東京攻略, Tokyo Invasion, Day 6

Last day, but nonetheless fun!! :D

Our flight was at 6pm-ish, so we had plenty of time in the morning to do our final roaming around. :)

I decided to go to the famous 築地市場 for the morning. It turns out to be an excellent location not to be missed! :) There were so much to see.

This post won't do its justice. :D But here's a brief recap of the market.

We didn't get to go into the inner market which all the insider of the business do their fish auctioning. But don't be mistaken, the outside market is nonetheless exciting! :)

Our first stop, an unagi shop. We had a slice of the cheapest unagi there. Don't be mistaken, however, cheap not necessary = bad. :D We also had a stick of grilled eel liver too! They were so good! :D

Fresh Roe! :D We bought a box for snacks! :D

There were free samples throughout the market! :D We obviously won't miss out on some! It was soooooo good! :D

Look at the big crab!!!! It's like.. HUGE! :D

After walking around there for a bit for almost 2 hours, it's time for lunch! :D We had choices of Ramen or sushi! :D Of course we chose the latter.

This is our Special set of Rice bowl (特別海鮮井). The prawn was as long as a chopstick! The bowl was huge!!! These sashimi were fresh from the fish market! You can't get sushi anywhere fresher than here!!

Mike and I both didn't like sea urchin before as we both had very bad experience in America. However, when we tried the urchin here, it was sweet, fresh, full of texture and creamy!! Its flavor practically exploded on our tongues!!!

I officially removed sea urchin from my black list of 'must avoid' food now!!!

Sadly, at noon, we had to turn back to pick up our luggage from the hotel and head to Narita airport bounded for Hong Kong.

The trip was short but sweet. When I have time, I should write some more post detailing the high points of this journey! :D That will be for future days... :D

東京攻略, Tokyo Invasion, Day 5

Wow! Time sure flies. If Mike didn't remind me that we are flying back to HKG tomorrow, I'd thought we still have one more full day in Japan. So tragic!

Here's a recap of what we did today. I need to write more in depth posts later on. :)

We set out to the anime god's museum, Ghibli Museum in the morning. It's located at Mitaka (三鷹).

We had the funnest time there!! Too bad we couldn't take too many pictures inside because picture taking was prohibited there. But of course, I managed to sneak a few when the staff wasn't looking.

This is pretty much one of the only few picture allowed spots at the museum. :D This is the famous robot of Laputa (天空之城), one of my favorite Ghibli anime productions.

After more than 2 hours wandering around the amusing museum, we decided to hit Ginza! The 'Union Square' of Tokyo!! This building is so fascinating, it's curved!

We even had some chestnut buns there too!! It's the best chestnut bun I have ever tasted. :P

Then, the high point of the evening, maybe even the high point of the whole trip, The Ninja Restaurant!!!

This restaurant warrants a whole individual post later!!! But here is the Ninja star cookie the restaurant is so famous for.

The meal was so amazing!! But Totoro urged us home because we have the fish market to go to early morning tomorrow.

That's it for tonight. :D Tomorrow is the last 1/2 day we have in Tokyo! Fun trip so far.

東京攻略, Tokyo Invasion, Day 4

Today, we visited the Tokyo Tower, 六本木, and Shibuya. :D What a fun day.

Tokyo Tower is fun coz I always love heights! :D

Not much trouble finding the tower after we exited the station. :) It's not that tall really, but it has its charm.

We can see the Mt. Fuji from the tower!!!

Walking through the see-through window. Don't you feel a bit vertigo? :D

After climbing the tower, we were both eager for some munchies. :D Mike treated me to a light sushi late lunch. It was so good. I will have to sort out all these restaurants later.

Can you imagine, real sushi in real Japan!?!?!

Then after lunch, we found 六 本 木 (Roppongi Hill)! We were under the famous space spider sculpture there. :) We went to an art museum there and had a little coffee break before we set out to 渋谷 (Shibuya).

Shibuya is a crazy place!! So many people!! If you think Causeway Bay on a weekend is crazy, Shibuya is 10 time more so!!!

Here Mike was enjoying some 'free hugs'. Me Asian, me no hug, so me didn't get any free hugu desu. :D

As I am not a person to forget about meals... I insisted on having dinner!! :D Shabu Shabu is on the menu tonight! :D I would show you some more picture of our meal later in my album. So stay tuned.

