Yellow courtesy line for the blind

A sign for "courtesy seats"

We stayed in several different hotels, and they were relatively similar- small rooms, very clean and simple with state of the art toilets. In case you haven’t heard of TOTO-Japan’s number one brand of plumbing equipment- most toilets in Japan have a bidet, seat warming and deodorizing features, and a feature that plays a soft ” flushing ” like sound throughout your restroom use. The first hotel we stayed at was Shinjuku New City. Simple diggs, but immaculately clean, and the whole ” attention to details” thing was very much at play here. There were robes and slippers in our room, as well as a flashlight and shoe polish. In the bathroom  there were packages with a toothbrush and tiny toothpaste, razor and tiny shaving cream. I have stayed at much nicer hotels in the US and Europe but have never gotten an unsolicited toothbrush before.

Our second hotel was also in Shinjuku- we loved the area, and found it super convenient to everything. Rose Garden Hotel was also a simple business hotel. What really impressed me was- when it rained there were two hotel employees standing at the entrance and handing out towels. They also had umbrellas they lent out to people going out. These were such nice gestures, and so helpful. There was a typhoon somewhere outside of Tokyo, and it rained pretty hard for several days. Coming back to our hotel and getting a towel after being rained on for hours was a very welcome end to the day.

It’s fascinating to me that in a city that is so densely populated, so fast paced and busy people find time for little gestures of politeness. I appreciated it so much more so just because it would be so easy for the Japanese to go on with their busy lives and dismiss the small gestures.  And yet they find the time to fold the toilet paper, pass out umbrellas and pay their respects to the elderly. Witnessing this part of Japanese culture made my stay a lot more meaningful and pleasurable.

When we stumbled upon Baikal in Roppongi, my heart rejoiced. Borscht, “vinegret” and maybe even crepes with red caviar! I had the biggest smile on my face, and very high hopes for this Heaven sent establishment. So we made our way to the third floor in the tiny elevator. A lot of Tokyo restaurants are not street level- they are located on the 2nd or 3rd floors, and are relatively difficult to find, unless you speak/read Japanese. But this particular reaturant sign was in English and in Russian

The place was small, and warm. Baby blue table cloths, and a wall of “Matryoshkas” , “samovar” and other old world Russian memorabilia. They had one of those Russian soap operas playing on the large flat screen and the waitress seemed to mesmerized with it. So was the kitchen staff- they were watching from the open kitchen. Within 20 minute I found myself enthralled in the soap as well, and making comments about the character’s actions to my husband.

I ordered “uha” – a fisherman’s soup, served with yummy “black” bread and it  warmed my soul. Then we got very fresh vinegret- a salad of beets, carrots, potatoes and pickles, and finally crepes with sour cream and caviar. Everything was perfect- just the way I imagined. While in “Baikal” we learned that there are many Russian expats from Baikal in Tokyo, as it is so geographically close. I guess I would not have known that had we not stumbled upon ” Baikal”

"Cheburashka" and alligator "Gena" beloved Russian cartoon characters

I suddenly had a realization that my favorite cuisine in the world is Russian, I miss it so much when I travel. It was so nice to find this slice of  “home” in the middle of busy Tokyo.

in the Midtown train station- likely the most modern subway station in the world

Nice light at the top of the National Art center. Lunch at Brasserie Paul Bocuse Le Musée

Traditional Japanese meal at Mount Takao

Hanging out at the National Art Museum- view from the top

Commemorative plates dedicated to the supporters of the Mount Takao

Monks in Mount Takao

The "unfortunate" fortunes. You can buy a fortune from the " fortuneteller" in temples. If you like the fortune, you take it with you. If turns out to be a fortune you don't want for yourself you leave it behind at the temple.Mount Takao at night

My favorite department store in Tokyo -Laforet in Harajuku. Some of the most innovative fashion I've seen

More of Laforet

Harajuku

View from the 48th floor observatory of Tokyo Governement building. On top of the World

Tokyo highrises

after the rain...

Shopping in Asakusa

A Phillipe Stark building in Asakusa- black windowless box with a gold topping. Quaintly referred to in Tokyo as " The Golden Turd"

Asakusa dweller

Mosaic wall on the street in Asakusa

hold on....

