City Guide – Tokyo

Tokyo is such an amazing city and one that really needs a lot of time to explore. Most of us don’t have that time so what is written below is what a long time Tokyo resident and friend of Niseko Gourmet recommends as the perfect way to see the best bits of the city.

Obviously there are more restaurants and bars than any other city in the world and there are so many specialist areas that you could take in but with just a couple of days, this information is very, very good

Thanks to Bronwyn Edwards for this amazing Tokyo City Guide

Weekday Tokyo

Day 1

Morning – Sensouji Temple in Asakusa

Take the Ginza Line into Asakusa and look for any of the exits pointing you towards Kaminarimon. This will direct you to the temple gates guarded by the Thunder & Lightening Gods (Kaminarimon).

Walk up the shop lined street towards the main temple alter. This is a good cheesy souvenir buying spot. The little side alleys coming off the main street are also good for shopping – mostly Japanese cloths, shoes, tea and rice crackers. Asakusa used to be a Geisha district so the shopping is quite traditional.

Up near the temple alter you will see a spot where you can pay 100 yen to buy your fortune. Pay the 100 yen and shake the cylinder near the money box to pull out a long chopstick with a number written in Chinese characters on it. Find the corresponding drawer in the wall that has that number (you have to study the Chinese Characters carefully to get it right). Read the fortune and if it is a good one, keep it. If it is a bad one, tie it onto the wall next to the fortune drawers along with the many others you will see there. This is so it won’t come true.

A little closer to the temple alter you will see a giant incense urn with people crowded around it brushing incense smoke over their heads/hearts/stomachs etc. Go up to the urn and brush the smoke onto a part of your body you want to make better. If you have an exam coming up, brush the smoke over your head. If you have a weak heart, brush it over your heart.

At the main alter, walk up to the giant alter box and throw in a 5 yen coin (5 yen/Go-en in Japanese means good luck). Clap your hands twice and say a little prayer.

Near the main alter you will see a couple of hawker stalls. The Jagaimo (baked potatoes with butter) and takoyaki (octopus balls) are really good.

There are a lot of good lunch places in Asakusa. Try any place that has a good crowd. Tempura sets and noodles are the most popular kinds of restaurants here.

Afternoon – River trip from Asakusa to Odaiba

Take a side street back towards Kaminarimon and once you reach the main gate, turn left and walk down the main road of Asakusa. This will take you to the river and an old red bridge.

Next to the red bridge is a jetty where you can take the ferry down the river and under the Rainbow Bridge to Odaiba. You may have to change over to another ferry once you get to the end of the river and the start of the Tokyo Bay. Check when you buy the ticket.

The ferry will take you down the Sumida River and under a ton of bridges – you will go past the Tsukiji Fish Market, the Ryogoku Sumo Stadium and a large Japanese Garden. If it is a sunny day you can sit on the roof of the boat which has the best views.

Odaiba is a funky, modern part of Tokyo with great views over the water and the Rainbow Bridge back towards Tokyo Tower and the Roppongi high rises. Walk around the Decks shopping complex and grab a coffee at one of the outdoor cafes overlooking the Tokyo Bay. There is also a Statue of Liberty replica here (random) and a whole floor is designed to look like you are walking through a Tokyo street during the Meiji Era. You will also be able to see the futuristic Fuji TV building next door.

There is a walkway connecting Decks and Venus Forte, another huge complex which is designed to look like you are strolling through the streets of Florence. Next to this is Mega Web – a car showroom showcasing all of Toyota’s latest vehicles, including some futuristic ones like one man rocket launchers and a mini electric car (you can take this for a test drive around a little track).

Evening – Ginza District and Yakitori under the Yuriakucho train tracks

After checking out Odaiba, take the Yurikamome Monorail Line back to Shinbashi. This will take you over the Rainbow Bridge. Shinbashi is the last stop. From Shinbashi Station, walk down the main street towards the Ginza 4-Chome crossing. Ginza is Tokyo’s oldest shopping district and the main street is filled with large shops and vertical neon signs that look great all lit up at night time. Once you hit the main Ginza 4-Chome crossing, you’ll see Mitsukoshi Department store on the corner. The two basement floors are the gourmet floors and very interesting to stroll around. You can usually try little samples of the pickles, miso, seaweed etc. You can spend a very lively 30 minutes just checking out all of the crazy foods down here.