Above is the beef shabu shabu. Beef was tender, veggies were fresh.

Due to misunderstanding, we overestimated the portion. :D So we had another seafood pot we couldn't finish all. It was such a pity, coz the seafood was so good and the miso soup was so rich and it's sooooooo good!!

東京攻略, Tokyo Invasion, Day 3

A relaxing day today.

Mike wasn't well enough to go crazy walking around Tokyo, so we kinda just stayed put in the hotel.

I roamed around Shinjuku a bit this morning. First to buy fruits, then to buy myself lunch. :D

Breakfast was a take out at McDonald's for me. Mike couldn't eat anything, so I only got him some banana and strawberries.

The sausage and egg McMuffin in Japan is different then the one ones I am used to. The Hong Kong ones usually use English muffins, but this one uses pancake!!! I didn't like pancake, so I end up just eating the sausage and the eggs only.

We pretty much just lurked around watching TV (which we couldn't understand) and snoozed. :D

What better things to do than to take pictures from your hotel room when you are lurking around the room. :D We get to see part of the Tokyo Tower from our room too!! Awesome view we have.

At 3pm, Mike still didn't feel like eating. My 6 am breakfast had worn off. So Mike released me downstairs to buy myself some food. :D What did I get? :D the most unhealthy choice I could get. :D Tonkatsu! It's basically just fried pork chops. :D

It's amazing I refused to remember the place names in English but I could remember Japanese food names in both English/Chinese!! HAHAH

We were watching some Ramen competition show on Tv for like almost 2 hours. Since Mike didn't eat much of anything today, he agrees it's time for him to have some comfort food tonight. So, naturally, we went downstairs to the 歌舞伎町 to hunt for our Ramen store.

The Pig in front of the Ramen house just caught our attention, so we decided to go in. :)

Their signature Ramen: pork Ramen in creamy miso soup. :) Definitely comforting.

It got cold again at night, so we quickened our pace and come back into our room to watch more Japanese TV. :D

That's it for today.

東京攻略, Tokyo Invasion, Day 2 (Pics)

Here are some of day 2's pictures. :D

Breakfast at a fast food place called 松屋. It's famous for its beef rice bowls. That morning, we had a salmon and beef rice set for breakfast! :D

This is the whole set!! Quite hearty for a breakfast. :D It has rice, soup, beef and salmon! :D

Then, we set out for 雷門寺, a landmark of 淺草.

It's busy even on a Monday!! Not only can you worship the gods there, you can also shop!! I pretty much finished all my soveigners there. :D

The breakfast we had were so big that we end up just munching these lovely perfectly shaped strawberries along the shopping strips. :D It was soo sooo good! :D

After visiting the Shrine and finished all the shopping, I had the evil idea to give someone backpains. :D We have decided to ride the rickshaws. :D The rickshaw puller asked us whether we need 2 cars or 1.....

Mike and I tucked into just 1 car perfectly. But I feel bad for this little guy pulling us for 1/2 hour, so I paid him $1000 yen for tip and he gracefully accepted it. :D hehe The whole 1/2 hour ride cost us a handsome $9000 yen!!! :D More expensive then the gondola ride in Vegas! :D
But you get to have a nice guided tour about the surrounding of 淺草. Here you see the rickshaw puller had lead us into a narrow alley, which is the bar district of the town.

Tea time at 3:30pm! :) My new cute little Japanese pouch looks nice next to my coffee. :)

Then come dinner at at 4:30pm (I called it "lunner", coz it's too late to call it lunch but too early to call it dinner). We had a grilled eel dinner! :) Unagi is one of our favorite dishes. :D This store, according to our rickshall guide, is at least 70 years old!!

Not only was their unagi delicious, their miso soup was worth mentioning also. It's not just regular running tofu on salt soup! It has mushrooms in it and it's so fragrantly.

Our final shop of the day, 秋葉原. Lots of trendy young folks there. :D Also lots of shops that sell anime related things! :D

We were quite tired at this point and Mike was suffering from a combination of jetlag, indigestion and 水土不服, so we head home quite early.

