Walking around Kabayacho

Tokyo - Yuri took me around to see some night places of Ginza and Kabayacho.   This was the showroom of Nissan in Ginza.

Scene along the river bank

Etai Bashi

Yummy Shabu Shabu in Ginza

Tokyo - Met Yuri and Terri @ Villa Fontaine around 6pm.  We then took a taxi to Ginza for our dinner - Yuri booked this shabu shabu dinner for us.

Entrance to the restaurant

This restaurant serves a special type of shabu shabu.

Sesame seeds

This is a bowl of sesame seeds given to each of us which we had to ground it into powder.  The grounded sesame seeds gave us a fragrant aroma. 

I had to add sesame paste to the groundced sesame and it looks like above mentioned.

Terri and Yuri choosing the drinks menu

The box of vegetables being steamed

Waitress moving the pumkin aside

Raw beef on top of the steamed vegetables

cooked beef on the box of vegetables

my served dish

This was dished out by the waiter for me - 3 slices of beef and loads of vegetables but this unique vegetable.  The beef was so juicy and delicious.

Duck meat

Macha ice-cream

Origami tooth pick

Lunch in Tokyo

Tokyo - Breakfast was complimentary and it was a balanced meal with salary and 3 types of dressings, milk, orange juice, hamburger patty, hard boiled eggs, bread and pastries.

Lunch with Terry was at a small sushi restaurant and of course the sushi is very fresh.

My sushi lunch

The miso soup is also very different and mixed with prawn's head to give a very unique miso taste.   I read an article today about how Japan's landlords understood that Japanese culture will be much poorer if there are no local sushi and ramen shop around; so having the rent affordable is paramount.  Unlike in Hong Kong, many of their famous wonton and noodle shops are closing because landlords keep raising the rent beyond economic sense.


Reference:  AsiaNewsNetwork - The Wonton vs Sushi story

Hotel Villa Fontaine

Japan - The flight on an A380 to Narita was smooth and by the time I arrived at the Hotel Villa Fontaine - door to door it was a 12 hour journey.   This was my first time to this Hotel and the room is small.  This hotel even has a facebook page.

Size of my room

That's the size of the room - double bed and the working table.

Toilet

The toilet can be quite a squeeze.   The bright side of this hotel is that Internet is free and extremely fast plus breakfast is complimentary.

I was feeling hungry so I walk down the street and the weather is beautiful at 17.5 Celsius - and came across a restaurant called 'Wall Street'.   It is strange for a name since it has an Irish theme around the whole restaurant.

Ceasar Salad

A very nice dish of salad - the bacon bits were nicely roasted which gave a crunchy taste to the dish plus the egg with a nice soft yolk.  

Spaghetti alle vongole

Spaghetti clams with broccoli stems stir fried with generous olive oil. 

Riung Sunda Restaurant @ Central Park Mall - popular Sundanese restaurant

Jakarta - The hotel concierge told us that a good Indonesian restaurant can be found at the Central Park Mall located @ LG (lower ground) floor.

Sari Jahe

This is a hot ginger drink and is very good for your health.

Ayam Bakar

I have tasted nicer and better done Ayam Bakar.  This BBQ chicken is a thin - maybe it is a kampong chicken.

Karedok

Karedok is a Sudanese salad dish mixed raw cabbage, bean sprouts, green beans, basil leaves, cucumber and baby egg plant topped with sour peanut dressing.  A very delicious dish.

Gurame Goreng

One of the worst Gurame Goreng I have tasted.  The dish was cold, and not crispy at all.

Nasi Tutug Oncom

Nasi Tutung Oncom is baked Sundanese Tutug rice and fermented cake made from soy bean sediment.   The taste of the rice was quite spicy.

Nasi Tutug Tempe

Nasi Tutug Tempe is a Sundanese Tutug rice and fermented soy bean patty

Sop Buntut

Sop Buntut is Ox tail soup

Paradise Dynasty Chinese Restaurant @ Central Park Mall

Jakarta - Walking around looking for lunch and we came across this restaurant - Paradise Dynasty which Lesley is familiar with as they have many restaurants in Malaysia.  I checked the internet and found out that this is another Singaporean restaurant success story spreading to surrounding countries.

When I was growing up - I ate the fruit of this tree and we called it Buah Kedondong.  Cut slices of this fruit and eat it with sugar and black soy sauce.  I would say this is an acquired taste for this fruit. This restaurant serve it in a drink and made it excellently.  I also found out that the English name is called 'Hog plum' and found primarily in Indonesia.   The hog plum  is a tropical tree, with edible fruit containing a fibrous pit.

Assorted Siao Long Pao

La Mian Dumplings

Arrive New Hotel @ Pullman

Jakarata - Arriving was seamless and fuss free, got my luggage and found the taxi to take me to Pullman @ Central Park.  This is a newer Pullman and I never stayed at a Pullman chain of hotel before; under the Accor group of Hotels.

Traffic initially was smooth but once it reach the outskirts of the business district; being Jakarta - traffic came to a snail pace.  Cars inched metre by metre through the traffic, drivers made sure not to t 'kissed' the next cars.

The Pullman Hotel @ Central Park is just next to the Central Park Mall - so it's very convenient for meals and shopping.   Upon checking, you have avant garde feeling about this hotel.  I really liked it - art pieces, innovative placement of lamp shades and creative use of lights.   And the distinct smell of the hotel.

This was placed along the corridor to the Lift Lobby

Another art piece at the Lift Lobby...

When you reach the room what strike me was the Shower area - all 4 sides glass with a rain shower.