Located at Kawaramachi Sanjo Higashi-iru, it's the Meiji-ya Kyoto Sanjo Store. Originally, I stopped by to get pasta sauce for dinner, but once inside, it feels like a little wonderland for adults with so many things catching your eye. I got the Vongole pasta sauce for 289 yen. And then, I also got the amazing item "Tabasco Scorpion! for 443 yen". It's 10 times spicier than regular Tabasco, but the price is only about double, so it's a great deal... (laughs) I also got some nuts for snacking, and I had to stop myself there, or I wouldn't stop shopping. As for the Scorpion, it's like a powerful medicine. If you're not careful with it, your lips will be numb all day.

Meiji-ya is a food store that was founded in 1885 in Yokohama. It has a special relationship with Kyoto, particularly with Fushimi's Gekkeikan, which helped improve the distribution and quality of sake by bottling it. The store recently underwent a renovation on the first floor and reopened on September 15th. I tried their recommended item, the "Kyoto Sanjo Curry" Beef Medium Spicy, which was decent but not exceptional. The store also offers unique products like Echire unsalted butter and ricotta cheese. Overall, Meiji-ya is a reliable food store in Kyoto with a variety of imported goods. Today, I purchased their special canned item, "National Pork in Balsamic Sauce flavor," which was delicious and a popular choice among customers.

Meijiya stores offer imported food and unique items that are not found elsewhere. It's fun just to browse the store even if you don't buy anything, but you'll end up buying a lot! The store has two floors, with the second floor offering a variety of items like prosciutto, cheese, wines from around Japan, canned goods, and snacks. Despite the small size of the store, you can easily spend over 30 minutes there. I found some cute mini bottles of alcohol for 200 yen each - one with plum wine and the other with apricot wine. The peach bottoms from Kofu, Yamanashi are adorable! They would be fun to use in a party by putting them in a bowl with ice, letting them float around.

I have been going to this shop for a long time! (*⌒0⌒)ｂ♪ They have everything I need, even before stores like Seijo Ishii existed. On the first floor, they sell vegetables, traditional tofu, fish, meat, bread, and more! On the second floor, there are hams, cheeses, seasonings, jams, imported sweets, noodles, wines... everything you can think of. It's a really convenient store! (*≧∀≦*) I am weak to spiciness, sweetness, sourness... and I have very specific preferences when it comes to seasonings. I tried different products to find my favorite... I also found some cute salt that caught my interest! (*^ー^)ノ♪ It was something different from what I usually buy, so I couldn't resist and purchased it...・Sel Marin Fan (fine grain) Description: Salt sun-dried on the island of Noirmoutier on the French Atlantic coast. It has a deep flavor and umami. Content and taste: 125 grams of fine sea salt. It has a strong umami flavor, but it's a bit too sharp for me... (*ToT) I prefer salt with a more rounded and sweet taste... (*ToT) However, since it's sea salt and has a good umami flavor, it seems like it would be great for fish dishes! (*ノ▽ノ) I'm looking forward to cooking with it! (*⌒0⌒)ｂ♪ Different salts from various regions have very distinct flavors. It's really interesting! v(・∀・*)

I stopped by because I was nearby! I bought Hawaii's drink, Lava Punch (pineapple, guava, passion fruit, orange) and Lindt's milk chocolate (*¯꒳¯*) Both were delicious♪ I couldn't help but buy them (lol)

I stopped by Meijiya for the first time in a while and ended up ordering some jam. As I entered, I noticed they have a variety of items, including a butcher shop. It was a bit different from what I remembered, but it was fun to look around and I ended up buying a few things. I bought two types of jam, as well as potato chips with chocolate, soba noodles, and sausages. The sausages were particularly delicious. The chocolate was also great with large pieces and a variety of flavors to enjoy. It's nice to go there occasionally. I'll definitely go back when I run out of jam.

There is nothing in particular that I need to buy, but whenever I go, I end up buying a lot. Also, at the Gojo Parking Lot, you can get a free one-hour parking ticket for 3000 yen. If you just go to the parking lot, you would have to pay 600 yen, so it's like you can consider it as spending 2400 yen on shopping. I bought Thai curry retort pouch, Thai curry paste, coconut powder, as well as Prosciutto, Parma ham, mustard, capers, and seaweed from Mikkoya. I did some strange calculations and ended up spending over 3000 yen, but got the parking ticket for free. I feel like I got a good deal! When I got home, I immediately enjoyed the Prosciutto and dried figs with wine. Stir-fried vegetables in soy sauce is a staple dish for summer. Just arrange them nicely and it's delicious!

The first time I ate seaweed at a friend's house, I shouted "delicious!" at the same time as my friend. Since then, I always buy it from stores like Meiji-ya, Daimaru, and Takashimaya. A pack of 20 half-sheets for 1000 yen might seem expensive, but it's actually just 100 yen per sheet. My daughter loves to eat it straight out of the pack. When my daughter and her husband come over, it disappears quickly, so I always keep two packs stocked in the pantry. Once opened, I immediately put it in the fridge to keep it crispy and delicious. One way I like to use it is to buy cheap thin rolls and double them up to make them look like premium thin rolls. I also like to wrap it around mackerel sushi or YOSHIDA BOKUJO's Caciocavallo steak. It's my little secret, but I like to sneakily add it to dishes like KAHALA does. There are more expensive options for 2000 yen, but the 1000 yen one is good enough for me. I've tried the 500 yen one, but I feel like the taste is not as good. Give it a try and see for yourself!

On July 4, 2020, I sat on the veranda in front of the stone garden at Kennin-ji Temple in Gion, Kyoto, for the second round of souvenir exchange with my eating buddy. We enjoyed ◆Gesshomikuniya Grilled Sushi Nori, recommended half-cut 20 sheets for 1,000 yen, which we got from Meijiya Kyoto Sanjo Store. Gesshomikuniya's factory is located in the clean air of Akiota-cho, Hiroshima, where there are many forests, and they carefully grill nori from the Ariake Sea (from Saga or Fukuoka). My eating buddy loves this grilled nori so much that they always keep two packs at home. We enjoyed it sandwiched between "Heshiko Sushi" wrapped in persimmon leaves that we got on that day. The thick, black grilled nori had a fantastic flavor and texture, enhancing the taste of the heshiko sushi. It was crispy and delicious. We also tried making hosomaki for the first time using this grilled nori. Placing sushi rice in the middle of the nori, we added cucumber, tamagoyaki, imitation crab sticks, and sakura denbu, then rolled it using a bamboo sushi mat. Instead of rolling it completely round, we made sure the top and bottom nori stuck together. We then cut it into four pieces and folded the ends of the nori on the bottom side without cutting it, creating "Fuji Flower Sushi." It turned out beautifully, but as beginners, we realized the ingredients didn't evenly distribute in the middle of the hosomaki. We need more practice with kappa maki or shinko maki to improve. Bon appétit!