Tokyo Eat List ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Published on Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, August 20, 2015

Book Now, Thank Me Later!

Seven restaurants you should try when in Tokyo

In case you haven’t checked Instagram lately, Japan has become the new Hong Kong. With reasonable airfares, easier travel requirements, and the Japanese yen at a record low, more and more people have been vacationing in the land of the rising sun, and the bustling city of Tokyo is always the first destination.

People travel to the Japanese capital for several reasons: cherry blossoms, Disneyland, fashion, the energy, or like me, fabulous food, food, and food. It is not true you can get great meals anywhere in Tokyo. Trust me, I wish I skipped a few. For a 100 percent foolproof gastronomic trip, exercise prudence in making restaurant choices, or just trust me when I share my list of favorites. Book them now, thank me later.

TSUKEMEN AT FUUNJI

Come early or be prepared to wait in line (but it’s worth every second) for the best tsukemen, with noodles so perfect and dipping broth so addictive. I can only imagine how long the simmering process was to bring the chicken and fish broth to that level of depth and richness. Multiple layers of flavors cling to each fat strand of the chewy, bouncy noodle. Fuunji is not for the faint of heart as there is just too much sensuality and satisfaction in every slurp.

Fuunji is located at 2 Chome-14 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; 03 6413 8480
See detailed post on Fuunji here.

SUKIYAKI AT IMAHAN

Unlike the sukiyaki places you are familiar with, where the staff dump everything into a pot, at Imahan, they do things slowly but surely, and ever so gently. My server waited for me to finish my first piece of perfectly marbled meat before he started cooking the next, always making sure to give me a fresh bowl of raw egg to dip each new slice of Japanese beef. After I had consumed all the meat, he prepared the fluffiest, runniest scrambled egg in the same pot, the yellow goop soaking up all the precious beef sukiyaki essence.

Imahan is located at Odakyu Daiichi Life Building 1F, 2-7-1 Nishishinju-ku, Shinjuku, Tokyo; 81 3 3345 1470
See detailed post on Imahan here.

TEPPANYAKI AT UKAI-TEI

Go ahead, order the signature eight-course abalone and Ukai beef set and indulge in one of the best meals of your life, starting with a shrimp cocktail in avocado mousse, masterfully cooked fish, foie gras topped with black truffle (Wow!), chilled onion cream soup, tender abalone in seaweed butter sauce, and the main event–tremendously rich, flavorful, fatty ukai beef. Finish off the extravagant meal with dessert in the tearoom. I highly recommend the velvety, luxurious chocolate cake.

Ukai-tei is located at 5-10-1 Omotesando Gyre 5/F, Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo; 81 3 5467 5252
See detailed post on Ukai-tei here.

TONKATSU AT BUTAGUMI

Located at a quiet residential area, Butagumi is not the easiest place to find, but the search for it will end your search for the best tonkatsu in the city. The restaurant carries around 40 varieties of pork. I decided on trying the Hakkin-Ton sirloin from Iwate Prefecture. It is said that this pig’s parents have kurobuta blood. “Like royal family,” my server said. I was sold. Baby soft, delicate, tender, supple, porky, meaty, and rosy, it was unlike any other fried pork I’ve had before.

Butagumi is located at 2-24-9 Nishiazabu, Minato, Tokyo; 81 3 5466 6775
See detailed post on Butagumi here.

YAKITORI AT TORISHIGE

I wish I could insert the intoxicating aroma of grilled meats here so you can experience the magic that happens in this place. The menu at Torishige is in Japanese so I had no choice but to put my trust in Chef Sakamaki, who wowed me, stick after stick, with pork tongue, pork intestines, pork tsukene, and large intestines. Grab a seat at the bar to enjoy the kitchen action and don’t forget to treat yourself to that amazing Japanese beef topped with uni and caviar. 

Torishige is located at 2-6-5 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; 81 3 3379 5188

See detailed post on Torishige here.

SUSHI AT SUSHI YOSHITAKE

Book early at this no-menu, seven-seater sushi bar and let Chef Masahiro Yoshitake take you on a sublime sushi journey. Expect a beautiful progression of sashimi, sushi, rolls, tamago, and soup, each piece showcasing the outstanding knife skills of the chef, his creativity, and his meticulous attention to detail. To this day, I still think about the abalone served in thick and creamy abalone liver sauce. It was like nothing I’ve ever had before, I wanted to hold the plate up and lick it clean.

