Arrecife 681, Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Looking for a fun restaurant with a twist outside of San Juan? If you find yourself near Arecibo, Puerto Rico, you’ll want to try Arrecife 681.

Arrecife 681 is a Caribbean restaurant with a twist! Their combination of traditional and unique makes this place an excellent fusion! The restaurant seating is mostly outdoors, along a beautiful stretch of beach with fantastic sunset views.

This restaurant boasts some amazing drink specials for a great night out, such as their dragonfruit or passion fruit mojitos. But I was most impressed with their food! First, I tried their fried cheese. This was a paneer-like cheese fried perfectly on the outside. It came with a sweet sauce that was the perfect complement to the cheese. Sweet and savory!

Next, I tried the creamy fish tacos. This was a fish taco topped with spicy crab with a sweet and sour sauce and some chives. It was delicious! The spicy crab reminded me of a spicy California roll, giving this a unique twist on a traditional taco.

Finally, in sticking with the spicy crab theme, I got some loaded french fries, covered in spicy crab, sweet and sour sauce, and green onion. This was the real winner of the evening. It was like eating sushi and fries at the same time, which for me, was excellent.

If you’re looking for somewhere delicious with some good drinks, I definitely recommend Arrecife 681! They’re just a short trip outside of San Juan and definitely worth a visit. Check out their Instagram page for photos of their amazing drink specials and menu. Enjoy!

Takoyaki in Dotonbori, Osaka

Let’s tako-bout takoyaki… lame joke? Yes, I know. Takoyaki is basically fried octopus fritters. It starts with a savory batter, to which the cook adds chunks of octopus, tempura crunch, pickled ginger, and green onion. It is fried in a special pan that allows the takoyaki to be made into a sphere shape. The cook rotates the fritters with chopsticks or a metal poker until it’s the perfect shape.

Once it’s all cooked, these fritters are usually covered in a special sauce, mayonnaise, little bits of seaweed called aonori, and some bonito flakes. When it’s all done, the heat makes the bonito flakes dance as they melt on top of the takoyaki. The taste is creamy from the batter but also a very hearty seafood flavor. The sauces complement the seafood perfectly! But watch out, if you’re too eager to eat these, you will scald your entire mouth from the gooey batter inside. It’s best to take a small bite and let the inside cool a bit before you eat these.

We ate these at Takoyaki Juhachiban Dotonbori in Osaka. This shop is right on the main street in Dotonbori. You’ll recognize it right away from the big takoyaki on the front of the building. This was by far the best takoyaki I’ve had. If you’re looking for a nice snack after some karaoke or a full meal, this place has options for several different serving sizes.

Definitely check this place out next time you’re in Osaka!

Sanrio Puroland

If you know me, you know how much I love Gudetama. Of course, we went to the Gudetama Cafe in Osaka in one of my previous posts. But we also went to Sanrio Puroland. This themepark is a Sanrio character theme park about 40 minutes away from Shinjuku station in Tama ward. They have tons of attractions and photo opportunities with all of your favorite Sanrio characters.

One of my favorite parts to this amusement park was the Gudetama area. There was an entire exhibit dedicated to Gudetama “traveling the world” as different foods. There are lots of fun Gudetama photo-ops, as well. Gudetama as an omurice, gudetama on a burger, gudetama in a crepe, and many more!

Another adorable part of Sanrio Puroland was the boat ride. This was very reminiscent of the “Small World” boat ride in Disney, except with all Sanrio characters. It was so cute! I absolutely loved Cinnamoroll baking cinnamon rolls and PomPomPurin carrying around pudding. Each of the characters were represented in this boat ride that is fun for the whole family.

And if you’re looking for Sanrio swagg, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve never seen so many Gudetama items as I did in this store! There is something for every Sanrio character here. Many items are even unique to Puroland and can’t be found anywhere else!

Of course, every good attraction has food! And Puroland has a great cafeteria! All of their food is character themed. We ate Gudetama ramen, a gudetama donut, and a Wish Me Mell Pancake with ice cream and berries. It was fun and delicious!

If you’re a Sanrio fan, you’ve got to check out this theme park. Come see Hello Kitty and all of her friends next time you’re in Tokyo and come check out Sanrio Puroland.

Mi Escondite a la Leña - Restaurant in Tanamá, Arecibo, Puerto Rico

We’re switching up a little bit today! Today, I’m bringing out a Puerto Rico post!

