Category: City: Tokyo

Conveyor-belt sushi experience at Hamazushi in Tokyo

Conveyor-belt sushi (or kaiten sushi in Japanese) is a popular type of sushi restaurant in Japan. If you are not familiar, just picture a literal conveyor belt running through the restaurant transporting the sushi plates: customers can pick from the conveyor the dishes they like.

Let’s be honest, conveyor-belt sushi is to sushi what fast food is to beef. Not your first choice for quality sushi in Japan. However, it can be a fun experience and a good way to have a quick meal.

This review is about a lunch at Hamazushi, the largest coveyor-belt sushi restaurant chain in Japan (with over 400 outlets).

The visit

I visited a Hamazushi restaurant located in a non-descript shopping mall near the Oi Racecourse. Not your usual tourist spot, but I had a reason to be there (hint: the massive citizen flea market) and there was not much around.

First of all, I was greeted by the house robot… and guided through a number of choices (counter? table? how many people?). Once Mr (?) robot was satisfied I got a ticket with my assigned seat number. The staff then escorted to my spot:

All well, the only drawback of the system is that the algorithm is not spacing people… the place was almost empty and the few customers were sitting neck to neck in one corner of the restaurant. Not a tragedy… but they could rethink the algorithm to make a better use of the space when it is not too crowded. This is also why I cringe when I hear speaking about artificial intelligence… still a long way to go.

The first thing I did was preparing some hot tea. In this case, as customary, I was provided the green tea powder (matcha) and I poured the hot water by keeping a button pressed with my cup.

As you can see, they have five different sauces available for each customer, including different types of soy sauce. The sushi comes without any soy sauce or wasabi added by the cooks.

It was early, but there were already a good number of dishes on the conveyor belt. Hamazushi is very technological and they also gave me the chance to order additional items and drinks using a touch screen. Every spot is equipped with one of these touch screens and English language is available.

When your order is ready, the screen will display a message. The order will come through the conveyor belt and it will be placed on a special pedestal (like the tempura sushi in the photo above) so other customers will not take it (not sure if it always works…).

I did not picture all the dishes I had. These are a few:

Mackerel with vinegar sushi.

Lean tuna sushi.

Seared salmon sushi.

You can have a look at their website (in English) for the full standard menu. They also have a bunch of seasonal items.

This is kind of run-of-the-mill everyday sushi, but it was good. The dishes were simple, the rice was ok. I have been in other conveyor-belt sushi restaurants that made a mess and were using rice probably one day old. Or that were trying to game the customers by putting on the conveyor belt only expensive qualities of sushi to push your final ticket. Nothing of this happened at Hamazushi that struck me a very professional establishment.

The check

When you are finished, you have to indicate that you are finished through the touch screen and the waiter will come to give you the check to pay at the reception.

I spent 864 yen (7.74 USD) for six dishes and a coke. All the dishes individually cost me 108 yen (except one that I ordered via the touch screen that cost 162 yen). The dishes usually have a pair of nigiri sushi. The one that cost me 162 yen had three pieces of tuna (one fatty, one medium fatty and one lean). It is also great that they do not have a system of colored plates with different prices according to the color (it can get confusing sometimes).

That’s as cheap as it gets for fresh sushi. Again, this is sushi fast food but everything was made by the book and I had a positive experience. If you are looking for cheap sushi and you like the coveyor belt concept, I strongly recommend Hamazushi. After all, you cannot have an omakase every day!

Where in Tokyo:
They are everywhere in Japan. Check their website for locations (even if for some reason the English version of the website only list a fraction of their locations).
The location I visited was located on the second floor of Wira Oi shopping mall.

The Tokyo Tonkatsu Temple: Maisen

While in Omotesando (Tokyo) in September 2018, I had a chance to try the famed pork cutlet (tonkatsu) from Maisen.

Maisen is a household name for tonkatsu in Japan. They started in 1965 and operate a number of restaurants nationwide, they have kiosks in some luxury supermarkets and they also have outlets overseas in South East Asia. From what I understand they are now part of the Suntory Group.

I am glad to report that the place lived up to its reputation and I had an extraordinarily good tonkatsu.

The visit

At their Ayoama Main Store there is usually a line, but I was quite late for lunch and I just waited a couple of minutes. They have a counter that is honestly not a very attractive place where to seat (maybe good for a quick bite), but luckily, even if I was alone, I was offered a seat at a table in the dining room downstairs. Apart from the more casual counter seating, their dining room fits the bill for fine dining in terms for service and decor.

