Fctry Bistro & Bar

Hey hey heyyyy

Agak bosen ya sama post Jepang melulu... Break sedikit, kali ini gw mau post review mengenai.... Fctry Bistro & Bar!!!

Sebenernya sih Fctry ini bukan pemain baru.. Cuma emank gw yang ketinggalan zaman aja (maklum blogger ga kondang jadi ga di invite media gathering) Nah setelah ini tempat muncul di berbagai blog dan insta nya orang-orang, akir nya penasaran juga deh ya bagaimana rasanya. Jadi.. di sebuah minggu yang cerah meluncurlah gw ke sana..

Tempat nya di Lippo Mall Puri, St Moritz. Lokasi nya yang di outer part of the mall sama decor nya yang banyak natural light dan agak rustic emank instagenic banget ya. Pantesan aja ini tempat hits..

Langsung aja ke yummy yummy nya.. Dimulai dengan yang gratis tentunya hahahaa

 Complimentary bread

Roti nya lumayan sih (mgkn saya lapar...) yah decent lah, cuma mentega nya kurang banyak

Spaghetti Al Funghi (85K IDR)

Yummmm!!! Sebagai sebuah tempat yang bukan italian restaurant, pasta nya sih enak bener. Al dente, creamy mampus tp ga eneg dan porsi juga cukup besar. Enough herbs to neutralize the creaminess of the sauce and the mushrooms are so flavorful. Not to be missed!

Big Brunch (120K IDR)

Sepiring besar breakfast set (yang menurut gw ga besar besar amat) hihihi... Okay.. Sausage nice! Bacon NO, sedikit smelly, terlalu tebal dan ga crispy. Mushroom yes yes yes! Fluffy egg... Kenapa sih ga pake scrambled egg biasa aja.. dan si rosti nya super oily :(

Dopenuts (25K IDR)

This is so goooooddddd. Donut yang tengah nya ga bolong dan ga pake filling, atas nya pake black sea salt and honey cream, gila mantaps abis. Sweet as sin, smooth as silk and fluffy as cotton.

Will I come back? YES!

Rating: 7.5/10
Location: Lippo Mal Puri, Jakarta

Lost in Japan: Tokyo - Part 3

Post kali ini pake Bahasa Indonesia aahhhh... Walaupun Bahasa Inggris gw pas pas an tp ga tau kenapa lebih demen aja ngeblog pake Bahasa Inggris.. Well coba dikomen plis enakan mana baca nya pake Bahasa Indonesia atau Bahasa Inggris

Post kali ini bakal ngebahas perjalanan keliling Tokyo Hari ke 3, tujuannya adalah ke Tsukiji Fish Market, Ginza dan Odaiba

Menurut hasil google sampe mata sepet, ke Tsukiji Fish Market tuh wajib hukumnya kalo ke Jepang, subuh subuh ngeliat tuna auction terus lanjut brekkie sushi di Sushi Dai atau Daiwa Sushi. Hmm... Ini liburan atau Ospek ya? --"

Gw dengan sukses bangun jam.... 8 (baca: delapan) bye bye tuna auction... Seperti biasa ritual kalo liburan adalah melek trus ngulet ngulet, buka hape, ngulet lagi, cari camilan pagi baru mandi. Yes people, camilan wajib hukum nya yaaa. Lalu karena rencana nya mau brekkie di Tsukiji, jadi nya gw cuma beli sandwich 1 di Lawson. L.A.P.E.R

Perjalanan ke Tsukiji dari hotel ga terlalu jauh. Tentunya dengan pake si app ajaib Hyperdia, langsung ketemu cara nya gimana kesana dan naek apa. Waktu itu gw keluar di Tsukiji Station (Hibiya Line), dari sana ikutin aja arus orang yang mau ke arah Tsukiji semua. Dari exit waktu itu gw nyebrang jalan trus belok kanan, lurussss terus sekitar 2/3 perempatan sampe dehh. Ga mgkn kelewatan lah secara pasar gituuu, tentu nya rame en padet. Nah pas balik, gw baru sadar kalo ada 1 station yang jauh lebih deket daripada si Tsukiji Station yaitu Tsukiji-Shijo Station (Oedo Line). Yah tergantung sama daerah asal kita kale ya deketan mana nya, kalo dari hotel gw emank deketan kalo keluarnya di Tsukiji Station

