Vietnam has a lot to offer. After spending some time in sight-seeing, immersing in the local culture and savouring delicious Vietnamese food; the idea of spending time under the sun doing nothing on a beautiful island was very inviting! I think Vietnam is a great destination for beach holiday. Its coastline stretches the entire length of the country, almost 3000km. Stunning white sandy beaches fringed by coconut palms and lapped by the warm South China Sea offer peace and tranquillity.

In the past few years a small selection of international class hotels have been built along this otherwise undeveloped coastline. Da Nang is one good example of upcoming popular beach destination. Beach resorts are sprawling on the shores of Da Nang Bay, which is one the most beautiful and unspoiled locations in Central Vietnam.

Further down south from Da Nang, another beach holiday destination has to be Nha Trang. Nha Trang is situated 1,350-kilometres from Hanoi and 450-kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City. Not too far away from the airport, there’s where a jewel can be found – Six Senses Hideway Ninh Van Bay. Six Senses Hideaway Ninh Van Bay sits on dramatic Ninh Van Bay, with its impressive rock formations overlooking the South China Sea, white sandy beach and towering mountains behind, all adding to the sense of being luxuriously at one with nature. The exclusive property also presents the reality of the destination, with an architectural style reflecting the traditions of Vietnam.

We landed at the airport and saw the sign of Six Sense Hideway with my name on it. We were welcomed with chilled bottled water, which was fantastic for a hot day! The lady suggested that it would take 60 minutes by car to reach Six Senses Hideaway lounge in Nha Trang City. Then, a 20-minute ride on a boat to get to the paradise. We were waiting at the lounge, sipping away a glass of chilled lemongrass drink while waiting for others to be transferred to the island.

Upon arrival, our butler greeted us and brought us to our beach pool villa on a buggy. Her friendliness impressed us. As soon as we stepped in our villa, we were blown away by the design and the space! An exclusive plunge pool is just right in front of the villa with direct access to the beach.

The overall design of the villa gives a sense of environmental friendly and use of natural materials, it’s just like Robinson Crusoe in a luxury way! Everything can be seen simple but creatively put together, the word of comfort shouts out from every corner! Of course, the outdoor shower is very inviting too.

On the second floor of the villa, there’s where the dining area and a big living area are. It’s ideal to spend a lazy afternoon under the fan reading your favourite book while enjoying the warm sea breeze and the stunning view of the island. Nothing could be much better than getting all the privacy that you want. For those who want to be pampered and spoiled, Six Senses Spa is there waiting for you, offering all types of treatments and massages. I think, that’s what I call life when you can just relax and think of nothing.

Our stay at Six Senses Hideaway Ninh Van Bay, even though short but it was a memorable one. The tranquillity and comfort were just what we needed before exploring our next destination….

Ho Chi Minh City

Our last destination in Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Pham Ngu Lao is the heart of backpacker area. Accommodations are plenty. Many shops are within reasonable walking distance and there are just lots of eateries and tour agencies that you don’t have to find your way getting what you may need. Some of the sights in Ho Chi Minh City:

1. War Remnants Museum

Shocking photo journalism of the Vietnam / USA war, very upsetting, but important for us to see and remember how terrible war is. There are some interesting exibits and information regarding the war, agent orange and weapons. An array of heartbreaking photos of those who suffered and born with defects caused by the use of defoliants. 8 Vo Van Tan, in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

2. Cho Ben Thanh Market

You can buy almost everything at Ben Thanh Market with crowded maze of stalls selling an enormous variety of goods including an large selection of fabrics, clothes, shoes, bags, chopsticks, ceramics, meat, seafood, produce, flowers, plastics, hats, embroidered linens, lacquer, baskets, cosmetics, kitchen appliances, souvenirs and much more. There are also food stalls. Well, I couldn’t help but got myself a glass of Che again!

3. Pho 24 & Pho Quynh

Get enough fix of Pho before leaving Vietnam is a must! We tried both Pho 24  and Pho Quynh, both situated in Pham Ngu Lao. I personally think both are as good. The portion at Pho Quynh came in a smaller but lots of herbs were given. As for Pho 24, I think the portion was bigger.

