List of Cuisines you need to try in Tokyo

A step-by-step guide in getting your very own Pasmo (or Suica) card

While the word Pasmo (or Suica) might seem unfamiliar to those that have not been in Japan for long, they are an integral part of Japanese people’s lives making our commute and travel much easier. Since it makes getting on public transport much easier, those that are here for an extended period of time should definitely invest in them whereas, it may even be worth it for those of you that are only visiting for a couple days.

Takoyaki

To us Japanese, Takoyaki is one of the first dish that comes to mind in Osaka. Takoyaki is a savory dish shaped like a ball, with the outer layer made out of a batter made out of wheat and the inside containing diced pieces of octopus. Each serving contains around 8 to 10 balls with each one being about the same size of your mouth. Takoyaki sauce is brushed on top of the balls and are then covered with Katsuobushi (shredded bonito) and mayonnaise sprinkled with a little bit of Aonori (shredded, dried seaweed). As the insides are piping hot, make sure that its cooled down enough and make sure that you don’t put it into your mouth in one go. You can alternatively make a hole in the ball which will cool down the Takoyaki faster. With the price being around 500-600 yen per serving, it may the perfect snack to take away in your stroll around Osaka. While the Takoyaki at Gindako is pretty darn good, definitely try the Takoyaki in Osaka as it is the place where Takoyaki is best known for after all.

Kushi-katsu

Kushi-katsu is another dish that Osaka is very famous for. Essentially, it is different kinds of meat and vegetables which is battered and then put on a skewer and then fried. After it is brought to your table, you dip the skewers in a container containing a sauce similar to the sauce over the Takoyaki, and doing so would make the batter soak up all the savory flavor of the sauce. Not only is it very tasty, you have a wide variety of skewers to choose from so you will be able to get different kinds of taste with different texture in one dinner meal. Also, the price of the Kushi-katsu are fairly reasonable with each one being around 100 to 200 yen. Make sure that you don’t double dip into the container.

Nikuman

Nikuman is essentially a bun stuffed with pork. The Nikuman at 551 Horai is the most famous as each bun is fairly big as well as the fact that its Nikuman are of top quality with its soft exterior with the extremely juicy stuffing that is packed with flavor. Furthermore, because it is easily portable and it will still taste really good even if you microwave it later on, it has become norm for businessmen going to Osaka on business trips to take these buns back as souvenirs for family and friends. Each bun costs around 400 yen which is reasonable considering how tasty it is. While it may taste good by itself, you may also dip it in Ponzu (citrussy kind of vinegar), soy sauce or Takoyaki sauce. (Personally, highly recommend eating it with Ponzu.) Definitely make sure that you don’t miss out on these buns when you visit.

Nikuman

STEP 5: Select the amount you wish to top up (including the deposit)

Topping up your Pasmo (or Suica)

Just like the process of purchasing the card itself, the top up is done on the ticket machine.

STEP 1: Choose Language

STEP 2: Select 'Recharge IC card'

Cancelling your card and getting your deposit back

While the deposit and the credit you have left is refundable, unlike the purchase and the recharge of the card, the process of cancelation can only be done by talking to the staff in the station (For Pasmo holders, go to stations that are not run by Japan Railways (JR) such as Tokyo Metro. For Suica holders, it will be done at stations run by JR), whom in many cases are not fluent in English. However, telling the staff that you want to cancel the card should suffice but would require some time but will be done on the spot.

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