Masuk Tsukiji, pertama-tama gw ke tempat penitipan tas nya. Muter-muter bawa ransel isi jaket kan males juga ya secaraaa ini rame gituu. Oh ya... Di Jepang tuh banyak banget loker berbayar. Jadi ada loker besi yang dilengkapi dengan tempat koin di seluruh station dan tempat tempat tujuan wisata. Cukup mahal sih, untuk yang ukuran sedang bisa 500 JPY (60.000 IDR) tapi ya murah kali ya menurut orang Jepang secara 500 JPY tuh uang koin haahahah

Nah kemudian kita ngambil map nya dari information centre dan berbekal map itu muter2 lah... Hmm I am not impressed sih, ya apa yang mau dihebohin dari pasar ikan ya? Yah ini Muara Angke versi bersih dan bagus (dan mahal lahhh) Banyak orang wara wiri naek mobil2 golf atau truk pengangkut gitu. Di dalam pasar nya sih ya pasar... berantakan dan becek tapi kaga bau.

Yang seru sebenernya di Tsukiji adalah... JAJAN NYA!!!! Konon si resto sushi yang famous itu bisa antri 3 jam. Nah karena tentu saja gw males (kaki bisa putus dah antri 3 jam) gw milih random sushi bar di deket pasar nya... Ternyata sama ajaaaa, gw dah antri ampir sejam dan antrian cuma bergerak 3 orang. DAN di semua sushi restaurant, antriannya nguler. It's not about how good the food is, it's about supply is less than demand. Turis (domestik dan internasional) semua nya mau makan sushi yang konon fresh sementara semua resto sushi kecil kecil, gimana mau nampungggg

Setelah 1 jam, gw menyerah. BYE! Itinerary bisa rusak kelamaan di Tsukiji.. On the way back, lewat lah jalanan yang banyak jual Omellete en fresh seafood lainnya. Here we go...

 Scallop in Soy Sauce (500 JPY/Tusuk)

Oh God, ini enak BANGETSSSSSS!!!! Scallop nya fresh banget, di blow torch sampe pinggir2nya charred sambil diolesin saus nya. Abis mateng, dicelup ke dalam sausnya lagi. MUST TRY! Kaya lagi makan laut gitu, enak bangettt

Ini gw agak bingung benda apaan. Di cangkang itu ada ikan, scallop sama sea urchin (dan dari denger2 orang pada ngomong disitu ada kantong sperma ikan apa gitu). Cara masak nya juga di blow torch tapi ga terlalu lama, jadi masi rada2 semi mentah. Untuk rasa nya lagi lagi serasa makan laut. Yummmmm

Nahhh karena gagal makan sushi, gw akhirnya beli sekotak ootoro dan tuna di warung pinggir jalan seharga 2000 JPY/6 Pcs. Gilaaaaa gw ga tau lagi deh, yang jual itu ya modelan kaya disini tuh abang2 jual ikan di pasar gitu lho, ga meyakinkan banget lah. Tapi tu sushi.. BEST TUNA I'VE EVER HAD. Bagaimana rasa nya klo gw sukses antri di Sushi Dai ya? Mungkin bisa terbang ke langit...

Di sampingnya itu ada omellete. Di sepanjang jalan Tsukiji, banyak banget yang jualan si omellete ini. Cobain aja satu satu (semua tempat ada testernya) Gw cuma foto 1 padahal ada kali gw nyoba 3 tempat berbeda hahahaha Dan lagi-lagi... SEMUA NYA ENAKKK... DIEEEE. Anget, manis en fluffy gitu. Pas banget buat perut gw yang melilit karena kelaperan

Setelah puas ngisi perut di jajanan road nya Tsukiji, kita pindah ke... Ginzaaa

Hmm sedikit mengenai Tokyo (hasil google mendalam sebelum pergi) Jadi Tokyo ini dibagi ke dalam beberapa ward, kalo ga salah 23 wards. Di dalam ward ini ada beberapa district.. Mgkn ward ini seperti kecamatan di Indonesia ya.. Lalu district itu kelurahan kali yaa. Nah Ginza ini adalah salah satu distrik di Chuo Ward. Ginza district ini cerita nya ada district hits dan mewah. Area mahal lah di Tokyo yang isi nya toko toko branded, cafe cafe hits dan mahal serta resto fine dining.

