So so so!! It’s Tokyo time!!! This was our trip to Japan in May/June 2015. Junya was about to turn 1 so it was his last few weeks as a baby hehe. Here are some of the restaurants we have been!
1. Malaychan
Actually we didn’t try this, but i thought it would be useful for Malaysian readers especially Muslims travelers!
It’s a Halal Malaysian restaurant at Ikebukuro! It’s supposed to be a pun for “Belacan” i think lol.
If ever you miss home and some comfort food (almost never happen for me XD), do drop by Malaychan and let me know if it is good!
2. (Forgot the name of this restaurant)
It’s an Izakaya with really spacious individual rooms! With Sunada san and Gomi san from NALU ❤️
Bagna Cauda
Tamagoyaki with super generous mentaiko mayo topping!
That’s papa and me trying to upload an IG picture i think lol. By the way the pocket wifi on the table is from Samurai Wifi! It’s so so fast and stable, i’ve used it for 3 trips to Japan and i have never encountered any problems at all!
A Japanese seafood BBQ chain restaurant, which is mediocre at best but it’s open 24 hours!!!!! You know where to go if you are craving for some sashimi at 4am.
4. Dotonbori Okonomiyaki
We only went there because of its collaboration with Gudetama (which has ended by now).
You get to make your own Gudetama mentaiko yakiudon
“Dariiiiiiii”
Or Gudetama Okonomiyaki!
5. Tsukada Noujo 塚田農場
The first time i tried this restaurant was actually in Singapore! They had the Bijin Nabe which was super good so i was craving for it when i was back to Japan.
Our usual favorite drink in any Izakaya: Nama (fresh) Lemon Sour with alcohol for the danna, and without alcohol for me.
Their signature charcoal grilled chicken and chicken tatami (seared chicken sashimi).
Collagen gyoza nabe, The jello-like stuff in the middle? Collagen!
Once it’s heated up it melts into a rich creamy broth that is said to be super good for your skin!
Omake dessert plate. The danna wondered if they ever recycles the plates lolol.
6. Marugame Seimen Sanuki Udon
It’s one of our favorite Udon chain shops. Cheap and consistently yummy no matter where you go! We were actually somewhere in Chiba after the visit to Mother Farm on Junya’s first birthday.
Our usual. Me with Mentaiko Bukkake (with super extra free negi topping lol), the danna just plain udon and we share the deep fried side dishes.
They have wide floor seats so it’s really great for children! See the prong thing on the table?
They provide it for easy noodle cutting for young children. So thoughtful hor!
JunJun looooooooves udon. It’s definitely one of his top 3 favorite!
7. (a random Gyutan speicalty shop in Seibu, Ikebukuro)
Danna’s request as usual XD
Such simple and satisfying meal <3
8. Edomae Bikkuri Sushi, Roppongi
Bikkuri means surprised or shocked in Japanese. We walked from Daikanyama to Ebisu to Roppongi hoping to find a restaurant that is Junya-friendly lol. Honestly it was quite a challenge as Ebisu was an area full of fancy bars/lounges and Roppongi is just… dodgy.
In the end we walked into a restaurant-ish sushi shop. Then JunJun woke up -___-.
Ordered avocado ebi roll for Junya.
Anago Shiroyaki. The long thing curvy thing is the anago (river eel)’s bone deep fried till crispy. It was so yummy!! :O
5 types of Maguro.
Vegetable tempura.
This is cream cheese with ika shiokara (marinated squid guts) AND IT WAS SO GOOD!
The bill came up to 9000 over yen omg. Bikkuri much indeed. -___-
The danna is an ice cream person. ( I am not)
We walked past a fancy ice cream parlor after Shocking Sushi and the danna walked straight in.
The ice cream menu was full of things i don’t understand!!!!!!
In the end we picked a combo of 3 flavors. He picked two and i was allowed to choose the last one. He had Karinto (a traditional Japanese snack), Sakura Azuki and i went for Yomogi, apparently a kind of spring wood in Aomori, because it just sounded so… unimaginable lol.
The flavors are all traditional Japanese food ingredients like matcha, kinako, persimmon. Apparently it’s reaaaally popular too so do give it a try! I loved how subtle and delicate the flavors are, but the danna said i am not deep enough to appreciate its Japanese nuances -_-.
10. Eggs’ n Things
Okay. The legendary pancake shop from Hawaii. Who has been here before? How long did you line up for?
When i first went to Harajuku few years ago, i remembered the line was so long it overflowed to the main street of Omotesando. And apparently the line was just to take a number to come back at a later time. I have heard about people queueing up in the morning and get a number just to come back almost in the evening omg.
But no. We didn’t even plan on going there in the first place.
Our original plan was to go shopping in Harajuku!
In the densha.
So when we walked past Eggs’ n Things, there was no queue!! Like, ZERO!
Huh.