They have various tonkastu sets and variations to choose from. Up to five brand of pork may be available.

In the end, I opted for Amai Yuwaku pork (Sweet Temptation), the pork breed that was developed by Maisen itself and its unique to their stores in limited quantities. I found online an explanation about what is special about this breed:

The hogs are fed on the bread crusts produced during the making of their pork fillet cutlet sandwiches. Maisen spent roughly two years to develop the product, working together with pig farmers and feed companies. The company launched a menu using Amai Yuwaku pork in December of 2012 at the main restaurant in Aoyama (Tokyo), and then deployed it to other restaurants. The name (Sweet Temptation in English) comes from the delicately tender meatiness, the sweetly melting fattiness, and the juicy and rich taste that is embossed into the tongue. Leveraging the bread crusts as fattening feed helps better digestion, producing meatier pork with less fat.

Apart from the way the hogs are raised, Maisen also applies to this pork an aging process that breaks muscles filaments and make the meat even more tender.

Hype? Not really. This pork was divine, not to mention the perfect crust. It was really tender and soft like I rarely experienced a pork cutlet. In particular, I opted for a 100 gram loin (that has some fat), but they also have the fillet for a fully lean piece of meat.

The set also came with the mandatory pickles, rice, cabbage, and a bowl of miso soup.

The meat was so good that did not really need any sauce, but I did try their tonkatsu sauce that augment the sweetness of the bite. They also have worchester sauce. Finally, as usual, you are also provided some mustard.

I added to my selection a minced pork cutlet with melted cheese. I expected a small side dish, it was actually a huge portion. It can also be ordered without cheese, but with cheese is better in my opinion. This minced cutlet is also a popular street food in Japan.

Outside the store, they operate a kiosk where to buy take-away food. The minced meat cutlet is available.

My only regret was that I did not have time to try their pork cutlet sandwich (katsu sando). It looks really attractive.

The check

The set menu plus the additional minced meat cutlet cost me 2,760 yen (around 25 USD). Cutlet lunch sets can be found around Tokyo for as little as 1,000 yen, but nothing approaching this quality. The premium price is totally justified in my opinion. If you opt for a fillet cut or some other more exotic pork breeds you bill can easily increase, but within the realm of reasonableness in my view. I also appreciate that prices are inclusive of taxes and service charges and that tea was included.

As you can tell, I was very happy about this meal and I fully recommend the place.

Where in Tokyo:
The Ayoama Main store is close to Omotesando subway stop on Ginza line.
 4 Chome-8-５ Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
They have other locations as well. Check their website.

Mammamia! An authentic Italian gelateria in Ueno, Tokyo

Finding original Italian ice cream (more correctly I should say “gelato“) is always a challenge in Asia. For this reason Gelato Mammamia immediately stands out as an authentic experience that has no comparison elsewhere in Tokyo.

The visit

I easily reached my destination following Google Maps. The ice cream parlor is located just a short walk from Ueno Hirokoji station. It is not a cafe, it is more like a kiosk and there is no indoor seating.

The display featured both traditional flavors and more exotic ones. We spoke to Andrea, the owner and master gelataio, who personally makes the gelato from scratch working with the machines inside the parlor that can be seen from the street.

Andrea shared that over the past 3 years or so he experimented with over 150 flavors, building on local quality ingredients. Recently he was the first in Tokyo to offer a red chocolate flavor

All the flavors available were very tempting. I settled for a classic, lemon, and for a red shiso. Shiso is a perennial plant that has multiple uses in the culinary Japanese tradition. Its leaves are used to serve sashimi and during the summer a red shiso drink is very popular. This juice was the starting point to obtain the shiso sorbet on offer. I enjoyed the two flavors as very refreshing. The lemon was made from top class ingredients and the flavor was very distinctive.

The gelato is made according to the Italian artisan tradition with no artificial flavors, artificial colors, corn syrup, animal gelatins and other chemical additives so often found in ice cream nowadays.

The check

I enjoyed the payment system: the parlor is equipped with a ticket machine (similar to those found in some ramen joints). I found this system very practical because it avoids the gelataio inside to handle banknotes and coins with all the unpleasant consequences.

The ticket for a cup with two flavors was 450 yen (around 4 USD), a very reasonable price given the quality and also the generous amount of gelato poured into the cup.

For those who like authentic Italian artisan gelato Mammaia is a must-go destination. I will certainly come back in my future trips to Tokyo.

