博多天神 Hakata Tenjin Ramen, Tokyo, Japan

This noodle has been on my top list in Tokyo, and I have seen them expanding a lot from 2 shops to 16 shops. The shop was closed from 31 Dec to 3 Jan. So on my last day before heading off the airport on 4 Jan., I got to try another branch opposite to Kabuki in Shinjuku. However, after my try, I still prefer the one at the San-chome and Ni-chome in Shinjuku.

1. the chef. 2. the eggs and seasoning.

3. Their house made ginger and hot preserved veggie are very nice. 4. My ramen. Though it's not good as the one I regularly visit, it's still a very nice noodle to make a happy ending to my trip. The soup is very nice and aromatic with pork bone flavour.


5/6. the shop outside.

Tenkaiippin noodle shop 天下一品中華拉麵, Tokyo, Japan

Passed by this ramen shop and saw some people already inside at 10:30am morning. Thought it should be something.

1. I really don't know steamed rice can be as a theme for a kind of bento. 2. the table setting.

3. another side of the table. 4. the shop offers you the ramen in soy sauce soup base or chicken soup base.

5. so I chose the chicken soup base. It turned out the soup is like a thick stew and reminded me of the shark's fins made by Hook 福魚翅 on Suriwong Bangkok. If I don't take it as a ramen but a thick soup, it is quite tasty.

Bag of blessings by Neal Yard, Covent Garden, London

The New Year here is a season for bags of blessings. Almost every shop has this customs, including foreign brands. I passed by the electronic shops with bags of blessings of a Nikon D3000 for JPY39800 (US$420), and almost got it, as it comes with a nice tripod and a 18/55 IS lens plus so many accesories. However, D3000 is the same as my 400D. Passed by Paul Smith and Girbaud and wanna ask if they have such bags of blessings.... :)

1. ok, this shop is also on my favourite list and I tried some of their products from my last trip to London. The saleslady was so kind to even open up a bit of what's inside the bag. So I bought it at JPY7,000 (US$76). Back in the hotel, it contains quite many useful items and originally it should be at US$200 to 220.

snack - Japanese curry rice, Japan

Why I call it snack. I normally take a ramen at 10:30 to 11am. Then at around 3-4pm, I would take a light meal. So a smaller size curry rice would be nice.

1. This shop is called 松屋 and it's a chain fast food shop in Japan. Price range is from JPY350 to 700 depending on the size and combination...etc. 2. I took a small order of curry beef rice. The curry is pretty good considering it's a fast food.
3. Together with a salad and soup, it's just JPY430 (US$5). So good to re-boost my body energy to keep on shoping and browsing.

Osmanthus 桂花Ramen, Shinjuku, Japan

Tried this shop for a morning breakfast. Not bad.

1/2. the kitchen.

3. Char Siu Ramen (JPY750) (US$8). The soup base is not that salty - pretty good and strong in pork bone flavour. The char siu is nice and quite strong p0rk flavour. 4. spice and pepper.
5. the shop.

Happy New Year from Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

2980 放題 (all you can eat), Shinjuku, Japan

Again, trusting those aditorial magazines like East Magazine or U Travel would just get you not only waste of money, but also waste of time. This restaurant is just opposite to Shinjuku Prince and got told by those magazine as a "must try". After my "try", I would say "must die".

1. the menu and the manager speaking half English and half Japanese, telling that we need to finish everything on the photo, from ox tongue to ox heart...etc. The price is JPY2,980 net (US$33). 2. the only thing I appreciated is the charcoal grilling.

3/4. the various meats were heavily seasoned and you need to have some rice to go with it. The meat is also very greasy. The chicken is like chicken skin only.
5. Getting bored enough to check an ice on fire. In fact, it took close to 1 minute to melt the ice cube.

5F Nostalgic Western style Cafe, Shinjuku, Japan

Passed by this nostalgic cafe several times over the past and guess Tai Ping or Queen's Cafe in HK or New Light in BKK...etc.

1. Guess this is the best in this restaurant and I saw many old gentlemen taking coffee and this one is pretty small. 2. The shop inside and it's 11am.

3. the menu with photos. 4. view to Kabuki 2nd street.

5. Western bento with hamburg steak. The steak is pretty good, cutlet shrimp and fish too. The others are so so. The rice is too soft. 6. the shop in the early age.

7. the lift lobby to the 5F cafe. 8. the poster and menu outside in the street.

Shinjuku part 1, Tokyo, Japan

1. Many restaurants around Kabuki area.

2. Guess what for the line - it's the 1/1/10 new burger being served - triple deckers. Haven't seen Wendy's for a long time.

3. busy as usual.

4. Almost all the shops closed for the 1st day of New Year.

5. Nishi (west) Shinjuku.

6. Kimura San.

Kouryu Noodle Shop, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

I like this shop's branches in Hong Kong since their first establishment 7-8 years ago in Tsimshatsui, but somehow haven't tried this one in Shinjuku. So this time I gotta try it. It turned out it's a lot better than the one in HK - almost 30% better in terms of noodle and soup base.

1. This shop is just like the others in Shinjuku - very congested and you need to buy a ticket at the entrance. 2. Everything is about vending machine. So if you want an extra noodle, soup, egg, you just need to insert another coin in this mini-vending machine. Right to it is the water dispenser - so unique!

3. See each of the side order to accompany your noodle. 4. My noodle at JPY850 (US$10). Note the middle mini-red - it's the chili paste. I prefer a little hot. Everything is so nice and I took the soup all. Nothing left!

5. See how small the shop is. 6. We needed to climb up this narrow stairs.