I thought it was closed for a private event lolol. I told the danna omgomgomg LET’S GO IN!!! I even asked the waitstaff just to double confirm if we really don’t need to line up to go in. She said she could immediately get us a table.
The danna said he doesn’t mind if he didn’t have to line up. But warned me that i may be disappointed (he tried it in Hawaii). I was like NO WAY. Hahhaha.
We got our table at the terrace.
We ordered the signature scrambled egg (with tuna steak) and of course, everyone’s favorite pancake with strawberry and macadamia.
Check. Out. That. Cream.
Junya was really happy exploring the place. We got a corner table so he had plenty of space to toddle around. XD
He didn’t care about the pancake though hahah.
Hmmm. Even we were sharing we couldn’t finish the mountain of fresh cream.
When we left the restaurant, a small line has started to form outside.
So yea, if you ask me, i don’t think it would be worth the queue (better spend your precious time for shopping in Harajuku!!). Even if there’s no queue it was still not worth it lol.
Did you know? 76Cafe Omotesando is not only baby-friendly, it is also pet-friendly! If you have small lap pets you are welcome to bring them to dine together with you.
Mama date with Junna and her 5m old baby!
Chicken Pepperonci pasta!! One of my fav places to eat pasta in Tokyo <3
12. Shiokaze, Kinmedai Shabu Shabu
Date with my favorite couple Omatsu san and Nanaco!!
Came from an event in Nakameguro, and we went to Shiokaze, a rather famous fish restaurant which owner has been on the TV many times! It’s just that the location is quite difficult to find for a usual tourist so it’s not that super popular.
But i’m so glad we came here, the food was soooo good! (But pricey)
Love the Koshitsu (individual room)
A giant Gyotaku (Japanese fish press print) behind.
Junya in super good mood.
I think he just likes cute Japanese girls la hhahaa
See?
The appetizer was Hijiki with wasabi mayo.
Hijiki is a type of seaweed and is used in many traditional Japanese dishes. I don’t particularly like it but i eat a lot of it when i got pregnant because it is a great source of iron and calcium!
Buuuuuuut this Hijiki was amazing. It was ultra fresh and a tad crunchy. It may have been the yummiest hijiki i’ve ever eaten.
Assorted sashimi. The uni was top grade T_______T. It was so good i had to let Junya try it. He did and he loved!!!
The star of the day: Kinmedai shabu shabu.
As i have said earlier kinmedai has just become my favorite fish. Sashimi, simmered or shabu-shabu, gimme ALL!!!!
Satsuma-age.
And… half way during the meal an earthquake happened. T______T.
It was the shakiest and longest so far for me, i could feel the photo frames behind swing and the building wobble T______T.
Really scared die me. But it was only me who panicked. The Japanese (Omatsu san and Nanaco) were so calm they quickly went online and searched for more information. The restaurant staff came and helped us switch off the stove immediately. It actually wasn’t a very big one, it just lasted long enough for me to panic.
Everything went back to normal after a few seconds, but several train lines had stopped and we had big trouble going back home.
Shibuya train station looked like this. T____T.
Anyway, after some canned sardin squeezing and some kind seat-giving to me and Junya, everyone got home safely. I have experienced 3 earthquakes during my 3 weeks stay in Tokyo this time. But each time i was incredibly amazed by how calm, rational, thoughtful and considerate these people are. It made me feel really safe even at an earth-shattering moment.
13. Discounted sushi lunch box
My half price sushi dinner from Tobu departmental store for a stay-in day.
14. Ootoya
I think Thailand and Singapore have Ootoya! But i’m not sure about their quality since i’ve never tried one outside Japan. But i loooooove Ootoya so much.
I think i’ve posted this maybe 3-4 times on this blog already lol. Black vinegar fried chicken with vegetable sauce. My absolute fav.
The danna had gyutan (again!! lol) set meal.
And a bowl of matcha shaved ice for dessert!
15. Seigetsudou, Tobu Ikebukuro
Kyoto-style traditional Japanese food.
I had the signature lunch and the danna had sakura ebi kamameshi set.
Not a super big fan of Kyoto style cuisine because it’s too zen for my taste lolol and i don’t really like my dishes served cold. But it is light and really healthy so i won’t mind once a while!
16. Nagasaki Food Fair, Tobu Ikebukuro
Usually the food fairs i went to are Hokkaido or Okinawa food fairs, it’s the first time i came across one on Nagasaki so i was really excited!
Our Supreme Champon (yes that’s how our pet got its name)
And Supreme Sara Udon
17. Eifukuchou Taishouken Shoyu Ramen
If you have been to Japan before, you probably have tried Ichiran ramen and it’s also probably your favorite. (100% of my Malaysian friends said it’s their favorite ramen!)
The danna said usually only torusists will like Ichiran (what?! i do!!!) and he decided to bring me to his favorite ramen place. I was so excited to find out which ramen impressed his god tongue so much lolol.
