Taishaku-kyo Gorge

A couple of weeks ago, I went hiking in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and I had to share it with everyone because I had such a hard time finding a lot of information on it!

I don't remember how I first heard about Taishakukyo, but I went online to find out more about it and didn't have much luck. I found a couple of sites that had beautiful pictures and then maybe one paragraph about it that didn't really explain anything. I like adventures and exploring so I wasn't worried about trying to figure things out when I got there, but I do like to plan my day out so I can make sure I see and do everything on my list. Since the only thing that is really mentioned is the natural stone bridge though, my list was pretty short. Do some hiking and see this amazing stone bridge. Easy enough, right?

Two hours after getting on the road, my Google maps announced that my destination was on the right. Umm... that couldn't be since there wasn't really anything on my right and on my left was a small parking lot and what looked like a little udon restaurant. The good news was that I had seen a sign a few minutes before this so I knew I was on the right road at least. I drove on for a few more minutes and noticed a large parking lot on my right, but there wasn't really anything there. I'm thinking that the main entrance for this gorge would be pretty big and have some shops or a place where I could get some information so I keep driving. I get a little further up the road and I decided I should go back and check out the parking lot. There is a huge map there and what looks like the starting point for a hiking trail. I noticed on the map that there was a "Trail Center" not too far from this starting point so I decided this would be a good place to start. After hiking for about 15 minutes, I reached the Trail Center. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone there and the only brochures they had were in Japanese. They did have maps though so I thought I could follow the map to find the main entrance that I was looking for.

Some pictures of what I saw when I hiked to the Trail Center -

The trail was pretty and there were a couple of awesome red bridges along the way!






I got back to my car and headed off in the direction I thought would take me to the main entrance. Did I mention I'm not good at reading maps? Yeah. My lack of map reading skills became an issue when, 30 minutes later, I still hadn't reached the main entrance. There's no way it should have taken that long. So, I pulled over and looked at the map again, but that just confused me even more. Then I tried to see if maybe the camp grounds near the main entrance would come up in Google maps, and they did! If only I had thought of that sooner! It took me back in the direction I came from and once I found the campgrounds, I was able to figure out where the main entrance was! Slightly frustrated about the wasted time, but so excited I had finally found what I was looking for!

There was a pretty large parking lot and a store with a small restaurant inside. This is what I expected to find at the main entrance. Since I lost some time trying to figure out how to get here, I didn't have a lot of time to waste so I parked and headed off to find the trail. Within a few minutes, I knew that this side of the gorge was going to be even more beautiful than the other side with the bridges (and I LOVE bridges!!)! I couldn't wait to explore and find the amazing natural stone bridge!

This was taken at the start of the hiking trail. Everything was really green and the water was so clear!

As I walked along the path, I saw some steps on the left that led up to something. It was a cave! Of course I checked it out, and it was so cool! There was a 250yen fee to go inside, but well worth it.

I continued on the hiking path and the scenery was so gorgeous that I couldn't stop taking pictures. Not sure how much of a workout I got with all of the stops, but I did get some beautiful shots!

See what I mean?? I could have stayed here all day!

After walking and stopping to take pictures for a few more minutes, I finally made it to the natural bridge. Wow! It was even more amazing in person!

My picture does not do it justice.

Since it was going to take me 2 hours to get home, I only walked for about 10 more minutes past the natural bridge and then I headed back. According to the map though, there is a waterfall further up the trail that I would love to see. I have also heard that this gorge is beyond stunning during in the fall so I guess this means I need to go back in the fall. Now that I know how to get to the main entrance though, I will definitely have enough time!

On my way back to the expressway entrance I realized that I had made a wrong turn when I got off of the expressway. If I hadn't turned when I did, I probably would have found the entrance to the gorge within 5 minutes of arriving. Google maps is usually great and gets me where I need to go, but this time it really failed me. There may have been a sign, but I was probably too busy chatting with my friend and didn't see it. Lesson learned for the next time I go somewhere I haven't visited before.

Here is the information I was able to gather. I didn't have time to explore the entire area like I wanted to so I am sure I missed a lot, but hopefully this will help you plan your own adventure to Taishakukyo gorge!