4. Mekong Delta

If you have some time to spare while in HCMC, make a trip of to Mekong Delta is definitely a great experience to have. Boats, houses and markets float upon the endless rivers, canals and streams. You can easily purchase a 1 day tour from the travel agencies. I would advise to shop around for the best price and try to negotiate. Even if the price is pretty standard but we managed to get a few dollars off as we bought bus tickets to our next destination from the same agency too. We truly enjoyed the journey on the boat along narrow waterways and visited some orchards and local houses. We visited a small factory that produces coconut candies too. Everything was manually done, unbelievable!

Huế

Travel from South to North Vietnam or the other way round? I guess, this is a very common question that you will probably ask if you plan to travel to Vietnam one day. Well, I guess, either way, it doesn’t make much difference. I think it all depends if Vietnam is your only travel destination of you have the next one after. What we did was travelling from North (Hanoi) and make our way towards South (Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon). Air Asia is your best bet to travel around SE Asian countries.

After the two magnificent places – Hanoi & Halong Bay, we continued our journey South to our next destination – Hue. Getting to Hue from Hanoi by overnight train was definitely an experience for me! We got 2 soft sleepers in a 4 berth cabin, the cost about £20 per person. It was a 12-hour overnight train, we shared the cabin with a Vietnamese family of 3.

The 12-hours-sleeping-on-a-not-very-comfortable-soft-sleeper went by quickly. I just remembered I slept pretty ok until I awoke to nature’s call in the middle of the night. I hesitated to go to the toilet (because I know it wasn’t going to be very pleasant), but, I had to! I didn’t know someone was using it until I pushed the door hard enough and it bounced back. I was taken aback by it. Opssss! It was dark inside, there wasn’t any switch.  The first ray of sunlight shone through the curtain at 5 am . I was still pretty tired, but the kid next to us was all ready to welcome his morning. I sighed, closed my eyes and tried hard to go back to my dreamland.

We reached Hue. A short taxi ride got us to our hotel. The hot morning sun already made me sweat. After a long cold shower and breakfast, we were ready to explore Hue. Hue, is famous for its monuments and architecture. The highlight of Hue was back 1802-1945, during the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty. A sleepy town it’s called, what are the to-dos in Hue? What about:

1. Imperial City, Hue

Imperial City of Hue  is a walled fortress and palace in Hue, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was surrounded by a wall and the walls were surrounded by a moat. Inside the Imperial City was the imperial enclosure called the Forbidden Purple City. The Forbidden Purple City was used solely by the emperor and his family. The idea to explore the extremely huge Imperial City under the scorching sun didn’t really appeal to me. Instead, we took a buggy, which was a great way to see the whole Imperial City.

2. A Boat Ride On The Perfume River

Well, the name does appeal to me a lot – Perfume river. According to Wikipedia, in the autumn, flowers from orchards upriver from Hue fall into the water, giving the river a perfume-like aroma. I didn’t experience that though, perhaps, it wasn’t autumn there. I thought there are only 2 seasons in SE Asia? Anyway, a boat ride on the river was definitely a great way to see the locals everyday’s lives. People living along the river depend a lot on the river, using the water to do their washing and bathing.

3. Don’t Miss Out Hue Food!

Hue is famous for its distinctive  food. If you mention about Hue, what instantly comes to mind is Bún bò Huế, Hue-style beef rice vermicelli in a spicy broth. I did try it out for breakfast at the hotel and I really love the soup that is full of lemongrass flavour, with hint of Polygonum/Vietnamese Mint/Daun Kesom. Instantly, it reminds the taste of Asam Laksa. Instantly, I fell in love with Bún bò Huế, not just because I can relate it to a dish that I know, but the broth that is full of so many different flavours – sweetness, sourness and spiciness! Of course, not to mention, the tender slices of beef!

Well, other than that, I wanted to know if there are many more to try? The receptionist at the Hotel was a very helpful and friendly young Vietnamese woman. I asked her for dining options. She suggested a shop nearby, called Hang Me (45 Vo Thi Sau, Hue City Vietnam). She said to me, “Make sure you try these 3 items before you leave, they are Hue specialties” : Bánh Bèo, BánhLoc, and Banh Nậm.

