I love my meats, and I love my Japanese BBQ or Yakiniku. There are many Yakiniku restaurants in Tokyo, but finding one that is well priced and has great cuts, well thats hard.

My favourite place is this small restaurant in Shinjuku. It’s a very local place, packed with locals and smokey. There are almost no foreigners there that I noticed. Don’t expect any of the waiters to speak English fluently. The younger staff may understand bits and pieces of the language, and sometimes, being in Shinjuku, there may be chinese immigrant waiters working there.

There is an English menu though, and you can ask for one. Though the descriptions may not be very clear for some. A hint, if you’re look for good ‘ol beef cuts and not any of the innards or weird stuff, then order the Cow Outside Skirt.

As you can see from the pic above, it’s smokey! Which adds to the atmosphere. Just take note, you need to have a bath after to wash off the BBQ smell! lol.

This place lies in one of the many alleys in Shinjuku, a bit closer to the red light area. It’s not dangerous, so don’t worry. You can check out the google map below for clearer directions.

View Tokyo Foods in a larger map

Another popular place for locals to go for Yakiniku is the every popular Gyu-Kaku. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because they have a few outlets in Singapore, at Chijmes, UE Square and Holland Village. The outlets in Singapore are good would be the better places for Yakiniku in Singapore. But they are more premium and expensive than compared to the outlets in Japan. In Japan, Gyu-Kaku are more family friendly restaurants and are definitely cheaper.

The outlet I visited was in Shinjuku and because of the crowd, we had to book a day in advance. Or you can try going early. Gyu-Kaku can be found in nearly every suburb in Tokyo, yups, it’s that popular.

The BBQ is good, but I must say it does lack the atmosphere and maybe I’m being biased, but not as good cuts of meet than compared to the other Yakiniku restaurant. Below is a google map directing you to Gyu-Kaku, Shinjuku. Have a blast!

View Tokyo Foods in a larger map

If there’s one thing the Japanese are good in doing, it’s making deserts. They make their deserts with such passion. Even the way they are displayed and packaged, are second to none. A lot of the Japanese cakes and deserts have a French influence about them. And they taste great! Not too sweet, but more like a tinge of sweetness. Just right!

One of my fave deserts is the Japanese Mochi, in particular, the strawberry mochi! Japanese strawberries are huge and are normally always sweet! Put the strawberries into a soft mochi covering, and you get a fantastic desert!

There aren’t that many stores selling this delicacy, and even if you find one, they are not always good as the flour covering may either be too sticky or hard. I managed to find and try a few around Tokyo, but the best in my opinion is from the basement at Shinjuku Isetan. Don’t go too late in the evening though, they are usually sold out!

To me, Royce chocolate in Singapore is the best of the gourmet chocs. And When I found the ice cream in the local AM/PM (something like 7 Eleven) store, I just had to try it. And it didn’t disappoint. Good chocolaty goodness with some soft choc bits added in.

I spoke about the cakes earlier, and this black forest cake was beautiful.

And they packed the slice of cake so nicely. With a small pack of dry ice to keep it cool and fresh. I don’t know anywhere in Singapore that does packaging with such care and detail. Though you do end up paying a tad bit more for the packaging. heh

There was this one store in the basement of Shinjuku Isetan that stood out for me. They had the best almond jelly deserts and also carved out fruits with jelly inside! Pretty creative and mighty tasty too!

As usual the fruit jellies were packed nicely with packs of dry ice to keep them cold. Do bare in mind it’s nearing the end of winter and averaging around 12 degrees, so it’s already pretty cold. But hey, the Japs love their packaging.

The fun thing was opening the fruits and digging into them. I felt like a kid again, eating my favourite jellies!

Apart from the Strawberry Mochis, the almond jelly deserts were the best. Each one came nicely packed in a hard plastic cup of it’s own. The cup also had it’s own top and bottom half. The top was the different savoury fruity toppings such as Strawberry, Passionfruit, melon and mango. While the bottom was the jelly.

The topping together with the jelly bottom made for a fantastic desert. It just tasted amazing. Nothing like I’ve every tasted in Singapore. Seriously.

While there’s so much variety of foods in Tokyo and Japan, don’t forget the deserts, they can be just as unusual and great tasting. There’s many more unique and creative deserts out there to be found. In case you’re wondering where Isetan Shinjuku is, see the map below.

View Tokyo Foods in a larger map

There’s a lot to love about Tokyo, and one of my main loves is the food. There’s so much variety in Japanese food and different flavours from eating sushi to eating yakiniku. In anticipation of my last two posts about my Tokyo 2010 trip, in particular the foods, here are some food pics I couldn’t classify into single posts.

Takopachi! Huge and freshly made. And you can add your own garnishings. As much as you want!

Something different instead of the usual Jap food, German!

