Thanksgiving in Roppongi, Tokyo; Romance Car to Hakone

[N_Architect]

Great TR so far. Looks like you've been enjoying the trip, Japan is a lovely country.

[phaleesy]

Is eating at a Michelin star restaurant worth it?

Good to try but I don't think it is that big a deal if we don't manage to get reservations. Some of the simpler Japanese food taste a lot better than the full works. Maybe it's just me, not knowing how to appreciate the delicate and finer aspects of Japanese dining.

That's a lot of cakes! Did you share this with Mrs 9V-SIA?

I ordered this...



Pretty neat I thought.

Your swan looks like a white mouse with a red tail and chocolate wings.


Looking forward to the rest of your TR and food porn. I went to Hakone in Dec 08 with my mom. Nothing romantic about the romance car.

[jhm]

Mmm ... photos of one of my favourite countries, Japan and one of my favourite activities, eating food! Thanks for the TR so far, 9V-SIA!

The first time I tried shirako, I thought it was nice but was slightly surprised to find out later what exactly the creamy white (and delicious) substance was! I really don't know what all the fuss is about swallowing.

I had fugu again last month in Osaka. Next time, you should also try if you haven't already hirezake (hot sake with fugu fin) which has a very savoury taste. With some natives (who I assume know what they're doing and how to get it), I also sampled fugu liver before I later found out that it's illegal for a restaurant to sell or serve that!

[9V-SIA]

Good to try but I don't think it is that big a deal if we don't manage to get reservations. Some of the simpler Japanese food taste a lot better than the full works. Maybe it's just me, not knowing how to appreciate the delicate and finer aspects of Japanese dining.

I like both "sophisticated" and simple fare.

We had great ramen, chicken and tempura.

I want to cover Roppongi, Tokyo Midtown & the Christmas lights before heading off to Hakone.

Think I'll split the TR into 2: Tokyo & Hakone.

That's a lot of cakes! Did you share this with Mrs 9V-SIA?

I don't share my cakes with anybody, not even the Pope.

Your swan looks like a white mouse with a red tail and chocolate wings.

You're good at symbolism too!

How about a Virgin Galactic spaceship ( the one that actually goes into space ) landing on a haystack?

Or Winged creature sitting on Doogle ( of Magic Roundabout )?

Looking forward to the rest of your TR and food porn. I went to Hakone in Dec 08 with my mom. Nothing romantic about the romance car.

Thanks.

You have to be car 1, row 1 or 2, going to Hakone.

Car 10 on the way back to Tokyo.

Pics to follow..

Mmm ... photos of one of my favourite countries, Japan and one of my favourite activities, eating food! Thanks for the TR so far, 9V-SIA!

You're welcome. My favorite country too.

The beauty of Japanese food is that it is delicious, yet light and relatively low cal.

The first time I tried shirako, I thought it was nice but was slightly surprised to find out later what exactly the creamy white (and delicious) substance was! I really don't know what all the fuss is about swallowing.

You will notice I did not provide a translation for shirako

I had fugu again last month in Osaka. Next time, you should also try if you haven't already hirezake (hot sake with fugu fin) which has a very savoury taste. With some natives (who I assume know what they're doing and how to get it), I also sampled fugu liver before I later found out that it's illegal for a restaurant to sell or serve that!

Looking for good fugu place in Osaka, city of our next 2 Japan calorie runs...

[9V-SIA]

Roppongi

Orientation

An elevated highway runs through Roppongi and is the key landmark to use when trying to get your bearings.

Roppongi Hills lies on one side of it, TM to the other side 5 minute walk away.
Elevated highway seen from Metro Top looking towards TM ( hidden by building ).



You see TM from the other side of Metro Hat



Connnectivity

Roppongi is a good location because the Hibiya Line takes you to Ginza
and the Oedo Line to Shinjuku in one direction & Tsukijii in the other.
Never used Namboku Line.

What's nice is that if it rains, you can access TM and RH from the subway stations.
Well at least part of the way with RH.



Tokyo Midtown

I haven't been back to Roppongi since it was built.

The concept is similar to RH except that the architecture is more conventional.

Midtown Tower MT ( with Ritz Carlton occupying the top 9 floors ) overlooks the open air Plaza.

The Plaza is flanked by 2 lower office blocks, unimaginatively named Midtown East & Midtown West.

Part of the Plaza in front of MT is covered by a Gaudi-like roof, forming Canopy Square.

The Galleria next to Midtown West is very nice though. Conventional perhaps, with shops arranged around an atrium, but with nice finishing.