A short walk from Ginza towards the Yurakucho/Hibiya train tracks (ask someone to poin t you in the right direction) will take you a long strip of tiny yakitori (chicken sticks) restaurants and izakayas (Japanese restaurant/pubs) that are all set up under the train tracks. The restaurants are divey and tiny, but the food is cheap and delicious! Walk along the tracks until you see a joint with available seats. Order giant beers (Jokki) and chicken sticks and whatever else looks good.

Day 2

Early Morning – Sushi Breakfast at Tsukiji

Take the Hibiya Subway Line or Oedo Subway Line to Tsukiji Fish Market. At the subway station, look for the exits directing you to the market (or follow the crowds).

To see the tuna auction, you need to arrive before 6am. But even if you miss the tuna auction, walking around the stalls and watching three generations of a fishing family slice up the tuna with giant sword like knives is still pretty cool. The sheer assortment of seafood there is also just incredible (eels, sea urchin, all kinds of weird shell fish and multi-coloured fish eggs….).

After you have checked out the stalls, head to the restaurant alleys (you may need to ask someone) and look for a place to grab some sushi for breakfast. The actual sushi sets are quite expensive (it is the freshest sushi you will ever have!!), but just as good are the sushi bowl sets where you get fresh slices of tuna, salmon, scallops (whatever really) served over a bowl of sushi rice and it comes with good miso soup and home made pickles.

Note: Tsukiji is closed on the 3^rd Wednesday of every month.

Late Morning – The Imperial Palace

A 710 cab ride from Tsukiji Fish market will get you to the Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace. The gardens and moat are also good for a stroll if the weather is nice. You can check out the various gate entrances to the palace, but the outer grounds are only open on New Years Day and the Emperor’s birthday (December 23).

Lunch and Afternoon– Omoide Machi and the high rises in Shinjuku

Take the train into Shinjuku and take the West exit. Shinjuku Station is huge and one of the busiest stations in the world, so follow the signs to the West Exit and if you get overwhelmed, ask for directions (some people have been lost in Shinjuku Stations for hours at a time – it is filled with shops and little hallways, so it is easy to lose your way.)

The Odakyu Department Store is at the West Exit and tucked away under the tracks in between the Odakyu Department Store and the JR train tracks is Omoide Machi (Nostalgia Street) which is a tiny, old style street filled with teensy noodle shops. It is a huge contrast to find this little old style oasis in the middle of the Shinjuku high rises. The locals are fighting to keep the street alive as developers have applied to bulldoze it and make way for more high rises. Find a little noodle shop and try the miso ramen.

About a 10 minute walk through the West Side high rises is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Take the lift to the top floor lookout (it is free) where Japanese students of English will give you a tour around the lookout floor for free – they are just looking for a chance to practice on a native speaker! On a clear day you can see Mt Fuji.

While on the lookout floor, have the guide point out Shinjuku Gyoen, a beautiful park set right in the heart of the Shinjuku high rises. It costs 200 yen to enter the park, but the fee is well worth it as the gardens are well maintained and very peaceful. Follow the signs in the park to the Japanese tea house where kimono clad women will serve up the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony for guests.

Evening – 35 Steps in Shibuya

Head back to Shinjuku Station and take the Yamanote Line to Shibuya Station. Take the Hachiko Exit and check out one of the world’s biggest crossings – Hachiko Crossing. The Starbucks at Hachiko is the world’s highest grossing Starbucks – a great spot to grab a coffee and people watch.

A short walk from Hachiko is a Japanese Izakaya called 35 Steps (map and details here: http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/660/restaurants.asp) Head here for a Japanese pub style meal and try the sake which is served out of bamboo containers and cups.

For the walk back to Shibuya Station, take the back streets through the Love Hotel district. Good for a giggle!!