It took like an hour and lots of walking to find the right station and the right exits before we can go home! Tokyo's subway is a crazy maze!!!! If you don't pay attention and exit the wrong one, you better prepare more warts on your soles. :D

東京攻略, Tokyo Invasion, Day 1 (Pics)

Here's our hotel room and the first meal in Japan. :D

This is the first thing we see when we enter our room!! :D Spacious!

The View from our window! :) We stay at 23/F!! So nice!

No journey can be completed if your hotel room didn't have one of these "ass cleaning" toilets! :D hahha

One of the dishes of our dinner. Beef sashimi! :) Yummy!

We had grills!!! Flames were like fuming up to your face! :D highly dangerous and yet enjoyable. :D

東京攻略, Tokyo Invasion, Day 2

Woke up at 10am in the morning, no more breakfast at the hotel. :D Since we stay in Shinjuku, there was no worry where to eat.. only worried about what!

We end up eating a salmon and beef rice set at a nearby fast food place. Can you imagine having a full bowl of rice, not congee, in the morning? :D We end up didn't need any lunch! :D

We then set out to 淺草! Wandered around the area for a couple hours or so, so much to see! So colorful!

Then we decided we should torture one of those rackshaw pullers! :D hahaha... Although Japanese has a 'no tipping' culture, we still end up tipping the guy an extra $1000 yen for his suffering of my extra weight! :D hahahha

During the rackshaw tour, he introduced us to a famous unagi restaurant and that's where we ate our 'Lunner' at 4:30ish (If breakfast and lunch is called Brunch..).

Then we went to 秋葉原.. Lots of electric stores.. some of them are like the 鴨寮街 in Hong Kong. There was a "maid cafe" we were curious, but didn't dare to go in coz we don't know what the sign says its service is. :D

The train ride home was painful... coz we were both dead tired... Good thing I bought some bath salt for sore muscles.. :D

Tomorrow, we are gonna take it easy.

東京攻略, Tokyo Invasion, Day 1

Having no problem finding the Hotel (With Mike's superb navigational skill, of course), we had an exciting dinner and a walk around the Shinjuku area tonight.

Our flight landed pretty late, around 3 pm.  After almost an hour and 1/2 N'Ex train, it took us about 15 minutes to find our hotel.

It was such a surprise when we first step in our room!!!! It is so spacious!!!!  I originally expected a space 'capsule" room, but we end up getting a "Deluxe Double Room". Made the "overpriced" feeling all gone away! ! :D

Now, I have to test out the Japanese sized sit up tub!!! :D Walking around all night makes my feet sore... :D

休館啟示

嘩! 同 Mr. MonkeyMan 去旅行前一天, 竟然攪肚子, 死去活來, 明天便去東京, 要好好休息!!

休舘幾天....

Bruise on finger

It's so good to have a phone which can take quality photos :D

Yesterday at work, suddenly notice a bruise on my finger! :D   It's like it just appears out of the blue.

From the location, it looks like the ring had given the finger the bruise.  But.. I have been wearing it for a long time and never have it happened :D

Soft Treats Ad

Digging up some pictures I took earlier, before my office moved from Wanchai to Quarry Bay.

There was one poster that was quite interesting.

I had noticed this poster stuck on a closed merchant's window. I was kinda curious about it because it doesn't seem to be selling brand in particular.

I do agree though ice cream does cheer people up. :D

So I searched "DDB", and found out that it's a very famous advertising agency.

Mojo, the turtle

I saw a street hawker the other day on my way to work. What did I buy this time? :D hehe

I fell in love with this turtle at first sight! :) It brings back lots of childhood memories.

I had a green stuffed turtle made of towel materials when I was a small kid. It's been with me since forever until I went aboard to Canada.

When I returned to Hong Kong in 1997's summer, my beloved (although a little slimmy and a bit falling apart due to old age) stuffed turtle was gone.   As it turned out, due to its poor condition, my old dad decided it's time to throw it away.

I was traumatized by the sense of loss and betrayal... waaaaaaa >.<

So, when I saw this green little turtle, I had to impulse buy it!!! :D To relive my happy childhood so I can be a happy middle aged woman... :D

Here are more pictures of the turtle, Mojo. :D

 

  

 

 

Scream LaBean!

This is the mood I had the last week. Work was really stressful made me want to scream :D So I drew this on my cell phone tonight. :D