Tujuan gw ke Ginza selaen buat liat liat (iye iye ga mampu deh belanja di Ginza) adalah gw pengen nyari Henri Charpentier, sebuah cafe yang lumayan famous di Tokyo. Dari Tsukiji gw naek subway (seinget gw cuma pindah 1/2 station naek Hibiya Line) trus sampailah kita di Ginzaaa

Lumayan keren sih dan beda feel nya sama Shibuya. Kalo Shibuya lebih ramai, meriah en overwhelming, Ginza ini lebih elegant and sophisticated. Beda banget lah feel nya, jalan disini sesaat berasa rich and famous gitu hahahaha  Pertama nyampe agak bengong sih, buset ni kaya ga ada orang susah yang lewat. Semua nya high fashion gitu gayanya, sementara gw kaya.... gembel..

Muter muter muter, laper deh.... Bingung mau makan apa karena ga kaya district lain, resto nya di gedung semua dan looks expensive. Eh lagi muter muter, nemu lah itu si Henri Charpentier (HOREEEEE) langsung decide cari makan di sekitaran situ aja biar gampang abis makan mau dessert di Henri Charpentier. Soooo masuklah gw ke sebuah resto di basement gedung kantoran..

Restonya looks exclusive, di basement dan 1 lantai dia semua. Gimmick nya si Edo style dining, jadi suasana jadul jadul gitu. Tempat nya terbagi2 booth yang private jd asumsi gw lumayan high end lah. Nah di Jepang ini kalo makan di resto, lunch nya tuh byk paket hemat, di Tofuro (nama restonya) ini juga begitu. Jadi byk set menu yang menurut gw cukup murah untuk Tokyo.

Set menu nya terdiri dari seporsi gyu tan alias lidah sapi yang di grill dan dibumbuin ala jepang. Dapet nasi, trus soup kerang dan sejenis benda lengket ga jelas yang gw cuma cicipin doank. Taste is good, si gyu tan nya tender and flavorful padahal modelannya ga menarik gitu, tipis dan kering. Tapi ternyata enak hahahaha

Set menu lainnya kaya begini modelnya, main course ikan bakar, pake 2 potong salmon sashimi dan 2 potong omellete. Gw baru inget, rasa nya serupa sama Ootoya di Jakarta (masi ada ga ya tu resto) Typical simple rasa nya, ga neko2 en somehow cukup mengenyangkan walaupun simpel

Nah jadi makan resto di Jepang ga harus mahal. Mengingat ini makannya di dalam gedung di Ginza dan harga 1 set menu nya sekitar 1000 JPY saja, cukup murah kannnn Blm lagi minum selalu gratis dan bisa refill yihaaa

Abis makan disana langsung lah gw meluncur ke Henri Charpentier...

Henri Charpentier itu semacam pattiserie/cafe ala perancis yang jualan utamanya adalah kue2 cantik. Pas masuk ke dalam, tempat nya sih keren ya, maklum soalnya si cabang Ginza ini semacam flagship store nya lah. Mewah dan very french lah, kue kue nya astaga... CAKEGASM!!!! Semuanya lucu lucu dan kaya nya enakkk semua nya. Disuruh tunggu lah sama enci enci jepun dan abis itu kita langsung dianter ke dining area nya di basement, ga pake antri. Ternyata di dalem nya suasana lebih homey dan hangat, full sama ibu ibu sosialita Tokyo dan businessman yang lagi meeting

 

Gw lupa apa nama kue ini tapi kalo ga salah si Napoleon Cake. Kue nya terdiri dari layer layer pastry tipis yang garing dan manis, diantara layer nya custard cream yang sangat lembut, manis nya halus dan aneh nya seger! Trus di luar nya dikasi roasted almond sehingga kalo digigit tuh ada beberapa tekstur crispy sekaligus di dalam mulut trus lidah langsung dibelai sama lembut nya custard cream yang soothing. Oh dear God.. This is how Heaven tastes..

Nah kue berikutnya yang gw coba sudah jelas donk kalo rasa nya green tea ya. Kalo yang ini kaya opera cake tapi rasa green tea. Seperti kue yang pertama, kue ini juga multi layer.. tapi bukan thin pastry layer, yang ini thin sponge cake. Nah itu sponge cake sama green tea paste berseling selingan, sehingga kalo dirasain rasa nya bergantian lembut manis dan empuk, lembut manis dan empuk, begitu terus ampe tu kue ketelen. Personally gw ga gitu suka sih (Not a big fan of gree tea) tapi ya tetep aja untuk ukuran kue mah ini tergolong yummy!