It does take about 2 hours to get there by car, and the tolls were a little over 4,000yen each way if you get on and off in Otake.
Address for the main entrance -
1940 Tōjōchō Taishakumido, Shōbara-shi, Hiroshima-ken 729-5244

Link to the pin on Google maps -
http://goo.gl/maps/dJqn5

There are campgrounds available at a few different areas around the gorge. They also have log cabins and cottages for rent. I saw the log cottages when I stopped to grab some lunch and they looked really nice from the outside. For more information and to make reservations to stay in the log cottages, please call (0847)86-0535. I would recommend asking someone who can speak Japanese to call for you as I'm not sure if they have any English speaking staff available. There are Segways for rent too, but you have to make reservations at least 2 days in advance. Please call the same number to make Segway reservations. Across the street from log cottages is a nice little restaurant and shop. The restaurant serves up beef dishes made with beef from a local farm. There was a little playground there and tables outside with grills in the middle. You can order a BBQ plate from the restaurant with beef and vegetables, and sit outside to grill as you eat. To get to the area with the restaurant, cottages, and Segway rental, just type in the phone number and it will come up in Google maps.

There was also a fishing area at the main entrance.

Fresh air, beautiful scenery, and plenty of activities for the entire family to enjoy! Tasihakukyo gorge is a perfect spot for a day trip or a weekend getaway.

Sri Lankan Restaurant and Cafe LAMP

I have passed this place a few times on my way to Mominoki and I have been wanting to check it out.

I finally got my opportunity yesterday. I found myself driving to Mominoki in search of some snow for a photo shoot I was doing and as I drove past this place, I knew where I was having lunch. Good thing my client was also my really good friend, Tani. She knows about my food obsession and she is always up for a foodie adventure.

We walked in and we liked it right away. After picking a table by the front window and putting our stuff down, we asked if we could look around. It's not that it was a large space for us to explore, but he did have some spices and teas for sale that we looked at (I picked up a bottle of chili powder that smells amazing). We also wanted to see what the view was out the back window. It was beautiful! He said we could open the back door and go out if we wanted to, but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea with all of the snow. We looked and he was right. Not a good idea. So we decided to sit down and look through the menu.

The first thing I saw was the pumpkin curry. Tani and I decided we should order two different types of curry and share. She picked the dry chicken curry and I picked the pumpkin soup curry (big surprise). The owner then told us that we needed to order rice or roti separately if we wanted some to go with the curry. Roti?? I have no idea what that is so I ask and he kindly explains that it is a Sri Lankan bread that you eat with the curry. So... we ordered one rice and one roti. Of course.

When he brought the pumpkin curry out and set it down, the smell was amazing. I couldn't wait to dig in!

It was really like a bowl of soup and it was just as yummy as it smelled. I loved the chunks of pumpkin that were in the soup curry, and I loved the fact that it wasn't spicy at all for me. I'm a wuss when it comes to spicy foods so I asked about it when we ordered. He said the normal spice had a little bit of a kick. I can handle a tiny kick. This curry didn't really seem to have a kick to me so you can order it spicier if you like a big kick. I can't really explain how wonderful the flavors were in this curry. You will have to go and order it. It's the only way you will know.

The chicken curry looked and smelled delicious too!

I have to say the chicken curry threw me off just a little bit. It definitely had a little bit of a kick, but what got me was that it also had a slight sweetness to it. I wasn't expecting it so it was a surprise. It was pretty tasty.

The bread was also very good. I think getting one of each was perfect because the curry was really good with both the rice and the bread.

There should be a couple of weeks left for sledding season so head on up to Mominoki Park and make sure you stop here for lunch or dinner on your way back. To get to this wonderful wonderful restaurant, jump on Route 2 and head towards Otake. Turn left onto 186 and head towards the Yasaka Dam. Once you pass Yasaka Dam stay on 186 and continue on heading towards Yoshiwa. Turn right onto 488 (if you turn left you can go to Megahira for some skiing). Follow the road until you see the restaurant on the left (maybe 10 min). If you want to go sledding first, just keep driving past the restaurant until you see an entrance sign for Mominoki Park. You certainly don't have to go sledding to enjoy this restaurant though. You can do a little hiking at Three Peaks (Mikuradake) and then go enjoy a nice lunch here. You can also jump in your car and just drive to LAMP, eat delicious curry, and drive home. I would definitely make the drive up just to eat here.

