Author: sweet surrender

How to Eat Kushikatsu (aka Kushiage) the Right Way

Posted on By sweet surrender No Comments on How to Eat Kushikatsu (aka Kushiage) the Right Way

When you go to Osaka and you are in Shinsekai, you will definitely find many Kushikatsu or Kushiage eateries around.

The one we went was Kushikatsu Itiban 壱番 新世界本店(Japan, 〒556-0002 Osaka, Naniwa Ward, Ebisuhigashi, 2 Chome−6−1 パインフィールドビル). As you can see from the photo, Lawson is just next to it. It closes at 11pm.


I’m not sure how much these skewers cost as I didn’t order them and we ordered two rounds. The price range between Â¥80-Â¥300 per skewer depending on what you order. There are choices of meat, vegetables, seafood, and even dessert skewers to choose from.

What is kushikatsu?

Kushikatsu (串カツ), also known as kushiage (串揚げ), is a Japanese dish of deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables. In Japanese, kushi (串) refers to the skewers used while katsu means a deep-fried cutlet of meat. (Source: Wikipedia)

Now, let’s learn how to eat kushikatsu:
1. Dip the skewer once into the sauce container. NO DOUBLE DIPPING! Once the skewer is out of the sauce, even when it’s still not out of the container, no more second dip allowed.
(I wanted to dip the upper portion of the skewer, so I tried changing the position of the skewer by lifting it out from the sauce (skewer still in container) and my Japanese friends were horrified, they told me cannot do that, once out of the the sauce, it’s out *LOL* I’ve been reading about it but none mention such rule as they only mentioned about the one that you’ve put into your mouth.)
2. If you have eaten a portion and want to dip it again, you need to get the cabbage to scoop the sauce out instead of dipping your half-eaten skewer into it.
(Trust me, most likely you don’t need it after the first dip, it’s quite salty, one dip is really enough.)
3. Place the stick into the container for used sticks which you can find on your table.

There you go… It’s not that hard.

There are some of the Osaka specialties that we ordered while we dine at the eatery.

Left: Beef sinew stewed in miso (Â¥420).
Right: Takoyaki (Â¥380).

Here’s the other food from the menu:

Left: Dumpling aka Jiaozi (Â¥350).
Right: Japanese rolled egg with seasoned cod roe(Â¥420).

Hope you learn a thing or two from this post and don’t do a boo boo like I did hehehe… By the way, do check out my Kansai Prefecture Tripping series on my YouTube channel(https://bit.ly/lovebellbelle) and hope that you can also subscribe to it.


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Food Porn, Going Places, Land of the Rising Sun - Japan

Skip the Queue with Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan E-ticket | Day 2: Kansai Prefecture Tripping Series

Posted on By sweet surrender No Comments on Skip the Queue with Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan E-ticket | Day 2: Kansai Prefecture Tripping Series

Did you know that Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is the largest aquarium in the world?

When you are in Osaka, you can visit the aquarium. I went there in my August Osaka trip. Great place to go especially if you are bringing children. Even adults and the elderly will find it interesting too.


During the summer this is the best place to escape the summer heat. You will not miss the ferries wheel when you are going towards the aquarium direction.


Do allocate about one and a half hour to three hours here. I do recommend you to go there on weekdays to avoid the crowd. Even though it will still be crowded on weekdays at least not too bad if compare to public holidays or weekend.


It was quite crowded when we were there even though it’s on a weekday because it happened to be their summer school break.


Anyway, take your time, go through the aquarium slowly. It’s quite fascinating.


You should spend your time checking out the smaller tanks first instead of the middle tank(the biggest tank), this is because you can see the big one on all floors without the need to squeeze with others to see what’s inside.


The big tank is where you can find sharks and big sea creatures. The higher level you go or towards the end of the aquarium, people will be less as most flocked to the big tank once entering the aquarium.


You can get your E-ticket here so that you don’t have to waste time queuing at the ticketing counter. This is what we used and we went straight to the entrance gate. They will scan the QR code on your printed ticket or from your phone.
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Opening Hours:
10:00am-8:00pm (Last admission: 7:00pm)
The opening hours is subject to change. Please check the official website for more information about opening hours

Address:
Osaka Prefecture, Osaka, Minato Ward, Kaigandori, 1 Chome−1−10

How To Get There:
5 min walk from Chuo Line Osakako Station Exit 1
45 min from Osaka Station (bus route No. 88) or 40 min from Namba Station (bus route No. 60) to Tempozan Stop, adjacent to the Kaiyukan
10 min from Universal City Port by Captain Line fast shuttle ferry

Check out my trip to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, you can see more fishy here:

Going Places, Land of the Rising Sun - Japan, Vlog

Day 1: KCH-KUL-KIX | Reload Kansai One Pass, Set Up a Futon

Posted on By sweet surrender No Comments on Day 1: KCH-KUL-KIX | Reload Kansai One Pass, Set Up a Futon

Day 1 of my Osaka summer holiday that happened in August. My first time trying to do a travel series on my own. One-man show… Gosh… It’s overwhelming! I had to take care of my luggage, find my way(luckily I have someone to help on this part), film myself, be aware of my surrounding, handling the camera, microphone, and cable, and so much more.

