{  Nicolas  }

Nicolas
Nicolas
Nicolas
Nicolas
Nicolas

I’m not really into parfaits but I had the most beautiful and delicious Sakura parfait (9ooyen) from this cafe in Sangenjaya. Apparently it’s a seasonal dish which changes every month so you may not be able to try this exact one, but they are famous for their impeccable parfaits. The one I had was more Japanese style and it wasn’t too sweet but still sweet enough with a great texture. It was full of surprises from beginning to the end and I loved every bite of it.

This cafe opens at 2pm which is a little weird and they only have one menu item for lunch, the pasta lunch for 1200yen which includes a bite size dessert and coffee or tea. The pasta was also delicious so it seems the chef has been trained well. On the negative side, one of the waitress had a bit of a strange attitude which made the service feel below the typical Japanese standard level. Also, it’s a small cafe located in a regular residential building, so they won’t allow customers to wait for an opening if the restaurant is full. Despite the obscure location, it seems to be quite popular since we saw many customers turned away who were even willing to wait. Thankfully we arrived a little before they opened so we were seated with no issues. With that in mind, I recommend coming early or making a reservation if you want to dine here.

Address // 4-28-10, Taishido, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6804-0425
Website // http://www.nicolasnicolas.com

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{  Cherry Blossoms — Ohanami 2013  }

Cherry blossoms - Ohanami 2013
Cherry blossoms - Ohanami 2013
Cherry blossoms - Ohanami 2013

Cherry blossoms bloomed a little early this year in Tokyo and we had a beautiful warm weekend filled with gorgeous flowers. If you’re in Tokyo now until hopefully next weekend, you are in luck to see these beauties at their prime. Too bad cherry blossoms only last about 1~2 weeks… but that is why it’s a highly anticipated event and season here in Japan. We had a cold winter this year so i’m very happy that Spring is finally here :)

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{  ECHIRE  }

ECHIRE
ECHIRE
ECHIRE
ECHIRE

Have you heard of this artisan French butter called ECHIRE?

Known as one of the best butters in France, it is served in the finest dining establishments. ECHIRE has a store in Marunouchi (near Tokyo Station) where you can buy their famous butter, croissants, madelines, financiers, ice cream and more. As soon as you walk in the door to the store, you immediately smell the rich scent of butter. You can’t help but want to try everything but as you might expect it’s a bit pricey. Both the madeline’s and financier’s cost 315yen/each. Apparently people stand in line to buy the croissants here and they sell out by the morning time.

This store is located at the ‘Marunouchi Brick Building’, a beautiful European-inspired brick building that is just oh so lovely. It’s a great place to come hang out with your friends and loved ones on a sunny day.

Address // 2-6-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6269-9840
Website // http://www.kataoka.com/echire-maisondubeurre.html

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{  Toyoko Fukutoshin Line Connected  }

Toyoko Fukutoshin Line Connected
Toyoko Fukutoshin Line Connected

On March 16, 2013, the new Shibuya Station opened connecting the Toyoko and Fukutoshin train lines. This has been huge news all over Tokyo and although this is not related to food I wanted to give you all a little more information on this.

It was rather hard for people who have been using the 48 year-old Shibuya station building to say their farewells as the above ground station has now been replaced by a new underground one on the B5F level. In light of this new opening, there will also be some special events held at Shibuya station:

★ The “Toyoko Line Shibuya Special Park” event will happen for only 3 days from March 22~24. For those of you who are train fans, this seems like it will be the event to check out as they will show case classic trains from the past and much more.

★ Uniqlo is having a special UT pop-up from March 28~April 7.

Although this new change has been causing some confusion and frustration at the new Shibuya station during the first few days, people seem to be generally in favor of it and are pleased about this new connection. Since I am a heavy Toyoko-line user, I will be definitely be making trips using the new Fukutoshin line connection.

Website // Tokyu Railway Website




{  Mado Lounge  }

Mado Lounge
Mado Lounge
Mado Lounge
Mado Lounge

Mado Lounge is located on the 52nd floor of Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills. Most people dine here when they go to visit the Mori Art Museum because it costs 1500yen to go up there even if you’re just dining there (that price includes a ticket to the Mori Art Museum as well as a free pass to the sky deck observatory). However, I was lucky enough to borrow a friend’s card who happens to work in the Mori Tower so I was able to get a free pass to visit the restaurant :)

As you can imagine, the view is beautiful and it’s nice to see a panoramic view of Tokyo once in a while. The best part of having friends who work here is that I also got to order the “worker’s lunch” which is a special deal they have for people who work in the building for 1000yen. This awesome lunch includes a main dish of your choice, bread, dessert, and coffee or tea. The food was pretty good and the service was excellent. Of course they have a regular lunch menu but it’s a bit more pricey. Mado lounge is also very romantic and beautiful at night time. It’s a nice spot for special occasions or for a date night.

Address // Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 52F, 6-10-1, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3470-0052
Website // http://www.ma-do.jp/

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