If you want to keep pushing on after dinner, check out the very room used by Scarlett Johanssen and Bill Murray in the movie “Lost in Translation”. Head to the Karaoke Kan complex and ask for the “Rokkai Madogawa no heya”. It is a circular room with glass windows overlooking the Shibuya Streets. A great spot to sing some daggy 80s tunes.

Sunday in Tokyo

Morning – Harajuku Girls and the Meiji Shrine

Take the Yamanote Line to Harajuku and walk up the funky (and sometimes freaky) Takeshita Dori Street to see all of the whacky Harajuku fashions and freaky kids.

Grab a banana crepe for breakfast from one of the Takeshita Dori crepe stands and walk back towards Harajuku Station and the entrance to Meijo Shrine. Right by the entrance to the shrine is where all of the Harajuku Kids hang out in groups. Dressed as psychopathic nurses, gothic lolitas and a variety of other themes – it is a great people watching spot.

Head through the large wooden torii gate and walk towards Meiji Shrine. If you are lucky, you may get to see a traditional Japanese wedding taking place.

After checking out Meiji Shrine, continue to walk away from Harajuku Station towards Yoyogi Park. At the entrance to Yoyogi Park are the famous Rockabilly Dancers who dance at this spot all day, every Sunday. A stroll through Yoyogi Park will reveal a host of other buskers and groups of people practicing everything from hip hop dance, to fencing to opera singing.

Late Lunch – 115 yen Kaiten Sushi (Sushi Train) Restaurant in Shibuya

Shibuya is just a 10 minute walk from Yoyogi Park or one stop on the Yamanote Line.

From Hachiko Square, cross over towards the big Starbucks and walk up the street to the left which will take you past a huge electronics store (Sakuraya) and the HMV Music Store. Just past HMV, take the small street to the right and you will see a small Sushi Train restaurant on your right hand side. There may be a queue, but don’t let this put you off. Because this place is so popular (it gets its sushi fresh from the Tsukiji Market every day) patrons are only permitted to sit down for 30 minutes at a time. Plus – patrons must eat at least 7 plates of sushi (at 115 yen each it is still a bargain). So make sure you get there hungry. When you are seated, pour yourself a cup of green tea and choose carefully from the revolving plates. You can also shout out an order to the chefs who will make a plate up fresh for you if your favourite sushi is not revolving around.

Afternoon – Omote Sando Stroll

Take the subway (Hanzomon or Ginza Line) one stop to Omote Sando and stroll down the tree lined Omote Sando Street with all of the upmarket designer stores and impossibly trendy people. Venture into the backstreets for shopping for unique gifts. Any of the cafes along this street are great for people watching. Doggie fashion in Omote Sando is particularly interesting!

Evening – Tsukishima

Take the Oedo Subway Line to Tsukishima, an old style street filled with Okonomiyaki and Monjayaki restaurants. At these restaurants you sit at a small table with a hotplate in the middle and cook your own Japanese style “pizza” – kind of like a hearty omelette filled with seafood or meat and vegetables. Walk along the street until you see a restaurant with a decent crowd. Try Kaisen Okonomiyaki (Seafood mix okonomiyaki) or Buta Kimuchi Okonomiyaki (Pork with kimuchee pickles okonomiyaki). Wash it down with beer or an Umeshu Soda (Plum wine and soda).

Suggested Day Trips from Tokyo

Day Trip 1 – Kamakura

Get a day pass from Shinjuku and take the Odakyu Line and Enoden train into Kamakura.

Check out the Big Buddha and surrounding shrines and temples. Also check out the bamboo temple near Kamakura Station if you have time.

Kamakura is a small area with many temples, so grab an English map at the station and walk around.

Day Trip 2 – Nikko Guided Bus Tour

There are many tour companies that run a 1 day guided bus tour to Nikko. The trip will take you to see all of the major temples and also some of the lakes/waterfalls in the area.

Departure time is usually around 7am in the morning and return to Tokyo around 5pm.

Overnight Trip to Hakone

This can be done as a day trip, but is much better with one night at a Japanese hot spring if possible.