If you would like to follow my Kansai travel series, do hop over to my Youtube channel(https://bit.ly/lovebellbelle) and subscribe to my channel.

If you don’t want to get the Kansai One Pass, you can also get ICOCA card, they have the same usage:
Klook.com


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Going Places, Land of the Rising Sun - Japan, Vlog

Althea Bare Essentials, K-Beauty Simplified Skincare Routine, No Need 10-Step

Posted on By sweet surrender No Comments on Althea Bare Essentials, K-Beauty Simplified Skincare Routine, No Need 10-Step

I’m sure you have heard of K-beauty 10-step skincare routine. What if I tell you that you can get it done in just 3 steps? I tried the 10-step routine once, oh dear me… I caaaaannot… Too time consuming and too much products needed and my skin wasn’t even absorbing after the 3rd or 4th step -.-” For those like me, you can try this Althea Bare Essentials series, just 3-step. You just need Contour Cleanser(RM33), Primer Water(RM52), and Fixer Cream(RM59). Add in sheet mask of any brand after Primer Water if you want for a weekly or twice weekly intensive care.

I did not buy the Primer Water though. I just used my own toner. Love the minimalist packaging.

Let’s talk about the Contour Cleanser. It has micro capsules that can gently exfoliate dead skin cells and then the capsules will melt away while massaging it into your skin. It’s a foaming cleanser which not only cleanse your face but formulated to improve blood circulation to achieve the V-shape face. Love the cooling sensation after wash. Great for hot days too.

The way to use this is different from your usual cleanser. First, dampened your face. Then, apply the cleanser directly on your face, not your palm. Next, massage it gently in circular motion on your face and the micro capsules will melt on your face instead of on your palm. Lastly, cleanse thoroughly with water.

You will feel cooling sensation on the face and the face is smooth and supple.

The key ingredients are:
Ice plant – Hydrates and calms redness
Lemon verbena leaf – Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants to strengthen the skin

I don’t need a lot of it, just a size of a pearl and my face is all covered. Love the lemony scent.

After washing your face, follow with Primer Water or toner. Pad it on your face until it absorb instead of using a cotton pad/ball.

Once you’re done with toner, you can proceed to Fixer Cream.

I really like the texture. Not oily at all. It looks like thick cream but it’s not that thick, once it’s on your skin, it will melt, felt watery. It provides the skin with hydration for up to 24 hours. It doesn’t leave any sticky feeling on face. This jar took me 4 months to finish with daily usage of twice a day(day & night).

Here’s the key ingredients:
Trehalose – Powerful humectant that retains moisture on the skin
Wild Green Tea – Hydrating, skin soothing and pack with antioxidants
Baobab Tree Extract – Non-greasy moisturizing agent that helps promote collagen production

Be sure you follow with sunscreen after fixer cream during the day.

Overall, I’m happy with this product. Do give it a try, the set of three products is priced at RM144. You can get it from https://my.althea.kr/collections/bare-essentials

Althea Angels, Girl Stuffs, Review It!

Sarawak Chinese Slang Season 1 Finale & New Japan Travel Series

Posted on By sweet surrender No Comments on Sarawak Chinese Slang Season 1 Finale & New Japan Travel Series

Here’s the last episode of the series. I’m not sure when Season 2 will come. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. If you would like to watch the previous episodes, here’s the link to the playlist called [Sarawak Chinese Slang], hope that you managed to learn some Sarawak Chinese Slang.

Here’s my new travel series, my very first one. Here’s the direct link to the playlist called [Kansai Prefecture Tripping | Osaka 8D7N (Aug 2019)]. Here’s the first episode where I’m sharing my itinerary with you. Hope it can help you in planning your coming Osaka trip.

Please subscribe to my Youtube channel(https://bit.ly/lovebellbelle) if you would like to follow my Osaka trip.

Land of the Rising Sun - Japan, Sarawak Chinese Slang, Uniquely Kuching, Vlog