Where in Tokyo:
3-42-11 Yushima, Bunkyo 113-0034, Tokyo
In Japanese: 3-42-11, 文京区, 湯島 (a short walk from Ueno Hirokoji station)
Check their Facebook page for the latest.
Currently open daily in the afternoon (2-7pm), except on Mondays.

Massive omakase for 6,480 yen at Sushi Manten in Tokyo

After trying a luxury omakase in Sapporo and an unforgettable one in Osaka, I finally went for an omakase in Tokyo. There are many starred sushi restaurants offering omakase in Tokyo; I wish one day to try one, but they are very difficult to book. As a general rule, you need someone speaking Japanese calling the restaurant. Five star hotel concierges usually do that. Honestly, too complicated. Luckily I found a reference online to a mid-range sushi restaurant that could be booked online (see info at the end of the post): Sushi Manten.

The visit

With a reservation at 7.30pm on a Sunday evening, I arrived at 7pm. They had some free seats and allowed me to start my meal before the reservation time.

Sushi Manten is located in the basement level of a nice plaza called Marunouchi Brick Square. In the restaurant, two cooks serve up to 14 customers at the counter and some more customers seated at a table. The place really maximizes space… that means that you can feel a bit like in a sardine can. Take this into account. Service is very fast and the two cooks really work hard.

The cooks would hand you each piece of sushi (or sahsimi) on a plate in front of you. As usual, no need for adding soy sauce, they would take care of everything. Unfortunately, the counter is designed in a way that you cannot see exactly how they are preparing the dishes, even if they are in front of you. Most of the guests were foreigners.

To get things started, I was quickly handed a mini bowl of clam soup. Good.

First piece of sushi was a sardine. The first part of the meal seemed to be dedicated to sour and more dense flavors.

Then I was offered some seaweed in a nice vinaigrette sauce.

Then there were two pieces of Japanese halibut (hirame) sashimi. It was referred as seabass by the cooks.


Again sashimi, in the form of two bites of Spanish mackerel.


Again a piece of hirame, this time as sushi.


Then I was offered some wasabi leaves (or beans). This was something new. It looked like seaweed and it was quite hot… took me some time to finish it.

Then I was offered a piece of tofu (with some nutty backtaste). Very fresh. Almost a palate cleanser.

Then I got some shirasu (that means in general whitebait), in particular these were baby sardines. The flavor now started to revolve around salty dishes.

Then again something salty with a piece of mentaiko, that is spiced cod roe.

Back to sushi, with a piece of kin medai.

The next sushi was topped by a typical Japanese mushroom called enoki and came with a bulb of ginger.

Next, some edamame (immature soybeans in pods).


Then I was given a bowl of chawanmushi with a prevalence of crab.

Salmon roe (ikura) cannot be missed in an omakase… in this case on rice.

Next, some abalone sashimi, including some roe I believe.

Back to sushi with a raw sweet shrimp.

Then I really appreciated the salty flavor of some tarako (fresh and salted pollock roe. It is like mentaiko, but without the spicy flavor.

The next course was two pieces of tuna sushi, one piece was regular tuna and one the priced melt-in-your-mouth fatty tuna.


Then I was handed directly in my hand some uni (sea urchin) on rice in a piece of nori (a type of dried seaweed normally used with sushi rolls). Delicious.

Again, I was handed in my hand a “deconstructed” roll (temaki) with minced tuna.

The next piece signalled that we were heading toward the end: a piece of Japanese omelette (tamago)

Another classic end dish for an omakase: the miso soup, in this case a shijimi miso soup. Shijimi is a type of mini clam (sometimes called basket or blue clam) and very appreciated for miso soup. Only downside that it would take forever to eat the content of the clams! I believe this is kind of a signature dish that I saw also in another review of Manten Sushi.


In this finale, flavor went toward the sweet and this was confirmed by the next piece: anago sushi (saltwater eel that is indeed quite sweet as opposed to its freshwater cousin unagi).


Again with a sweet flavor from the sea in the form of a piece of sea cucumber.


With two seedless grapes handed again directly in my hand the meal ended.

This was an epic meal. The all experience lasted exactly 90 minutes. All the dishes were delicious and I was happy to experience a number of classics (hirame, tuna, uni, etc) along with some creative choices (tarako, abalone, wasabi leaves).

The check

The omakase cost 6,480 yen, including green tea, that’s around 58 USD. For over 20 dishes, that’s great value for money. I appreciated that they also included some expensive type of sushi like o-toro (fatty tuna) and abalone. They did not shortchange me in anyway. I enjoyed every bite and I was totally satisfied by the meal.