LAMP is open from 1100-2100 and the phone number is (0829)77-2773.

The Lockup

Last night I went to a really fun restaurant in Hiroshima called The Lockup.

I heard about this place from my friend Kazumi a couple of weeks ago. All I knew was that it was a restaurant with a prison theme. Ahhh....she had me at theme. I'm the type of person who needs to know what I'm getting myself into though so I jumped on the computer and Googled it. After reading a few blog posts about it and checking out their website, I couldn't wait to go! I was slightly confused about a few things though. It is a prison theme, but there was something about monsters and ghosts... so I thought, maybe it was a haunted prison theme.. ? Then I looked at the menu and the drinks are served in beakers and test tubes. So...is it a haunted prison with a mad scientist lab? Now I REALLY couldn't wait to go.

The restaurant is located on the 4th floor of the building that is located right across the street from the Don Quijote store. Their phone number is 082-546-2550. Their address is Granporuto Bldg 4F, 6-1 Shintenchi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi. If you know where Molly Malone's is, it's about a 3-minute walk from Molly Malone's.

We arrived at the building and took the elevator to the 4th floor. When we stepped off of the elevator, we weren't really sure what we had gotten ourselves into. This sign was posted on the wall, telling us to push the button so we did..

You can't see the button in the picture, but it's below the sign.
Soo...we pushed the button, and we waited.
















I wasn't sure what to expect, but a guy dressed up like a police officer came out with a clipboard and asked if we had reservations.

Once he verified our reservations, he opened a door for us and told us to go in. We walked into a dark room and listened to a recording that was basically welcoming us to The Lockup and telling us to enter at our own risk... the voice was kind of creepy. I think we were told to wave our hand over something, but we didn't really pay attention so I don't think we quite did what we were supposed to do (oops!). The door then opened and we were told to come out. Once we stepped out we were asked who in our group had done something bad. Well....we all pointed at our friend Cynthia (sorry Cynthia!!). You will have to give up someone in your group. I won't tell you what happens to the person who is thrown under the bus....but it's pretty funny. Well, it was funny for us. Maybe not so much for Cynthia.

After that we were taken to our table, which was in a cell. Complete with bars! They have cells in different sizes. Ours was big enough for a party of six, but the cell across from us was only big enough for two people.

We had pre-ordered a set that included all-you-can-drink, but you can also order from the menu once you get there. That is what I plan on doing the next time I go. There were some items on the menu that I really wanted to try that weren't included in our set. The items we did get were pretty tasty though and we were happy with the amount of food we got too.

The bag was full of delicious french fries and the black things looked like burnt fried chicken, but they didn't taste burnt at all. To the left were some takoyaki (balls of dough with a chunk of octopus), but there was a catch with these. There was one out of the four that had tabasco sauce in it. They don't tell you which one has it so whoever gets it, gets a little surprise when they eat it. Luckily, I did not get the one with tabasco sauce in it.

One of the things I would have loved to try that wasn't included in our set was this -

It's a tuna and avocado spider! There were quite a few interesting dishes throughout the menu. I should let you know that they do not have English menus, but there are pictures of everything.








Aside from having interesting food items, they also have some really interesting drinks. Complete with eyeballs....

After we had been there for almost two hours, the lights went out and sirens started to go off. Someone was announcing that the monsters had gotten loose and were invading the prison. WHAT?!?! What does that mean??? Well, you will have to go see for yourself because there is no way my description of what happened over the next 10 or 15 minutes will do it justice. I will say that the monsters probably won't forget us.... there may or may not have been some dancing in our cell. Ahem...With one of the scary creatures...