Above: Hang Me shop entrance, Banh Nậm

Above: Bánh Bèo. Below: BánhLoc

4. Dong Ba Market

Dong Ba Market in Old Hue is near the place where the Dong Ba Canal joins the Perfume River. Foodies or anyone with great interest in Vietnamese food and culture should visit Dong Ba Market. The maintenance of ancient characteristics makes an unforgettable impression to visitors. Dong Ba Market is near the eastern corner of the Citadel and nearby a commercial district stretches along Dong Ba Canal. Vendors stretched along both sides of the streets, with the crowds and motorbikes, made it pretty difficult to navigate around. You just have to squeeze through and watch out the traffic. The setting reminds me of Pasar Pagi/Pasar Malam in Malaysia.

Danang – Hội An

There was a slight hiccup in our schedule when we were trying to plan our next destination from Hue. Initially, we planned to take the overnight train from Hue to Danang in order to spend one full day in Danang. Unfortunately, the overnight train was fully booked and we didn’t want to travel by train in the morning as that would mean to waste the day on the train. The receptionist at the hotel was kind enough to find out other option, which was to take a coach. It was a slightly more than 6 hours drive to Danang from Hue.

Danang is located midway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, on the coast of South China Sea. Danang is blessed with beautiful beaches and one of the famous nearby is China Beach, which is actually a series of beaches that stretch 30km between Hoi An and Danang. A lot of tourirsts neglect Danang and in favour of the nearby Hue and Hoi An, I think, Danang is an upcoming place for beach holiday.

One thing I have noticed, the Vietnamese people flock to the sea and the beach when the sun has set. A quick dip in the water, and then, savour delicious food on the beach couldn’t have been any better! I guess, just like me, I think it’s mad to stay under the sun when it’s very hot. I tend to stay under the shades and still pretty much not used to the idea of sunbathing!

Hoi An wasn’t in our plan because of our tight schedule and that was also why we were based in Danang. After finding out it would take only 45 minutes on a motorbike to get to Hoi An, we had to change our plan immediately. Motorbike rental is cheap in Vietnam, costs between USD5 – USD7. As our hotel is pretty close to the coast line, we were told we just had to follow the coast and head south. Along the the coastal line in Danang, a lot of developments were taking place: luxury residential, hotels, huge golf courses…. it’s definitely an upcoming tourist spot.

The Old Town of Hoi An is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The old houses and life in Hoi An old town definitely made me feel that I had been brought back to 150 years ago. Strolling along the narrow lanes was definitely the best way to explore this ancient town. Tailor-made clothing is one of the best trades in Hoi An. Good quality of silk can be found here. Just imagine that some shops can get your order ready within 3 hours – was probably the fastest tailor-made clothing service that I have ever found so far! Apart from that, handmade silk lanterns are hot items too!

Visited a silk workshop (41 Le Loi Street) where the whole process from silkworm to woven fabric can be seen and fabrics purchased, was probably one of the highlights in Hoi An. Photography wasn’t allowed, so I can’t share any photos. I didn’t know how silk (that a lot of people love) is produced until we went to check out the workshop! Definitely an eye-opener. If you are keen to know, this might be a good read.

Hoi An old town may look pretty in daylight, when night falls, it becomes even more attractive! The whole place turned into a town of lights. Colourful lanterns were lit up as the sun set, gave me a surreal feeling of the town’s existence. As the night fell, we thought we had better to fill our hungry tummies before making our way back to Danang. Food wise, there are lots of restaurants in Hoi An town. I read a lot of a dish that I had to try while in Hoi An, that is Cao Lau. Cao Lau is a dish of doughy flat noodles with herbs, bean sprouts, topped with pork slices and served in a savoury broth.

I didn’t do much research about food and restaurants in Hoi An as it was a last minute addition to our plan. So, we just used the same old tactic, walked around and observed – whichever restaurant looked busy and with lots of local patrons, that must be good! In the end, we went into the restaurant (which I forgot to note down the name!) that looked pretty much up to our requirements. I sticked to my plan and did give Cao Lau a try but I didn’t quite like it as how I like Phở or Bún bò Huế. At least, I tried!

Hanoi

We had less than 48 hours to explore Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital located in the far north lies in a bend of the Red River. Vietnam is one of the destinations that I have always wanted to visit – savouring real Vietnamese food, experiencing the real Asia and admiring French colonial architecture.