At the back of TM is Hinokicho Park, visible from one end of the Galleria, which is beautifully lit at night.

Layout of Tokyo Midtown



The Plaza



Canopy Square, looking towards entrance to Galleria.
Inspiration of Orchard Ion perhaps?



Atrium views in Galleria





Hinokicho Park seen from inside Galleria

[9V-SIA]

Hinokicho Park

Views of TM from the park.
In the foreground is the "field of lights".
At night, when the lights are switched on, "shooting stars" streak across the field to musical accompaniment.
Never seen this light show before anywhere. Worth going to see IMHO.







Christmas Lights in Tokyo Midtown

Christmas Tree in Galleria atrium



On closer inspection, made of hundreds of little Santas







Hinokicho Garden at night



Lights "fall down" like snow. Orchard Road has the same lights this year.



In contrast, lights of Roppongi Hills

Mohri Garden at night



Lights along road running between residences and rest of Roppongi Hills. Tokyo Tower in background.

[9V-SIA]

Jalan Jalan in Ginza

We had sushi in one of the Michelin starred restaurants in Ginza.
As is our habit, we go early to recce the place ( easy to find with the print out Hyatt provided ), then walk around till time to eat.

It's important in Tokyo not only to know which subway station to go to, but which exit to leave the station as they can be sprawling.

Ginza at the weekend, like Manhattan, closes off some main streets to pedestrians.
I'm not sure if the streets take turns to close like in New York though.
The weekend we were there, the street where Apple store is was closed to traffic.





Look how narrow the frontage for this building is!



And when I visit the department stores, I head for the basement to see what's cookin' in the Food Hall.

Mitsukoshi Food Hall

What were they queueing for?!

Any SQTalker in Tokyo, please report back whether it's worth standing in line...





Osechi Food

In a section of the food hall are displayed plastic meals like this from all the major hotels & restaurants.
These are Osechi meals, preserved so they can last for several days.
You can start ordering your Osechi meal in autumn.
They are for the New Year, when Mum gets a break and doesn't have to cook.
Very traditional and rich in symbolism ( like our very own Yu Sheng during Chinese New Year )



Kanazaka: That sushi place

And finally our sushi lunch. I'll post all the courses if you want.
Through these plain doors lies heaven on Earth.



I think if you want to be in the running for some Michelin stars, you'd better be able to speak with international clientele.
Which means you'd better be able to speak English.
This restaurant has an English tutor come in twice a week to give tuition to the staff!



Look at the size of his knife!
Masahisa, the maker of samurai swords, have been around for centuries.
At the end of the Edo era in the 1870s ( Ever watched Last Samurai? Ken Watanabe & Tom Cruise ), the samurai were outlawed.
The sword makers then turned their energies to making other types of knives!
No PITAs in his restaurant I tell ya!



How do you eat Ikura?
I put it on my tongue, then press it against the roof of my mouth till they burst.
Then let the flavor sloowly fill my mouth. Mmmm...

[jjpb3]

Another enjoyable trip for you, and another nice pictorial TR for us. Win-win! Thanks for the effort you've put in.

[StarG]

Excellent & yummy TR as always, 9V-SIA.
Arigato for sharing.

[9V-SIA]

Thanks jjpb3 and StarG.

Kuruma: The Chicken Place

The Japanese are very cute.

The good restaurants love to trace the source of the food from conception.

eg the uni chawan mushi I posted earlier is from Kushiro, Hokkaido.
The seas around there are rich in kelp so the sea urchins get a kelp-rich diet.
This explains the sweetness ( and they were the sweetest I've ever eaten ).
Kinda like foie gras only the uni is force fed kelp.

Well the chickens here are from Miyazake.
So carefully reared that you can eat it raw.
But we chickened out ( pun intended ) eating raw chicken.



However it has the most extensive menu I have ever seen.
Everything is available... so long as it's on a chicken.
We had skin, feet, cartilage, gizzard, liver, heart, breasts, legs, wings and this...
.. flame grilled on 3 types of charcoal..



.. it is served sizzling hot.



What a great BTC to have.

Ippudo: The Ramen Place

When we left on this calorie run, Singapore did not have an Ippudo.
A branch has just opened in the new Mandarin Gallery.
In Roppongi, it's found in an alley between Tokyo Midtown and the elevated highway.
And it's good..



Ramen comes with condiments



You just have to take seriously a place that provides a garlic as a condiment plus crusher!