One of the highlight in my Japan trip is this place, so make sure not to miss it guys!

Dalam keadaan sangat sangat kenyang, mulai lah perjalanan menuju destinasi berikutnya.. Odaibaaa

Odaiba ini sebuah pulau/daratan hasil reklamasi. Jadiii lokasi nya tentu saja di pinggir laut dan tempat nya rapih abis (secara ya man made from scratch). Nah buat nyampe ke Odaiba ini gw naek Yurikamome, sebuah line kereta yang fully automated alias ga ada petugas nya. Ibaratnya kaya naek kereta-kerataan anak anak tp ini jauh gituuuu. Buat naek Yurikamome Line, kita harus ke Shinagawa Station dulu (use the Hyperdia app) trus keluar dari station nya en nyebrang ke station khusus Yurikamome (pas di depan nya Shinagawa Station) Buat naek Yurikamome bisa pake IC Card jd tap your Pasmo/Suica card away.

Nahhh trip menuju Odaiba lumayan keren, berasanya kaya naek kereta di taman hiburan gitu. Secara kita menuju man made island jadi semua nya bagus, rapih dan tertata lah. Nah sekarang problem nya adalah memutuskan mau turun dimana... Jadi kmrn ini gw turun di station ke 6 (gw lupa namanya tp yang jelas di depannya Decks Tokyo Beach. Actually ga usah bingung mau turun dimana karena semua station dan tempat di Odaiba terhubung 1 dengan yang lain. How to explain ya... Odaiba ini full of shopping malls, hotel en office. Nah di setiap gedung/shopping malls yang macem macem tema en bentuknya itu terkoneksi satu dengan yang lain tp bukan ground floor. Kaya ada second floor nya yang saling terhubung satu sama lain. Nah area ini yang bikin muter2 di Odaiba nyaman banget karena kemana mana ga usah pake nyebrang, tinggal masuk aja mau kemana. Kaya lapangan gede banget sementara di bawah nya kita itu jalan biasa. Keren yaaaaa, sangat dipikirkan kenyamanan dan kemudahan transport antar gedung padahal beda-beda gedung nya.

Ada beberapa tempat menarik di Odaiba antara lain pantai nya. Kayanya sih pantai ini man made alias buatan tp who cares, the view was awesome! Ada rainbow bridge yang kalo malem kelap kelip romantis gimanaaaaa gitu, ada area pantai yang rame sama anak-anak main, ada beach side cafe buat nongkrong2 pinggir pantai dan ada replika nya patung Liberty yang jadi spot foto favorit disini.

Kemudian buat mal-mal nya, I suggest puterin aja satu-satu. Gw cuma sempet ke Aqua City Odaiba, tidak ada alasan khusus cuma kebetulan abis dari Liberty trus deket sama pintu masuk nya Aqua City ini. Sampe sana pun ga muter2 banyak karena langsung masuk toko Onitsuka (don't miss it, very cheap Onitsuka Shoes di Jepang yaaa) dan gw belanja New Balance (Cheaper around 10-15% dibanding Jakarta, I checked). Mall nya biasa aja sih, enak lah buat muter2 ga terlalu crowded.

Next Destination nya adalah gw nyari patung Gundam! Lokasi nya ada di DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, jalan kaki aja lurus terus dari si Aqua City (di "second floor" nya) lalu bakalan nyampe deh. Keren bangettttt patung Gundam nya, dream comes true deh! Trus kalo malem, di deket patung Gundam nya ada short movie soal Gundam gitu di project ke dinding mal nya, awesomeeeeeee.

