Down the Memory Lane - Re-visiting Hotel de Mikuni

Over the last decade or so we were blessed with many trips to Japan, through cities and villages north and south, and trips that brought us wonderful food memories, from a simple bowl of tonkotsu ramen inside a street-side yatai to the most delicate, eye-opening kaiseki dinner at Michelin-starred restaurant. And this time during our recent Japan trip a few weeks ago, we decided to go back the memory lane to re-visit the very restaurant that started all these, beginning on a cold, rainy Valentine's Day 12 years ago - our first and only real food trip.

Exploring Arakicho at Yakitori Ogawa

Arakicho is an interesting neighborhood in Tokyo that I fell in love with during my recent trips there. It could be a little off-track for some, but it's only a few stops away from Shinjuku and a short walk from either Yotsuya-sanchome or Akabonobashi metro stations. It's characterized by narrow and quiet streets with twist and turns, and small bars and restaurants in between, which I found it lovely just to stroll around in the evening, something for a change then the often busy Tokyo streets.

Sushi Garyu - Crouching dragon, or one that yawns?

I came across Sushi Garyu at Yotsuya San-chome when I was in pursuit for lesser-known yet highly-rated sushi restaurants in Tokyo. This restaurant is ranked among the Top 30 on Tabelog, consistently above even some of the more famous ones in town, so I was curious to see if there is any truth to this, and I asked the hotel concierge to help book a seat for me to check it out one evening.

Tokyo Short Trip - Sushi Sho

When I first walked in to Chef Keiji Nakazawa's Sushi Sho Restaurant in the quiet neighborhood of Yotsuya near Shinjuku, I thought I went to the wrong place. It's a bit tugged away with a small entrance on the side street not far away from the Yotsuya Metro Station, and the interior was reminiscent of an izakaya on a random street corner rather than a legendary sushi restaurant that Sushi Sho is known as. But looking past the rather humble settings, this is one special dining experience.