From the moment I stepped my foot in the old quarter of Hanoi, I could already sense the difference – very hot and humid, motorbikes were honking their horns non-stop, and lots of food stalls at every corner. Crossing the road had never been so difficult, as the motorbikes came from every direction and rarely stopped for the pedestrians. Some didn’t even bother to stop when the traffic light turned red! So, the first few hours of being pedestrians were kind of difficult, not only to make sure we were on the ’safe’ and right path, but also to beat the heat!

We were based in the old quarter, within walking distance to Hoan Kiem Lake. The first impression about Vietnamese people is their friendliness. We were pretty early for our check-in but they tried their very best to make it possible. It was a relief to cool down by taking a cold shower before heading out to feed our hungry tummies.

For the first day in Vietnam, Quan An Ngon was a good idea to start off as it is a place where you can have all Vietnamese street food under one roof! There are different mini-kitchens that serve up all the street food you could name. The menu is really impressive with more than 80 dishes to offer! Screening through the menu took me probably about 8-10 minutes and another 5 minutes to decide what to order. For a foodie, ordering food had never been so difficult (just imagine to choose few out of over 80 dishes) as I wanted to try all if I could!

(Above): Fried Spring Rolls, Vietnamese Rice Cake with Mung Beans. (Below): Beef Salad, Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

After a fabulous lunch, a walk to Temple of Literature was a great idea to check out Hanoi also to help digestion. Temple of Literature, called Van Mieu in Vietnamese, is one of the oldest sights in Hanoi. It was founded by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong in 1070 dedicated to the Chinese philosopher Confucius. It later became Hanoi’s first university.

It was quite a hot afternoon, I think the temperature must had been 38°C or more! I felt exhausted and sleepy. We later made our way to Hoan Kiem Lake, sat down under the shade. It was really the moment that I took my time to soak up the sights, sounds, and smells of Hanoi. A lot of people were chilling out at the park - chatting and spending their time with friends and family.

Some locals enjoyed their afternoon at the shaded roadside noodle stalls, slurping up their bowls of Phở. Some where enjoying Nuoc Mia (sugar cane juice) with lots of crushed ice to cool down. Sugar cane juice is always my favourite drink, so, without thinking much, I thought I needed a glass. The juice was freshly pressed, half of a calamansi/limau kasturi/citrus microcarpa was added! I have to admit that I never had sugar can juice with calamansi, the taste was surprisingly good – natural sweetness of sugar cane with a hit of citrus, was so refreshing, which was what I needed during a hot day!

Not far from the lake, situated Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Water puppetry started in the villages of Red River Delta as far back as 11th century. The tradition has been passed down since then. The puppet show is something that shouldn’t be missed while in Vietnam. After chilling out near the lake, we walked to the theatre and checked if we could get tickets there and then. We were pretty lucky as it was just another 15 minutes wait for the second last performance.

Photo credit: Bike Drool

The puppets are made of wood and then lacquered. The performance is carried out in a waist-deep pool, where large rod supports each puppet under the water, used by the puppeteer to control the puppet behind the screen. The show started with the Vietnamese orchestra, provided background music during the water puppet show. A few traditional songs were played before. Then, the puppets appeared and  moved over the water. The singers sang songs during the performance to tell the story of each scene acted out by the puppets.

In Hanoi, there is a restaurant frequented by Hanoian and tourists from all over the world. Before writing it further, some of you might have guessed which restaurant I wanted to talk about. Even though, this restaurant seems to have mixed reviews, I wonder those bad ones were based on the wrong restaurant that serves the same dish (there’s one restaurant has the same name just a few steps away!) I said to myself that if I didn’t try, be it good or bad, I would then leave Hanoi without knowing the truth and it would for sure bother me!

Cha Ca La Vong, located  at 14 Cha Ca street is famous for nothing else but just one dish – Cha ca (grilled fish). This much talked about restaurant has been around for many years and the business now is run by the 5th generation of the family. When we made our way to the restaurant on the 2nd floor, we were handed a piece of paper that stated: “We serve one dish only – fish and noodles – 120,000 Dong per person”. I think the price has increased from 80,000 Dong to 120,000 based on my research. 120,000 Dong is equivalent to £4.00, € 4.80, $6.30, which I think is pretty expensive for Vietnamese standard. Once we placed our orders, I started to look around and noticed there were quite a number of locals eating there too and I started to wonder if they pay the same price?

