyaki:

On to the next dish, Takoyaki, one of Osaka's soul food. Takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a flour-based batter and cooked in a special cast iron pan. Fillings often consists of diced octopus which is why is called Takoyaki because tako is octopus. The Takoyaki is then topped with a sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, thin green dried seaweed, and dried bonito shavings. 

If you don't like the idea of eating octopus, a great option Okonomiyaki, another soul food from Osaka. It's essentially the same but it is shaped as a pancake and the base is made out of cabbage not diced octopus. It has the same toppings so you'll still get the same great flavor. 

Karaage:

One thing I'm sure everyone will love is Karaage, which essentially is Japanese style fried chicken. Karaage itself is just the technique in which the meat, usually chicken but can be fish and other meat as well, is dipped in light batter and fried in light oil. It is similar to how tempura is fried. Karaage can be served in different ways such as a wrap or on it's own with a slice of lemon and salad as shown below. 

Read On >>>

Shinyokohama Ramen Museum

The "Shinyokohama Ramen Museum" is a unique museum about ramen, a very popular Japanese noodle dish which was originally introduced from China.

In a gallery on the first floor, the Ramen Museum presents the history of ramen noodles in Japan, including the big success of instant ramen. It displays the variety of noodles, soups, toppings and bowls used across Japan, and shows how the noodles are made.

On the two basement floors, visitors can explore a 1:1 replica of some streets and houses of Shitamachi, the old town of Tokyo, of around the year 1958, when the popularity of ramen was rapidly increasing. Nine ramen restaurants can be found there, each featuring a ramen dish from a different region of Japan.

For visitors who wish to try multiple ramen dishes, every store offers "mini ramen", a small portion of the feature dish. Tickets for the meals are purchased at vending machines in front of each stores before entering.

Read On >>>

Wagashi (和菓子)

Wagashi (和菓子) is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, anko (azuki bean paste), and fruits. Wagashi is typically made from plant ingredients.

In Japan the word for sweets, okashi (お菓子), originally referred to fruits and nuts. China learned from India how to produce sugar and began trading it to Japan. The trade increased and sugar became a common seasoning by the end of the Muromachi period. Influenced by the introduction of tea and China's confectionery and dim sum, the creation of wagashi took off during the Edo period in Japan.

Read On >>>

Sushi (すし)

Sushi (すし) is the Japanese preparation and serving of specially prepared vinegared rice (鮨飯i) combined with varied ingredients such as chiefly seafood (often uncooked), vegetables, and occasionally tropical fruits. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the key ingredient in all cases is the sushi rice, also referred to as shari (しゃり), or sumeshi (酢飯).

Sushi can be prepared with either brown or white rice. It is often prepared with raw seafood, but some common varieties of sushi use cooked ingredients, and many other sorts are vegetarian. Sushi is often served with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce. Daikon radish is popular as a garnish.

Sushi is often confused with sashimi, a related Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced raw meat or fish and an optional serving of rice. Sashimi is served as slices, unlike sushi, which is served as rolls.

Photos:
Image Source
Image Source

Read On >>>

Tempura (天ぷら)

Tempura (天ぷら) are pieces of lightly battered, deep fried seafood and vegetables. Introduced to Japan during the 16th century by the Portuguese in Nagasaki, tempura has developed over the centuries into a popular Japanese dish both inside and outside of Japan. Tempura can be found in many types of restaurants across the country, where it is commonly served as a main dish, side dish or as a topping for tendon rice bowls, or udon and soba noodle dishes.

天ぷらは軽く虐待、揚げ海産物や野菜の一部です。長崎のポルトガル人によって16世紀に日本に導入され、天ぷらは国内外の両方の日本の人気皿に何世紀にもわたって開発しました。天ぷらは、それが一般的に、メインディッシュ、サイドディッシュとして、または腱ライスボウル、またはうどんとそばの麺料理のためのトッピングを務めている国、全体のレストランの多くの種類で見つけることができます。

Photos:

Image Source

Image Source

Read On >>>

Zenpop Japanese Sweets Pack: Gummy Land Review

Zenpop is a fairly new box service, started in October 2016, that offers a variety of boxes such as sweets, ramen, beauty, and stationary. So they are not a subscription box company so it allows you to order one box or more, any kind, at any time. You don’t have to worry about canceling a subscription. 

