Travelogue around Asia Pacific Part II

Tokyo - After coming back from Yasukuni shrine visit, I rested and then out again for dinner.   This time to my favourite restaurant nearby - a delicious Tonkatsu meal. For Y1350, I had a succulent and delicious 150g Tonkatsu (Pork), soup (meaty portions of pork, potatoes), bowl of rice and free flow of raw cabbage (salad).  Free flow of green tea and water is part of the price.   I have been coming to this restaurant for years and this was the first time, the old waitress spoke to me...

Tokyo -  After all the morning meetings, I took the afternoon to visit this shrine shrouded in controversy.  I took the Tozai line from Toyocho (T14) and got off at Kudashita station (T07).  Upon reaching the T07, directions to the shrine was very simple and I just follow accordingly and reached it without any problem. Statute of Omura Masujiro Main Hall of the Yasukuni Shrine taken from another angle Yashukan The museum was opened in 1882.  It is a facility to store and exhibit relics.  The building was repaired and expanded in 2002.   I visited the expanded museum and its exhibits. zero fighter plane military train Walking further outside, there were many statues honouring animals and this one for their one million military horses lost in battle. Statute of war widow with children Monument of Dr. Pal From here, I walked the vast gardens to the pond - Shinchi Teien (Sacred Pond Garden). a lone Koi ...

Tokyo - Terry brought me to a quaint restaurant which she too had not visited.   Upon reaching the street it was tucked in a corner with a non nondescript sign. We were their first patron for the night and the chef cum owner welcome us.  After much talking, Terry 'family name TAKENAKA' is a respected name in the food industry and evidently knows some of Terry's relatives.  This proves to be good as the treatment and service was top notch. This is our chef extraordinaire serving our Fugu shashimi with extra care.   Terry said "Look! the certificate issued by the Government to serve Fugu".   Fugu is so poisonous that in the wrong hands, it is an immediate death sentence. An expensive Fugu shashimi My first taste of Japanese Fugu shashimi which is the shashimi laid out like in flora display.  The taste was smooth and very delicious. We had beers and then hot Sake.  Terry gave me an introduction to Japanese culture - because we are s...

Tokyo -  I found out that Tokyo snowed heavily last week and you can see evident of fallen snow along the road and walkways.   The weather is still cold thus the snow has not fully melted.  I arrived on SQ newly A380 and the landing was hard but the ride was smooth.  It is a great plane and I love the absence of engine noise, cool gadgets to charge my iPhone and the vast cabin space. The night was a cool 15deg C and had my usual sushi which tasted so delicious.

reference:  my last experience with Hong Eo Seoul - It was great to meet up with Ki-Won again.  I was asked to choose between pork and fermented fish - being adventurous, I chose Hong Eo.   This is my second time eating this fermented skate - a kind of fish that looks like ray.  This is a expensive dish in Korea.  Hong Eo is fermented skate (a family with the sharks).  As with the shark family, the passing of urine is through their skin and so when raw skate is kept at room temperature to ferment, the uric acid from the skin keeps the meat from rotting and over time kills all bad bacteria.  So, this dish is meant to keep your digestive system in balance. Hong Eo

reference:  my last experience with Hong Eo Seoul - It was great to meet up with Ki-Won again.  I was asked to choose between pork and fermented fish - being adventurous, I chose Hong Eo.   This is my second time eating this fermented skate - a kind of fish that looks like ray.  This is a expensive dish in Korea.  Hong Eo is fermented skate (a family with the sharks).  As with the shark family, the passing of urine is through their skin and so when raw skate is kept at room temperature to ferment, the uric acid from the skin keeps the meat from rotting and over time kills all bad bacteria.  So, this dish is meant to keep your digestive system in balance. Hong Eo

Seoul - Just outside Seoul @ Anyang City, there is this coffee joint that overlooks the lake and mountain.  It was surreal and so beautiful, with the music and cold Korean winter sipping a cup of coffee. Mountains reflecting on the lake Frozen Lake with the mountains  My cuppacino Coffee Mocha

Seoul - To my knowledge this will be my second time having raw poisonous puffer fish.   All restaurants in Korea serving this special dish has to be certified. Puffer fish in the tank  This raw puffer fish dish must be carefully prepared to remove the toxic parts and to avoid contaminating the meat, as this fish is lethally poisonous due to the tetrodotoxin. This restaurant specializes in preparing this raw puffer fish and different dishes of this puffer fish kept coming to our table, from raw puffer fish skin, sashimi puffer fish, puffer fish in soup, etc.. Puffer fish skin (raw) Raw sashimi puffer fish Puffer fish sushi Puffer fish sperm sac Weird but actually it taste like good quality cheese...I checked the website to find out what was that I am eating because my Korean friends does not want to tell.   I thought it was liver or egg but those are really poisonous and did not look like anything of google search.  So this puffer fish sp...