Tully’s coffee during a freezing night in Shinjuku.

Great and cheap sushi. So much cheaper than what you can find in Singapore.

Yoshinoya is much better quality than compared to Singapore. It’s more like a proper meal than compared to the skimpy meals we get here. Yummmm

]]> http://www.chazrt.net/2010/06/tokyo-trip-2010-foods/feed/ 0 http://www.chazrt.net/2010/06/tokyo-trip-2010-yokohama/ http://www.chazrt.net/2010/06/tokyo-trip-2010-yokohama/#comments Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:19:22 +0000 chaz http://www.chazrt.net/2010/06/tokyo-trip-2010-yokohama/ Continue reading →]]>

Ok, I know Yokohama isn’t exactly Tokyo, but it is part of the Greater Tokyo Area. Yokohama is a port city south of Tokyo. It’s pretty easy to get to as it’s just a train ride away. About 45 mins from Shinjuku and is known for haing one of the largest Chinatowns in Japan and the world.

Our first stop was the Ramen Museum. Yups, there is a museum dedicated to ramen. It brings together renowned ramen shops from all over Japan into one building. And if you didn’t already know, there are many types of ramen and different ways of preparing them. This is a great place to try out the different ramen as they do serve smaller sized bowls so you don’t get overly full!

The museum has a few floors and is themed after old Japan. Apart from the ramen shops, there are also small knick knack shops that sell sweets and snacks as well as the usual museum shop which sell instant ramen. The instant ramen are worth a try as they are much better than anything we can get in Singapore.

There are many different ramen shops and you’re unlikely to be able to try all, unless you have a bottomless stomach. What I love apart from the ramen is the garnishing available. I love adding the garlic and chili oil. Shiok!

On this trip to the museum, I only had appetite to try 2 different shops. And they both were great!

The museum also has traditional Japanese storytelling for the kids. Though it’s in Japanese.

After visiting the Ramen museum, we headed down to Yokohama Bayside Marina to visit the Mitsui Outlet Park. This is a popular place to come and shop because of the factory outlets and the brands they carry. Some of the brands are, Fred Perry, Timberland, Adidas, Nike, Reebok, Levis, Harrods, Coach, G-shock, Boshi Heya, Birkenstock and many more.

The prices vary from store to store, but you can definitely find some steals here and there. I managed to get a few things here as well.

The Mitsui Outlet Pack is next to a marina with some fantastic views. The water that day was still and together with the clouds and sun, made for some fantastic views. A lovely place to visit for some shopping and a coffee by the wharf.

Asakusa, famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple, is a popular tourist destination where there is the highest concentration of buildings from the 1950s & 60s.

The main street leading to the temple is where the markets are. You’ll notice the street from it’s distinctive oriental architecture.

The street markets can be tourist traps with a lot of your typical souvenirs for sale. But you can find some unusual snacks for sale.

Asakusa is also famous for it’s rice snacks. You can also see them cooking them right in front of you! I always thought the snacks were deep fried and not grilled. Does that make them healthier? ha

Amongst the shops was this place which sold household items. In particular turtle and crocodile brushes!

The real beauty of Asakusa is often in the small lanes and streets. Where you can get away from the crowds and appreciate the old buildings and surroundings. It’s really as if you were walking down Tokyo in the 50s.

Also look out for tempura restaurants in some of the back streets near the markets. Asakusa is known for some of the best Tempura restaurants in Tokyo! yummm, more on the Tempura restaurant I checked out here.

Ramen, its one of those dishes that has to be done right. And even in Japan, it’s hard to find a great ramen place to suit ones liking. I managed to find this little place in Shibuya, just off the main street where the shops are.

The place is small and cramp, but the ramen is one of the best I’ve tasted. The eggs are cooked just right, but more importantly, the broth,, oooooo the broth. It was just perfect!

We came back here quite a few times, just for the ramen. Writing about it is making me salivate.

I’m not sure what makes their ramen so good, but I did notice that compared to other places which usually just pours the ready made broth into the bowl, this place cooks some ingredients together with the broth in a wok before pouring it into the bowl. Maybe that’s their secret to making the broth so tasty?

View Shibuya Ramen in a larger map

View Shibuya Ramen in a larger map

A map and google street view for you to help find the great ramen place. Enjoy!

The only other place we had ramen was in Shinjuku. It wasn’t that great. Maybe that was why we kept going back to the Shibuya restaurant. The thing I loved about this place…. I could add as much garlic as I wanted and the chef was pretty friendly as well!

Tsukiji Fish Market is a must visit for anyone visiting Tokyo. It’s the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. And whether you are a seafood lover or not, it’s just a great place to visit and see the many different types of sea creatures on sale.

