When in Fukuoka: Enjoy Cherry Blossoms at Nishi Park

One of the things I look forward to when visiting Japan is to bask in the beauty of cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, the forecast schedule for the blooms was incorrect and we were there a bit too early. But thanks to Instagram's hashtags and geotags, I was able to discover Nishi Park. 

Hello, Nishi Park!

Nishi Park is just one bus ride away from my AirBnB so it was so convenient for me to visit this massive area. The ride though is a bit costly at 230 Yen per way. 

When in Japan: Asahi Brewery Tour

Japan is definitely a breath of fresh air. With its clean roads, orderly towns, reliable transportation system, magnificent views and scrumptious food, it is impossible not to enjoy one's vacation in the land of the rising sun. And on my second time in Fukuoka, R and I decided to visit more places and experience more things at this trade hub. And one of our stops is the Asahi Brewery in Hakata. 

Hello, Asahi Brewery!

Asahi is one of the leading beverage brands in Japan and currently holds the biggest chunk of the beer market with 38% (followed by Kirin Beer with 35% and Suntory with 15%). It may not be common knowledge but Asahi also has several brands under its umbrella such as whisky, soft drinks and even food. 

When in Japan: Ichiran (Best Ramen Ever)

Why do we always love the things bad for us? I am not talking about drugs or anything illegal. One of my addictions is ramen. The sodium in a bowl gloomy weather must have is one of my top 5 favorite dishes and a trip to Japan is nothing without indulging in a bowl or two. And so when R and I spotted a ramen shop with a long queue outside, we just have to line up and find out why locals (and tourists) line up for it. 

Hello, Ichiran!

I have read about Ichiran online and all articles say that it is one of the best ramen joints in Japan. Knowing this made me so excited to order a bowl. I asked R to share a bowl with me since I wasn’t that hungry but he was; so we decided to go with one bowl each. And it was a good thing we did as sharing was not allowed. 

Before entering the dining area, we had to line up to place our order from the ramen vending machine. There was only one type of ramen with a handful of add ons to choose from. You could also adjust the richness of the broth based on your preference. I went with no spice with a lot of spring onions, a bit garlicky, firm noodles and with rich broth. R went with the same but with mild spice. A bowl cost about JYP800-1000. The machine also takes our payment in return of food stubs which we have to give the servers inside. 

I was surprised that the dining area inside was the Japanese individual dining booth type. I have been dying to dine in one for the longest time! (No wonder sharing was not allowed.) R and I managed to get seats beside each other. Yay! <3

While waiting for our ramen, our shelled tamago (egg) was served. We were still dazed from the experience that we didn’t think of removing the shell while waiting. 

Our ramen arrived next and it came in a rectangular ceramic bowl with lid. Upon lifting the lid, the ramen looked very simple yet unexplainably mouthwatering. 

When in Japan: Visit Owl Family Hakata

My recent Japan trip was a dream come true. I have been dying to visit Japan for the longest time and it finally happened this year. And nothing would have been more perfect than being there during the time when cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Obviously, I went crazy over the cherry blossoms and dragged R towards every sakura tree I spotted. It was expected as I have always wanted to see those beautiful trees in real life. But I would have never known that I would also go crazy over… owls. 

Hello, Owl Family Hakata!

The Owl café was an accidental discovery and it happened when R and I were trying to find our way to visit this temple near Hakata Station in Fukuoka, Japan. 

After struggling to ask the locals for directions with my survival Nihonggo, we found ourselves walking along this sad looking shopping district. That was when we spotted a bunch of foreigners in front of this quaint café. Curious, we stopped and check the place out. And to our surprise, we saw several owls inside!

Owls of different sizes were all lounging around the small establishment. We were so fascinated by it that we thought of joining the group of tourists outside. But there is a limit with the number of customers who could go inside. Also, we wanted to wait for R’s friend to join us. 

We headed back to the place after a couple of hours and there were still a handful of people waiting outside for the next batch. We got scared that we might not be accommodated as the ones ahead of us made reservations. But we managed to get in. Yay!

We were first ushered to the second floor of the cafe where we were given instructions on how to handle the owls. It was a bit of a challenge as the server was speaking 95% Japanese and 5% English. We only understood the essentials through body language. 

Thankfully, they also have some reading materials in English for us which also explain the same things the staff was trying to convey. 

Before heading down, we placed our orders which were inclusive in our JPY1,000 per person café fee. R and I got hot chocolate while R’s friend, M, got coffee. 

Giddy to mingle with the owls, we didn’t drink our beverages right away. Also, the second floor was a bit too cramped to stay put.

We were given a quick rundown of the names of the owls but the one that got stuck to me is Sumomo, the adorable small owl with eyes that could melt the coldest heart. 

First BIte: Uma Uma!

After getting a few sips from my Aphrodisiac drink from Horse's Mouth, I moved to Uma Uma's bright dining area for some yummy treats. 

The interiors of this area is different from Horse's Mouth. It was a lot warmer and brighter. They made use of lighter colored wood and it had a stronger Japanese vibe to it.

After a few minutes, A arrived and we ordered the Uma Uma Ramen (PHP360) and One-Bite Gyoza (PHP140). A also asked for House Tea but he was informed that there is a PHP35 charge per glass. 

While waiting, A mentioned that he's curious with "Hakata-Style." I told him that it must be referring to the area in Fukuoka called Hakata. Perhaps it originated there. Not really sure as I'm just after the food and I don't really care where the food comes from or what cooking style was used as long as it's good food! *uncultured foodie*