The only downside was that you are really squeezed seating at the counter. I was lucky enough that the seat at my left was empty for most of my meal. While I totally recommend Manten Sushi, comfort is important for me and this might be a dealbreaker.

If you know other great places for omakase in Tokyo not rated in the Michelin Guide, write in the comments.

Where in Tokyo:
2-6-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo: in the basement of Marunouchi Brick Square building (丸の内ブリックスクエア).
In Japanese: 丸の内２丁目６ー1 丸の内ブリックスクエアB1F.
There is an underground passage to Marunouchi South Exit of Tokyo Station. 
Use this website for a reservation.
Check the restaurant’s website for up to date information. They also have another location in Nihombashi.

A Mozzarella workshop and a tea room under the same roof in Omotesando, Tokyo

In September 2018 I was in Tokyo and while walking in the Omotesando area I came across something interesting: a tea room sharing space with a mozzarella cheese workshop. I needed to find out more…

The visit

The two businesses operating under the same roof are MuMu Mozzarella and Kaneju-Farm Omotesando tea salon. I was told that the two owners are friends, hence the decision to share the space.

Stepping inside the store, the first thing one notices is the mozzarella laboratory. There was an artisan at work preparing mozzarella cheese and other varieties of fresh diaries such as burrata and mozzarella with herbs.

MuMu Mozzarella claims to use Italian milk to obtain the real thing.

Past the mozzarella display fridge, you get to tea room that is made of a large squared tatami counter.

I was explained that they serve tea cocktails based on sencha, that is basically loose leaves green tea, coming from Kaneju-Farm in Makinohara, located in the Shizuoka prefecture and very famous for the production of green tea. Farm to table tea.

The menu was only in Japanese but the staff was kind enough to translate for me. They have a number of cocktails, both alcoholic and non alcoholic. The non alcoholic cocktails are based on tonic water plus tea. I chose a blend of tea including both green tea and yuzu. The iced tea was poured in a cup with tonic water and ice. The tonic water was not gassed at all and the result was a refreshing drink with a backtaste of citrus. It was served with glazed chestnuts.

They have two different menu depending on the time of the day: until 5pm is tea salon and from 5pm till 9pm is tea bar.

The tea is also available for purchase.

I asked them to serve me a mozzarella along with the tea… they were so kind to satisfy my request and I also had a delicious mozzarella that tasted pretty original to me (not a bufala, but a regular mozzarella).

What is a bit odd is that the two businesses share the same roof, but actually they do not cooperate on the tea room menu. Wound’t be fantastic to have tea and fresh cheese pairings? I think so, but while it is certainly possible to taste the cheese along with a tea, this does not seem to be their standard operating procedure.

The check

The mozzarella cost me 648 yen (5.85 USD); other more exotic types of cheese may cost more. It do not have local benchmarks to say whether it is pricey or not, but I did not mind paying.

The tea came at 864 yen, including tax (around 7.80 USD). Considering that they offered me a second round included in the price, I cannot complain. The total bill shown was much higher because I also bought a 80 gram packet of their sencha and yuzu blend. I liked it that much.

Where in Tokyo:
 4 Chome-1-22 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
In Japanese: 東京都 渋谷区 神宮前 4-1-22
MuMu Mozzarella website: https://mumu-mozzarella.com/
Kaneju-Farm Omotesando website: http://kaneju-farm.co.jp/

 

Three cafes in Tokyo where to enjoy food, stationery and fountain pens

Tokyo is certainly not short of themed-cafes: animals, anime characters, monsters, historical periods, everything is fair game. In this post I will show you three cafes that are relevant to fountain pens and stationery enthusiasts.

1. Cafe Stylo at Itoya

Itoya is probably the most amazing stationery shop in the world. It has many locations, also outside Japan, but speaking of Itoya means speaking of its flagship location in Ginza: 9 floors filled with every conceivable stationery item. And if that is not enough, you can visit their annex for more pens, inks, paper and notepads.

Probably the most interesting floor is the third reserved to high-end writing instruments.

The display cabinets are filled with pens worth thousand of dollars; entry level  fountain pen models start at around 40 USD (in the annex you can find cheaper pens).

If you go, check if they have any store exclusive item. In my September 2018 visit, they were introducing a number of exclusive Lamy pens, a few available only at Itoya (I love Ginza pens) and others only available in other two stores in Tokyo. These are the kind of items that get collectors go amok.

Cafe Stylo is located on the 12th floor and is accessible using the elevator on the back entrance.

