I’d previously visited Tsukiji Market with my sister back in 2009, but with the news that the market is slated to relocate in 2016, I had to visit again with Nishan. It was busier this time. Much busier. We navigated the 7 a.m. post-tuna auction crowds until we got to a nondescript sushi restaurant in the middle of the market, and enjoyed some of the freshest sushi the market has to offer. After that, it was time to shop. Preserved scallops, pickled vegetables, sugary mochi, oh my. This was my kind of market.
Afterwards we took the train back to Shinjuku for lunch at Nakajima, Tokyo’s Michelin starred restaurant specializing in sardines. I had the fried sardine lunch set and the pickled greens and radish paired well with the oily fish.
We spent the rest of the day taking it easy in anticipation of what was to come next: Robot Restaurant. Robot Restaurant is a nightmare or a fantastical experience depending on how you look at it. Popularized on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, it’s a dinner show but no one comes for the food. It’s bizarre and epic. You want to see giant metal robots battling it out with lasers? Done. You want to see rainbow rockers flipping into pyramids? Sure. It’s obnoxious, entertaining, and surreal.
The real highlight of the evening, though, was the gigantic bowl of mentaiko udon I had at Tsurutontan after the show. Even at midnight, the line to get in stretched around the corner of the building. One bite of these chewy, hearty noodles and I understood why.
Kamakura is probably the most popular day trip destination outside of Tokyo. An hour-long train ride away, it’s a beach town with relaxed vibes and it’s easy to walk from Kamakura’s central train station to most of the city’s sights. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Japan is second to none when it comes to train travel. After a bento breakfast of fried stuffed tofu and glazed sardines, we were on our way.
Shirasu, or boiled baby sardines, are a Kamakura specialty. After arriving in Kamakura, we stopped at Shamoji to try their shirasu and tuna bowl set.
The shirasu were so clean tasting with a light, smooth texture. Topped with a drizzle of ginger and soy, they were perfect alongside the fresh tuna, miso soup, pickles, and housemade tofu okara. We sat at the bar, slupring our shirasu while chatting with the charismatic and friendly chef, who shared with us that he’d road tripped through California in the 1970s. Our meal at Shamoji was one of our favorites in Japan, and we happily continued on our way to our next stop: Kotoku-in.
Kotoku-in, or the Great Buddha of Kamakura, is one of Japan’s most recognizable icons and it’s so large that you can even go inside the cavernous base. Kotoku-in was built the eleventh century and he’s seen a lot. At one time, the Great Buddha was gilded. There are still traces of gold leaf near the statue’s ears.
A sign near the entrance reads “Stranger, whosoever thou art and whatsoever be thy creed, when thou enterest this sanctuary remember thou treadest upon ground hallowed by the worship of ages. This is the Temple of Bhudda (sic) and the gate of the eternal, and should therefore be entered with reverence.”
Afterwards we explored more of Kamakura’s idyllic streets, stopping to sample tako sembei, or freshly cooked octopus crackers.
Next we made our way to Hase-dera, a Buddhist temple with gorgeous gardens and an impressive view of the coastline.
Behold the Japanese iteration of my blog’s namesake. Not-too-sweet yogurt beverage flecked with bits of pleasantly chewy coconut gel? Yes, please!
We made our way back to Tokyo as dusk was setting in and stopped at Shibuya Crossing to visit one of my favorite places: the Hachiko statue! Hachiko is basically the greatest dog of all time and I love Tokyo for dedicating a statue to this loyal furry dude.
Nishan and I spent the rest of the evening in Shinjuku and exploring the nightlife before stopping for dinner at 35 Steps Bistro. Tucked 35 steps below ground level in a converted parking garage, I wasn’t sure about this place at first. I’m glad I listened to Nishan though, because it ended up being outstanding.
We started with a house salad and tuna tartare, and next came the flame seared mackerel. This mackerel was melt-in-your-mouth tender and charred just right. And the freshness? No contest.
My favorite dish, though, was the mentaiko udon. I might go so far as to say this is among the top ten things I’ve ever tasted, period. Wonderfully chewy udon clinging to a salty-seafoody mentaiko butter sauce, topped with chopped kimchi and nori. You’d think the flavors might clash, but no. It was as if all of my favorite flavors joined forces in perfect, inimitable harmony.
It’s hard to say anything could top that udon. It’s been ten months and I still think about it.
I first visited Japan in 2009 with my sister, where we spent nearly two weeks traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto on the shinkansen train. This time, I was returning to Tokyo with Nishan, and I was just as excited to eat my way through Japan as the last time.
After our plane landed at Narita and we checked in to our hotel in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district, we took the train to Tokyo Station. If you know anything about Tokyo’s subway and train stations, you know that they’re practically cities within cities, complete with top-notch restaurants, shops, and amenities. I can literally spend a whole day in these train stations and not get bored. Tokyo Station includes a number of themed underground “streets,” including Ramen Street.
Yes, you read that right. Ramen Street. It’s just as incredible as it sounds.
The tsukemen at Rokurinsha on Ramen Street is supposed to be among Tokyo’s best so we stood in the long line, awaiting our turn to be seated at the counter for a huge bowl of noodles to slurp and an accompanying bowl of dipping sauce. And oh, that ramen egg. Perfect glorious egg of perfection, how I love thee. How I love your jewel-like yolk, your delightfully soy-seasoned exterior. I wish I could replicate you.
Suffice to say that the tsukemen was well worth the wait, even if I was too full to finish my bowl of noodles.
We spent the rest of the evening exploring Tokyo Station before heading back to our hotel to call it a night. The next morning, we took the train to Tokyo Tower and explored the neighborhood before arriving at Tofuya Ukai for a kaiseki tofu-themed meal. To be honest, Tofuya Ukai’s gardens practically stole the show before the meal had even begun.
