[Kirk in normal font. Elaine in bold font.]
Went out to Look Up for coffee. Not too far away. Cute little coffee shop. Had honey, buttered toast with our lattes. Nice. Reminded me of breakfasts when I was a kid. Sometimes we had toast with condensed milk - asian thing, like drinking Ovaltine - not one of Kirk's memories.
At the coffee shop there was another couple there. They were speaking French so we thought we’d try asking if they were Quebequois. I know some French people might take offence, but we thought we’d try.
They were from France, visiting for a few weeks. They were in the midst of a trip around Japan. They started in Kyoto, went to Hiroshima, went skiing somewhere in the north, and were in Nigata prefecture when the earthquake hit on January 1. Talk about getting the full Japanese experience!
They were ok. They were very impressed with how well everyone around them handled the earthquake and its aftermath. Although trains were canceled, they were able to catch a train back to Tokyo yesterday. They said it was crowded, standing room only, but everyone seemed calm and not overly concerned.
After coffee, on our way back to the hotel, Kirk and I tried to replicate another scene from Bocchi. Not as easy as you'd think!
The Hakone Ekiden - a two day relay race covering 217km through the Kanto region. It started yesterday and finishes today. It would have been cool to see the finish, but the finish line was a ways away so we didn’t try to watch.
We went to Shibuya today to get a ticket reservation for Udon Shin. It has rave reviews and my brother lined up for the place TWICE on his last trip.
How it works: you pick up a ticket from a dispenser, there are only so many tickets allotted per day. Scan the QR code on the ticket and it gives you a time slot to line up for your meal. Ticket dispensing starts at 9:00 and the restaurant opens at 11:00. You come back to the restaurant at the assigned time slot to line up for your seating. While in line you put in your order so that the food is ready almost as soon as you are seated. There is approximately 12-14 seats in the restaurant so they need to do a pretty speedy turn around.
We got to the restaurant around 10:30 and our time before our time slot was approximately 230 minutes (just under 4 hours!) - I should have taken a screen shot.
While in line, you can look in the window to the restaurant and watch the chef preparing the noodles. He started by bringing out a slab of dough and rolling!
I had the Kamatama + Tokachi Parmesan cheese + Butter Pepper + Bacon Heaven dish. It was not your typical udon dish. Maybe I should have tried something a little more traditional.
We are not foodies so maybe the nuances were lost on us. The noodles were very yummy but the experience was lacking. (Kirk describes it pretty well below).
Basically the noodles were very good, the broth/sauce had mixed reviews, the seating was cramped and we all felt rushed. Asked each if it was worth the wait and we each agreed that unless we happened to be spending the day in the area we would likely pass. Kyle said if he lived there then maybe he would go again. The ticket system was nice because it allowed you to wander around and come back for your time slot.
Honestly, I didn't enjoy it. I didn't think it was worth waiting for. Not only did we have to get a ticket in the morning to come back at night, we still had to wait over an hour at the door. I really like restaurants with ambience, design, and good service.
This was a tiny place. We sat near the door, so it was freezing cold. I had to keep my heavy coat on while eating. We're crammed on to a tiny table with our knees banging and people kept hitting my back as they walked in and out. The food was okay. I thought it was salty. But, I'm not a foodie. I can tell you that it wasn't an enjoyable experience though. And, because we were by the door, people are basically staring at you from the line outside, hoping you'll leave. So, we felt rushed. I know that's in our own head, but it feels hovering. We ate pretty much as fast as we could and then left so that others could come in.
Before us, there was a group of six Korean women in their 30s. They were in there for more than an hour (cuz they were inside before we got in line). When they came out, a guy behind me said, "OMG. That's literally half the restaurant finally leaving." Nobody in line spoke Japanese. It was all tourists.
I'm aware of the pitfalls, so I hope that it's not a victim of success: https://www.thrillist.com/eat/portland/stanichs-closed-will-it-reopen-burger-quest
More stores in Shimokitazawa had re-opened today from their New Years break. Not all, but a lot more. And, the vibe of the neighbourhood was much more lively.
We finally got a chance to have a drink at the bar in the the hotel. We were the only two in the bar. Kirk had a beer and I had a plum wine. After those we both tried a lemon sour each. Very easy to drink!
The bar was chill. Not sure if it was because of the lack of other people or the new year. It was definitely different than GIG’L in Osaka!
Kyle was out on his own for the evening. He went around Shimokitazawa and then out to Akihabara. When he got back we all decided to go out for a coffee and dessert. Not too many places still open but we were able to find one place not too far away, Koneda’s Coffee, another chain.