The shop is located near Eifukucho station, and it looks like this:
Yes it is really popular. It’s very different the ramen shops i’ve been to in the city. It has run by the family for maybe more than 50 years? True traditional Japanese ramen shop. And to my surprise it’s very child-friendly!
There are a few things that make the ramen special.
1. Size. There are two portions of noodle in one giant bowl, and is served with a giant spoon. And there’s only one size available. It will take a really, really, really hungry body builder to finish the whole bowl and no, you are not allowed to share the noodles (each customer has to order an individual bowl).
2. Soup. The main reason why the danna loves this so much is because he cannot accept nurui (lukewarm) ramen. If there isn’t any hot steam flowing up and the temperature is not tongue-burning hot, it is considered lukewarm to him. His tongue has a god level of tolerance to hotness omg i suspect is all the supreme gyutan he ate lolol.
And this soup, mysteriously stays hot foreverrrrrrrrrr. By the time you finish eating it is still like fresh off the stove.
3. Menma. The ramen is pretty down to earth. No fancy ingredients nor lavish toppings. Just a few slices of cha-shu, kamaboko, scattering negi and really delicious niboshi-based hot broth. But the menma (bamboo shoot), is. so. delicious. It may not be for everyone though cuz i know some ramen shops in Malaysia removed the menma and replace it with other things cuz it’s not very well accepted by local Malaysians. But i loooooove menma omg. Especially the slightly smelly one lolol.
You can actually buy the pre-packed soup, noodle and also menma home, and i really regretted not buying any because i am missing it so much now T__T.
Anyway, it was indeed one of the best ramen i’ve ever had, but unfortuantelt i couldn’t finish it. My hero husband finished mine (no wastage!) which means he ate about 3 servings of noodles @.@.
18. Daigomi Cheese Specialty Restaurant
This restaurant is meant for me lolol. I wanted to go there since a long time ago cuz i saw it on TV once and i almost licked the screen.
Everything is cheesy. So much that this this blog pales in comparison lolol.
Probably the most famous dish in the restaurant: Carbonara. Fat holey pasta swimming in rich liquid cheese topped with more cheese!! Yumsssss
Cheese risotto.
Cheesecake of the day. Love!!
That’s all! Many many more posts on Japan to come!
I loooove Dohtonbori okonomiyaki! The shop in Namba is very good (I’m usually no fan of chain-stuff, I’d rather have the artisanal hole-in-the-wall stuff, but this one was very good!)
And I have always wanted to try Ouca when I’ve been in Tokyo, especially their super cute shirokuma kakigoori, but I’ve yet to go there. Next time for sure!
All this food looks so good, it’s killing me! I can’t wait to go back to Japan :'( The kinmedai shabu looks DIVINE and so does the champon 😀
ooo~ Super madly in love with Ootoya. In Taiwan working right now and I stumbled on Ootoya on my way home from work one day. Super love their 豚バラ肉の塩麹漬け炭火焼き定食. <3 Only dish I'll order and eat every two weeks or so. TT^TT Wish they had more gyutan dishes though.
Uh what!!!! レモンサワー!!!MY FAVOURITE lerrrrr!!! How, how, how does it taste like?? I know yours is without alcohol la…. 😉
I had been to mare-chan da yo. It is open by my landlord mama-san where i stayed in ikebukuro when i was studied in Tokyo in 2012. The food is superb and popular for Japanese. The staff mostly from Malaysia from fluent in Japanese. Recomended!
Randomly scrolled through and seeing Malay Chan brings back tons of memories. Yes! It is a small halal restaurant which I had to frequent very often when I was working in Japan. I had to find halal places for work reasons. There are only that many tasty halal restaurants in Tokyo. I probably had to dine at MalayChan once a month in year 2012. No complains though! The food is very authentic and with bags of flavour (I’m a non-muslim Singaporean btw). I frequent so often that the chef/owner recognises me. He is a Malaysian and I believe he married a Japanese wife (can’t rmb this). I love washoku but sometimes you really do need that hit of spice and strong flavours that we’re accustomed to. He used to make me a delicious plate of chicken rice when I visit. Pretty darn good I say. All in all, do pay his no-frills restaurant a visit when you want a little taste of home in Tokyo!
Ha, reading the review of Eifukuchou Taishouken Shoyu Ramen was great. Ichiran is my fave ramen in Tokyo (I’ve only been once so far), so it was funny to read you’re husband’s reaction. I am going back to Tokyo Aug 29 this month, so I will make sure to check out Eifukuchou and give it a try! 🙂
Yes you should!!! Let me know if you like it! 😀
Hi Cheesie, is it really not possible to eat with kids at those ramen shop like Ichiran ? A 4 year old and an 11 month old to be exact. The 11 month old will be on a baby carrier mostly.
Thank you.
It is, we went before. 🙂 We just had to make sure the kids don’t make a mess and keep the noise low. And also not occupy the place for too long since it’s a fast food place. 🙂
Just wondering do they have take-out option? 🙂 though i know ramen is best when eaten there and then. Thanks