Pouring rain can’t stop my solo flight to Singapore! This trip was kinda planned but kinda not. I’ve been meaning to visit SG since last year but didn’t have a chance. When I found a seat sale at a travel fair a few months ago, booked a flight and planned for a weekend trip. With the opening of Jewel at Changi, I guess the timing … Continue reading Singapore 2019: [Part 1] Solo flight SG bound
Day 5 Line Up E-Hotel Ginza Haneda Airport Departure Flight back Bags packed, but not ready to go! 😜 It’s our last morning in Japan, and to have a relaxed ending for our trip, only the hotel and airport was part of our itinerary today. Around 7 am – we went to the small lobby area of the hotel to enjoy the breakfast bread buffet … Continue reading Japan 2018: [Day 5] Hotel review, Haneda Airport, and Departure
Making it in Michelin’s Bib Gourmand restaurant list for 3 straight years, and offering a kind of ramen I haven’t had – that’s enough reason for me to go to Mugi to Olive. For starters, a vocabulary recap: Mugi = wheat to = and Olive = … Olive Located at Ginza, thick wheat noodles provide carbohydrates of their main dish. Here, olive oil is used … Continue reading Japan 2018: Mugi to Olive Ramen
Finally decided on where to eat on this hot day. Precce Deli market is, well, a mini grocery in Shibuya Stream Mall. There is a section where you can build your own lunch meal. There were no English translations on the food labels but all options are displayed and tagged under what category they fall under (orange = base carb, blue = side, red = … Continue reading Japan 2018: Precce Deli Market box set
Today’s rainy weather made me look forward to tonight’s ramen dinner – Michelin starred bowl of ramen from Nakiryu at Otsuka. If we didn’t search online, we wouldn’t have known that there were only 2 Michelin starred ramen in Tokyo – Tsuta ramen, and recently Nakiryu ramen for their tantanmen. It’s located at the ground floor of a building near Otsuka station. Unfortunately, we got … Continue reading Japan 2018: Nakiryu Ramen
“What place would you recommend for ramen in Tokyo?” “Ichiran!” Described by a friend as the “McDonald’s of ramen in Japan” (meaning: famous food chain in terms of ramen), Ichiran Ramen, Asakusa was my first ramen experience in Japan. This branch is near Exit 1 of Asakusa Station, easy to find and we didn’t get lost (unlike our Akihabara experience). Past lunchtime and too early … Continue reading Japan 2018: Ichiran Ramen at Asakusa
Getting the sashimi/sushi food trip fix at Tsukiji on a rainy morning. I first heard (or read) about Tsukiji from a manga where the female leads drools for fatty tuna sashimi. Back then I didn’t have the slightest idea that I could travel to Japan someday and go to this place. Rain made the atmosphere a bit gloomy, and maybe the impending transfer of the … Continue reading Japan 2018: Nakaya Chirasizushi at Tsukiji
Almost autumn, but not quite. Though I won’t get to see the gradient of orange and red leaves, limited edition and seasonal food items are already being sold. Part of the Artful Autumn Series of Starbucks Japan, the Creamy Pumpkin line features interesting drinks inspired by the flavor and color of autumn. From pear, to sweet potato, the third line of drinks in this series … Continue reading Japan 2018: Starbucks at Venus Fort Odaiba
Did you know that airplane food could be saltier than you think? At tens of thousands of feet up in the air, pressure in the cabin affects our sense of taste. That could partly explain the general comment of airplane food being bland. As years go by, airlines tried to improve their meals. And for this flight, I actually found the meal okay. PAL serves … Continue reading Japan 2018: In-Flight Meal MNL to HND
Scramble into Shibuya crossing; indulge in sashimi and ramen; feel the magic at Tokyo Disneysea or Universal Studios; have an evening stroll at Senso-ji; before experiencing all of these and more in your Japan trip, there are things to be done and prepared. Here’s our personal experience during the planning and preparation of our Japan trip last 2018. *This is a late post PART 1: VISA … Continue reading Japan 2018: The Planning Stage
The Gastronomer's Diary 