1.05.2018

Tokyo Eats, Good Eats

Ah, Japan... So many good food, so little time! 
That's how I feel to this day. I was a bit frustrated that I wasn't able to visit some of the recommended dining places in Tokyo, like Nabezo shabu-shabu, rotating sushi restos, and some wagyu beef eateries that abound. Buti nga nakapag-Ichiran kami! =) There was just not enough time and we have five kids with us who have different food preferences. Thank goodness there's the familiar Mc Donald's, 7-11, and Yoshinoya for their quick take-out meals.


During our short stay in Tokyo, I was able to sample several food items wherever we had a stop. This is not in any way a "best of Tokyo" food list, but rather what we actually ate while we walked the streets of Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Akihabara, Ikebukuro and Tsukiji. Kung saan lang mapadpad, dun na kami kumakain. 


RAMEN

Ang daming ramen places talaga everywhere! On our first night when we arrived, we just walked around the vicinity of the hotel and found a small eatery with ramen and karaage. Something the kids are wiling to eat. It was almost midnight when we had our late dinner. Pwede na. I don't even remember the name of the place.

The next morning, we went to Shibuya and found an Ichiran branch beside a mall (below). We line outside the building but there was a long wait inside, so the kind usher advised us to proceed to the other branch instead. It was just a few blocks away. We still queued but turnover was fast, so we got seated in no time.

We finally got to try the famous Ichiran Ramen and we loved it. Clean taste, simple and creamy broth. Hindi nakakaumay yung lasa. We even took home two boxes of their instant ramen! =)



 TAKOYAKI

I love takoyaki. I spotted Gindaco stalls a few times while we were walking around and there'a always a line. I thought I won't be able to try it. Luckily, they have a branch in Yodobashi Akiba so this was our snack after the family went shopping in the same building.


CONVENIENCE STORES

They're on every street corner! 7-11, Family Mart, Lawson, Mini Stop... and many other local shops , fruit stands, and delis.

I spotted these bright red strawberries on display and I immediately grabbed a pack to go. Super sweet, firm, and juicy! I only got to try the red ones. Maybe next time I can splurge a bit and get some  of those white ones. I heard they're much sweeter, thus more pricey.  =)


These cold sandwiches are the best! I ate them during a bus ride. I super loved the combo egg sandwich and ham & egg. Must-try! There's also egg salad sandwhich, katsu sandwich, even assorted onigiri, and pork buns(siopao) for your grab-and-go meals.


CAFÉS and DESSERTS

Cafe mocha from an Anime cafe? Why not? I forgot this juice we ordered but we just tried these (expensive)drinks while waiting for my niece to check out the place.  Nothing special about these drinks except for the presentation.


Another "fancy" cafe inside Takashimaya in Shinjuku. We were too tired and hungry from going up and down several floors of Tokyu Hands, so M and I ended up spending a bit too much for an iced coffee, a slice of cheesecake and a very dry chocolate cake. The coffee was good though.

Crepes. This one, I regret not trying.  We had several chances in Harajuku, and then on the streets of Shinjuku.  It was just too cold for us to stop walking and order one to go.  Siguro same lang naman sa mga crepes dito.  =)  Have you tried this in Japan?

Cremia. This was the only ice cream (soft serve) I was able to try and buti nalang masarap! Ordered this from the cafe in Snow Town Yeti for 550Yen! Mahal! Would have loved to try a matcha ice cream there but the weather was too cold, and eating ice cream was the last thing on my mind. 


MEATS

While looking for a place to eat, we landed in Freshness Burger for our second night. I can say I was very satisfied with our orders. Masarap yung burgers. I had the burger with truffled mushroom, and J had this cheese burger. The kids got super cheesy hotdogs in a bun. I was just very hungry and too lazy to take food shots, except for this one.  The fries were good too, as well as the hot lemon-ginger juice I had. Yummy comfort food.

We gotta have some beef. I was expecting more from this meal, but this was just good. Maybe because it was breaded. The beef was really tender, and miso soup was very flavorful. I wanted to try more. Other wagyu dining places were full that night we went out for dinner. Sayang. 




TSUKIJI Fish Market

On the way to the fish market, the sidewalk was lined with several vendors selling dried fruits and delicacies. These persimmons caught my eye and took home two packs, 1000Yen each! Mahal naman talaga ang persimmons and ang daming laman in one supot, so it was a good deal. My pasalubong for my in-laws and they loved it.

People really line up for the camote (sweet potato) here!

Fresh seafood for breakfast, only at Tsukiji fish market.

I was not able to explore and visit the different stalls coz we have kids with us. Kung ako lang, I would have walked all the way to the end of the street to sample as many food as I can. =)  It was also very crowded that day and was difficult to walk and navigate the pathways.  We settled here at one of the bigger dining places -- Tenkomori Don.

I had one of my best meals here.  First time to have this kind of breakfast/brunch. 

Super duper fresh sashimi rice bowls, or kaisendon. Pricey but worth it! J had the one on the left with tuna and uni, kids got one bowl each of the grilled seafood toppings, and mine is the one at bottom with salmon, roe and crabs. Crabs!!! Generous topping of crab meat! The best!

Beautiful, glorious crab rice bowl. Naglalaway nanaman ako dito!


Kaisen don (mixed)

Tekka (tuna) don with soft boiled egg

Unagi (eel) don

Salmon don

Yakiniku (grilled meat) for our last dinner. Not bad at all. Busog lahat. There are several food choices in Subnade at the basement 2 of our hotel building (Shinjuku Prince Hotel) and it was the most convenient place to shop and dine, especially when we were too lazy to walk outside in the cold.  


SNACKS and NOVELTY

Not to be missed is Don Quijote. 24-hours of shopping with 6 (or 8) floors of assorted merchandise, from houseware to fashion and accessories, personal care products, gadgets, bags, novelty and gift items, toys, grocery items, etc. etc.  This building is a short walk from our hotel so we were able to got back and forth to buy Japanese goodies here for pasalubong.





Aside from Don Quijote, Bic Camera and Bicqlo are also very popular retail establishments that carry food items, aside from their main products which are mostly electronics.  I was able to buy some crackers and mochi from Bic Camera, and of course, last minute shopping from the airport.

'Til we meet again, Japan!


Snapshots and video clips of #jmltokyo on Instagram Stories and Highlights.

Update:
PART 1 - Shinjuku - Shibuya


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