Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion of Kyoto

JS: "Monkey!!! please lead the way!!!"
Actually I was reading....like a blind guide, Monkey has to submit information to Mr. JS whenever he enquired.......like how old is this building, its name, architecture period, which style, other peculiar information that we need to be aware of and so on....

Since it was also my first trip, I had to read it out from the book :P
Monkey: "We are at philosopher's walk my dear."

JS: "Yea so which philosopher took this route?"
Monkey >.<
"I dunno which Watanabe is this!!! it was during the 20th century."

Oh well, it was very rude of me to refer any japanese men as Watanabe and every school children as Chibi Maruko!!!


JS and Monkey discussing some national issue by the canal under the Cherry Blossom.

Philosopher's Walk is a 30 minutes route linking the famous Nanzenji and Ginkakuji. Our destination was Ginkakuji....instead of taking public transport, taking a stroll by the canal was really relaxing.

During the 20th century it was thought that the famous philosopher and university professor Nishida Kitaro took this very same route and meditate here. I can understand why, because the entire 30 minutes walk, this path is lined with Cherry Blossom trees....ohhh I can so imagine the beauty it holds during the Hanami season :)))))

There were also benches and little tea houses by this canal if you are feeling a little tired but I lurve to make excuses just to indulge in tea and sweets :):):):) Along this path, there are also shrines that you can visit...and again our mission was Ginkakuji.

Finally we arrived at Ginkakuji's garden and this Watanabe was busy creating the Zen Garden. With soft strokes and grace, he swept the sand in a single stroke. It looked so easy but apparently required a lot of intense focus and calmness.

GAH!!! dun ask me how to build this. I would rather dance on it :P How do u even do it without any foot prints? Do they know Qigong and flew on top the sand as they create this?

It's all sand, and it has to be re-created each and every day!!!! The design goes with the season, curated by their landscape garden artist. There was also a huge mountain of sand in perfect conical shape, reflecting the Mount Fuji.


I was starring very close and long at the mosses here. It's almost like mini bonsai but in mosses format...hahahahaha. So pretty!!!!!


Ginkakuji or the Silver Pavilion
built in 1490 to emulate the famous Golden Pavilion on the other side of the town. Its nickname was derived bcoz of this....a contrast to the Golden Pavilion built by Yoshimasa's grandfather. Gold pavilion for the grandfather and silver one for Yoshimasa.

The beautiful zen landscape complemented the simple pavilion which now serves as a temple. In fact the construction of Ginkakuji was halted during the war hence it was not finished. It looked as it is till Yoshimasa's death.

Such unfinished look is famously known as "Wabi-Sabi" in Japan. It is an acceptance of beauty which are imperfect and incomplete. This can be applied to buildings, tablewares, flower arrangements, pottery and arts.

Another look again at Ginkakuji, how such unfinished work and imperfection could be so beautiful.
aaaahhhhh *breathe deeply*

It sure gave me a form of satisfaction, sitting there, enjoying its wabi-sabi beauty :)))) and made me realised among the imperfection, there's beauty and solitude in life. Why do we always have to focus on errors and imperfection when one can find austerity innit? I guess that's very human to alwiz pin-point only on the negative energy in life. This trip has given me a lot to think and enlightened my Monkey mind and soul. Thus we have decided to visit Japan more often...BAHAHAHAHAHA.

okie dokie tickets are booked, off we go again very soon :)):))
before that, I have a few battles to be won at work :))) and to put it in a more zen and positive manner....I have a few important matters to be achieved and completed with flying colors.

Do you? :)))

Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto

Postings on Kyoto will be pouring in~~~~and this will be the first of many to come. Kyoto is my favourite city in Japan and is the 2nd most visited destination in Japan after Tokyo. Afterall Kyoto was the Imperial Capital of Japan for one thousand years. All the beautiful cultural important buildings are in Kyoto.