Buy the 2 day Hakone Pass at Shinjuku which allows you to get the train into Hakone and back from Shinjuku, and also unlimited access to the many types of transportation to get you around the Hakone area (switch back railway up the mountain, ropeway, cable car, ferry across Lake Hakone and mountain bus).

If you stay at one of the Japanese Inns, get a hotel package which includes dinner and breakfast. You check in at about 3pm and use the hotel hot springs – wear your hotel kimono around the town and have a very traditional Japanese dinner and Japanese style breakfast served in your room at the hotel.

Things to do in Hakone:

Walk around main town area of Hakone Yunomoto

• Picnic Lunch at the Hakone Outdoor Modern Art Museum
• Stay the night at a traditional Japanese Hot Spring Inn in the small town of Gora at the top of the Switch Back railway
• Take the Cable Car for amazing Mt Fuji views – get off briefly at Owakudani and do the short 10 minute hike up the hill to try 7 year eggs that have been boiled in the onsen (each one you eat adds 7 years to your life…. Apparently).
• Take the Pirate Ship Styled boat across Lake Hakone to Hakone Machi where you can walk to the lake side Hakone Shrine.
• Check out the old Tokaido Road Pass – a short part of the road has been left in tact.

All Rights Reserved Bronwyn Edwards 2008

Niseko Restaurants

There are many wonderful restaurants in the Niseko area, most of which can be found in Hirafu, the largest resort in the Niseko United area. The great thing about Hirafu though, is the variety in both choice and price and, except for the specialist experiences of Kamimura, the ability to find a similar quality restaurant if your first choice is not available.

Although each year brings new restaurants and sees some close their doors, some continue to produce great food year in, year out and I’ve listed my favourite places to enjoy Niseko Food at its best, that is if you can’t join us at Niseko Gourmet.

Wild Bills: Next door to The Lodge at Niseko is Wild Bills, Hirafu’s iconic restaurant and bar. Although it’s the only Tex Mex restaurant in the village, it is great value, authentic ‘American’ Tex Mex. You can enjoy your food either in the restaurant upstairs or at the bar. All the favourites such as Tacos, Fajitas, Enchiladas, Burritos and Wild Bills famous Buffalo Chicken Wings are on the menus but I can never go past the Chicken Fajitas with extra chili.

Rin: In the lower village, 50m from Yukoro Onsen is a local favourite held in such esteem that they don’t need to advertise a with phone number. Rin is an Izakaya, a Japanese eating and drinking restaurant that serves delicious bite sized, sharing style food that encourages lots of conversation around the table. My personal favourites here are the gobo sticks (burdock in English) and the Hoke (Atka Mackerel in English) which both are delicious with a cold beer.

Kamimura: Head Chef Yuichi Kamimura once trained under the famed Tetsuya Wakuda whilst living in Sydney. After returning to Sapporo, Yuichi brought his culinary skills to Hirafu in 2007 and the rest is history; fine dining at its best with an 8 course degustation menu and a rather impressive wine list to match.

Syokusai: Located in the Alpen Hotel, Syokusai is a must for sushi and sashimi novices or lovers. The menu is extensive, delicate and with many ‘must try’ dishes so it is naturally popular with well to do Japanese clientele; a sure fire way to judge a sushi and sashimi restaurant.

Del Sole: The best pizza in the Niseko area in tucked away in An’nupuri. Unfortunately, this means you need a car to get there unless you wish to take the Free Passport Shuttle bus (the big orange bus during winter). The pizza is thin crust, wood fired and has authentic homemade toppings with homemade pickles on the side. A very good Italian experience even down to their choice of still and sparkling water.

308: Built last season, and located exactly 1000m below the peak of Mt. An’nupuri, the 308 building is the first development to be completed in the re-design of the Hanazono ski area. In addition to lunch and apres-ski (there are live music acts each afternoon), there is a retail and rental store, information centre and a lift ticket office.

Torimatsu: As a Kutchan resident, this is my favourite place to have a bite to eat and enjoy a beer. They specialise in Yakitori (chicken on a stick) and it is an experience to just sit there and watch the chef flipping the sticks on the grill. Sometimes difficult to find, Torimatsu is on North 3, the same road as the 7-11 and West 1. I also recommend arriving early as it becomes very smoky as the night goes on due to the amount of grilling being done.

