Breakfast; Lawson Convenience Store
Breakfast was less atas that day as we stood at the corner in Lawson to have our oden in soup. Their oden is cooked in a pot and customers can choose their desired ingredients. The price and calories of each specific stick is indicated on the board in front of the pot. We had a spicy fried chicken box as well. The chicken cubes are generally slightly oily as it has cooled down.
Imperial Palace
Our first destination was the Tokyo Imperial Palace near Otemachi metro station (c13b exit). On the streets, there seemed to be a workout event going on because a number of people were running in the same direction. Near the entrance, we were given an admission ticket even though the entry was complimentary.
There is a wooden house called "rest house" as you walk further in. It is a place where you get can get all the tourist information and guides of the palace in various languages. We walked around the large imperial garden, but because it was the winter season, the trees were all balding. It was still beautiful and gives off a serene feeling. If you wish to experience the vibrant greenery and colourful flowers, it is best to visit during another season.
The weather was really awesome that day! With the sun warming the ground, the temperature was just right without our ultra light jacket.
SHINJUKU
We took the metro down to Shinjuku for lunch. We were going for the popular Ichiran Ramen! Before we stepped out of the station, we saw this setup store that sells different flavours of mochi (¥230 each). We bought one sesame flavour and one green soybean flavour to try. The mochi were chilled and I guess that is what makes the skin so chewy! It is such a delicious treat!
Shinjuku was buzzling with people, especially on a Sunday. It feels like Orchard Road in a less humid form 😆. The temperature that day was really the best among all the other days. It is a short walk to the famous Ichiran and the queue can already be seen from a distance. They have one staff to assist with the queue and all customers have to be in the queue together.
Just when we thought that it was nearing our turn soon, it was just the start of the second part of the queue down the stairs! The woman tourist in front kept complaining to her family that she does not want to wait for so long, and I was hoping they would leave hahaha. But they persevered till the end. From 2pm, we queued to 3pm (Lucky we had some mochi before that). We ordered the food via the machine and then waited for our seats. In the meantime, we got a preference sheet to indicate how we desire the soup base and noodles to be. Thankfully, there was an English version that we could understand. For people who don't like the overwhelming spicy level, half of the red sauce is just right. But then again, spice level is subjected to the individuals' tolerance level.
They have a system whereby the light will lit up once the seats are empty. At first, we thought that we could not share our food because it was cubicle style. But we realized that the middle wooden plank can be unlocked and opened up! It is not so lonely after all. Our tickets and preference sheet was collected through the small window in front of us. Food were also served to us through that same window. No interaction is really needed.
The add-on egg came first, so I ate it all up before the ramen even came. The soup is sweet and rich, but not too overwhelming. The noodles is springy and taste a bit like the Chinese Mian Xian, with a bit of stickiness. The spicy level is just right for me! The normal spice level is too hot to be enjoyable in my opinion. After the meal, I placed the tofu bowl on the designated location, and a ringtone sounded to alert the staff of my order. They collected my bowl and placed the green tea tofu for me a while later. Cool huh.
The lunch cost us a total of ¥3380. I would say it is worth queuing for a different experience and the food is great too. For those Ichiran lovers, you can buy the packaged ramen set which includes the soup base and noodles (¥2200 per pack). My bf bought two!
Just when we thought that it was nearing our turn soon, it was just the start of the second part of the queue down the stairs! The woman tourist in front kept complaining to her family that she does not want to wait for so long, and I was hoping they would leave hahaha. But they persevered till the end. From 2pm, we queued to 3pm (Lucky we had some mochi before that). We ordered the food via the machine and then waited for our seats. In the meantime, we got a preference sheet to indicate how we desire the soup base and noodles to be. Thankfully, there was an English version that we could understand. For people who don't like the overwhelming spicy level, half of the red sauce is just right. But then again, spice level is subjected to the individuals' tolerance level.
They have a system whereby the light will lit up once the seats are empty. At first, we thought that we could not share our food because it was cubicle style. But we realized that the middle wooden plank can be unlocked and opened up! It is not so lonely after all. Our tickets and preference sheet was collected through the small window in front of us. Food were also served to us through that same window. No interaction is really needed.
The add-on egg came first, so I ate it all up before the ramen even came. The soup is sweet and rich, but not too overwhelming. The noodles is springy and taste a bit like the Chinese Mian Xian, with a bit of stickiness. The spicy level is just right for me! The normal spice level is too hot to be enjoyable in my opinion. After the meal, I placed the tofu bowl on the designated location, and a ringtone sounded to alert the staff of my order. They collected my bowl and placed the green tea tofu for me a while later. Cool huh.
The lunch cost us a total of ¥3380. I would say it is worth queuing for a different experience and the food is great too. For those Ichiran lovers, you can buy the packaged ramen set which includes the soup base and noodles (¥2200 per pack). My bf bought two!
We walked around Shinjuku area and saw a Tourist Information Counter. Somehow my shopping interest for clothes has decreased that day and I did not visit malls like Lumine or Mylord. We went to Takashimaya instead which consists of all the expensive quality stuff. It is a little different compared to Singapore, but it is so much bigger. Call me a mountain tortoise but I was so excited to see an inflatable neck pillow (¥1252) at Tokyu Hands. My bf said I needed one during travels but I thought that the beany ones were not convenient to bring around. And tada, my solution is here! After a trial on the plane, it is not that comfortable since it does not sink in with your head's weight. Kind of weird but this can be gotten used to.
We thought a coffee break would be good as we were getting sleepy. But when we needed a cafe, we could not see one. Starbucks it shall be! We ordered something we do not see in the Singapore menu - Starbucks Drip Coffee in Venti size (¥432). Great price for a large cup of black bitter coffee! A hot one is so comforting after being out in the cold weather.
GINZA
Do you know where is the largest Uniqlo in Japan? In Ginza! Okay, I did not know that until I was in the building itself which is like 12 floors high! Their clothes are properly segregated by women, men, children, downjackets and etc. We spent a good 1 hour there, until it was closing at 9pm. The price of the items are considerably cheaper in Japan, so if you are a Uniqlo fan, you can shop your hearts out at their Ginza outlet. There is one level with all the cute designs of Disney characters on their tee-shirts. Just choosing the design you want to purchase is time consuming. There's tax refunds as well so do prepare your passport.
I bought a pair of boyfriend's jeans to realized it is actually too big. I was too lazy to try it properly and tried it while having my leggings on :X. You are also required to take off your shoes in the fitting room.
Dinner; Mos Burger
We wanted to try Mos Burger in Japan but there is no outlet nearby our hotel. Looked at google maps and found one outlet near Ginza. It was a really long walk in the cold night but it was all worth it. My favourite fish burger taste so much better there. The burger is crispy, the fish is crispy, and there's even a layer of crunchy sweet onion which enhances the whole taste. The beef burger does not give off a very strong taste, very well marinated meat patty. The soup is served in a bowl and is of a creamier texture. They have a combination sides of onion rings and fries, but that is like 2 pieces of onion rings only.
Knowing that we were tourist, they sent a lady who can speak fluent English to inform us that they have not processed our nuggets order. She checked with us whether we would still like to have our nuggets and make the extra payment. My bf commented that she speaks English really well, and then we got to know that this was due to her previous job in a German company. We asked her about the last train timing for the metro and understand that different lines closes at different time. Fortunately, our line was still operating.
Back to hotel for a good night sleep after a wonderful dinner/supper <3.
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