Quote:
Originally Posted by DanRanger
Cool, the stuff about Tesco sounds very promising! Good to know it's there if I need it. Oven cooking... I noticed my potential apartment doesn't have one, could be troublesome for dinner parties. It'll spur me on to find some new recipes I suppose.
Cheers
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Dinner parties aren't especially a Japanese thing. People tend to go out to eat as a group, so you might actually find not having an oven isn't a problem. You can easily cook a number of things on top of the stove though, and the oven-microwave things aren't too bad, although they don't make cakes that well.
Bars tend to fall into several categories; there are izukaya, which are sort of like pubs with a selection of bar snacks and then maybe a small selection of main dishes. There are what I call hidden bars, which tend to be exclusive and expensive and lurk in the city; the sort that come with a bartender in vest and bowtie. Then there are standard prop bars which might serve peanuts and things, and where you go to drink, and any number of mom-and-pop establishments in-between them and Izukaya. There's also chains of all-you-can eat, and bell-service bar/restaurant type things, but they're more about the food than the drinks.
The main difference between bars in the UK and Japan is that in Japan sometimes you get sa-bisu (service), which is basically an amuse-bouche or free dish/drink. Other places, you get a dish that you didn't order, but which you are still expected to pay for. If it so happens to be the latter, just swallow your pride, pay up (it's only about 200y usually) and make a mental note. The next time you go there, you'll know and can politely turn the dish back before they put it on the table. Making a scene over it will just cause embarrassment and aggravation, so it's not worth it.
Lots of places have picture menus, but some off the beaten track won't, and won't have hiragana either, so try and check a menu outside to ensure you can read it. Otherwise if you're feeling bold a key phrase is おすすめは何ですか or おすすめの〜〜料理はなんですか. I've gone into places where I haven't a hope in hell of reading the all-kanji menu and had some cracking dinners by just getting the waiting staff to choose for me. And of course, carry enough cash as cards still aren't accepted everywhere, and remember tipping isn't common in Japan, so if you leave a tip, they might just chase you down the street thinking you forgot your change!
Clubs, in Osaka the two most infamous are Pure and Sam n Dave's; they are seedy dives aimed at foreigners and most people have found them a miserable night out, especially Pure. There's any number of night clubs around Amemura and right across the city, especially on the South side but be aware entrance fees can be kind of steep. Also trains and buses don't run all night, of course, so bank on being out all night, or budget for a taxi home. Like most clubs, drinks vary from reasonable prices to extortionate, so consider tuning up before going out. I guess it depends on what your tastes are and what you're looking for in a night club.