Comfort food. It was cold and windy ( look at the lantern blowing in the wind )



I love tamago, Japanese half boiled egg..
How to cook it?
Egg white cooks at 60℉; Yolk at 69℉. Keep water below 69℉.
Or cook for 7 mins then put in ice water to stop the cooking process.

[9V-SIA]

Romance Car. The perfect start to our second honeymoon

Well the time had to come when we had to leave Tokyo.
Everything ready: Tickets; Maps ( Shinjuku station & Hakone Freepass ).

Point must be made that we only asked for Romance Car tickets.
Hyatt Concierge, on their own initiative, provided the rest of the package.



We planned to take the Oedo line to Shinjuku ( and we did a dummy run a few days before to time it ).
On the day itself, we decided to take a cab because it was the morning rush hour.
Imagine my surprise, at checkout, when they offered us FOC the Hyatt limo.

I need no further convincing which hotel program to choose.





Entrance to Odakyu Line, bear right for ticket counter and entrance to platforms beyond.








When we booked this train, I was in a melancholic mood.
The last flight of SQ 744 was to be Mar 2010 ( there is a reprieve ) and I was thinking to myself, boy will I miss the front end of the 744.
Then I chanced upon the Romance Car.

1. Sitting in front of the pilot ( in this case, the train driver )
2. Pointy end of things
3. And panoramic views ( better than 744 )

So when the 744 finally disappears, I'll be taking the Romance Car a lot!

And there she is.. Romance Car VSE!





There was a line to take pictures in front of the train.
Locals mostly but Thai & Penang couple too.

Check out the view




Couple from Penang.
There was a queue to take pictures at the nose too.
He sat in 1A, she in 2C. We were 2A & B.

[9V-SIA]

Shinjuku to Hakone Yumoto

Everyone I know who's been to Hakone took the Shinkansen to Odawara, then the slow train in.

It is faster. Cheaper with JR Railpass, kevlgoh? I dunno.
I bought Romance Car plus 3 day Hakone Freepass so not strictly comparable.
Academic to me, a firm subscriber to "The Romance of Travel".


Anyway Hakone is a place where everything shuts down by 8pm.
So the pace of life is decidedly leisurely.
To wind down our hectic lives and prepare for Hakone time, take the Romance Car.

Vacation over ( for some, but not me ) there might be some justification in the Shinkansen to Narita.
In which case: Odawara to Shinagara by Kodama Shinkansen. Transfer to NRT Express.

Any help here appreciated.

Romance Car: Carriage 1

Front half of carriage. Ladder to driver's cabin can be seen above



View across. Lots of legroom.



Leg shot



I was hoping to buy one of those bento boxes at Shinjuku but couldn't find a shop that was selling it.
So I bought lunch from the onboard restaurant.
Together with my Romance Car chopsticks, Romance Car model and Romance Car biscuits.
When it comes to souvenirs, I'm a soft touch!

Tonkatsu sandwich and coke



On our way. Not too late for autumn colours.



Arrival into Hakone Yumoto



..and the driver climbs down.
Don't think I was meant to see this.
I jumped back onto the long empty train to get this shot.



My bedtime...

[jhm]

Mitsukoshi Food Hall

What were they queueing for?!

Probably some food item ? I saw a similar very long line every day outside the Hanshin department store in Osaka and asked my friend. If I recall correctly, it was/is for a cake ?!?

Edit: having had a Google, it seems that maybe it's a famous squid pancake which has been sold in theat store for 50+ years:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b...0010401a4.html

And finally our sushi lunch. I'll post all the courses if you want.

Yes please! I have very happy memories of visiting the Tsukiji fish market at the crack of dawn and then eating the freshest possible sushi there (not one of the popular restaurants with rather long queues outside but another one in the same street); and also going to a good sushi bar, ordering omakase (the chef's choice) and sitting back to enjoy the delights to follow!

[globetrekker84]

Probably some food item ? I saw a similar very long line every day outside the Hanshin department store in Osaka and asked my friend. If I recall correctly, it was/is for a cake ?!?

Edit: having had a Google, it seems that maybe it's a famous squid pancake which has been sold in theat store for 50+ years:

Is that what that is? I saw the ridiculously long line, but I didn't think too much of it, having been enchanted by Fauchon in Shinjuku earlier.

[jhm]

Is that what that is?

Oops! I was referring to the line which I saw in Osaka and not that which 9V-SIA saw in Tokyo.

I asked my friend and it turns out that the line in Osaka wasn't/isn't for the famous squid pancake (which exists) but actually for some rusks! She said that the line is there every day. Pictures here of the rusks and the queue:

http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/artic...090327/190302/