Sushi Yoshitake is located at 8-7-19 Ginza, 3/F SuzuryuBuilding, Chuo, Tokyo; 81 3 6253 7331
See detailed post on Yoshitake here.

YAKINIKU AT YORONIKU

Go for the tasting menu and be ready to sample different cuts of meat—yes, including the male genital organ! My server spoke perfect English and pointed to the corresponding body part of the cow before she cooked each piece of the heart-wrenchingly tender meat, tableside. On her third reminder to eat the beef folded, I asked her why. She explained that because the meat is so fatty and marbled, if I ate it in one single layer, it would just melt, within seconds, in my mouth. Enough said.

Yoroniku is located at B1F Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo; 03 3498 4629
See detailed post on Yoroniku here.

Pocket Wifi Rental in Japan

I love traveling alone and people often ask me why I am not scared to go off to a new place all by myself.

But I do get scared. I get scared when I do not have internet connection!!! Lol!

Pocket wifi is my best friend whenever I travel. I need Google Maps to give me directions, Google Translate to help me understand what I am eating, Safari to search for last-minute additions to my restaurant list in case I am still hungry after what I have in my itinerary, and all the messaging apps to keep in touch with friends and family.

In Japan, Global Advanced Communications is my best friend.

Go to their website, rent the device you want and pay for it online then they will deliver to your hotel a day before your arrival.

The front desk staff at Hotel Ryumeikan handed me this upon check-in. 

Inside is my pocket wifi and charger with super easy to follow instructions. 

Also included is a prepaid return envelope so you can just shoot everything in it 

and drop it off at the airport's postbox on the day of your departure. Easy peasy!

Connection was fast and battery lasted for about 10 hours. If you are like me who spend 15 hours out eating everyday, bring a power bank.

I was confident and unafraid because I was with my little pocket wifi friend.


Global Advanced Communications Website

Fruits from Daimaru

Sorry, I was carrying too many things and panic buying at the same time so I was not able to take photos of the fruits section at Daimaru. It was not particularly big and the assortment was not as varied, but they had some of the freshest, plumpest, juiciest fruits I've seen.

And they had japanese peaches. My favorite.

I bought one to eat while waiting for them pack the others I was bringing home to Manila.

They packed it exceptionally, complete with plastic handles for easy carrying. 

This was the "after" shot.

Ta-da!!!

My room smelled like peaches. It was heaven. 

Daimaru Website

Hotel Ryumeikan ♥ ♥ ♥

Hotel Ryumeikan was my home for the 8 nights I was in Tokyo. It is located across Tokyo Station where the Shinkansen can whisk you to other parts of Japan, a 3-minute walk to Daimaru where I bought fruits to bring home (there are soooo many other things to buy!), Nihombashi subway station is right around the corner, and the airport bus is literally just a few steps away. And just so you know, Tokyo Station also houses Ramen Street where you find 8 of the most popular ramen shops in Tokyo, and Kajitsuen where I had the best strawberry cake in Japan. Read about it here.

Look up and look for the tall building

Elevators to take you up

 Reception is located on the 15th floor. Hotel Ryumeikan's staff was so helpful during my stay

and even before I arrived Tokyo. I coursed all my restaurant reservations through the concierge

weeks before I flew in. I was probably their most demanding guest, but they were always very

accommodating and happy to serve. As a token of appreciation, I brought them a dozen

packs of our dried mangoes and they gave me even better service! Hahaha!

Lobby is tiny but has great views of the steel city. 

Complimentary water and a selection of tea for hotel guests

There is also a japanese restaurant on the same floor. It is called Hanagoyomi but I never

got the chance to try it. I was always out early in the morning and back very late at night.
Don't mind the mess on the table, they're all mine. :P

Elevator landing

Hallway to the rooms

Hotel Ryumeikan has bigger rooms and also special tatami rooms, 

but I was traveling solo with a full itinerary so I did not really need

 a lot of space, just a clean, comfy bed and strong water pressure.

My room is very compact yet it managed to fit in an open closet,

ironing board, ironing spray, and even an air purifier!

My room type is called "Forus Single A - Discovery" and it reminds me of a cruise ship cabin

 The bed can actually fit two people comfortably or one fat person like me

 Work desk with TV on top and fridge below

High tech toilet bowl

Shower area with shampoo, conditioner and bath gel in big bottles.

I really appreciate this because I use a lot of these products so it saves

 me from calling housekeeping to request for additional tiny bottles.

The water pressure was strong and the best part was the two outlets

that gave me a good back massage at the end of the day.