Kyoto was spared from the atomic bombs during the WW2. Initially it was top on the list to be bombed, but a kind soul by the name of Henry Stimson, the Secretary of War fought hard to remove Kyoto off the "to be bombed" list....bcoz he spent his honeymoon in Kyoto and realised the cultural value it holds. See Kyoto is so important :))))

The Romon gate before the shrine.

Fushimi Inari is a shrine with thousands of red gates = torri. Dedicated to Inari, founded in 711...this is also the head of shrines for Inari. The largest and biggest and mother of all just for Inari.

What is Inari?
it's not a beautiful goddess nor an angry looking general or a compassionate Buddha. Inari is the spirit of foxes....


Inari's messenger....hahahahaha
with the "key" to the rice granary...the key looks like a grain to me :)))

Inari is the patron of business and rice. Rice is a staple in japan and for sake making so Inari is alrgely worshipped around Japan. This includes big company like Shiseido with a shrine in their HQ.

another Foxy Fox. Somehow this one looked like a female and reminded me of Angelina Jolie. Don't ask me why.

yes...please wash urself before entering any Shrines or Temples. No complaints about this coz I lurve to play with water anyway :P

la-la-la-la and sometimes I took too long to the frustration of JS

Monkey: "Hey we are in Japan now...relax....take our time....everything must be zen....ohmmmmm ohmmm ohmmmm."
JS >.< faster la!!!!!

The main shrine is really beautiful and quiet.....every part of the main shrine was so well-preserved. Though ravaged by fires over the centuries, it has been built and rebuilt to the same design.

Every Japanaese New Year *which is 1st of Jan* millions of Japanese come here to worship. So please avoid this place during the new year....u wanna be here when it's quite, peaceful with lots of space to yourself, and time to explore.

As JS was bz capturing the architecture it was now Monkey's turn to hurry him up. Quick!!!! I can't wait to climb the Mountain with thousands of gates!!! Oh well Monkey.....don't talk too soon.

Fushimi Inari is located at Mount Inari, and it's only 233 metres above sea level, that's like 764 feet above sea level.

the walk up was beautiful...silhouettes of the toriis and trees add on to the mood of this place. I couldn't describe the magic here. You have to be here to feel it...

As we climbed, there's more foxes lining the torii, with more smaller shrines. This is good as "pitstops"

yeah pitstops for me to cam-whore. See I can make a foxy triangular face too!!!! Hahaha just buy one of these wooden plats, write ur message/wishes and put it here. Awake the God of Inari with 2 claps of ur palms and ring the bell. I just lurve to ring the bell for no reason.....

oh dearie Monkey, please observe and respect the cultures at the destinations....u don't wanna awake the God for no reason right? They need their beauty naps too coz every 0.00000001 second, there's some japanese out there clapping and ringing the bell making wishes~~~~~wat a tough job


as we moved up the mountain, the Torii got bigger. We were surprised to learned that each torii is one whole diametre of tree trunks!!!!

As we ascend the mountain, the Torii got less dense, the path got smaller, and there's less people...bcoz not everyone can do this.

and then it became steps like this all the way.....
GAH!!!!!!!

oh dear Foxie with a red bib...why do u even need a bib? and what's that on ur mouth? Oh trust me, I got thirst and hungry climbing this early in the morning. Luckily there were some japanese tea house serving warm green tea and dumplings/sweets.

After 45 minutes, we reached the Yotsusuji intersection. From here you get a beautiful view of Kyoto...

JS was luffing at the rest of the tourists.
JS: "bahahahaha look at all those hamburgers!!!! no stamina at all!!!"
Monkey T_T

gasping for her breathe...
Monkey: "U go ahead...I am gonna take a rest here....."
bee-boo-bee-boo-bee-boo

JS -_-"
and so JS continued on his hike to the peak solo while Monkey joined the rest of the "hamburgers" gasping for breathe here.

