Tokyo Food

3 Patisseries You Must Try in Tokyo

In every city I visit, I try to find a piece of Paris. The fun thing about patisseries in Tokyo? Their sweets are less sweet, so you can eat more and feel less guilty. This is not to take from their beauty of course. The desserts are made to perfection and look like a work of art. The downside is that not every place allows you take photos, and in some places we were told to stop after shooting a few pictures. They don’t allow it even if you buy something from them. Before heading to Tokyo, I’ve tracked down some of the most exciting places to get my sweet fix. Plus, you’re in for a nice surprise at the end of the post – one amazing foodies heaven! You can thank me later (preferably with a cake). Read More

J.S Pancake Cafe – Shimokitazawa, Tokyo

J.S Pancake Cafe was our first stop in Shimokitazawa, a neighborhood located on the west side of Tokyo. Shimokitazawa is mentioned in every list of ‘Tokyo’s most Hipster\Indie\Young\Popular neighborhoods’. It is casual and charming, with narrow crisscrossing alleys of low construction packed with vintage and second hand clothing stores. However, I personally found Nakameguro and Koenji to be much more attractive. Read More

Doughnuts in Tokyo – Floresta, Krispy Kreme and Mister Donut

Krispy Kreme

Being the sweet tooth that I am, and seeing as how I’m deprived of them in my homeland, I’m always on the lookout for doughnuts. During my Tokyo visit, I got to taste doughnuts from three different places: Floresta, Krispy Kreme and Mister Donut. To my enjoyment two of them offered special Halloween doughnuts! Read More

Tasting 17 Japanese Kit Kat Flavors

A bit terrifying to think the total number of calories of all the Kit Kat that I currently have in my house is 7456.

Japanese Kit Kat was something I have dreamed about tasting for a long time. While visiting Tokyo I set myself a goal to grab as many different Kit Kat flavors as I could find. Finding them was not always easy, but it was well worth it. They all have really unique tastes and smells, not to mention very cool packaging. I also really like how each box\piece of Kit Kat has a space on the back for writing personal notes. That space is meant for friends and family to write words of encouragement to students which are studying for their entrance exams. That is probably because Kit Kat sounds similar to the “kitto katsu” – a Japanese phrase roughly translated as “you will surely win\succeed”. Read More

[Part 1] Japanese Snacks Galore

One of my favorite thing to do when I’m abroad is visit the local supermarkets and grocery stores. I really like seeing what the supermarkets are packed with and look for stuff I can’t find at home. This time I really pushed my limits as I’ve returned from Tokyo with an entire suitcase full of snacks and random sweets. Here I plan to share some images and impressions from each. Every now and then I’ll add more snacks as I open and taste them. Read More

Bills – Odaiba, Tokyo

While I was doing my research online, prior to my Tokyo vacation, I came across many recommendation for Bills – an Australian restaurant. All the reviews I came across were raving about one dish specifically – the ricotta hotcakes, banana and honeycomb butter (¥1400). I knew I had to have it! Read More

Kawaii Monster Cafe – Harajuku, Tokyo

Arriving to Kawaii Moster Cafe on Sunday morning, we were shocked to witness the long queue stretching for 3 floors and getting longer by the minute. Not wanting to spend a few hours in line along with Kawaii Japanese girls, we proceeded to pursue other adventures and came back afternoon. Luckily, we were let in straight away and didn’t have to queue at all! A few sitting options were offered at the four different zones: Mushroom Disco, Milk Stand, Bar experiments and Mel-Tea Room. Since Mushroom Disco was the most impressive one in my opinion I opted for this zone. There’s a cover charge of ¥3000 ($25/ 96₪) for dining in this zone, but we felt that it’s justified considering the incredible experience we had inside. Read More

Tensuke Tempura – Koenji, Tokyo

Tensuke Tempura was one of the few places about which I didn’t really inquire much before going. On one of my last days in Tokyo, I visited Koenji, a nice quiet neighborhood, not far from Shinjuku. The neighborhood is packed with vintage and second hand clothing stores and quirky little shops. Knowing I have only a few days left and that I haven’t yet had a proper tempura meal, I was on the lookout for a great authentic tempura place in Koenji. There’s not a lot of information online in English about this place, but even the little I read made me feel like this place is worth a visit. Read More

Ice Cream Paradise – Namco Namja Town, Tokyo

Looking for cool\unusual arcades I read about Namja Town. Namja Town is a Namco theme park opened in 1996 inside the Sunshine City shopping complex in east Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo. In retrospect this arcade is mostly suitable to Japanese kids of younger age, since the vast majority of the attractions there require knowing Japanese. So after paying the entrance fee (¥500) and doing a quick tour around the place, we turned to the main reason we came there – tasting gyozas and weird ice cream. Read More

Ice Monster – Harajuku, Tokyo

Apparently shaved Ice, or kakigori, is a thing in Tokyo, and many places are selling this dessert. The first image that came to my mind when thinking about shaved ice, was not so appetizing, to say the least. But when seeing Ice Monster images online, I was hooked. I had to taste this magnificent looking mountain of ice.

This Taiwan-based store has one branch in Japan, located right in the center of Harajuku, 3 minutes walk from Omotesando exit. The first time I wanted to go there, I saw that the Bubble Milk Tea Sensation is sold out. Knowing that I’m going to get back to Harajuku a few days later, I decided to leave Ice Monster for my next visit. Read More