Tokyo Spider... in Shinjuku

Sailor Moon and I- in a Manga superstore in Shibuya

The eye- Shinjuku train station. We were standing there a good 20 minutes to catch a moment when no one was walking by. Shinjuku train station is the busiest train station in the world- used by an average of 3.22 million people per day

Our host at Himonoya Asakusa

My favorite thing about Tokyo was all the different Izakakya we dined at.  Izakakya is something along the lines of a tapas bar, and literally translates as  ”a place where there is Sake”. But other than tons of varieties of sake and beer there is all kinds of fun yummy food, small plates that everyone shares. It’s great to go with a group, so you can taste a large variety of  different things, but even if it was just me and my husband, figuring out what to order and sharing the small dishes was so much fun. They all come at different times, and are served on fantastic and funky ceramic plates or in cool pottery. We must have gone to at least 10 different Izakaya while we  were in Tokyo, and some we went back to several times. My friend who visited Tokyo several months before asked which one was my favorite, and I really can’t decide- each one offered something  unique and special, and each was perfect in it’s own way.

Himonoya- dried fish

The first one we stumbled upon was in Asakusa, called  Himono- Ya - “dried fish”. It had a water/fisherman theme with fountains and water  pouring over the rocks at the entrance, and dried fish hanging at the open kitchen counter. It had small private booths and a kind of an artificial rustic feel to it. We were hungry and ordered too much food- but it all got consumed, not sure how- it was the three of us and I think we ordered enough for 6. There was everything from a huge crispy salad, to cabbage leaves with mis mayo dipping sauce, to simple roasted potatoe with butter,  to ” grilled juicy salmon of enough fat” (quoting the menu). This was our first Izakay experience in Tokyo, and I was hooked- everything from the atmosphere to the service to the food instantly appealed to me. We later found another Himono-ya outpost in Shibuya, which was decent but not as good as the one in Asakusa.

Himonoya

Gonpachiis a Tokyo expat institution. Supposedly Quentin Terrantino got the inspiration for ” Kill BIll” after visiting Gonpachi, and they have a whole display commemorating the film. Gonpachi ia 3 story townhouse type building, with an excellent sushi restaurant on the third floor, and a large, rowdy izakaya on the first and the second. We ate at both places, and they were equally as good, though entirely different both in food and atmosphere. The sushi restaurant is more subdued and sophisticated, with dim lights, simple  and clean decor, and warm  atmosphere. They served beautifully presented super fresh sushi, very cool day specials and  several fun authentic appetizers. Their “international” sushi rolls were obviously created for the “western” taste- too large, and too many ingredients- I was not a fan of these. Though the place was packed with a very eclectic and trendy crowd, we had a quiet lovely evening here.

Love the Lighting fixtures upstairs at GonpachiThe freshest sahimi ever

The Izakaya part is smoky and extremely rowdy- a large open space with 2nd floor balcony booths, very rustic decor, and about 80 percent expat and tourist crowd. Each new group of people that walks into the place is greeted very loudly by the entire staff, which seems a bit  overdone, but you get used to it.  The food is typical Izakaya fare- was solid, with a few creative touches. As usual the group of us ordered tons of stuff to share all of which was delectable. I particularly loved the agedashi tofu, black cod miso and the omlette.  Dessert was uninspiring- some mushi unknown item that was supposed to be red bean and mochi but fell waaaay short of my expectations, especially after the great dinner. My friend ordered the black sesame ice cream, and thought it was delicious. Gonpachi is a really fun place to go with a group, and seemed like the place Tokyo dwellers take their Western visitors to.

Gonpachi- view from upstairsOpen kitchen and grill at Gonpachi

Black sesame ice cream

a tribute to " Kill BIll"

While we were in Japan, we stayed at a small town called Hachioji, just outside of Tokyo. We stumbled upon an Izakaya there, which ended up being one of our favorites. The name of this particular establishment remained unknown to us. The girl that served us each time was just so awesome, it was almost worth it to keep coming back here for her enthusiasm. She  studied in Glasgov, and spoke English really well, with an Irish accent, and seemed so genuinely happy to see us every time we were here, that I seldomly elicit  such excited reactions to my arrival from even close friends. She loved chatting and practicing her English with us, and we loved it too. The simple food here was fresh, tasty and arrived fast. Though we varied our orders, our staples were the scallops on the skewer, mushroom soup in hot pot  and simple sliced avocado with seaweed shreds. The kind of food you don’t tire of.

Messy but good at Hochioji Izakayascallopin Hochioji

Ruslan loves his hotpot

Kampai!

Now, back in the US I miss Izakaya dining- there is something about this way of eating that appeals to me so much more than ordering an appetizer and entree, or a bowl of pasta. So the search for US Izakaya begins, and I will keep you updated on what I find, where it’s located and how they compare to my favorite Tokyo spots.

But none of this is an excuse to abandon my favorite blog, and so I am back after a month’s hiatus, and wowing for this long of an absence to never happen again!  And so, I have lots of fun Tokyo stories, food adventures and observations to share, so keep tuned in!  Now, back in Miami, and looking forward to  discovering new and exciting things about my “hometown” and  inspiration to be found…

Cheers!