Kaki dah mulai encok tp dari jauh terlihat Ferris Wheel. We're in Tokyo, naek kaleeee. Hahahahha agak mahal seinget gw, 1 car nya 2000 JPY kalo ga salah dan muter sekitar 15 menit. Not scary kok asal jangan goyang goyang aja naek nya. Si Ferris Wheel ini merupakan salah satu yang terbesar di dunia lho. Oh ya, untuk menuju si Ferris Wheel ini gw ngelewatin Venus Fort (shopping mall yang theme nya Venezia) dan Toyota Mega Web (showroom and concept store nya Toyota)

Buat yang bawa anak, Odaiba is a must visit! Complete package deh... Spare one whole day here, sante-sante sambil maen di pantai trus ke mall liat2, main di amusement park nya, naek Ferris Wheel, liat museum2 keren dan Toyota Mega Web. Kaya future city gitu dahhh, nice! Kalo mau pulang, tanya aja orang stasiun yurikamome terdekat lalu naek aja menuju Shinagawa Station. Nah dari sana baru putuskan deh mau kemana :)

Pulang nya dari Odaiba, kaki mau putus, punggung encok dan perut laper. Berhubung udah di Shinagawa Station, jadi nya makan daerah situ aja sekalian exploring sedikit. Karena stamina dah abis akir nya makan di resto sushi yang ga terlalu jauh dari station.

That night dinner was at Sushi Zanmai. Sebuah sushi resto yang packed abis sama orang-orang Jepang (a sign of good food) Kalap jd asal mesen aja kemudian baru sadar kalo ni sushi ternyata tidak murah (padahal tempat nya biasa banget) Mesen ini itu kerusakan kira-kira 2000 JPY per orang

Bingung ya, kayanya semua sushi di Jepang tuh enakkkk. Padahal rasa nya sebenernya biasa aja cuma berasa banget kalo isi nya tuh fresh!

Akhirnya, our third night in Tokyo has ended. Tomorrow, Osaka!!!!

Lost in Japan: Tokyo - Part 2

Another post from Tokyo!!!!!

Sleeping in Tokyo is so comfy. Maybe because I was too tired from all the walking the night before, or maybe the cool weather? One thing for sure I didn't get up until 9 A.M. Truthfully, I'm not those holiday-nazi (read: Dr Cakra) who wakes up early morning in a vacation for the sake of visiting all the places in the itineray. I'm more laid back, kinda lazy I might say LOL

So after a long process of waking up and taking a shower, I was ready for the first full day in Tokyo. Destination: Ueno Park - Hanami

But first... BREAKFAST!!!!!!

Deef fried chopped potatoes and rice balls with ham from Lawson

Just steps from Yanagibashi Hotel, we found this fast food kinda place (small joint, vending machine to order, cheap) that sells gyudon, curry and other japanese set menu. At first I thought it was some random personally owned restaurant, later I found out that it was Matsuya, a japanese fast food brand like Yoshinoya and Sukiya. Ordering here is pretty easy (my first time using japanese vending ordering machine), I'll jot down the steps below

1. Find the button to change the language into English.
2. Browse the menu first using the touchscreen interface. Every menu has a clear picture and short english description
3. Put your money into the machine (you can use coins and 1000 JPY note)
4. Choose the food by using the touchscreen interface.
5. After the machine make sure that correct payment has been made, it will give you the change and print out small tickets containing your order.
6. Give the ticket to the waiter

Let's get straight to the point. IMO Matsuya is yummm. Gyudon and curry quality is the same or maybe better than Sushi Tei in Jakarta. Waiting time is less than 10 minutes. Refillable water provided using jug. Food portion is big (If you are not that hungry or a girl with less apettite than me, I suggest you order the smallest possible portion)

 One of Matsuya's best seller - Gyudon (stir fry sliced beef in soy sauce with onion, grated turnip, scallion and soft boiled egg) The flavor is well balanced, rice a bit mushy and need a bit more shoyu. Break the egg for some gooey goodness, mix well with the rice and meat. The messier the better.

 Rice with minced meat in red sauce and a sunny side egg

The red sauce is a bit spicy, so so far from the chilies and sambals from Indonesia. IMO, the combination is off, I don't think I'll ever order this dish again.

After breakfast, we were rushing to Ueno Park for Cherry Blossoms viewing. From Asakusabashi station, we change twice using the JR Pass. First go to Akihabara Station using the Sobu Line (Yellow) and then take Yamanote Line to Ueno Station. All of the trip is covered by JR Pass so our super expensive JR Pass was very usefull. Ueno Park is located right in front of Ueno Station.  All you need to do is exit to the gate and walk across the road.