It’s amazing to see the variety on display. And they are all super fresh! Most are only a few hours out of the water, and some are still alive in the containers.

It’s also a sight to see the huge tuna being prepared. Most tuna arrive at the market frozen, to be sawed into smaller pieces for sale later. But there are also those fresh unfrozen tuna. And it’s pretty interesting to see the wholesalers carving the fish up. There’s a skill involved and you can definitely see it in the way they hold and use their knives.

I came across this guy who was carving out a tuna’s head. There’s still a lot of meat left. Fish head curry anyone?

One of the best things about visiting Tsukiji is patronising the sushi restaurants opposite the market. They offer the freshest cuts from the market and there are long queues for the popular restaurants.

I love the mixed bowl of seafood. A bit of tuna, squid, scallop, prawn, sea cucumber and egg roll! All super fresh. The seafood is super sweet and melts in your mouth. That’s the difference when you try the freshest! Shiok!

]]> http://www.chazrt.net/2010/05/tokyo-trip-2010-tsukiji-fish-market/feed/ 1 http://www.chazrt.net/2010/04/tokyo-trip-2010-food-yakitori/ http://www.chazrt.net/2010/04/tokyo-trip-2010-food-yakitori/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:23:34 +0000 chaz http://www.chazrt.net/2010/04/tokyo-trip-2010-food-yakitori/ Continue reading →]]>

Yakitori, skewers of chicken, beef, etc. cocked over a charcoal flame. Simple food if you ask me. Add in some beer or sake together with that, and it’s the perfect pub food. One place to check out is Yakitori Doori in Shinjuku. It’s right next to the train tracks.

Walking along Yakitori Doori is like going back in time. The small narrow streets and red lanterns hark back to a bygone era.

Along the streets you will find Yakitori restaurants. The restaurants are small and cramp, but the cooking skewers smell sooo good. Most of the menus here are in Japanese, but you can point to the chicken or beef skewers to signal what you want. There are english menus in some places.

I was lucky as walking along the alley, someone approached us in Mandarin. The restaurant owners were Chinese immigrants! So ordering from them wasn’t a problem. There are quite a few Chinese immigrants in Shinjuku, and you’ll find them working in many restaurants.

I wouldn’t call the Yakitori really very delicious. It is bland with a bit of salt sprinkled on. But that’s how it’s done in in Japan. Like I said, it’s a great pub food, so mix it with beer or sake, and you’ll be fine. The atmosphere in this street and restaurants are second to none though, and that’s the main thing.

View Tokyo Foods in a larger map

Ginza, possibly one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. On an average day, it’s teeming with shoppers going in and out the shopping malls. On the weekends the main road is closed to traffic to create a giant walkway for pedestrians.

One of the amazing things about Ginza is that every other big brand owns their own building. And I’m not talking about a 2 – 3 story building. More like 8 – 9 stories. For example, the Swarovski building in the pic on top. Better still, the buildings all have their individual design and avid photographers will find it a treat walking down the street taking pictures of them.

I had one of my most amazing brand experience in Ginza when I visited the flagship Abercrombie & Fitch store in Ginza. It’s an unassuming building. Black facade with large black and plan doors. But when I walked in, I entered another world. There was hard hitting pumping dance music, hot models (and I mean models, not talents!), both male and female as the retail staff. Some of the males were event dancing bare top!

Immediately we got led into the lifts to take us to the 7 floor where when we stepped out, all we saw was pure opulence. The lighting, plush leather sofas, lamps, etc. all set the mood that we were in another realm.

There where even huge murals painted on the walls of the stairwells. It was simply amazing. Even if Abercrombie & Fitch’s clothes are not the best quality or price. The brand jumped a hugh notches up the ranking in my mind. This was experiential marketing at it’s best.

Yups, Ginza is an exciting place. There’s a lot to do and even shop if you have the budget. There’s a nice waffle place near the center as well as a strawberry mochi place. And an Apple Store as well!

Do go on the weekends as it’s a better feel with the roads closed. Pity they don’t make more use of the closed roads with buskers, stores or markets. It does seem a bit tad empty.

I love my korean BBQ. And BBQ in Japan rocks. Yakiniku in Japan does have much influence from Korean BBQ. But Yakiniku is a post for another day.

We decided to check out this Korean BBQ place in Shinjuku which specialised in pork. Big fatty pieces of pork which were prepared and placed on the hot place by the waiters.

At first look, the pork pieces look like huge, thick pieces of bacon (which is pork, ha). The huge pieces with the large amounts of fat urked the stomach.

But after some cookin and cuttin, the pieces called out to be eaten! A leaf of lettuce, some miso sauce, garlic pieces and finally the pork. Shiok!

And there’s nothing better than downing it all with some Orion beer. I thought Asahi beer was good, but Orion takes the cup! slurp!