 I was standing with my back against the shower wall. That is how tiny the bathroom is!!!

BUT how small my room was in size, it made up for with all these special little touches...

Nespresso machine with 4 capsules per day, tea bags, a small pack of japanese rice crackers 

which changes daily, and unlimited supply of bottled water (just ask!)

Multiple power outlets including a universal outlet right by the bed, light control switch,

and a plug to play your iphone songs on the built-in speaker

And this one is the control panel for "Forus Sleeping Ambient Control."

The room will play soothing music while the bed sends off vibrations matching its rhythm. 

This is supposed to lull you into deep sleep. What hotel bed does that??? Amazing!

 Robe and an authentic kimono!

It was also my first time to see toe pads in a hotel room. Even Peninsula Tokyo, which has

everything including a nail dryer (!!!), does not have these. Lol. 

See my post on Peninsula Tokyo here. 

"We would be happy to take away the slippers with you and wear them on a plane or a shinkansen."

(Forgive the Japanenglish, but I am sure you get the point.)

"Toe pads are useful for helping expedite the control of your blood pressure, are effective for

protection of hallux valgus (this means bunion. I had to google that!) and swollen foot."

How very thoughtful!

 My room even came with an Aodakefumi! 

"It is said that applying pressure the feet with Aodakefumi is relieving swollen feet by controlling

an autonomic nerve and expediting the control of your blood pressure. We recommend wrapping

towels on Aodakefumi if you feel painful."

I actually used this a few nights and it did help my tired feet.

 A huge full length mirror!

 The toiletries set is one of the most complete I've seen in any hotel. It includes toothbrush, 

shower cap, body towel, cotton pads, cotton buds, razor, Schick shaving foam, hair band, 

razor, comb, hair brush, lotion, and wait for it...

A set of Shiseido facial care products complete with makeup cleansing gel, cleansing foam, 

moisturizing lotion and moisturizing emulsion. They give you a new set everyday, too!

I took all of them home! Hahaha!

Every morning I would see the housekeeping lady with her cart in

the hallway. I would always ask for a bottle of water and japanese

rice crackers to eat on my way out.

I was not able to take a photo, but there was also a room with shared laundry and vending machine on my floor. I imagine they have it on every other floor.

And if you can't find what you fancy from the vendo, Family Mart is just next door.

I can't remember how many cups of Haagen Dazs ice cream I bought from here, 

but I remember among them was a seasonal white peach raspberry flavor. Yum.

Hotel Ryumeikan: 1-3-22 Yaesu, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan

Tel: +81 3 3271 0971

Hotel Ryumeikan Website

Kajitsuen 果実園 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 I was actually getting lost inside the massive Tokyo Station when I walked by this fruit parlor. 

I have absolutely zero sense of direction, but my greatest discoveries are also those that 

I chance upon during times my inner GPS fails me.  

My family loves fruits, especially Japanese fruits, so I went in to see what I could buy 

to bring home with me on my flight later that day.

 Cherries were in season and look how perfect each one was! BUT OOOOPS!!!

Something else caught my attention.

CAKES!!!!!!

 MORE CAKES!!!!!!!!!!!

LOOK AT THESE TARTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

AND THESE, TOO!!!!!!!!!!! I was like a kid going crazy inside a candy store.

After pointing to my dessert of choice, I joined these fruit-loving locals at the table

 How about japanese peaches for table centerpiece?

My Strawberry Cake was ¾ the size of my face! 

It was also ¾ my body weight (haha, I wish!) but you get the point. 

It was VERY HEAVY.

Please take your time admiring it from all angles.

And this is why it was so heavy:

It was jam-packed with sweet and juicy strawberries. Oh, God!

The thin layer of cake was there only to hold the shape and 

the cream was merely to fill up the little pockets where 

more strawberries couldn't fit.

Down to the very last bite

What other people were having…

I am not a big fan of parfaits. Cakes are my poison and I will come back for every one of these on my next Tokyo trip:

 Grape Cake

Blueberry Cake 

Mixed Berries Cake

Mixed Berries Chocolate Cake!!!!!!!!

Try to go early because this was the situation when I left Kajitsuen at around noon.

For fruit and other fruit-related shopping, there is also another parlor called Takano (see my post here). They have a wider and more premium variety, but their desserts have got nothing on the cakes at Kajitsuen. 

Kajitsuen: Tokyo Station 1F Kitchen Street, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan

Tel: +81 50 5869 7755