By the time we arrived, Ueno Park was already crowded. Since it was also Japanese's holiday week, the place was super packed!!  From grandmas and grandpas but also kids from Kindergarten to university students. The view is exactly what I've imagined from watching all those japanese anime, movie and manga. Lots of people are already sitting under the Sakura trees with some beers, snacks and bento boxes. This Hanami is really unique! Being a very clean and organized country, even though it was a mess and packed, there's no litter anywhere. The park's administration provides many many garbage dump site and categorized by the type of trash. Coollll

The sakura hasn't reached the full bloom when we went there. Many trees are still in their winter form, bald and dead. Fortunately, some spots has already bloomed, not bad for photos LOL I gotta admit, it was beautiful. Even though my first sakura encounter is not that impressive, I was still awed by the beauty. It's very Japan, the flower was delicate and beautiful, not eye catching like roses but more subtle and soft. It was magical...

 Snack sold inside the park

Ueno Park is quite big.. There are paths lined with sakura trees, small shrine and some picnic area. There are also a medium sized temple near the park. Do remember to get the free Ueno Park Guide since it will help a lot during walking around the area.I think there are more than one museum in the area, if you guys have the time I think it'll be good. We had to choose between visiting the museum or visiting the zoo. Sorry museum, Zoo with Panda won us LOL

To visit the Panda, just go straight from the park entrance, at the end of the road you'll find the Ueno Zoo. The zoo is not that big but very well organized. The star of the zoo was the Pandassss. The first thing we do is find the Panda Exhibit and it was the first exhibit from the entrance. We had to queue to get closer to the exhibit. Worth the money and the wait... Not long after watching Kungfu Panda, we can see 2 real pandas at Ueno Zoo. Too bad the panda was sleeping when we visited but still the stupid pose Panda has when sleeping is soooo C.U.T.E

After Ueno Park, we went to visit the Meiji Jingu Shrine. Meiji Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Meiji Emperor and the Empress Shoken. (Source: Japan Guide) We entered the shrine from the entrance closer to Yoyogi Station (use Hyperdia) It was the wrong decision... It was so far and the roads are not asphalt so it was very tiring. It took us around 20 minutes from the entrance to reach the main building. It only took us 5 minutes to get out through the north entrance near Meiji Jingu Station.

I am not a temple/shrine afficionado so I didn't find it that interesting. Compared to Hongkong's or Bangkok's temple, Japanese temple are rather simple. The interesting features are the Torii Gate (A mark to separate sacred grounds from profane world) and the purification trough (A sink like structure with water fountains and wooden/bamboo laddle, it was used to purify the hand and mouth of shrine visitors before entering the shrine's main building). Some shrines have big Ema (A hanger for wooden plates on which prayers are written) and also sells various amulets. The temple building itself is quite simple, maybe related to the different concept of Shinto-ism and Buddhism.

When we visited the Meiji Shrine, there are two wedding ceremonies happening at the same time. It was such a rare opportunities to watch a traditional wedding ceremony at the temple. For a moment there I felt "serene".

After taking a little walk around the shrine, we walk towards the north entrance.. Found this huge sake barrels. The Sake Barrels are offerings from various people and companies around Japan. The barrels were sooooo cool. Feels like living in an anime (please forgive the geek in me)

Next... Omotesando!!!!

Just outside the Meiji Jingu lies the great street of Omotesando. This part of Tokyo is my fave. Too bad I didn't much time here, If I have the chance to go back to Tokyo, I'll dedicate a whole day to explore this neighbourhood.

The streets are full with cafes, shops and department stores. People are everywhere and do pay attention to where you walk or you'll be hit. Let the food hunt begins!!!!

This is The Gindaco, a popular takoyaki (A ball shaped fried/grilled snack made of flour, eggs, octopus and topped with shaved dried bonito/katsuoboshi and mayo) joint around Japan. My first and best encounter of Takoyaki during the whole trip. The takoyaki is big and a bit crispy at the outside but gooey at the inside. What I love about their takoyaki is the takoyaki doesn't lose its shape when you eat or bite it. The other takoyaki kind of shrink after the first bite. LOVE!!!!

 

The other think we ordered was the Croyaki (A fish-shaped croissant/pastry with red bean filling) The croyaki was also gooodddd. Skin is crunchy and chewy, glazed but not too sweet and the red bean filling is sweet and smooth. I never like red bean paste in Jakarta but this one... me likey!!! The pastry was sweet and buttery, deadly combo.

