When we were in Kobe, we decided to make the most of our bullet train green pass (which cost us $460 for 2 weeks! -0-) by taking a trip to Shimonoseki, the seafood capital of Japan. Shimonoseki is known for having the freshest seafood, but we'll dive into that in another post. Spoiler alert, we ate some big fish.. like, really big.
The train ride takes about half a day, so we had to make the most of our time.
First up, we stopped by a place just around the corner of the hotel we're staying at, a fast food-style shop that looked like a franchise. You could walk in, order at a machine that was almost as tall as I am, bring the ticket to the cooks, and voila! Delicious food right in front of you. We tried the odon and curry on rice, and both were mouth-watering. The prices were cheaper compared to restaurants, which left us with more money to spend on seafood in Shimonoseki #lol.
Next, we had to wait for the next first class train at the station and saw a standing ramen place. It was like a scene straight out of a Japanese drama, with people rushing to slurp up their noodles before they had to catch their train. We decided to join in on the fun and give it a try. After a few attempts at using the machine, we finally ordered and gave the ticket to the cooks. I went for udon, of course! Even though it was located at a train station, the prices were still reasonable.
Both of these experiences were unique and something I don't see much in Thailand. It was an interesting and tasty! I love how we no need to sit down and eat and people are actually willing to do so! It was the perfect combination of food, adventure, and fun.
Next stop, Shimonoseki!!