Usually it takes 2-3 hours to ascend and descend. This JS took only 15 minutes to reach the top. I have no idea he ran or he used the help of superpower Inari Foxie to Turbo-Power-Jet him up to the top.

sigh -_-" and before I could catch my breath and breathe normally....he's already back, one eppy boy.
"WAT????? U are done??? Wat's up there?"
JS: "Nothing much, more red torii and u can't even see Kyoto from there."
Okie, looks like I didn't miss much.

the bunch of hamburgers tourists were still resting on the stairs when we descend. I think JS tricked them, bcoz they did ask him wat's up there and if it's worth it and how FAR MORE TO GO. I do think he answered them 15 minutes......which is an abnormal time. Oh u don't wanna know how fast JS can walk/jog/climb/hike. Next time please multiply ur speed by 3.5. Think they need another 1 hour to hike looking at their size and stamina.

See these foxes are wearing bibs!!!!
u can also buy these mini torii and write on it. Make ur prayers and put them here.

Thirsty??? not to worry....coca-cola is around the world
Recently Apple has surpassed coca-cola as the most valuable brand in the world.

Midway down, we realised there's 2 different tunnels...which one to take? Apparently it's the same and they are parallel.

I strongly suggest u come on weekdays here and early in the morning to avoid the crowd....otherwise it gets really frustrating trying to snap pics minus all those tourists and worshipers. U can't just ask them to get out of the way......hahahahaha.

To get there, take the JR Nara line to Inari Station. It's less than 5 mins from Kyoto Main Station. From the station, just cross the road and voila u have arrived. :))))

Sushi Kanesaka *2 Michelin Stars*

The main entrance has got no English on it. The building's name Misuzu in Ginza has got no english innit. Finding it is....some say it was easy but when both of us can't read japanese nor chinese....this proved to be an Indiana Jones adventure. We recee-ed the location in the afternoon....walking around Ginza to locate the street...then googled pictures of Misuzu building so we know how it looks like..

oh yea it was that bad.....I mean travelling in Japan.
There's no ABC which I can refer and compare with, unlike in Europe...we have no problem from Austria to Budapest and Seville in Spain right to the end of Cadiz facing the Atlantic Ocean. Though different languages but it uses the alphabet system. There's ABC!!! u know wat I mean?

Our recent trip to Taiwan and Japan was GAH!!!!
I understand better Russian than Japanese -_-"
Example: Chef was busy explaining to us on food preparation....JS was in a blanko face...Monkey just nodded her head continuously and answered..."haik....haik....haik....."
and when Chef ended with "dozo" which means please....it's a sign to start chomping and enjoying ur food...Monkey then replied with..."arigatooo" and then nom nom nhom chomp chomp chomp

JS: "U understood wat he said?"
Monkey: "No."
JS: ???? "Then??????"
Monkey: "Oh well just enjoy ur food and we'll figure out wat is that inside our mouth soon...spare the chef from explaining in English....they can't."
JS -_-" x 10000000000000 ini Monkey ah.....

Sushi Kanesaka is located in the basement of Misuzu Building. With no english and we can't read japanese....we took a shot...this has got to be it.

JS walked down and recognised this logo of 2 grains. To me it looked like 2 fans...instead of grains. Rice is very important in sushi making. Most chefs sourced their sea produce from Tsukiji market...so everyone's sushi has got to be the same quality right? So how do u differentiate ur restaurant from the rest? Hence rice is the key here...the fish were just an accompaniment to further accentuate the beauty of the grains that's dancing on ur tongue when u enjoy them.


We got our dearie Chef Oshino who's based in Shinji Kanesaka in Singapore to secure a reservation for us.
*read about our Msia street food adventure with Chef Oshino here*

Mise-en-place for the chef
yuzu, homemade pickled sliced ginger, water, japanese spices, salt, soyu, mirin and I have no idea wat's the rest, apart from a small basin for him to clean his hand occasionally.

The format here is counter seating and the entire restaurant can only accommodate 16 pax at once with 2 chefs including Kanesaka himself.

the "gari" aka pickled ginger was refreshing and served as a palate cleanser in between the sushis. While the freshly grated japanese horseradish aka "wasabi".....hmmm need I say more?

