Tuyen's Blog

Ghibli Museum and Izakaya

We stopped by the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka outside of Tokyo. It's an awesome spot for fans of their movies. Unfortunately no photos allowed inside. In their cafe they even have their own beer!

Afterwards we hit an izakaya in Tokyo. Very big city feel to it so not an intimate place (it was huge with tons of corridors and private rooms) but still authentic. Lots of salary men and office ladies drinking, eating and smoking.

Ippudo Ramen

Ate at Ippudo Ramen in Tokyo. Chain restaurant but that's not a bad thing. Good broth and perfect soft boiled egg. Plus you can get extra noodles after you finish your first batch!

Shibuya

We hit Shibuya to see the famous crossing and to see Hachiko. Not quite as impressive as other shots of the crossing I've seen but still cool to experience.


And here's a video of the crossing from Starbucks.

Tokyo Train Station, Kiddy Land, and Maisen for Tonkatsu

We're actually in Kyoto now but I've been late with my posts. Here's an external shot of the Tokyo main train station. Beautiful architecture.


We then headed over to Shibuya/Harajuku to hit Kiddy Land, a 4 story toy building. No Pokémon Go here!


We ended the evening at Maisen, a famous Tonkatsu restaurant. Had Kurobuta (black pig) tonkatsu. A level above anything I've had in the States. Huge portions and the sauce was delicious and free flowing. Will be tough to have tonk in the future without comparing it to this.

Sushi at Tsukiji

Tsukiji has many sushi spots. Some have waits of up to 4-5 hours so our tour guide pointed us to this one which was more hidden and away from the main bustle of the outer market. Was super old school but the staff was very warm and accommodating after our guide made a warm intro for us.

Ordered omakase and a few extras after. Everything came out quickly and was of very high quality. No fancy presentations or ingredients. Just rice, fish, and wasabi.