We went for a walk for like 4 hours (my feet ached so muchh that day) and ended up in Shibuya. Shibuya is one of Tokyo's popular area consisting in mostly shops or shopping centres. The area is very hip and alive. This area has that ultra modern Tokyo feel, the neon lights, the giant screen, the people and the music are very overwhelming yet I feel in place.

Off all the travelling I've done till now, Tokyo is the first one that makes me overwhelmed. It's like damnnnn so many things to do, so many shops to check out yet so little time. Shibuya is my biggest regret... I should've spare one whole day to explore the Omotesando/Harajuku/Shibuya area since IMO it was my favorite part of Tokyo. Not like Indonesia, shopping in Tokyo means wandering around in a certain area, getting in and out shops on various small but medium high building and shopping malls. There are plenty of shopping malls but the size is relatively small compared to Jakarta's.. I think each shopping malls (or maybe department store is a better term) has different and unique item/brand, therefore checking them one by one is a must. Not to mention all the unique stores and also cute cafes around the area.. Seriously, do not repeat my mistake and spare more time to explore these areas.

One of my must try list in Tokyo is Maisen Tonkotsu, said to be the best tonkotsu place is Tokyo. As an avid pork fans, it has been my mission to experience yummy tonkotsu in Japan. After a long and thorough googling, we finally found Maisen Tonkotsu. We accidentaly got lost because we were confused of the result of Google Maps search and the info given by Ratu Lebah. Finally, we realized that Google Maps result and Ratu Lebah's direction is not the same place, it's 2 different branch. So STUPID --" We ended up at Shibuya branch of Tonkotsu Maisen at the Shibuya Hikarie Building.

The restaurant is located at the dining floor in the Shibuya Hikarie building. Place itself was small like any other place in Japan, service is good and attentive but staff's English skill could be better.

Kurobuta Pork Katsu (3000 JPY)

What's special here is the kurobuta pork. Kurobuta pork is the top pork in Japan, the meat was tender but not full of fat. No smell whatsoever and yes it was so tender. It feels like eating chicken breast but more tender. Downside, I find it lack of seasoning. IMO.... Katsusei's (a tonkotsu restaurant in Jakarta) actually tastes better!!!

Katsudon (1700 JPY)

Another menu we tried there is the Katsudon. I pick the second most expensive pork and cooked with egg and sauce... Yes it is good but again not special. I dunno if it was because I was too tired to enjoy the meal but the meal didn't leave an impression :(

Shibuya Crossing

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped by a coffee shop, 24/7 coffee roasters. I think I read somewhere that this coffee shop is nice. The interior is kinda dark but comfy. Simple yet homey, not pretentious or heavy on decor like some of Jakarta's coffee shop

Milk Coffee (400 JPY)

This is my first encounter with Japan coffe. First impression, their coffee is smooth and light. No acidity or overwhelming bitterness. Somehow it tastes "liquid" I am lacking vocabulary to describe coffee (please forgive me)

Hotcake with fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce and yoghurt sauce

Japanese pancake has different consistency than the usual american pancake we have at Pancious. It is thick but more heavy and dense yet smooth. Sometimes, when we have thick pancake it will be dry and hard to swallow. This pancake is dense but smooth like typical japanese cake. If only the toppings are a bit bolder, this pancake would be perfect. 

Pigging (the act of becoming a pig) in Japan is quite easy. At the road leading to our hotel, we made the last stop for the day, a ramen store. I don't know the ramen restaurant name but it was steps away from the Asakusabashi Station. Just turn right after the exit and go across the road.

Seriously I couldn't even remember what I ordered. The first picture is the clear soup one. Ramen is cooked in front of us (and without the excessive yelling). Soup is light but salty, I don't really like it even though the soup is rich and flavorful but I just don't like it. The second pics was the aka ramen (spicy ramen). IT WAS YUMMMM!!!! The warm soup drove the chill of Tokyo night immediately. Love the heavy and spicy soup, the bamboo shoots and scallions give the soup some fresh and earthy flavors and the egg was cooked perfectly. Damn... how can a random ramen restaurant serves ramen this good. Seriously, way better than all those ramen restaurants flocking in Jakarta's malls...

That's the end of my second day in Japan. Next.. Tsukiji Fish Market!!!