I can never accept japanese restaurants that served wasabi from powder or paste in Malaysia. This is such a no-no. It'll just kill ur fish. And the other no-no...u dun dunk ur dollop of wasabi into your soy sauce...just use ur finger and lightly apply some onto ur sushi.

Sea Salt for white fish, u don't use soy sauce for these beautiful white fishes.
I think all of us need a 101 Book to appreciate and consume sushis. Right?

The showpiece on the huge 1 metre working board. Nope it's not a table..in layman terms, it's a chopping board!!!! with an 18 inches knife fit for "harakiri" hahahaha.

raw baby white baits served with young grated ginger. Can u believe it, it was crunchy??? and sweet??? despite all the tiny eyes staring blankly at me, it was extremely yummy.

We opted for the "splurge" dinner menu at 30,000 yen. Again physically there isn't a menu here...it's Omakase format - meaning chef decides...but u just need to choose the "value" of ur omakase dinner.

2nd course into the dinner, we were already served Sea Urchin on a bed of tiny baby shrimps.
OMG.....Oh my freaking gawd....
usually sea urchins are served towards the end of the meal!! it felt like u get to eat ice creams before the start of ur meal. Such happy moments :))))))

We were served by the artisanal Chef SanPei. He's so immaculate, precise and is a true perfectionist. The beauty was he has worked at Shinji Kanesaka in Singapore, hence his english is very good for Japan's standard. We were def happy to hear him speak bcoz no one spoke english to us for weeks there!!!! horror!!!!!

chuo torro - the medium fatty part of a tuna. not too fatty and not too lean.

Dinner then proceeded with hairy crabs which was in season....it was de-shelled and re-assembled into its main shell. Life is good when u dun have to peel ur own crabs or prawns...wuahahahahaha

Ohhhhh.....I don't have to describe this....one word..heavenly...

JS had been oogling at this tub of pickled ginger the entire evening
-_-"
oh yea better than oogling at other ladies in kimono wuahahahahahaha

Chef SanPei is really disciplined...after ever slice of fish, he cleaned his "harakiri" knife and place it back on the original resting place. Before cleaning his slicing board. He then went to the back to retrieve something, something really precious bcoz it handled it with such delicate care.

When Chef SanPei returned, it was a beautiful urn with japanese artwork on it. There were painting of Edo period japanese with a dragon on it....He proudly dipped his long chopstick into the urn.....it was such showmanship hahahahaha. I was dying to see its content.

Black Lipped Abalone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
both JS and Monkey WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Chef SanPei was grinning and luffing at us
sorry we were like some sakai :P

this pic is so beautiful....I can stare at it the entire day :))))))))))

Chef SanPei then delicately slice it. See the way he holds it?
the abalone has been soak in sake and mirin.

I was just wah-wah-wah as he sliced it. Chef giggled at me....
Yeah couldn't contain my excitement....

ohhhh yummmssss
it was so delicious and firm with sweetness from the sake and mirin....as u slowly chew it u can taste the SEA. yes the SEA very briny like sea water :)))

and again and again...Chef cleaned his sword...err I mean his sashimi knife.

dusting some yuzu skin into our grilled dishes.

perfectly grilled Anago......anago is a sea eel...
unagi is fresh water eel. It's different in terms of texture and taste, even colors.

More torro on its way...
oh my~~~~~~~
look at its marbling

Check out the shades of the fish from dark to light...so u consume the leaner meat before moving on to the fattier parts.

for White fish, dip them into the sea salt. The correct way to enjoy ur sushi is with your fingers...yes not ur chopstick...Most of the time, the sushis are already seasoned with light soy and a slight tab of wasabi...but IF YOU REALLY need to dip the poor fish into the soy, dip only the fish part, not the rice...

bcoz rice tend to soak up more and then disintegrate and u will end up making a mess of urself and disrespect the way this piece of sushi was prepare for u.