We started with the cuttlefish stuffed with rice, and topped with a seasonally appropriate cherry blossom.
Next came my favorite course: tofu coated with miso and served alongside a piece of rolled omelet.
We were also treated to a serving of assorted sashimi. Next came a plate of simmered pork and potato — a nod to the chilly, drizzling weather outside.
After that came the vinegared octopus, chilled pea soup, and bamboo shoot shrimp.
Our next course was tofu in seasoned soy milk, which looked incredibly unassuming, but topped with an accompanying preserved seaweed, it made the dish hearty and umami-laden.
We were next presented with a tray of vinegared rice with salmon roe and wild plants. This was another one of my favorite courses at Tofuya Ukai.
Our last course was a dessert of soy milk pudding and sweet azuki beans. Everything at Tofuya Ukai was presented so beautifully, so seasonally, that this meal became one of our most memorable in Japan. Entrenched in its lush garden, you’d think we were in the Japanese countryside instead of central Tokyo.
Back in the bustling streets, Nishan and I took the train to explore Nakameguro District before heading back to Shinjuku to visit one of my favorite places in all of Japan: the Takashimaya food hall. The basement levels of Japan’s department stores are dedicated to all manners of perfectly presented food, and I try to visit as many as I can during each trip. The baked goods, wagashi, sashimi, and homestyle Japanese cuisines here are some of the best I’ve ever had.
For dinner, we headed to Roppongi to meet with Nishan’s friend and former colleague Jumpei. We had an omakase sushi meal at Seizan, and it was one of my favorite meals during this trip. (Listen, I know I’m saying that about half of the meals in Tokyo so far, but come on. It’s Tokyo. Everything tastes amazing.)
Our seventh and last day in Bali was the epitome of chill. We got a taxi to take us to Sanur, located on Bali’s southeastern coast. We’d heard so much about the famed brunch at the Fairmont there and wanted to try it out. We arrived after an hour-long drive and checked out the beach first, which was much less busy, much prettier, and much hotter than Seminyak’s.
Brunch started with a couple of deliciously refreshing passionfruit cocktails, and then we were seated. I’ll say this: the brunch wasn’t what I was expecting. The cuisine was Eurocentric (why eat scrambled eggs and blinis if you’ve traveled all the way to Indonesia?) and the crowd was rude (I saw more than one group of diners belittling the staff. Get over yourselves, dudes).
But back to the brunch.
My favorite dish was the river lobster egg omlette. It was so outstanding that I ordered another. The egg nouvelle was also good, though unfortunately the rest of the brunch buffet wasn’t memorable. As was the theme with this trip, we ended up leaving the coast early and heading back to Ubud for one last tea time and one last dip in the pool.
Saying goodbye to our hotel and to Ubud was, you know, sort of a bummer, but we were excited to head to the airport for the next leg of our trip: Japan!
Bali posed a conundrum for us. We wanted to explore as much as we could during our short stay but we also wanted to laze in the pool and enjoy a drink or two under the hot sun. First world problems, right? We spent our fifth day in Ubud finding a happy medium. After breakfast we headed into town and explored Monkey Forest road and the surrounding areas before stopping for lunch at Warung Sopa.
Warung Sopa is a casual vegan-centric cafe but it’s the fresh-squeezed juices that really stood out here. Or maybe that’s the sweltering heat speaking.
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Ubud’s handicraft shops before heading back to our hotel for a sunset dip in the pool. I mean, COME ON. With this view, we couldn’t resist.
We ended our evening with a meal at Locavore on Jalan Dewisita. Our set dinner was beautifully presented and my favorite points were the beginning (piquant pickled fruits) and the end (a dessert set which included a creamy, luscious mangosteen). Just give me the Indonesian fruit, please. Locavore’s innovative and bracing cocktails were terrific, too. A note about privilege: Locavore was well above the price point of the average meal in Ubud, making it a special occasion meal but sadly beyond the reach of most people who actually live in Ubud.
Since our one trip to the beach had been a dud, we spent our next day happily sticking it out in Ubud and walking around town, exploring each side street, each rice field, each impromptu festival.
We were soon hungry and stopped at Kafe Batan Waru, our favorite restaurant in Ubud.
Soda gembira is one of Indonesia’s most popular drinks and it translates to “happy soda.” It’s sweet, strawberry-flavored, fizzy, and creamy — and faintly reminiscent of the South Asian Rooh Afza.
Next up: ayam goreng tepung, or flour-battered fried chicken served with a sweet chili sauce. This. Was. SO. GOOD. I could eat this juicy, crispy chicken every day, but I won’t, because you know, arteries.
We also had a plate of kangung tumis, or stir-fried water spinach. This was one of my favorite things to eat when I visited Vietnam, and the Indonesian rendition was just as good.
Indonesian food shares some similarities with South Asian cuisine, and murtabak is no exception. Murtabak are thin pan-fried breads stuffed with spiced meat and while it originated in Yemen, it made its way back to India, and eventually, Southeast Asia. The Indonesian version includes pickled condiments on the side, which cut perfectly through the murtabak’s richness.
We capped off our meal with Balinese urap pakis, or steamed wild fern tips served with roasted shredded coconut. Afterwards, we walked off the calories with an excursion at Ubud Palace and returned to Komaneka at Bisma for another dip in the pool.
I’ve mentioned previously how wonderful the hotel’s team was. They’re so wonderful that they knew that I really love Indonesian fruit. They invited me to go pick some rambutan with them, so off we went through the rice paddies for some fresh rambutan. It doesn’t get any fresher than this. Twenty minutes later and I was snacking on rambutan (and salak, another uniquely Southeast Asian fruit), alongside Indonesian sweets. What an experience.