G

Shark's cove

Shark’s cove, is not a great beach for laying out but it is a great beach for snorkeling and taking gorgeous photos. The lagoons and the rocks around them attract all sorts of beautiful fish, and the water is shallow enough for people who are not great swimmers to enjoy some fun easy snorkeling. We took some photos here close to sunset and they turned out quite beautiful- see for yourself.  There is also a quirky Japanese garden, with funky shaped trees and odd pyramids made of stones stacked on top of one another…hard to explain, you have to see for yourself. I have no idea who created this”oasis” or takes care of it, but it is certainly an interesting sight.

Right past shark’s cove on the way to Haleiwa is what  many  call “kid’s beach”. You can walk there from Shark’s cove parking lot. It’s a small lagoon with clear and relatively shallow water, and is perfect for kids. I really liked this beach- simple, shade under the trees, kids laughter everywhere. If you combine the snorkeling and views of Shark’s cove with relaxing time at this beach it makes for a perfect day…

Stone "pyramids""Garden" in Shark's cove

Across from Shark Cove we found the quirkiest  ” souvenir shop”- shark’s cove “trading post”. There is an awesome hippie Hawaiian man called Maui who has a small booth on the side of the road.  He collects all kinds of interesting beads from all over the world, art, artifacts, masks, trinkets- you name it. We got  a few really unique and beautiful pieces from him, and listened to his stories for a bit…it was a treat.

"Trading post"

"Trading post"

Outside the trading post

About half way between Shark’s cove and Waimea bay is Turtle beach. It is a cool stop for turtle watching- there is always at least one or two turtles, and usually someone who educated visitors about turtles and their behaviors. The turtles are huge and of course very passive- they just kinda lay there as turtles do:)  Some people snorkel here, but for me the water is too murky and there is too much seaweed pieces. This particular beach is nothing special in itself,  but definitely stop by to visit the turtles. 

A visitor at Turtle beachcool rocks at Turtle Beach

Waimea bay is a famous beach, and gets packed on the weekends but is still relatively quiet during the week. The water is cristal clear, and the sand is fine, there is really no shade anywhere though so you’d have to bring your own umbrella. On the left side of the beach is a big rock people dive of- there is usually a line to climb up and jump off. Even more to the left there is a small lagoon that is deserted most of the time- your own private beach if you get lucky. Picturesque rocks and a large black rock formation frame the lagoon, it’s pretty small and wind-free. Tons of colorful fish, the clearest water, and almost complete privacy- not counting the loud splashing of kids diving off the “rock” nearby. I love this lagoon in Waimea, it’s a truly magical place.

Waimea"private beach"

If you have a chance to visit North Shore beaches during the week as opposed to the weekend, definitely do so, as the beaches are at their best without the crowds… But even on the weekends these beauties will not disappoint.

Ocean House

Most of Waikiki dining options consist of chains,  fast food joints, and the generic overpriced hotel restaurants. Amongst this slew of unwelcome options I have discovered a few that are more my speed, and have been a frequent visitor. Hope to find more soon- variety is key

Ocean house is a creative seafood restaurant located in the Outrigger Reef hotel on Waikiki beach. The restaurant is open, with gorgeous sunset views and incredible light that changes from golden hour to sunset. The decor is  subdued Hawaiian style with grey and white columns, banquets and chairs covered in Hawaiian print, and waiters wearing different Hawaiian shirts. The upscale seafood is good and fresh, with creative presentation is and generous portions. I got two big pieces of Mahi Mahi for my main course- almost too large to finish. the service is very attentive, and a bit upselly. But the food is good and the views are incredible, and it’s definitely worth a visit or two. Call ahead and reserve an ocean view table. Find out when the sunset is and go about 30 minutes before, so you could be towards the end of your meal and on your second drink as the sun sets… Just the right mood

Ocean House

Mahi Mahi at Ocean House

Hale is a macrobiotic establishment on an unsuspecting side street near Ala Moana shopping mall. Modern, spacious and light with an open kitchen, I instantly loved the space when we walked in. Our waiter was attentive and knowelegebale, and just plain sweet- slightly over the top sweet perhaps, but endearing.  The menu consists of a nice variety of macrobiotic items and fresh caught local fish. For those not familiar with macrobiotic- the cuisine focuses on whole grains and vegetables as primary food groups, and supplements it with occasional fish and vegetable protein, sea vegetables and pickles. Hale’s dinner combo includes a protein, veggies, rice, greens, beans and pickles, oh and soup! Sounds filling? It is. Very much so- and delicious. We went with a large group, and everyone seemd to love their meals- judging by completely empty dishes the waiter took away after our meal. The dessert of pumpkin pudding was so pretty that we waited a while to eat it…just kept staring at it. It proved as delicious as it was beautifully presented- a rare feat. The menu also has quite a bit of variety, so returning here often and trying different things is definitely in the plans.