There are so many other restaurants that I haven’t been to on numerous occasions that could, and maybe should, be on the list but we are usually so busy over winter that it is not always possible. I’ll be updating this page regularly during winter so have a look closer to your visit and try some of these out if you haven’t already.

Happy eating, enjoy the amazing Niseko Food that’s on offer all year round.

City Guide – Sapporo

The closest major city to the Niseko area is awash with great restaurants in all price ranges, quirky boutiques fashion stores, more hairdressers, cosmetics stores and cake/dessert shops than you can poke a stick at, and just about everything you could find in Tokyo minus the thousands of tourists.

Summer is a great time to visit but if you are in Hokkaido in February, then the Yuki Matsuri (Snow Festival) is an absolute must.

Cheap Eats: Nuts Cafe Trip is a great cafe, not too far from the JR station. The website link is in Japanese but you can see the pictures and see that the food looks great and it is cheap, sometimes as little as 500yen for a lunch set. It is hard to beat that price so it is naturally very popular.

Exceptional Chinese: Yinzu was introduced to us by our friend Yoichi from the famed Kamimura restaurant in Niseko. After a wine tasting event in Sapporo last summer, we joined some sommeliers from Village Cellars, Mick Nippard (formerly of Sekka, now running AWines) and some of Yoichi’s friends for an amazing Chinese dinner.

Drink: Sapporo has so many bars and izakaya’s that it is hard to pin down a favourite but I have to say that were lucky to be in Sapporo in August of 2007 (possibly for the first time) and visited the Cross Hotel, just after it had opened. The bar is very modern, clean lines throughout and the perfect place to sit down, enjoy a cocktail or a beer, meet some friends or associates and enjoy the views below of the street.

Coffee: With quite a few stores in Sapporo, Miyakoshiya is a fine example of what good coffee can taste like in Japan. I really like the shop in Mitsukoshi Department store on the 3rd floor. It overlooks Ekimae-dori and is a great place to relax and enjoy a good coffee. You can buy the beans directly from the store (like most coffee stores in Japan) or you can buy it in Co-op or MaxValu in Kutchan. There is a great story behind the company yet as it has grown, there has always been a constant company demand…to make excellent coffee.

Cheese: We only recently discovered Cheese Please in Poletown, the underground mall running below Ekimae-dori, when Mick from AWines pointed us in the right direction to find really amazing Hokkaido Cheese. This little store has such variety from many amazing boutique fromageries all over Hokkaido that the standard ‘Hokkaido Camembert’ or ‘Brie’ are no longer acceptable at a dinner party in Hirafu.

Shop: A personal favourite of both Tess and myself is Marithe + Francois Girbaud (or MFG) in Stellar Place, Centre L4. The collection is always funky and fashionable, amazing quality and well priced in Japan when compared to the same pieces in Europe. There are stores in all the major cities in Japan and you can find locations on the web-link above.

Event: Not much needs to be said about the Yuki Matsuri. It is the biggest and most famous event in Sapporo and brings people from all over the world each year. Other event that are notable are the Tour de Hokkaido cycling classic from the 9th September to the 13th September and the Sapporo Beer Festival, a month long festival in Odori Park usually beginning in late July where all the major beer companies construct areas to sample their beer and new gimmicks.

Sapporo is a great city with an amazing climate in summer, much more bearable than in cities like Tokyo, Nagoya or Osaka. Maximum temperatures of around 30.c make this city a great city to walk around and with a grid design, it is easy to navigate visiting the many sights and shops.

City Guide – Melbourne

As a former Melbourne resident and someone who loves the city I would like to list some places to visit, eat at or do some shopping in.

They are my personal preferences so if you are in Melbourne visiting or living there permanently, have a look at what I have recommended as I’m sure you’ll enjoy them.

Cheap Eats: Victoria Street is little Vietnam and has many really authentic restaurants that are very well priced and are often B.Y.O. In these tough financial times, you can still enjoy a night out with family or friends on a weekly basis, maybe more often than that.