Anyway, that wasn’t really a concern. I was pretty happy to spend £4.00 to experience this dish. Cha ca consists of silky-soft noodles, a big bowl of dills, spring onions and some herbs, bubbling pan of moist and turmeric-scented fish pieces placed on top of a traditional charcoal stove, more fresh herbs, nouc cham (sweet, sour, and spicy dipping sauce), sliced chilies and some toasted peanuts.

We were pretty clueless to serve this when it was presented in front of us. But, without wasting one second, I checked the Vietnamese couple sitting beside me and quickly figured out. Dills, spring onions, and herbs (on the left photo below) are added into the bubbling pan that is filled with pieces of fish, mix well and let the herbs and leaves cooked until soft. In the individual serving bowl, put in some rice noodles, some fresh herbs, chilies (if desired) and some nouc cham. Then, spoon in a few pieces of fish, drizzle a bit of the oil, and topped with a small handful of toasted peanut. That’s how easy it is to enjoy this dish that is full of flavours! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Halong Bay

The following day, we said goodbye to Hanoi and headed to our next destination – Halong Bay. Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a very popular destination which is about 170km northeast of Hanoi that takes about 3.5 hours by road to get to Halong city which is the gateway to Halong Bay. Halong Bay literally means descending dragons. Legend says that when Vietnamese were fighting against their invaders from the north, gods sent a family of dragons to help defend their land. The family of dragons descended and began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels then turned into various islands and islets, then formed a formidable fortress against the invaders.

There are plenty of tour agencies in Hanoi offer different Halong Bay cruises depending on budget and the duration of stay. We opted for a 2 days 1 night package, which costs US$90 per person, that includes transfer from Hotel to Halong City, boat transfer, an en-suite double bedroom on the boat (called Calypso), and meals included except drinks. Views at Halong Bay were amazing, it does look a bit like the mystical landscape of limestones islets to Guilin in China.

Halong Bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. There are around 1600 people live on Halong bay in 4 fishing villages. They live on floating houses and are sustained by capture fishing and marine aquaculture.

Taking in the magnificent views and enjoying the relaxing cruise with excellent backdrop all along the way was breathtaking and definitely a great way to chill out before heading to our destination.

In Penang, you don’t have to worry about food. There is no chance that you will go hungry! Plenty of food stalls/hawkers centres are scattered around the island. Some are even opened 24 hours. Everywhere you go, you will see people eating if not smelling food! I think, we Malaysians are really lucky when comes to food as we are always spoilt for choices.

In Asia, one has to really explore the food scenes. Good places to eat most of the time do not have online presences, unlike in the West. To get to know good places to eat are usually through word of mouth. For tourists that visit Malaysia, apart from getting some tips from the guide book, (which is usually not 100% correct and up to individual’s liking), the other option available in getting to know where to get good food is probably to chat with the locals.

Even though my hometown is near to Penang, I do not know a lot of places to eat. Luckily, my cousin, a Penangite, was my guide (for food especially) during my recent stay there. Through her, I got to know a gem on the island! Those from Penang would probably know.

Not far from her place, a restaurant/café, named Joo Leong Café has been serving its patrons for nearly 40 years, passing down from one generation to other. Handed down from Lau Joo Leong, to his son, who took over the business in 1995, now owns and runs the business, which is well-known for its delicious breakfast –  toasted bread with butter along with half-boiled eggs need no further introduction – this is their specialty until today! Early in the morning before 6am, workers at the nearby factories and companies queue up, awaiting for their important meal of the day before work.

There is no doubt for such loyalty to this simple yet delicious breakfast – the toasts, slightly crispy at the edges give crunch to the first bite; followed by the moist and buttery taste on the second bite. Happy taste buds send messages to the olfactory bulbs at the based of the brains and various other parts of the brain to interpret slightly salty of the butter, then, sweetness of the sprinkled sugar on top of the toasts. Every bite was happy and enjoyable, the taste receptor was eager for more!

Well, apart from its all day breakfast (which is also served during dinner time from 6pm to 11pm), another specialty of Joo Leong Café is the seafood porridge and noodles (egg and rice noodles). For those seafood lovers, look no further, you have to come and taste the best ever seafood noodles and porridge! Those prawns, crabs, cuttlefish, fish balls and pomfrets are so fresh! I was told that the owner himself, wakes up very early everyday to source the freshest seafood! Apart from seafood, there are other ingredients like frogs, quill eggs, and fish maw.

