Monthly Archives: January 2014

Calbee +

By | Foodie | No Comments

I saw this place while walking down Takeshita Street in Harajuku!  It was very full and with lines of people.  I regret not trying something from here because I love Calbee!! They are one of the major manufacturers of snacks in Japan and now they have this fast-food outlet

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Potato chips with ice cream and chocolate!!!  The chocolate they use is Royce chocolate!!
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This is one of my favorite Japanese snacks!! And I am assuming here they make it fresh!
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My husband knows me so well, he spotted another branch and he thought of me so he took photos 🙂  This was in Tokyo Station 
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Freshly fried potato chips
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I also discovered this!!  I love it because it is not full of chocolate like the Royce version where it is more chocolate than chips- this one is more chips than chocolate 🙂  

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Tsunahachi

By | Foodie, Travel | 2 Comments

We went to Tsunahachi for tempura as recommended by our friend Mykie.  It’s on the top floor of Mastuya department store in Ginza

I love the salts!

 

We were 15 people – some ordered set meals and some ordered ala carte.  Maybe it was a bit confusing for them – we got our orders one by one and the set meals came last.  We should have ordered one by one instead of telling them all our orders at once.  That way we also get our tempura freshly cooked.  Whether big or small group – I suggest you order one at a time.  Just keep ordering and ordering one at a time and slowly so you get it fresh and get to eat it fresh

This is how one persons order came – it would have been better if he ordered one kind at a time

Anago tempura

This is my order – the scallops which I truly loved! and an order of the potato with truffle smelled sauce ( ? probably a direct translation ) and the prawns of James.  Everything in our plate was okay.  But maybe next time, better to order two pieces at a time so it is fresh 🙂

Ginza TEL?03-3567-1374

Matsuya Ginza 8F, 3-6-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104?0061

Click below to go to their website

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Nodaiwa

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We tried a new restaurant for unagi this trip.  A one Michelin star restaurant, Nodaiwa.  They specialize in Unagi

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Beautiful laquer on the table
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This is the course set we ordered.  It has Shirayaki which is unagi without sauce and then the unagi with sauce which is the entree
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Shirayaki with caviar! You can order caviar on the side.  This is the first time we have unagi with caviar! 🙂

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James says that this is the real unagi for him.  It breaks easily as you pick it up with your chopsticks unlike the regular unagi you get anywhere else where it is quite firm.  So James really enjoyed this meal! plus everyone else
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Click below to go to their website
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Shabu Shabu in Zakuro

By | Foodie, Travel | No Comments

Zakuro is Dad and Mom’s favourite since forever.  

Previous entry:  Zakuro January 13, 2009

They will never stop going here I think no matter what i tell them to try another shabu shabu place.  


Special Shabu Shabu A5 Rank.  This has always been a discussion in the family as to whether you should get the highest rank which is A5.  We actually prefer it not to be too high because it has too much fat – you get dizzy eating more fat over the beef.  Though in Zakuro, it was not that bad.  But we noticed when we buy the beef, its better to probably get A3 which is in the middle and will have a good enough amount of fat and at the same time not as expensive as A5.  You can get the set and order additional beef


Mom stayed with the kids, so now you know why the kids enjoyed this meal the best for the whole tripzakuro-ginza-contact.jpg

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Torigin

By | Foodie, Travel | No Comments

Our first dinner was at Torigin recommended by Chef Jay Gamboa.  It was very near our hotel and a block away from the Peninsula Hotel ( the triangle shape on the map )

On the way was a Starbucks store with a small sign so it was quite hard to tell what it was – many of us did not even see it 🙂

A few items on the menu were not available

We were 15 people so we had two tables.  Our table which had 5 people ordered this.  We wanted to try first before we ordered a lot of something

The other table

Chicken Ball ( Tsukune )

Chicken wings and chicken skin – very good and tasty but has a lot of fat

They also had kamameshi which was very good

Crab/Kani

Click below to go to their website

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Mobile Wifi

By | Technology, Travel | No Comments

As soon as we arrived in the Narita airport, James rented a mobile wifi device you can bring around with you in your bag or pocket so you can have local wifi.  This helps keep your cellphone bill lower 🙂  There are several companies with their booths.  Due to time constraint James was not able to compare the offers of each.  Whoever is with him can also use the device


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Grandma’s Secret

By | Great Inventions, Household Tips, Shopping | One Comment

Last year I met Christine at the Barbie store launch!  I was so happy to know that she used to work for Starbucks with my brother as his project assistant in 2000.  She left in 2003 to take her MBA and then worked in Citibank after graduation.  

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Christine has left the corporate world and I am sure many of you know her already since she has a very popular blog – Manila Fashion Observer ( http://www.manilafashionobserver.com).  And to those of you who don’t, click below to visit her website

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 Christine lived in New York for awhile since her husband worked there.  This was where she discovered Grandma’s Secret!  She now brings in this product and is one of her businesses aside from her blogging and writing for some publications on the side.  And being a very hands on Mom, believe her when she says ” It really works!”

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