Reservations are highly recommended if you plan on going on a Friday or Saturday night. Definitely a fun place to go to with a group of friends! They will also do a little something special if you let them know ahead of time that you have someone celebrating their birthday in your party. They didn't seem to have anyone who spoke English so you will probably need some help to make reservations and you'll have to be a little adventurous when you eat there. Don't let that stop you though. It's definitely a must try!

This might help a little when planning your dinner at this fun place! Sorry I forgot to include this in my original post.

Hours -
MONDAY - THURSDAY 1700-0100
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 1600-0500
SUNDAY & HOLIDAY 1700-2400

2011 Hiroshima Food Festival

The weather was really blah, but I didn't care. It was the final day for the Hiroshima Food Festival. I wasn't about to let a little bit of rain stop me from enjoying some great eats!

Headed to the train station, met up with some friends, and then headed to Hiroshima. An hour later we were there and couldn't wait to get to the castle grounds area. Hmmm...it was raining a little harder than I had hoped, but I had an umbrella. Besides, it's just a little water. Right? It wasn't like I was going to melt or anything. We got off the tram and started walking towards the park. Once we got there I was overwhelmed by all of the food tents set up on the castle side. Where to begin?? We went to the left and I immeditely saw a sign that said, "soba." I kind of glanced at the other tents as I walked as fast as I could to the soba tent. Now, let me tell you, it was not an easy trek. There were a lot of people and most of them were carrying umbrellas so it took some maneuvering, but I made it. It was really cool because you could watch them make the noodles by hand. I would have taken a picture, but ummmm.....it was raining. I paid my 500yen and they handed me a hot bowl of soba. Mmmmm......I walked off to the side to get out of everyone's way and then I stood there. I looked down at my waribashi (wooden chopsticks) lying across my soba bowl and wondered how in the world I was going to break them apart so I could eat my noodles. My umbrella was not cooperating. When I tried to hold it with my head and shoulder it just fell backwards. So, I closed it and then I had to find some place to set down my bowl so I could pull apart my chopsticks. It was raining pretty hard at this point, but I didn't care. I wanted to eat my noodles! And I did. In the pouring rain. With no umbrella. Oh, it was good. It was also hot. Once I finished my soba and threw my bowl away, I opened my umbrella up again and decided that from that point on I could only purchase food items that only required one hand to carry and didn't need utensils to consume. I was wet and cold, and the rain didn't show any signs of letting up. I didn't care though! I was at a FOOD FESTIVAL! Those two words should always be together! Okay, maybe I was re-thinking this decision a little bit. I was wet and cold and having a hard time holding my umbrella while eating. Then, we started walking and I looked over to the left. The park across the street was FULL of white food tents. It's a pretty big park too. All doubts left my brain as soon as I saw that park. All I could think about was the amount of food we were going to find over there.

We followed the crowd and crossed the street. Wow. I was amazed at how crowded it was. I thought the rain would keep people away, and it probably did keep some away, but a lot of people still came out to enjoy the Food Festival. A lot! We got to the entrance and we all stopped.

It was like a huge mud pit in there.

What a dilemma. It smelled so good though. It's just mud. Dirt and water. Mixed together. What kind of a foodie am I if I let a little mud get in the way of some amazing food? Then, someone saw a green carpet-like thing on the ground. We could walk on that! So, we started walking on the green carpet and it didn't take long for us to find an interesting food tent. There was a huge piece of meat (like, half of a cow or something) hanging and there were some huge steaks on a grill next to it. They were selling cut up steak for 500yen per serving. We lined up and bought us some Hiroshima steak. I took one piece and ...wow! It was so tender and so good!

We saw a couple of these steak tents selling local beef.

We saw a Turkish Kebab food tent too. And not only did they have kebabs.......they had stretchy ice cream!! That's what the sign said in Japanese.....well, it sounds a little different in Japanese I guess. I tried to get a picture of the guy dishing up the ice cream, but there were people standing in front of him each time and I was trying to hold my umbrella and take a picture at the same time. This was the best I could do -

Yeah......it's just the kebab tent.