You choose what you want in your noodles and porridge, so, depending on what ingredients you choose for your noodles and porridge, the price for each serving varies. Minimum price  of a bowl of porridge or noodles costs RM 4.00, with just fish balls.  Slices of fish and 2 medium size prawns will cost around RM 12.

Apart from seafood noodles and porridge, if you fancy toasts and half boiled eggs, they do serving during dinner hours too. There are also cuttlefish salad (Ju Hu Eng Chai/Sotong Kangkung) and satay stalls at the restaurant to choose from.

So, when I was there, I tried both seafood noodles and porridge. As a porridge person, I really enjoyed what was served. The sweetness of the broth is just unbeatable! Just image seafood broth, bite upon bite on the bouncy prawns, fish balls and the delicate and smooth texture of Pomfret too! That sent me to heaven!

What I really like  also is the addition of Tong Choi/Tang Chai (preserved vegetables) and chopped coriander that add more even more flavours to the whole dish. The thought of having a bowl of seafood porridge made me drool big time; I am too far away!! Those of you, who are near enough and have never tried, you will understand what I mean after your visit. And those that have tried, I am sure you share the same opinion on the freshness and deliciousness of the seafood porridge and noodles! Of course, not forgetting about the famous toasts with half-boiled eggs

Address:

179-H, Sungei Tiram, Bayan Lepas, 11900 Penang, Malaysia.

Business Hours:

Breakfast: 6.30 am till 11 am. Dinner: 6 pm till 11 pm.

First of all, I want to say thank you to those who sent me emails to ask if everything was fine. I am doing fine, I haven’t quit blogging! Just that I didn’t mention that I was away for more than 3 weeks to SE Asia. I went to Malaysia to see my family since my last trip was more than 2 years ago! I was glad to be back and of course, I had lots of yummy food back home!  This time back to Malaysia, I just felt that it has become warmer than the last time I was there. Those of you that live in SE Asia, what do you guys think? Has it become hotter recently?

Anyway, an exciting news that I want to share with all of you is about my recent recipes contribution to Flavours Magazine. If you remember, I slightly mentioned about it on this post. For those of you who live in Malaysia or Singapore, you should be able to purchase this magazine at most major bookstores. Otherwise, for those that can’t get hold of the magazine, I have soft copies of all my recipes featured in the magazine, please click on the images below to enlarge. Let me know what you think and I do hope that you will try out of the recipes!

Well, apart from being really excited to see my family in Malaysia, I was happy to savour the food back home too! Mom asked the same question everyday, ‘What do you want to eat?’ Oh boy! She made so much food that we thought it was too much! One of the best things living so close to Kuala Perlis is the convenience to get the freshest seafood ever! One of the things that I told myself that I shouldn’t miss was to eat seafood! My brother suggested to us that to get the freshest seafood, we had to wake up early to go to the small fishing port in Kuala Perlis town.

For me, it couldn’t have been better than buying seafood straight from the fishing port just as soon as the catches of day were unloaded! Although pretty small, a lot of activity goes on in this slightly fish-smelly port. The ferry from Langkawi sees a lot of daily passengers pass through, together with ships and fishing boats constantly docking and embarking near customs. My brother knew exactly what he was doing. But, first, he had to convince us to wake up at 7am so that we were in good time to get the best of the best!

Apart from fish, prawns and crabs are my next favourites. So, I made sure that my favourite blue swimmer crab was on the shopping list! When you look at how fresh you can get these crabs in Malaysia, I just wish that I could get the same in London. Well, I probably could get them at the wholesale fish market. But, that would mean to wake up at 5am! My mom made my all time favourite with these blue swimmers, which I really hope I could share with you all if I could get hold of these crabs in London!

I was told that all the catches are mostly to be sold in bulk to retailers in Kuala Lumpur. End consumers like us are able to buy them at wholesales price. Looking at those big buckets of fish makes me think how many tones of seafood we, human beings, consume on a yearly basis and how long more will our mother ocean be able to keep on supplying this amount of seafood for our consumption?

