AU2012 - Kura

Possibly the smallest restaurant in Sydney, Kura features the design of a typical Japanese Ramen shop, that is, sitting on a long bench facing a narrow kitchen.

 

 

Offering both noodles and rice dishes for dinner, …

 

 

… we opted to try their plain Seaweed Udon, …

 

 

… and Salad Udon.

 

 

Probably not a good idea to have cold noodles in winter, but I foresee that the Salad Udon would be a great hit in summer!!

 

 

Kura Japanese Dining (Kura 1)
Ground Floor, Shop 3, 76 Ultimo Road, Haymarket, NSW 2000, Australia.
+61 2 9212 5661

AU2012 - Oden House

While oden is usually associated with Japanese food, Oden House in Sydney offers Japanese-inspired Taiwanese cuisine. Examples include Taiwanese bentos, oden and snacks.

 

 

For something more filling, we tried the Salt and Pepper Chicken Bento …

 

 

… and the Braised Pork Bento, …

 

 

… both recommended by Oden’s.

 

 

Other than the saltiness of the food, we will definitely be back again to try their oden and snacks!!

 

 

Oden House
605-609 George Street, Haymarket, NSW 2000, Australia.
+61 2 9000 0000

HK2012 - Regala Tea Buffet

The Tea Buffet that is offered daily at the Regala Cafe and Dessert Bar, Regal Hotel, is a cheesecake lover’s paradise!!

 

 

In addition to a wide selection of irresistible Cheesecakes, Regala also offers their all time favourite, the  Cheesecake Skewer Chocolate Fountain!!

 

 

On certain days, lucky customers also get to taste the Wild Berry Cheesecake and the Dragonfruit Cheesecake, a good twist in Regala’s East meets West creation!! Just unfortunate that I didn’t get to try that!!

 

 

Of course, as a Tea Buffet, it is only appropriate to also serve tea (although I think their “Tea” actually refers to the meal time of the day and not the actual drink).

 

 

But if that’s not your type of drink, there’s also a whole lot of fruit juices and cocktails to choose from.

 

 

And as a bonus, Tiramisu is also available to satisfy the sweet tooths!!

 

 

Regala Cafe and Dessert Bar
2/F Regal Airport Hotel, 9 Cheong Tat Road, Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong.
+852 2286 6618
http://www.regalhotel.com/Regal-Airport-Hotel/main/restaurants-bars/Regala-Cafe-Dessert-Bar.aspx

JP2012 - Hotel Oaks Kyoto Shijo

During my trip to ICASSP, I decided to stay at the Hotel Oaks Kyoto Shijo, a 3 star hotel that is both cheap and convenient.

 

 

Located along the main Shopping Street of Shijo, all the major transportations, shopping centres and the famous Gion area are within walking distances.

 

 

While the room is quite small, literally just big enough to fit a double bed, it is the amenities that put Hotel Oaks on par with 5 star hotels elsewhere.

 

 

Pretty much whatever a traveller needs, is provided. Those items that really stood out are the toothbrush/toothpaste sets and pajamas.

 

 

For those who wanted something more, video on demand is also available. But due to the nature of the entertainment, that is something extra to pay for.

JP2012 - ICASSP 2012

The IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing was held at the Kyoto International Conference Center (ICC), Japan’s first state sponsored conference venue.

 

 

Completed in 1966, the ICC complex features the Main Building, Annex Hall, Event Hall, and a spacious Japanese garden.

 

 

Definitely good for a relaxing stroll after a long day of seminars.

 

 

With over 2000 delegates from all around the world, ICASSP 2012 is also the place to showcase some Japanese cultures, like the Kagami Biraki.

 

 

While I have thought that it would be something more formal, it is really just a knock on the Sake cask. But that magic knock gave all the delegates a free flow of Sake for one night!!

 

 

Another highlight of ICASSP is the colourful Bento boxes, served daily with green tea.

 

 

Although not very filling, they are definitely a good way for everyone to try some local delicacies.