You might think the Japanese already have it all – fresh, succulent sashimi, picture-perfect sweet crepes, takoyaki and yakitori. But just when you think things cannot get any better, you find Café Baron, a space inhabited by owls. Yes, owls.
You do not need to visit a zoo now to see these intelligent creatures. Café Baron allows you to get up close and personal with the animals, all while you sip a cup of tea or coffee, and dine on some tantalising curries and desserts.
Photo Credit: globalnews.ca
Tokyo has an abundance of animal cafes. Cat cafes, owl cafes, bunny cafes – you name it, the city probably has it. And now, you can spend your afternoon petting adorable hedgehogs at the HARRY Hedgehog Cafe And Pet Store!
Opened in early 2016 and situated in Roppongi, HARRY Hedgehog Cafe is the newest addition to the animal cafes scene in Japan. The charming little cafe is home to a number of hedgehogs. Sip tea while cozying up to these tiny creatures; you can even feed them!
Hidden in the basement of Tokyo’s Ginza Tiffany Building is Seryna, one of the Best Dining Destinations in Japan for Premium Kobe Beef Shabu Shabu.
The reputable establishment has been serving the finest gourmet to affluent guests since more than half a century ago, and today, it remains a highly sought-after restaurant visited by epicureans from all walks of life.
While a scrumptious meal at Seryna could easily rake up to at least over a hundred dollars per patron, its unrivalled Kobe Beef is very much worth the hefty price tag. Reservations are highly recommended as the lavish Japanese restaurant is typically packed with business associates, indulgent foodies and even celebrities alike on weekdays!
Tokyo is our favourite Japanese city. The first-world metropolis is home to the world’s best restaurants, age-old traditional eateries, swankiest skyscrapers and ancient architectural buildings.
If you have been to Tokyo, you would understand how addictive this eclectic mix is. If you haven’t, it is time to make a trip.
We have taken the liberty to pick out the Japanese megalopolis’ best attractions and our personal favourite dining options in Tokyo. From watching the legendary Tsukiji tuna auction, to eating at the relatively unknown Uoriki Kaisen Sushi, here is our itinerary on 4D3N holiday in Tokyo – 24 Tips on What To See and What To Eat.
In this guide, we will also show you how affordable a trip to Tokyo is – as long as you make use of your credit card miles!
Japan is home to many remarkable food and Japanese cuisine is something that the world loves. We’ve got sushi and sashimi, ramen and udon, omu rice and tonkatsu.
And the latest dish that people in Tokyo are crazy about is gyukatsu – deep-fried breaded beef cutlet. It is very much like the tonkatsu (deep-fried breaded pork cutlet) that we are all familiar with.
Well, because we are such fans of Japanese cuisine, we had to give gyukatsu a go, of course. Here’s where you can try the famous gyukatsu in Tokyo – Gyukatsu Motomura.
It will probably be a long wait if you want to dine at Afuri, a popular ramen restaurant in Tokyo.
Afuri has many outlets in Tokyo and we went to the one in Harajuku. The small unit sits just under 20 diners at one time, but the number of hungry diners in the queue is easily three times more than that. Everyone comes here for the famous yuzu ramen, and we too joined the queue on a cold night – when the temperature was almost single digit and the winds were strong.
But that did not stop us (or anyone else) from waiting for a seat at Afuri. We were to realise that it was going to be a great dinner.
Tsukiji Fish Market – one of the world’s largest and oldest wholesale seafood market – needs no elaborate introduction. The iconic destination is where Japan’s fish traders gather to barter for the best fishes and where avid global foodies congregate to savour the freshest sashimi.
However, Tsukiji Fish Market’s current venue at Chuo Ward, Tokyo, will have to shift to a new location on 07 Nov 2016 to make way for the 2020 Olympic Games.
If you want to visit the market at its original venue, we suggest you start making your travel plans now before it ceases operations on 02 Nov 2016.
Tsukiji Market is a must-visit destination for every discerning foodie. Home to the world’s freshest sashimi, their high quality seafood will be the best you ever had. The fish market is equally famous for their legendary tuna auctions and you can watch them for free.
What most travellers did not know is that watching this tuna auction actually requires a lot of preparation and planning – even so, admission is still not guaranteed. The legendary Tsukiji Market is set to move in late 2016 to make way for the Olympics and there is definitely no better time than now to visit it.
Here are 5 things you should know before slotting Tsukiji Market’s Tuna Auction into your Tokyo itinerary.