Zenpop offers three boxes that include Japanese snacks; Japanese Sweets Small Pack for $19.50, Japanese Sweets Pack for $29.50, and the Japanese Ramen + Sweets Mix Pack for $24.50. They offer free worldwide shipping to 94 countries. The box I'll be reviewing today is their Japanese Sweets Pack, Gummy Land, which includes more than 13 snacks!

Chocolate Almond Mochi
This was probably one of my favorite item in the box, mainly because I love mochi. It's a very interesting taste because you have a chocolate covering, similar to chocopie, and then the mochi and then another chocolate/almond filling. Overall, it's a nice little snack to have around or to drink tea along. 

Henshin Puchitto: Peach
These were very interesting, they weren't your usual type of gummy. These were more fuzzy and chewy, like a peach. I think this candy got the flavor right and along with the fuzzy feel, it's like you are eating a real one. The shapes are cute as well. 

Premium Hi-Chew: White Grape
I've tried candy similar to these, they were rose flavored. I love any candy that is grape flavored, mainly muscat flavored candy or drinks. I actually don't like Hi-chews that much except for a few flavors like mango but I love the style of these Hi-chews

Sanrio Pretzel Sticks: Hello Kitty

This is a Hello Kitty packaged Pocky like snack. Pretzel sticks covered in a thick layer of delicious strawberry cream.

DIY Kit: Gummy Land
This is probably of my favorite DIY candy kit I've ever done. You get to make multi-colored gummy candy, each set comes with 4 molds such as elephant, star, airplane, bird, bear, house, bunny, fish, flower etc. My kit came with a star, heart, giraffe, and fish. You can check out my Instagram for the results: sakura_harano

Super Mario Peroty Pop
 Mario character in chocolate candy form. The chocolate lollipop comes in delicious strawberry and vanilla cream coatings. I enjoyed the taste, it didn't have a cheap chocolate taste to it. It's a great candy for kids to have.

Lumberjack Stumps
If you liked snacks like Kinoko no Yama or Takenoko no Sato, you'll definitely love this. It's pretty much the same concept where instead of mushrooms or bamboo shoots, you have tree stumps. The stump is made out of cookies and the roots are made out of chocolate, it's a great snack to eat. 

Calpis Mikan Gummies
Calpis is a well known company that makes various kind of drinks, this is my first trying a gummy from them. This was orange flavor and it definitely taste very citrus. There's also a gel like filling in the middle full of orange flavor which I think is great when biting into it.

Porte: Fluffy Milk
This sweet was pretty weird in texture because there's a cocoa coating, then a melting milk fluff in the middle. I like any snacks or sweets from Hokkaido because they make the best dairy type of sweets such as the Hokkaido milk candy.

Matcha Cookie Sandwiches
If you love Oreos and you love matcha like me, this will be your favorite snack. It's pretty much matcha wafer cookies that are drizzled with with frosting and are sandwiched together with matcha cream filling. 

Donut Biscuits
It's a light butter biscuit, with a nice bit of  course sugar on top. I feel like I have tried a snack like this before, it's on the tip of my tongue. It would a great breakfast treat or a snack along with a cup of tea.  

Taste of the Northern Sea
I'm not a big fan of senbei (rice snacks) type of snacks unless it's a sweet. I didn't really enjoy this except maybe the shrimp flavored snack but it's not a type of flavor that I really like.

Ozack Roast Beef Potato Chips

I was actually surprised at the taste of the chips, I was expecting something around the lines of barbecue or something smoky but it taste a lot like Wasabi and Ginger Lays chips released a few years ago. It was delicious nonetheless.  

Pick Up: Cheese Flavor
It's my first time trying a Japanese snack like this. It's very crispy, crispy bite with flavor that melts in the mouth. Light and delicious, these light puffs have great cheese flavor richness. I would buy this again if I found this in the Asian supermarket. 

This box was great, they really put an emphases on gummy candies in this box since it's the main theme. I really enjoyed all of the snacks, especially the Pick Up cheese snack, the chocolate mochi and Matcha cookies sandwich. What's great about this box service is that since it's not a subscription type box service, you don't have to worried about a plan and you can try other boxes at the same time. I would recommend this to anyone who like Japanese snacks or really likes having boxes with a different focus each month.

For more information, be sure to check out Zenpop's page and subscribe today!

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Disclaimer: This box was provided by Zenpop for review. All opinions are my own, honest opinions ^_^ 

Read On >>>