In January, we went to Puerto Rico. When I was planning our trip, I was looking for restaurants that were near our activity for the day, hiking and going through a cave river on innertubes. I found this place and watched an amazing YouTube video about it, and I knew instantly that this was somewhere I HAD to try.

Mi Escondite a la Leña is a beautiful restaurant in the middle of the mountains, surrounded by forest. We drove on the tiniest back country roads to find this place. We almost wondered if we were going the right direction, because we were basically passing tiny mountain farm towns that made it seem like we were in the middle of nowhere. Finally, we saw a sign that directed us to the restaurant. We were there! Hidden down inside of a little valley, surrounded by the mountainous jungle, we found this gem.

This restaurant was definitely worth the drive. When you arrive, you’ll see all open outdoor seating at covered patios. There is a giant pool with a small waterfall on one side of the property and lots of room to look around. There are benches around the property, there is a really great bar, and there is nature all around you. You can hear the birds and wildlife in the trees while you eat, and the restaurant plays great music, as well.

Let’s get to the food! This place had the best smoothies and milk shakes. Did I mention… they can be alcoholic smoothies and milkshakes?? I chose mine without alcohol, as I was the driver that day. But seriously, look at this. It’s a mango milkshake with whipped cream and sprinkles. It was absolutely amazing. This was real mango flavor in every sip. My friends all had similar experiences, but with alcohol.

Next, came the lunch. I ordered this amazing sandwich. This is a delicious chicken sandwich with tostones instead of the bun. That is fried plantain instead of the bun. Inside was some lettuce and a really nice sauce that was kind of like a ketchup mayo mix. This sauce is really common with fried plantains in Puerto Rico. For my side, I chose mofongo. This is a fried and mashed plantain mixed with lots of garlic and seasoning. Mofongo is a must-try Puerto Rican food, and this one was cooked just right! I’ve tried mofongo many times, and if not done correctly, it can be a bit bland. But not at Mi Escondite a la Leña! This mofongo was so flavorful, and the garlic and spices really made it unforgettable.

My friend ordered this incredible churrasco steak with arroz apastelado. Arroz apastelado is rice cooked with some spices, capers, and usually some pork or chicken. It was served with a salad and of course, he drank it with a Medalla, probably the most popular beer in Puerto Rico. He also really enjoyed his meal.

The service was great and the staff was really friendly. The views were amazing and relaxing. This was the perfect meal after such an action-packed hike that morning. I definitely recommend this restaurant. Get outside of the big cities and visit this local hot spot, Mi Escondite a la Leña. You’ll be so happy you did.

Japan’s Crab Restaurant - Kani Doraku

Have you seen photos of a restaurant in Japan with a big moving crab on the front? That’s Kani Doraku. With over 40+ locations, this chain has become very popular with tourists and locals alike for their crab and seafood themed cuisine. We visited the location in East Dotonbori, in Osaka.

This restaurant is upscale, with a nice atmosphere. This location is directly along the river, so we had a very nice view during our meal. We sat at floor seats with the leg area cut out below, which was a fun experience. We ordered a set meal that included a table grilled crab, some sushi, soup, as well as other crab themed dishes.

My absolute favorite part of this meal with grilling our own crab over a Japanese table grill. They brought out all of the ingredients and a grill. We then cooked our own food. It was super fun! Of course, each course was delicious.

This is one of those restaurants that you have to visit when going to Japan. To me, it was so fun to experience. They even have souvenirs available for purchase. Next time you’re in Japan, go check out one of the many locations of Kani Doraku for a delicious meal!

Conveyor Belt Sushi - Hinatomaru

One thing that Japan is known for is their sushi, of course. And one of the most interesting ways to eat sushi is at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant! That’s why, when we went to Asakusa, we searched for a conveyor belt sushi restaurant to try. We found Hinatomaru while walking along all of the shopping streets close to Senso-ji temple.

This place was fantastic. You could take any of the sushi off of the conveyor belt as it circled the restaurant. The chef would choose a fish and make a few dishes with it. He then loaded it on the belt for customers to select from. You could also tell him what you’d like to try, and he’d make it just for you. It was like a moving buffet combined with a made to order restaurant. There were also hot water spouts and a jar of matcha in front of you, so that you could have some tea with your meal.