Finally, we came to the end of the mud pit and saw a grassy area with more food tents. It was like food heaven! As we made our way over, I saw a group of Japanese people square dancing. How awesome is that?! They were dancing in the rain.

Not the best picture ever of the square dancers, but it's all I got.

Then we saw an Indonesian food tent with some very friendly people and some yummy looking satay chicken that I had to try. There was a wonderful peanut sauce all over it. Mmmm....

At this point we decided we were done. I wanted a nice, hot cup of tea and I wanted to drink it sitting down......somewhere dry. We headed back towards the mud pit. On the way there, we stumbled onto this little fishing area set up for the children.

Very cool! I wanted to fish! But that cup of tea was calling my name.

Despite all of the rain and the mud and the cold, I had a really good time at the Food Festival. If you missed out on the it this year, there's always next year. I know I'll be there! I just hope the weather is better.

Take me out to the ball game....

I am not a fan of baseball, but I absolutely love going to Japanese baseball games. Do you think that's weird? Before you answer that question, you should go to a Japanese baseball game. Even if you are not really into baseball. Then, if you still think I'm weird, please feel free to come on here and call me weird. It's okay. I can handle it.

This summer has been a crazy one for me so while I have been wanting to go to a baseball game, I just have not had time. Then, last Friday, I finally made it to a game. Not just any game either. They were playing the Yomiuri Giants. The Giants are probably one of the most (maybe THE most) popular teams in Japan. Thank goodness we got there a little early because the game was sold out and we had non-reserved tickets. It's always nice when everyone can sit together.

Once we had found some seats, a few of us made the trek downstairs to the food area. I have to say, the Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium (I LOVE that name!) has a very impressive food area. There is just about anything you could want from hot dogs to udon. It was super crowded so there were people everywhere, but we managed to find some spots that didn't have super long lines. The game was getting ready to start and I didn't want to miss it! Oh. Wait. I didn't go for the baseball.......really. I continued to wander around trying to take pictures of some of the different eateries. It was hard with so many people walking around, but I did get a few pictures. I also thought it would be a little less crowded if I came back a little later in the evening.

The squid rings were good! If you like squid (I do!!).

Molly Malone

Every now and then I want some good....non-Japanese food. Maybe I should say non-Asian food. I want something greasy and heavy and good! When I get that feeling, I usually head to Hiroshima. I really like KeMBY's, The Shack, and Molly Malone's. I am not sure if The Shack is still open though. I think I heard that it closed....or maybe they moved..?? Maybe I'll have to go to Hiroshima again soon and check it out.

This time I went to Molly Malone's. I love their fish and chips! I also love the fact that I don't feel like I'm in Japan when I walk in. It's a nice little Irish pub. As much as I love Japan, it's nice to escape every now and then for a couple of hours.

They have English menus and our server spoke really good English so no worries there.

I really do love their fish and chips.

So much so that I order it every time I go. This time, I thought I would try something different since Jason was going to order the fish and chips. How boring would it be if I only blogged about the fish and chips? They really are tasty though. I was super tempted, but I figured I could steal some of Jason's food so I went ahead and ordered Uncle Arthur's Pie. It sounded interesting and I had never tried it before.

It was pretty tasty. Like a beef pot pie.

I'm not a beer drinker, but they have Guiness on tap and you can also order a Black and Tan. I'm not sure what that is, but I did take a picture of it. They also have Heineken on tap and they have what looks like an ice box around it. Yeah...I'm not very knowledgable about beer. Apparently having it in an ice case or box is a big deal though because once it was pointed out to me I was also told I had to go back and, "check it out". It looked okay. I think I was supposed to be a little more excited about it. Did I mention I'm not a beer drinker?

I am, however, a lover of dessert.

And their chocolate cake is pretty fantastic. It came with these little coconut truffle-like things that were so good.


I'm going to give very basic directions because Hiroshima is big and there are a couple of ways to get there. I usually take the train, but we drove up this time and parked in a lot that was about 3 blocks from the restaurant. It was 800yen for a couple of hours so parking in Hiroshima can be pricey, but it was cheaper than train tickets for three adults and two children.