Their menu sports breakfast and lunch items as well as desserts and drinks for a quick stop. They are open from 10am to 10pm, with last order to be placed before 9pm.

They proudly claim to source their eggs from Kurofuji farm in Yamanashi where chicken are kept free range at 1100 meters above the sea level. Consequently, their organic Benedict egg dishes, while a bit pricey, are highly recommended for a hearty breakfast.

I can vouch for their desserts, like this chocolate mousse sadly no longer available on their menu.

Where in Tokyo:
2 Chome-7-15 Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Check their website to see the menus.

2. Maruzen Café

Maruzen is a historic chain of bookshops that can be found around Japan. They also carry amazing selections of fountain pens and stationery.

The basement of their flagship Nihombashi location (just across the street from Takashimaya) offers one of the best selections of Japanese and international fountain pens that can be found in Tokyo. They are also one of the few stores to carry Nakaya pens. In March they organize a fountain pen fair where they release a truckload of limited edition pens and inks (see the pictures above from March 2018). When browsing the shelves in the basement, look for the Athena inks that are exclusive to Maruzen.

The third floor in Nihombashi hosts the namesake café (now operated by Café de Cléa).

It is a relatively spacious location, with seating both for solo diners (like in the picture above) and large groups.

In my September 2018 visit I had their signature lemon mousse that I highly recommend.

But Maruzen Café is a place where you can also have a full lunch or dinner. In particular, look for their curry and Hayashi rice dishes. I recommend to try their curry hamburger steaks (pictured one with omelette) that are different from Westerner hamburger, and make for a satisfactory meal. Also the Hayashi dishes should not be missed since lore has it that the dish was invented by Yuteki Hayashi, the founder and first president of Maruzen itself.

Where in Tokyo:
2-3-10 Nihonbashi Chuo Tokyo
In Japanese: 東京都 中央区 日本橋 2-3-10 日本橋丸善東急ビル３F

3. Bunbougu Cafe

Finally, in the Omotesando area, there is a full-fledged stationery themed cafe called Bunbougu Cafe (“bunbougu” means stationery in Japanese).

The cafe is located in a basement level.

All kind of stationery and cute products are for sale.

A selection of pencils, crayons and some decorative tapes (called washi in Japanese) are available for free to all customers.

If you go, make sure to try their stationery-themed gashapon: these vending machines dispense random stationery contained in a plastic ball.

Above is pictured what I got for 200 yen (less than 2 USD): a pterodactyl-shaped eraser and a roll of washi tape.

In my September 2018 visit I just had a drink (grapefruit juice). In a previous visit I enjoyed a massive parfait that was no longer available on the menu. They have food suitable both for a meal or for a drink with friends. A simple drink starts at around 600 yen after tax.

But there is a bonus! If you are in this part of town and are interested in stationery and fountain pens you cannot miss the Tokyo branch of Bung Box, a very popular destination for fountain pen enthusiasts. The shop is just 50 meters from the cafe and, while tiny, it is filled with the sought after Bung Box inks (made by Sailor), their shop exclusive limited edition pens and more. It must be noted that the two places, even if they share a very similar name, are not related (for what it matters to my knowledge Bung Box came first). It is worth a visit, but check opening times on the website because their schedule is quite irregular.

Where in Tokyo:
4-8-1 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo
Check their website for a preview of the menu.

Final thoughts about a possible itinerary:
1. Start your day with a breakfast at Stylo Cafe (Itoya) based on organic Benedict eggs.
2. Head to Maruzen Cafe for a substantial lunch based on Hayashi rice.
3. Move to Omotesando for a drink or a sweet treat at Bunbougu Cafe.

My favorite sushi restaurant chain in Tokyo: Itamae Sushi

On a very famous review website that I shall not name there are over 97,000 restaurants listed in Tokyo. 97,000! Not a typo. Eating options are certainly not lacking in Tokyo, but finding a good place may be sometimes a challenge. Tokyo is the only city in Japan where, times to times, when I had not done enough research, I ended up with a less than satisfactory meal. For this reason let me share one everyday sushi eatery that has never let me down: Itamae Sushi. It is a chain, but they do not compromise on quality. It is well-known in Tokyo as, among other things, in the early 2000s they would systematically win the first tuna auction of the year at Tsukiji fish market (that is kind of a big deal as it is thought to bring good luck to the restaurant and it is widely reported by the media); in 2011 they were in the news again as they offered a sushi meal to over 1300 volunteers that were working in the aftermath of the devastating Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

For me they have two big pluses. First, they buy tuna and seafood directly from the auctions in Tokyo Fish Market and that’s great (sure, you can have comparably fresh seafood from a distributor, but I like when the supply chain is shortened). The other big plus for me is that they have a special focus on tuna (maguro), my favorite fish!

