Day 8 – Tokyo
“Breakfast included” wasn’t an option on our booking, so we opted for room service, rather that shelling out $50+ each at the buffet. The food was good, but service was lacking (again) with a missed item and lack of plating. More to come on the service issues at the Tokyo Park Hyatt tomorrow, when we check out.
Our main agenda item today is to visit the shopping district of Harijuku. The overall area is home to many, many large brands and department stores, but the real highlight are the shops along the back alleys between the Harijuku train station and the main shopping area. It’s much more chaotic, much cheaper, and has unique stalls that you won’t find in the more “corportate” area (like desserts, tattoo parlors and “pet a pig” cafés). We spent a good four hours walking around, buying clothes, petting micro pigs (so cute!), eating and just taking in the sites and crowds. Definitely a spectacle to see if you visit.
We had lunch in one of the shopping complexes, at a restaurant named “Eureka”. This was our first restaurant that didn’t have either (a) and English menu of (b) pictures. I would say it was a high-end café, with a limited menu and multiple courses. Google Translate to the rescue and we were able to translate the menu using the camera app and then point to what we wanted. Getting drinks was even more of a challenge, but we managed to order some wine eventually, and the meal was actually really good.
One thing about Tokyo is that EVERYTHING is time consuming. Space is at an extreme premium, with such a large population, and so are prices. To that end, the volume of business required to be successful is also high, so there are limited numbers of food stalls and they always have lines. We haven’t had a “simple” meal yet (ramen, sushi, etc.) that didn’t involve a 30+ minute wait. Just something to be aware of, when you visit.
After lunch and shopping, we headed back to the hotel to rest for a bit and get ready for dinner. Tonight’s dinner is at Kyubey Sushi at Keio Plaza Hotel. Although Kyubey is a “chain” with multiple locations, it has been very highly rated by publications, such as “La Liste”, a French equivalent to the Top 50 Restaurants list from the UK. Methodologies between the different lists varies, and La Liste relies more on user reviews (Yelp! Trip Advisor) which in turn favor tourist friendly spots, like Kyubey (including a chef who spoke relatively good english).
The setting a Kyubey was perfect: sushi counter with elevated pillow seating on a bench (so it appeared you were sitting on the floor). Seating was only for 12 people, so each chef only had to serve 6 people. The chefs were truly masters, prepping fish, preparring rice with ease, effortless and expertise that could only be attained through decades behind the counter. Although there was an a la carte option, everyone seemed to be ordering from the pris fixe menus (five versions) and we were no exception, ordering from the “Kyubey” menu (two appetizers + 16 pieces of sushi). The variety of fish was extraordinary, ranging from fan favorites like fatty tuna and Uni, all of the way to more obscure items like Whelks Sea Snail and Ark Shell. Overall the food was great and the experience exceptional. Definitely recommended as an alternative to the three-star Michelin options, that are often only available to locals and repeat customers.
After dinner, we headed to Shibuya Crossing, considered one of the busiest intersections in the world. The Shibuya neighborhood is also home to Womb Nightclub, where one of our favorite DJs (Ferry Corsten) was playing tonight. We stopped by the club to check on set times and then searched out a local bar to kill a couple of hours until the show really go going. We ended up in a great hole-in-the-wall spot called Beat Café, packed with locals, expats and tourists. Great vibes to kick off the night.
Eventually we headed to Womb to see Ferry Corsten’s set and ended up meeing some other travelers and danced the night away. Super fun finale to a great trip. We fly out tomorrow, so no more site seeing. Final recap tomorrow!