My favorite was the tuna. It really did just melt in your mouth. I also really liked the tamago. It was the sweet but salty tasting Japanese omelet.

The chef was hilarious. He was laughing and joking with us the whole time. He made the experience really fun and enjoyable.

At the end, you count up all of your color coded plates to pay. The plate color determines the price. It was a simple and delicious meal, and it was really affordable. I definitely recommend checking out this restaurant the next time you go to Tokyo’s Asakusa area.

The Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum

What do you imagine when you think of a museum? A place with exhibits and displays that you can read about, maybe some historical facts, or some art… what about a museum that transports you back in time to Japan in the late 1950’s, that lets you fully interact with the exhibits, that lets you eat the ramen on display. The Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum is more of a food amusement park than a traditional museum. Yes, they have things to read and historical exhibits, but the main room is filled with 7 retro ramen shops and a bar. You can hang out in the streets of Tokyo from 1958 while eating some delicious ramen. The ceiling looks like the sky, and each shop is a detailed building in the recreated city atmosphere.

I tried ramen from two different shops. My absolute favorite was the spicy red miso ramen from Ryu Shanghai Honten. I got the vegetarian version, but they also have it with pork. The signature red miso has quite a kick to it! It’s hot and spicy and pairs perfectly with the broth and fresh green onions. This is an absolute must-try!

Next, we tried Komurasaki tonkotsu ramen. They have a pork version, but I had the vegetarian version here also. It came with soy meat and a creamy broth that was very similar to the original. On top, there were some shaved garlic chips. It was so good!

At this point, I had eaten two full bowls of ramen. The meat versions are available in half sizes, but the vegetarian versions are only full size. So I was absolutely stuffed! We sat and had a nice drink and watched a street performer in the central court.

After that, we did visit the historical displays and read about the origins of ramen. We also stopped by the gift shop for some last minute souvenirs.

This food amusement park is only a quick train ride from Tokyo and is a definite must for any visit to Japan. If you find yourself in Tokyo, I definitely recommend the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum!

Ueno Park Cherry Blossom Festival Food

One of my favorite places to visit during cherry blossom season is Ueno Park, in Ueno Ward, Tokyo. This park is filled with tons and tons of cherry blossom trees and lots of food to enjoy! Most years, you’ll find people setting blankets and tarps out under the trees and setting up picnics to watch the cherry blossoms while they eat. They call this “hanami.” There are food vendors of all kinds at this festival, but here are just a few of my favorite street foods from the past few years.

Above is a photo of some delicious yakitori I ate in 2019 at the festival. You’ll notice the skewers are labeled with the cut of meat on each skewer. They were all coated in a delicious teriyaki sauce and marinated very nicely. They were fresh and juicy and definitely one of my favorite things at this festival.

Next, we have some delicious street corn. They’re grilling it fresh at the food stall with some butter for flavor. During this visit, it was still a little cool outside, and this nice hot corn was the perfect snack.

Another favorite is something I’ve never seen in the US… grilled crab on a stick. It is imitation crab, so more of like a crab flavored fish cake on a stick, grilled. They season it, grill it over a charcoal grill, and top it with Japanese mayo. This was my #1 favorite food item at this festival. Absolutely incredible!

In 2019, we found this delicious snack. They’re called “American Long Potatoes” at most of the food stalls around town. This was so funny to me, since we don’t have fries this long in the US. But these fries are literally about 1 foot long, and then they’re drizzled in the topping of your choice. I chose liquid cheese and parmesan. It was really satisfying and crunchy. They make these extra long fries not by cutting potatoes into strips like American fries, but actually by mashing the potato, putting it into a presser, and pressing out these long potato strings into the fryer. So really, it’s almost like fried mashed potatoes.

Finally, no meal would be complete without a drink! And what better drink that a cherry blossom themed drink! Japan has tons of cherry blossom themed snacks and drinks during the spring season, and alcohol is no exception. This is a brut rose Chandon tastes pretty much like the normal Chandon but with a hint of cherry blossom flavor. And the bottles are beautiful. You can buy a glass or an entire bottle to share with friends during hanami. We saw this in 2018 and 2019.

There’s so much more here besides these delicious foods. Don’t forget, the cherry blossoms here are world renowned. I definitely recommend visiting this festival in the spring and trying something new. Enjoy!