Japan Tokyo Day 12

12th day - 22 Jan 2017

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!

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.

Japan Tokyo Day 11

11th day - 21 Jan 2017

After two days of early mornings, we finally got back some sleep. I woke up with a swollen right archilles tendon and strained neck/shoulder 😓. My head could not turn or tilt to the right. All the adventures were taking a toll on me? Was it due to the popcorn hunt rush? My only relief was that at least I have completed my theme parks before those injuries!

Because of my leg injury, we cut down a lot on our itinerary. But then I realized that the plan was better so we had more time for each place of interest. Still, my speed of walking slowed down everything.

Breakfast; 24 Hours store opposite Tobu Hotel

   

Our breakfast was a hearty hot meal at the nearby store which is opened 24 hours for the convenience of all people staying around the area. We were there at about 9.30am, and there were ample of seats. We ordered a Ginger Pork Hot Pot (¥780), Katsu Don (¥890) and Fries (¥160) My my, the fries are cheaper and taste better than Macdonald's. 

The ginger pork hot pot is like a classic Chinese soup with sliced yellow ginger and coriander topping. The pork is tender and the nappa cabbage is a compliment to the slightly spicy soup base. The Chinese believes that ginger is a natural food for clearing trapped wind, so it is a good way to start the day with that. The breaded fish that comes with it is crispy and good. It's the type of fish you always eat in Japanese cuisine but I have no idea what fish is that.

For the katsu don, it taste different from the ones I had in Singapore. It might be due to the difference in sauces used but it is a refreshing change. While it is really delicious, it may be a tad too salty. 

Tokyo Skytree Tower

We started the use of our 72 Hour Tokyo Subway ticket and took one stop to Oshiage station. The metro station is not actually the one I thought was near the hotel. It is a short walk further down. Before the trip, I was confused over the difference between JR and Metro. They are different lines operated by different companies and their stations are located separately. In fact, most of my itinerary was wrongly planned as I took JR exits as metro exits (only for those stations that the JR and metro have in common, eg. Kinshicho). The JR line is more extensive, but for our trip, the metro was good enough. Therefore, the 72 hour concession is a great deal! One thing to note though, is that the change of lines within the metro can be confusing. Most of the time, we had to tap out, walk a distance towards the other line, and then tap in again.

To go to the Tokyo Skytree Tower from Oshiage metro station, you have to walk to the next building. Check with the information counter because you may get a bit lost. As per reviews, the queue was indeed long if you don't go there sharp at the time it opens. We queued for about an hour? They have a fast queue for tourists but the cost of ticket is higher. We bought the tickets to the deck (¥2060 per pax) and then queued to take the lift up. 

At 634m tall, you get a magnificent bird's eye view of the buildings and landscapes. For those with fear of heights, this may cause your knees to wobble. Our fun came from finding the location of our hotel, which is quite visible due to it being higher than its surrounding buildings. The length of the road, if we had walked to the Skytree, does not seem too very long from above. There were quite a considerable number of visitors there and they all seemed very excited about snapping photographs of the background. It would be good to come on a weekday instead.

To go up a higher level, you can purchase the galleria ticket (¥1030 per pax) at the ticketing counter at the peak level.  Once you go up, you won't be able to get back down the same level. There are more interactive things to see upstairs, although it is harder to capture a picture without the window panes showing.

The building that we walked from has lots to shop and see. This includes the popular Pokemon Centre and Disney store. I spent so much time at Disney store and spent a total of ¥7128! We bought Tokyo Bananas as well. As per the sales lady, the chocolate banana flavour (¥515) can only be found there while the strawberry flavour (¥560) one can be bought at the airport. While I do not find Tokyo bananas exceptionally delicious, the strawberry flavour appeals more to me.
 

Lunch; NANA's Green Tea

I was excited when I saw their outlet because I love the food! It is definitely cheaper there but they operate in a different way. We browsed the menu, ordered and paid for the food before we find a table. Not sure if we could sit down first because nobody was doing that. Since the menu is in Japanese, we can only rely on the pictures to guide us. 

I tried the rice with fish roe and salmon bits. When eaten stirred together, it is salty and sweet as the juice of the orange roe pops when you chew the food. His meal is rice with savoury minced pork and egg, which is tasty as well. Both were ordered as a set and the whole meal was ¥2592.

 

Akihabara

For the evening, we planned to go to Akihabara area. Akihabara is an area popular for its plethora of electronics gadgets and video games. If you go by the metro, you can take exit 5 and walk a distance to the main area. If you take the JR, you would be in the center of the buzzing district, which is definitely more convenient.

When the sun went down, the street brightened up from the colourful lights of the tall buildings. There were several levels in one building with so many possibilities of electronic devices and games. One popular and prominent building is the Sega building which is definitely a paradise for gamers or arcade lovers. We also went to M's Pop Life sex department store and it was an interesting time there 😜. I am amazed by the seemingly infinite amount of games available there!


Dinner; IPPUDO

We did not have a good experience in the Singapore's outlet, so we had to try out the authentic one. Took the metro down to Asakusa's outlet since it was along the way back to the hotel. The walk to the restaurant is a little long though.

Along the lane where Ippudo is situated, there is this awesome Taiyaki store which is really popular with customers. There is always space for a tiny Taiyaki! My bf had the standard red bean flavour (¥160) while I opted for the pumpkin alternative (¥180). I can actually still remember the taste now! The crust is hot and slightly crispy, and as you bite down, it is soft and sweet. I recall a tiny bit of burnt taste on the crust but that makes it even better. As we observe how the chef made the Taiyaki, it seems as though the batter for the crust is too little, but the final result is quite fantastic. Pumpkin is less sweet than the red bean so it is a good option for those who do not take sweetened red bean paste.

Our dining experience at Ippudo was a pleasant one. The staff cannot really speak English so we had to figure out ourselves on the type of soup base. They specialize in Tonkotsu soup base but they do provide Shoyu and Miso options. We ordered a spicy (¥1080) and non spicy special (¥1020) tonkotsu ramen and 5 piece gyoza (¥220) to go with it. The special includes all of the ingredients and for this price, just go for it! The noodles is really springy and with the non spicy soup, it taste like wanton mee! My bf agrees on that too. The soup is flavourful but light, so you will not get tired of it. The gyoza is tenderly juicy, hmmm. When we were back in Singapore, we tried Ippudo again and the verdict is that the soup base here is too rich. We got gyozas at less than S$3 there but it is S$9 here.

A MUST TRY IN JAPAN!

We were meant to explore the Asakusa area that very day but because of my injured foot, we took the plan off. Still, I can say that we have visited right?