Open kitchen at HaleHale interior

Pumpkin pudding- Yum!

Dessert

Tamahiro and his dinner combo

I like a restaurant that has a line waiting for tables on a Tuesday evening. So i had pretty high expectations of  Siam Square  after waiting for 20 minutes.  We were finally sat at our table by a lovely server wearing traditional white Thai outfit. This second floor neat and super authentic place really delivered. The decor is simple and nice, with crisp white tablecloths, traditional Thai art and a several flat screens showcasing documentaries about the beauty of Thailand. We ordered the coconut soup, and when our waitress brought it, I thought it was too big, and between my husband and I we’d never finish it . Low and behold we were having a spoon fight over the last few drops. One of the best soups I’ve ever had.  The rest of the meal was just as delicious. Even my simple choice- Pad Thai was a pleasant surprise, as the shrimp (usually bland in most Pad Thai) were marinated and full of flavor. WE really enjoyed all aspects of our dinner here- from fast service with a smile, to the decor to the fantastic food.

As it turns out Waikiki does offer some interesting and surprisingly good dining options. You just have to loook a bit harder to discover them, but once you do the searchi is worth it:)

There are tons of great restaurants and cafes here, and serving good, fresh tasty food seems to be a rule in most of them.

There are several shrimp trucks- with very simple fair shrimp and white rice. The shrimp is super fresh though, and shrimp trucks are somewhat of a North Shore institution, so definitely worth a try. Grass skirt grill is  a very casual affair with just a few tables outside, and good, simple super fresh fish or veggie dishes. the place is all kitsch and charm inside with vintage postcards and a large chalkboard menu. Don’t even think about asking the guy at the counter for substitutions.

Inside Grass Skirt grillGrass skirt grill

Grass Skirt grill entrance

Luibueno’s Mexican is an upscale Mexican restaurant. They serve excellent very large and creative drinks, fantastic ceviche, and really good fish tacos. Our waitress was as gorgeous as she was nice. Quick and excellent service, creative fresh food and drinks- really can’t go wrong here.

The bridge to Haleiwa

Haleiwa is not all about good food and charming scenery- it has plenty of substance. There are a dozen art galleries, most featuring local artists and Hawaiian themes. You’ll see plenty of rainbows, blue skies, dolphins and turtles. There are some more abstract pieces as well- plenty of variety to chose from.

Farmer’s market is a recurrent theme in Oahu, and Haleiwa farmer’s market is a step above the rest. It has some crafts- gorgeous, if expensive hand painted pareos, really cool  bags made of recycled fabrics, and a  massage booth. there is also really good food and a nice picnic table set up. I especially like the crepe stand that uses all organic and local ingredients- most sourced from this very market according to them.

Fried green tomatoes- Yum!

The freshest eggs I've ever had

Haleiwa Farmer's market

I like to start my day at the farmer’s market, then drive over to some of the beaches- Shark’s cove for snorkling or Sandy beach for relaxing.  then go back to Haleiwa after sunset for some browsing and good dinner… Perfect day for my taste…

Lolo and dragonfruit at Haleiwa Farmer's market

Sometimes the simplest of things are the most important. I missed out on a trip to Bali in July. My husband had a month long  job in Bali, and I was planning to tag along as I often do, but my dad got ill and I ended up staying in New York. All of July I travelled vicariously through Ruslan, who sent me photos of elephant park, and monkey safaris, Ubud, the country side, and the beautiful mountain retreat he stayed at. I listened to his stories and musings about Bali, we stayed on Skype for hours, and I would ask him to describe everything in the most minute detail. From what he had for breakfast, to typical Balinese fashion, to how the monkeys behaved themselves. I made him promise me over and over again that we will return to Bali together soon. He brought me lots of gifts from the trip, all of which were pretty fantastic. He is good like that. I got traditional sarongs and “matryoshka” like rice boxes, pretty jewelry and lovely clothes. My  absolute favorite though is a small brown bunny wearing a traditional Balinese outfit.

At Sunset beach

I named the bunny Lolo and vowed to take him along on all my travels. So I did, his first trip being to Oahu and Maui. I predictably took pictures of Lolo at farmer’s markets and the beach, on the boat, in the botanical gardens. Anywhere I remembered to take pictures:). He is very photogenic it turns out, looks adorable from every angle. I hope to make a collage of these photos one day and hang them up in our apartment, as a reminder of Lolo’s and our fun travels

Going to Bali has been a dream of mine  for some time, and being unable to go at the last minute was pretty upsetting. Somehow having Lolo made it a lot more bearable. Hard to explain really. I guess it’s just a funny, child like notion…

boating...

Hawaiian water tastes so clean!