UZU Rhythm Cafeteria & Souvenir (Naruto, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

Very much like G.ELM, running into UZU Rhythm was pure coincidence. After visiting the Tokushima Prefectural Uzu-no-Michi Walkway, an enclosed pedestrian promenade built inside the lower structure of the massive Ōnaruto Bridge get a closer look at the Naruto whirlpools (鳴門漩渦), I wanted to check out some souvenirs from one of the nearby souvenir shops.

Lo and behold, an incredibly smoky aroma suddenly drifted my way. The place was called UZU Rhythm Cafeteria & Souvenir, a souvenir shop that also doubles as a burger joint with a proper sit-down area.

In fact, the café area actually boasts a partial view of Onaruto Bridge and and you can even catch the same walkway we just experienced earlier.

UZU-ship cream soda (700 yen) — Little nugget finally caught up with me while the rest of the crew was still making their way over.

Of course, he couldn’t resist having a refreshing icy soda topped with a soft serve!

Premium burger (1,500 yen) — The premium burger was a double-decker featuring two smoky beef patties made with A5 Awa beef (阿波牛).

The beef was tender, juicy, and smoky — without being overly fatty, even with A5 beef. And to make it even more delicious, it was piled high with an amazing amount of juicy caramelized onions. These are the same “patented” local onions that helped put Awaji Island (淡路島) on the map. Not surprisingly, I had to fight little one for my half of the burger. 🍔 

While the team was enjoying their burgers, I went outside to check out the view, and it was nothing short of jaw-dropping. 

As mentioned by many tourist reviews, this could be the best spot for selfies with the bridge and even the whirlpools in the background. 

Needless to say, I took quite a few myself despite the scorching heat.

We almost considered skipping this tourist highlight but we were glad we didn't. But hey, we still had lost time to make up, with Kobe up next as we have some shopping to do at the Mitsui Outlet Park Marine Pia.

Food Rating: 6.6/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 65-3 Fukuike Narutocho Tosadomariura, Naruto, Tokushima, 772-0053, Japan

Tel: +81 (0)88-687-0021

Website: https://uzurhythm.jp/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 4:00pm daily

G.ELM (Minamiawaji, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

One of the top ice-cream shops in Minamiawaji besides Verde Tenero is G.ELM by the waters. We got the chance to check it out up close and personal because it’s just a stone’s throw from our hotel.

At 9:55 am, five minutes before G.ELM officially opened, there was already a small lineup waiting in front. That’s a good sign, I assume. 

I quickly got to the end of the line, and it didn’t take long before they started serving. 

Like most neighborhood ice-cream shops, they don’t offer too many flavors. Just a dozen or so, most of them in bright, colorful tones, perfect for the summer.

A spacious dine-in area for an ice-cream shop is always a luxury. Having one this big — priceless.

Black sesame & sweet potato (350 yen) — One thing I noticed about the texture of their scoops before even taking a lick was how incredibly creamy they looked. My mom is a sucker for anything with sweet potato, and she gave it her thumbs up the whole way.

Matcha ice-cream monaka (300 yen) — I read online that one of their signature items was their housemade monaka, so this was a no-brainer for me.

The matcha ice cream had rich, deep flavors just the way it should be while the monaka stayed relatively light. The contrast in textures was a really nice touch alongside the creamy ice cream.

One heart-warming moment happened when the owner handed me my three ice-cream cups and monaka. I realized I wouldn’t be able to manage all three at once because I was still on a call asking for help. At that exact moment, one of the female servers offered to help carry them to our car.

We didn’t communicate in English at all, but somehow our minds were totally in sync. Her kindness didn’t go unnoticed and of course, I thanked her for helping on the spot. I bet something like that would never happen to me in Hong Kong.

Food Rating: 6.7/10

Price: ￥￥

Address: 1530 Fukurako, Minamiawaji, Hyogo, 656-0501, Japan

Tel: +81 (0)799-50-2332

Website: https://gelm-icecream.com/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 4:30pm (Fri - Tue)

Fairfield by Marriott Hyogo Awaji Fukura (Minamiawaji, JAPAN)

After making multiple stops across the island of Shikoku, everyone was just happy to be finally checking into our hotel for the night. While the previous hotel accommodations didn't exactly draw rave reviews from the team, tonight’s place should give us a real sense of hope — mostly because it’s a Marriott establishment.

While we were unloading our luggage from the car, we kept looking left and right for bell service, but they were nowhere to be found.

Fairfield by Marriott Hyogo Awaji Fukura is a 4-story hotel on the southern side of Awaji Island. Even with a pretty spacious ground-floor lobby and rest area, the hotel doesn’t have any in-house restaurant. That’s definitely a drawback especially since dining options were far and few between nearby.

As soon as we opened the door into our room, we could immediately sense the comfort and warmth of a cozy, well-designed space.

The interior design was simple yet very user-driven.

Normally, I’m not a fan of having the basin outside the bathroom, but the sliding door positioned behind it completely erased my negative thoughts.

In fact, I found it surprisingly convenient and accessible especially given the small space we had to work with here.

For a room with such a compact floor area, it was genuinely impressive to have a proper shower room, complete with a rainforest shower.

The toilet was located right next to the shower room, keeping everything practical and efficient.

And the best part? These rooms are guaranteed to be quiet. There’s literally nothing nearby, so there’s no noise for disturbance.

For supplies like milk, water, and fruit, there are a couple of family-run market places within walking distance making this hotel a viable option for short stays on the island.

Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Price: ￥￥

Address: 154 Fukurako, Ko-512 Fukura, Minamiawaji, Hyogo, 656-0501, Japan

Tel: +81 (0)799-38-6625

Website: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/osafi-fairfield-hyogo-awaji-fukura/overview/