Amazing Value Dining: Movida Bar de Tapas Y Vino is an amazing dining experience and quickly becoming an institution in Melbourne.

“A true destination restaurant – you may overhear international diners who’ve made it a centrepiece of their visit, or see foodies brandishing copies of the restaurant’s eponymous book for chef Frank Camorra to sign – the place delights those who live to eat.”

The Age Good Food Guide 2009

This is my favourite restaurant in Melbourne and I always try and grab a bite to eat when I’m in town.

Exquisite Fine Dining: It is very hard to go past Shannon Bennett and his Little Collins St restaurant Vue de monde.

“There has never been a restaurant in Australia like Vue de monde. Set within modernised CBD law chambers, chef Shannon Bennett is all about theatre, taking the dining experience to a new (fun) level. Unashamedly pitched at the upper levels of fiscal elasticity, the aim – and they succeed – is to provide something that lingers long after the credit card bill has faded.”

Australian Gourmet Traveller 2009, 3 Stars

With 2 and 3 course lunch menus and a degustation menu that is truly amazing for dinner, this multi award winning business will satisfy anyone lucky enough to eat there.

Breakfast: Mart 130 (Tram backwards) at stop 130 on the 96 tram towards St Kilda is a real treat for breakfast. Set on the platform itself, it is quirky with great atmosphere, great coffee and awesome corn fritters.

Coffee: Pelligrini’s Espresso Bar has been part of Melbourne folklore for longer than I have been alive. The coffee is absolutely perfect, everytime, and the food, real Italian home cooking, is tasty and generously portioned. Make a visit to the kitchen table to really experience Pelligrini’s.

Drink: Rooftop Cinema in Swanston Street is only open during the summer/warmer months but is one of the best kept secrets in the city. Although only on the 6th floor, you really get an amazing feel for what it might be like in some of the bigger cities throughout the world, surrounded by skyscrapers, looking down onto the city streets whilst enjoying a cocktail or a beer or two.

The real attraction is the cinema and the music though but don’t feel like you can’t just jump in the elevator and join the crowd.

Wine: Mornington Peninsula – Stonier Wines make some beautiful Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines that are some of the best in the Mornington Peninsula if not Australia. In Japan, Village Cellars stock their wines and you can order them online.

Gourmet: The Essential Ingredient in Prahran is a must visit for everything gourmet. From Cookware, Books, Cooking Classes and amazing foods like Foie Gras, truffles and exotic spices, if they don’t have it here under one roof then chances are you won’t find it without some really specialist knowledge. It is also right next to the Prahran Market.

Butcher: Nino’s and Joe’s in Brunswick have expanded but are still the best. They have moved into bigger premises just down the street but still have the same principles that have made them a favourite amongst inner city residents and businesses – great service, great variety, great quality and great attitudes to helping you always find what you really want.

Cheese: Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder in Bridge Road is the cheese Bees Knees. They have cheese from all over Australia & Europe, hard or soft, mouldy and from goats, cows, sheep and buffalo plus some small goods as well. If you can’t make it to Richmond, they’re able to deliver Australia wide and have a Cheese Club which has some nice benefits.

Shop: Slow Fashion, the idea that fashion doesn’t last for one season, is the principle idea at Swensk (pronounced Svensk) on the ground floor of the Melbourne City Council Building. Stocking only Swedish labels that, as owners Mats and Jane will attest to, will not go out of fashion, shopping here is like investing for the future.

Two Rooms in Tokyo

Everyone remembers Aaron, our Australian chef who was with us from November to March.

Aaron was actually living in Tokyo prior to joining us and with the help of one of our wine suppliers in Tokyo, Julian @ Village Cellars, secured a position as one of the sous chefs at one of the most sought after restaurants in Tokyo.

Two Rooms, Omotosando’s and Aoyama’s new place to be seen, comes with quite a few staff formerly employed by the Hyatt and sets exceptionally high standards in both food and wine. There are waiting lists to dine in, so bookings are essential but from all accounts, you won’t be disappointed.

Enjoy the food, wine, art and views.