The other week we met up with some friends in Kyoto, the lovely Richard, and the even lovelier Clo. They were in Japan for a week and managed to get to Kyoto for a couple of days.
We caught up with them on a hot, humid day for lunch at a great noodle shop in the back streets of Kyoto. It was nice to see 2 sweating, smelly, Englishmen struggling with the sweltering heat (about 36ish in Kyoto these days) and humidity (about 110%), while the 2 hardly perspiring ladies floated along in the warmth.
I didn't have time to photoshop out my belly, so just try not to look at it please.
Aki and I had planned to go to a very nice (i.e. posh) Italian restaurant in Umeda, Osaka (the Salvatore I think it's called), that some friends (hi Gav and Max) had taken me to a few weeks before. It was so posh, the waiters had proper full on waiter uniforms and spoke a mix of Italian and Japanese. They also have a dress code..and as you can see from the picture, I'd not worn my tux to Kyoto...shorts, sandals, etc.
Well we decided to try anyway, and finally I had one of those movie scenes where the snooty Maitre d' peers down his nose at the shabby dressed customer, and asks him politely to leave...well not quite.
A very nice lady, asked us to wait, then, while apologising profusely (I think, couldn't follow all the Japanese, but the body language was apologetic), told us I couldn't wear shorts and sandals but they had some trousers and shoes I could change into!! And they did, and unbelievably (bearing in mind my feet are about 29cm's which is off the chart in Japan), they fitted!
I was led into the toilets, asked to change and then escorted to our table. A fantastic meal ensued which was much cheaper than it should have been - it was one of those places where the waiter explains what's on the plate just before you stuff it in your mouth - the food and wine were excellent!
Highly recommended if you're ever in Osaka, it's in the Herbis building near the Hilton hotel.
(Will try and confirm the name)