Look at the grains. Kanesaka uses red vinegar for its rice, so the taste is so much more yummier. The rice was cooked to perfect texture, plump and juicy.

the fattiest part of the Tuna fish
ohhhh yummssss~~~~~~

slicing fresh squid without cutting it all the way through require years of kungfu according to chef. He did it so non-chalantly and with speed!!!!

Look!!! the space between each slice is the same!!!!! did he use a ruler to measure it apart?

Next he took out 3 lil containers with more mise-en-place of finely chopped spring onions and gingers.

all those mise-en-place just to prepare this mackerel for us

as we were busy admiring and enjoying our sushis....out came 2 sweet prawns already lightly fried. The skewers hold them in place.




Chef removed its shell in 3 easy steps. Fast precise and he even managed to keep the roe from its head intact!!!!


See the entire head is still intact with its roe
this was so yummy and creamie...:)))))))))))


Because the prawn is huge and difficult for ladies' petite mouth, chefs here are trained to cut it into 2 for their female guests. Oh well Chef didn't know I eat like a man...wuahahahhaa. :P opppssss

Bonito which has been cured on the outside with homemade soy. It has a beautiful smoky nose on it and firm texture.

the suddenly Chef SanPei took out a huge slab of FISH in front of us!!!

Chef SanPei: "Tuna Cheek!!!"
wah that must be a huge tuna to have such a big piece of left/right cheek!!!!!

Our eyes popped wide open again, when he placed a wooden box in front of us...we know wat's coming...this wooden box is singing to us!!!!

More ooni aka sea urchin from Hokkaido

Bcoz they want to showcase the freshness and creaminess of the sea urchin, the usual crisp seaweed was not used.

oh my oh my oh my!!!!
see wat I meant when I compared it with ice cream. This was way better coz it doesn't melt to temperature but melt in ur mouth...

Monkey: "Oiiiishiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" before closing her eyes
Chef Sanpei: "Arigato gozaimasu" and bowed low
shouldn't we be the one bowing in standing ovation to chef for such fine sushis?

The tuna cheek was seared...there's so much of yummy oil!!!

oh wow!!! wat a great piece of tuna cheek to end our sushi courses

Finally the must have in every sushi meal, Torro Negi
basiccaly finely chopped torro with even finer japanese baby leeks
this was like red curtain drawing to an end to an amazing performance

Steamed Tamago which is of a different style here. It's almost like custard.


Wondered how many trays of egg yolks did they use :P

As we were mesmerizing our wonderful scrumptious luxurious dinner, we watched Chef SanPei preparing for lunch service tomorrow. Storing away the fishes and fresh sea produce.


and again, cleaning and re-cleaning his knife :))))))
he's so anal.

We were almost sipping the last few drop of the Salon Champagne before we forget...oppps forgot to offer to Chef SanPei...
together we "kampai" and share more travel and foodie notes with him. It's so good that he could speak english :))))))))))

Happy Monkey :))))))))) bcoz it was so yummy we booked half of the restaurant 3 weeks from this evening for lunch. Bahahahaha. Yeah bookings need to be secured way way way in advance. Chef SanPei was busy locking in our booking and checking his "fish" inventory.

Later Chef owner Kanesaka-san himself came over to say hello and expressed his gratitude for being his patrons in Singapore as well :P Oh well not that we alwiz go....kekekekeke pockets not deep enuff. :P

The main entrance of the lil corner of Kanesaka. So now u understand why it's so difficult to locate even though it's in Ginza? Both of us walked home to our hotel, chatted amicably about the outstanding quality of fishes, the artisanal way of preparing edo-style sushi, its beautiful grains and of coz the friendly service.

Most of the artisanal restaurant in Japan do not accept non-Japanese clients unless u have been recommended by Japanese friends/business associates. Highly recommended and we will definitely return :)))))

Sushi Kanesaka *2 Michelin Stars*
Mizusu Building, Basement 1,
8-10-3, Ginza,
Chuo-ku, Tokyo.
Tel: +81 (0)3 5568 4411