Molly Malone's is located across the street from the second Parco building. The second building is the one that is not right across from Starbucks. If you go into the second Parco building from the side where you can see the Starbucks, just walk through to the other side and exit. Once you exit, cross the street and you should see a sign for Molly Malone's. It really is right across the street from Parco. It's a busy main street so make sure you aren't coming out on the wrong side.

The next time you get a craving for some fish and chips, or you just feel like sitting in an Irish Pub and have a Guinness or some Heineken that comes out of a tap that is surrounded by an ice case (Wow!!), you should definitely check out Molly Malone's!

Kind of a food post

If you've taken the expressway anywhere, you've probably experienced a Japanese service area. They're pretty amazing. They're clean. They have food. They're clean.

The Japanese people enjoy checking out different rest areas so much that there are magazines about rest areas. You can only buy certain things at certain rest areas. It could be a particular food item, or it could be merchandise. There are some rest areas that have showers, and there are some that have dog runs. There are people who plan out their road trips based on service areas. Yes. Really. I have to admit, I'm kind of like that too. There are certain service areas I get super excited about.

Whenever I go to Hiroshima Airport to pick someone up, I have to stop at the Kodani Service Area. It is the last service area before the airport exit (about 5 kilometers away). It is one of my favorite service areas. Why? Because Kodani is completely operated by Andersen Bakery. If you have never been to Andersen's, I don't even know what to say. Andersen's is only the best bakery in the whole world. We have a small one in Iwakuni, but I absolutely love the one in Hiroshima. It's three floors of goodness.
If you haven't been.....you need to go. At least check out the one here in Iwakuni. It is very small, but the bread is yummy.

Okay. Back to the Kodani service area. There is a bakery, gift shop, restaurant, and cafe. They are all operated by Andersen. I did take a couple of pictures inside.

See?? I forgot to mention that ther is a little flower shop inside also. And the cafe is in a separate building next to this one.

They do have a full service restaurant on the other side of the food court, but I just took a picture of the food court. There are ticket machines at the front. You find what you want, put your money in and push the button that corresponds with your food choice. You then take the ticket to one of the counters and wait until they call you. Just keep an eye on the counter though and you can usually see them set your food out.

Another service area I like is the Miyajima service area on the way back to Iwakuni. It cracks me up that the same service areas don't have the same things. The Miyajima service area on the northbound side of the expressway does not have a Starbucks, but the one on the southbound side does. So I usually stop on my way back to Iwakuni and treat myself to something from Starbucks and then I walk to the Torii and check out the view. On a clear day, the view is amazing.

The next time you are on a road trip, check out the service areas. I usually pick the ones that have the gas station symbols because those are usually the big ones. Not always, but most of the time. Even if you're not on a road trip and you are just making that trek to the Hiroshima Airport. Leave a little early and check out the Kodani service area. They aren't open at 0600 though. I tried when I took my dad to the airport, and nothing was really open yet so we bought coffee out of the vending machine and sat inside for a little while. If you do the early trek, you can always stop at the Miyajima service area on the way back for a Starbucks and a nice view.

I hope you are all getting out and enjoying this beautiful country.

Ninnikuya Manao Thai Food Restaurant

I headed up to Hiroshima today with my good friend Kelly and her friend Andrea (hope I spelled her name right). Since Kelly is leaving in a couple of weeks (boooooo!!), she got to pick our lunch spot. She said right away, "Manao!". I have never been to Manao so I was happy to go. I love trying new places! Then she said it was Thai food. GOOD Thai food. Hmmm...even better.

We made our way to the restaurant (after a little pit stop at Zara) and the place was pretty busy. We got one of the last open tables. I have to tell you right off the bat that the menu is in Japanese AND English. I took a picture of part of the menu.

I obviously need to pay attention in photography class more. Sorry, this isn't such a great picture, but it gives you a very small taste of their menu. Kelly says the dinner menu is a LOT bigger than the lunch menu. I will have to come back for dinner!