The visit

I usually go to Itamae Sushi in their Ginza Corridor branch. This post in based on a visit at the end of June 2018. Ginza Corridor is a foodie destination, in the South-West area of Ginza, hosting countless izakayas and Japanese and Westerner restaurants, pubs and cafes. Once I had a fugu dinner there! The restaurant is small, with counter seats and some additional table seats. It is ideal for a quick lunch.

The photo above showing their tuna mix sushi is the main reason why I go. For less than 20 USD I can get this amazing tuna platter, including regular tuna, two pieces of medium-fatty tuna (chu-toro) and one piece of the prized o-toro (fatty tuna). By the way, I am not that big on o-toro: yes, it melts in your mouth, but it is quite heavy to the point to be difficult to digest… the best for me is chu-toro.

The set also includes three rolls and an additional piece of negitori sushi, that is minced tuna in this case with scallions.

Coming with a complimentary miso soup (for lunch only), this is a very satisfactory lunch set and a great way to sample tuna. By the way, for dinner they keep the same menu, just not the free miso soup and a few other lunch set options.

The check

This great lunch cost me only 1,980 yen, that is around 18 USD. Tax included and no additional service charge. Great value for money and one of my go-to places for a quick but fresh and satisfactory lunch when in Tokyo.

PS: Of course they have much more on the menu. You can find all the typical sushi types and order single pieces or sushi combinations.

Where in Tokyo:
8-2-13 Ginza, J bldg 1F, Ginza, Chuo 104-0061
See their website for further addresses in Tokyo.
Pro-tip: time to time in some branches they have tuna cutting events where you can observe a chef skillfully cutting an entire tuna.

Beautiful and delicious set meal in a museum – in Tokyo

On the famed Frasier television show, one of the lead characters once made a snarky remark: “Art in restaurants is on par with food in museums”. Explained: both are very bad (and maybe out of place). Admittedly, it is difficult to find a museum cafeteria that is not overpriced and offering low quality food (after all, it is not their core business).

To find a glorious exception to this rule, you need to go to Tokyo (of course). To the Suntory Art Museum to be precise, located in the glossy luxury mega-mall Midtown Galleria.

I cannot credit myself for the discovery. A friend of mine knew about the place and he insisted for a lunch there. I concealed my skepticism (the quote from Frasier kept coming back on the way to the museum). My friend certainly knew best.

Suntory is a private museum hosting special exhibitions throughout the year. But the art is not limited to the museum. The cafe offers great set menus (ideal for a lunch) produced by Produced by ‘Kaga-fu Fumuroya’, a well-established store from Kanazawa that boasts 150 years of tradition. Their dishes are artistically and beautifully assembled. But it is not just appearance. Every bite is tasty and researched. Pro-tip: ask for the seasonal set menus.

I strongly recommend a stop at the museum in your trips to Tokyo. And also the art exhibitions hosted by the museum are usually interesting, by the way.

Where in Tokyo
Tokyo Midtown Galleria 3F,
9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8643, Japan
Check the official website for up to date info.

 

Godiva gourmet dessert at a convenience store – in Japan!

Japan loves limited editions. Or at least marketers in Japan do. Even the most trivial product gets special editions released in limited quantities for a limited time. Japan also loves convenience stores (called combini)… the Lawsons and 7/11s in Japan offer quality food for quick launches and dinners (nothing compared to their counterparts in other countries).

Combine these two elements and you will get limited editions gourmet desserts.

At the beginning of June 2018 Lawson launched a dessert featuring a collaboration between the famed chocolatier Godiva and Uichi Café, a brand of quality desserts sold in convenience stores. At the time of this post – late June 2018 – a few units are still available here and there (we found ours in Kyoto). They will be gone soon. Limited edition marketing has the upside to keep things interesting, but it clearly has the downside to abruptly interrupt the supply of a new product you might end up liking.

The Godiva roll cake is delicious. It is basically a sponge chocolate cake with soft serve Godiva chocolate and a layer of gianduia chocolate that gives additional texture and flavor. Sold for 450 yen (around 4 USD) including tax.

So next time you travel in Japan pop up in Lawson, 7/11 and maybe Family Mart (they are the major chains and are literally everywhere); chances are that you can get something special and unrepeatable.

PS: do not exaggerate… this small cake alone is 420 calories.