After looking over the menu, I decided I had to have a fruit shake (highly recommended by Kelly!). The problem was trying to decide what flavor I wanted. Mango sounded yummy! But so did the watermelon, and the pineapple....I could go on and on. I finally decided to go with the watermelon. Kelly chose the mango. Unfortunately, they were out of mango (it's very popular) so Kelly went with coconut. Now we had to decide on what to eat. They offer lunch sets for 900yen. Kelly and Andrea decided to go with a lunch set. Kelly got the chicken green curry, and Andrea got the kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) curry. Ohhhh! I wanted to try to kabocha curry! I LOVE Japanese pumpkin! I asked our server if it was really spicy and she said yes so I had to pass. I decided on this pork/basil/rice with fried egg on top dish. I love anything with basil in it. Kelly also ordered some fresh spring rolls for us to munch on while we waited for our food.

Because Kelly and Andrea ordered lunch sets, they each got a salad.

I got excited when I saw the salads because they had some goya in them. Goya is like a bitter cucumber (kinda??). I love it!!! When I go to Okinawa I eat as much as I can!! According to Kelly and Andrea, the salad was good.

Then they brought out the fresh spring rolls.

Wow! These were so good. There were vegetables and some chicken in the middle. The sauce that came with it was really tasty too. Big hit with us! Just to let you know though, there are only two pieces in one order.

While we were oohing and ahhing over the fresh spring rolls, they brought our fruit shakes over.

Oh my gosh! Mine was so amazing. It was really like eating fresh, sweet watermelon. I tasted Kelly's and if you like coconut, you will love the coconut fruit shake. Even though they call it a "shake", it's pure fruit and ice. I want to go back and try them all!

At this point, I'm pretty happy with this place that Kelly brought me to. Apparently a lot of people feel the same way she does about Manao because I realize there are people waiting for a table now. Quite a few people.

They start to bring our meals over.

First out is Kelly's green curry with chicken.

Then they brought out Andrea's kabocha curry. Oh my goodness. It smelled so good.

Then it was my pork/basil/rice with fried egg on top dish.

Kelly has had the green curry before and she says it's her favorite. She tasted the kabocha curry though and I think she is going to change her favorite (sorry green curry!). Andrea said it was awesome. I wish I could tell you what the spice levels were like, but they both said they didn't think it was too spicy. This is coming from two ladies who usually get level 6 or 7 at Ganesh. I'm a level 1. If you like spicy, you'll be just fine. If you don't like spicy (like me), then there are some options for you. My lunch was really good. Great flavors, and they give you a lot. Maybe I was full from the fresh spring rolls and the yummy watermelon shake, but I couldn't eat all of my food.

The prices are not bad (just don't think about the crappy exchange rate!). My lunch was about 1,500yen. That included my watermelon shake. The atmosphere is nice and the staff is very friendly and helpful. I will definitely be going back to check out their dinner menu!!

Here is my attempt at giving some decent directions. I should have put a disclaimer on my blog because sometimes I am not the best direction giver.

If you know the covered shopping arcade, we're okay. The best directions I can give would be -
If you are at the big Starbucks that is across from Parco's, keep walking down the covered arcade past Starbuck's and away from Parco. You'll pass a Claire's on your right. Keep going. Or you can stop in Claire's and do a little shopping. At the very first side street you come to on you right, turn right. There's a little convenience store there. Walk a little (like a minute) and you'll come to a tiny little intersection. Manao's is on the corner on your right. You have to go upstairs. You should see these pictures and this sign at the bottom of the steps -

There are a couple of places I have to stop at when I go to Hiroshima. One is Starbucks, and the other is a place called Choco Cro. Kelly turned me on to Choco Cro too. They are amazing little croissants with chocolate inside.

I can't go home without buying a box of them. Yes. A box. It's approximately 750yen for a box....or it might have been 780yen. I don't even look at the price. I know I'm buying a box no matter what. Sometimes they have strawberry ones. Oh, those are my favorite. I'm not gonna lie. These are not good for you. But they sure do taste good!

Feel free to post some of your favorite spots in Hiroshima. I would love to get ideas for other restaurants to try. And the next time you're in Hiroshima and you are in the mood for great Thai food, head over to Manao's. I am pretty sure you'll be happy you did.