Not all catches are from the sea at least. Some groupers that I saw were farmed. I think grouper has almost come to extinction. Very few were caught from the sea, unless they are line-caught. Grouper is a fish with really firm white flesh. It is great to eat steamed and deep-fried whole. I also like to do a stir-fry with its firm fillets. My brother couldn’t resist but decided to buy one huge line-caught grouper!

One thing that I really have to talk about is the price for prawns. 1kg of the following is only RM 25-30!! And they are not farmed and super fresh! The price for frozen prawns here? £12 a kg, which is RM60! Argghh!! I am feeling homesick already!

There are 7 public baths in Kinosaki town and there are many traditional ryokans. Trip to Japan is not complete without a stay a ryokan! A ryokan (旅館) is a traditional Japanese inn which typically feature tatami-matted rooms. For our short stay in Kinosaki, we decided to go for Nishumuraya Ryokan (西村屋本館) that looks fantastically beautiful in this traditional town of Kinosaki. Dinner and breakfast are usually included in the price of the room. The meals served are usually Kaiseki ryori (懐石料理), is an artistic, gracious, a multi-course Japanese cuisine, an equivalent of Western haute cuisine.

At the ryokan, yukata (浴衣) are provided for the guests to put on and stroll about in town and to go to the public baths. Before we left for Japan, I was kind of worried about taking bath in the hot springs. I wanted to know how and what I should do. Basically in all public baths, men and women’s bath are separated. And everyone is expected to be naked to enjoy the bath! No swimsuit is allowed. Each has to clean or rinse the body with the water from the tap using a washbowl before entering the bath. If you want to know more how to take bath, please refer to this useful link. It was a great experience for me, well, being naked and taking bath with the rest of the women that I don’t know!

We were driven to our ryokan. When we arrived, we had to take off our shoes. Then, we were led to our room by our nakai-san (room attendant). Our ryokan looked really lovely with a garden view. While enjoying the view, we served with a cracker and green tea. Before we left, we were asked what time we wanted to have our dinner. Our nakai-san jotted down the time and told us to be on time.

Kinosaki is also renowned for its high quality of seafood, particularly crab. There are many shops in the town that sell crackers that are made of crab and I simply love them. For lunch, we went to a noodle house, which was near to our ryokan. I had a simple soba noodle served with crab in a clear broth that was full of flavours. By just looking at it now makes my mouth water. The noodles, not like the normal kind of soba, it is a bit flat.

After lunch, we walked around the town before we hit 3 public baths and took our time to soak in the hot bath. Nothing was better than this!

After the relaxing time spent at the public baths, we went back to our ryokan. The hospitality and gracious service are just unbeatable. Our nakai-san made sure that we were comfortable by paying attention to the smallest detail. The classic courtesy of a deep bow from nakai-san is something that I will never forget! Nakai-san also served us our meals and made futon (布団), we felt pampered! The kaiseki dinner was so good that each dish made me gawked! One problem  I had was that the menu is in Japanese. So, every dish was a surprise to me! Also, there were a few dishes that I wasn’t sure what the ingredients were, but that didn’t bother me much as it was too delicious!

Sakura Jelly

Prawns and Egg roll

Mini Squids, Fish and Sea Bream Sushi

Sashimi

Sake

Grilled Abalone

Seaweed

Soup with Mushroom and Sakura Rice

Nabe Hotpot with Vegetables and Beef

Vegetables and Seafood Stew

Miso Soup

Rice (being cooked in a traditional way)

Fresh Strawberries and Strawberry Coulis

Green Tea Mochi

Matcha & O-Cha

After our dinner that took 2 hours, we were ready to hit the bed. Nakai-san prepared our futon!

I think, another great experience was the full on breakfast that I had at our ryokan. If you look at the pictures of the dinner, you would have thought that the chef put a lot of effort in each dish and all of them look very very appetising. The breakfast was just as impressive!!

Well, need I say more? By looking at those pictures, I really want to have kaiseki ryori now! I so love Japan that if you look at all my posts about Japan, you will know why. Once again, let me show with you another video that I made.

Kyoto was Japan’s capital and the emperor’s residence from 794 until 1868. It is now the country’s seventh largest city with a population of 1.4 million people and a modern face. Kyoto is famous for its thousands of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Apart from being famous for its shrines and temples, Kyoto has the best refined cuisine to offer, such as Kaiseiki Ryori. Kyoto is the place to discover Japan in its traditional way. Sightseeing and eating in Kyoto are equally fun and enriching experience.

1. Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion)

Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple where the top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. It is one of the famous temple that is located in the West of Kyoto. It is probably my favourite temple and also one of the most well-known temples for its golden exterior, which reflects beautifully in pond. It is breathtaking must-see!  Address: 1 Kinkakuji-cho Kita-ku, Kyoto. Access: City Bus Stop Kinkakuji-mae

2. Ryoanji Temple

Ryoanji Temple is famous for its mysterious rock garden. The simple Zen garden consist of nothing but rocks, moss and neatly raked gravel. No people know what the rock garden signifies, so, it’s up to everyone’s interpretation. Address: 13 Ryoanji-Goryo-Sita-machi, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto. Access: 7-minute walk from City Bus Stop Ritsumeikandaigaku-mae (from JR Kyoto Station/Hankyu Oomiya Station) / 1-minute walk from City Bus Stop Ryoan-ji-mae (from Hankyu Sanjo Station) / 7-minute walk from Keifuku Railway Ryoan-ji-michi Station

3. Kiyomizudera

Kiyomizudera is just another temple, so, what’s so famous about it? Kiyomizudera is a World Heritage site and it’s one of the famous landmarks in Kyoto that no one should miss! During cherry blossom season, this whole area looked just so relaxing to take a stroll, enjoy and absorb everything around you! People come to the temple to drink water from the falls by collecting it in tin cups; the water is said to have therapeutic properties, and drinking from the three different streams is said to confer health, longevity, and success in studies. Address: 1-294 Kiyomizu Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto Access: 10-minute walk from City Bus Stop Gojozaka

4. Philosopher’s Path

Philosopher’s Path is a pleasant place to stroll in the afternoon situated in the northen part of Kyoto. The Philosopher’s Path runs between Ginkakuji and the neighborhood of Nanzenji, a 5-10 minute walk north of Nanzenji’s main temple buildings. It was not a miss for me because it is very famous for its path that follows a canal which is lines by hundreds of cherry trees! It is one of the most popular hanami spots in Kyoto. Just look at the cherry blossoms, so pretty! Don’t you just want to stay there as long as you could? Oh, and I spotted a very cute dog, look at her outfit!

5. Ginkakuji (Silver Pavillion)

Ginkakuji is also known as the Silver Pavillion is situated in the east of Kyoto. It looks pretty much like Kinkakuji and even does sound pretty similar! In fact, Ginkakuji Temple was modeled on its sister temple Kinkaku-ji, but it was never gilded in silver, and the main temple building remains an unpainted brown and in its way, exemplifies the Japanese idea that something plain can be beautiful.

6. Gion

Gion is most famous for being the geisha district and it is one of the attractions that shouldn’t be missed. It is not easy to take a glimpse of the geishas! But, we were pretty lucky to have followed a local to a spot where we waited patiently for more than 1 hour and saw quite a number of them walking back to their home after dance performances!  Seeing them in real is just like a dream come true, the feeling is so different from seeing on the TV! Best time to explore this area is early evening.

Gion is also a great place to dine. There are many restaurants in this area. After being a paparazzi for a few hours, we were looking for some food in this area and ended up at Junidanya that serves Shabu Shabu. Shabu Shabu is a Japanese variant of hotpot, usually served with good quality thinly sliced beef and vegetables. I love the beef slices, very tender and juicy! Let the photos speak for themselves.

7. Fushimi Inari Shrine

Inari is the Shinto god of rice, and the foxes (kitsune) are regarded as the messengers, which many are found in Inari shrine. More than 5000 vibrant orange-red torri gates are built through the hills and takes about 2 hours to hike. Fushimi Inari Shrine is one of the most beautiful places that I have been so far. I love the bright colour of the torri gates. As Inari is the god of business, each of the torii is donated by a Japanese business. We didn’t make it to the end of the hike, but only half way though it was still enjoyable!

8. Honke Owariya noodle restaurant

Owariya noodle restaurant was originally a confectionary shop has been loved by the people of Kyoto since it opened in 1465. Besides serving Kyoto restaurants throughout history, Owariya has also been patronizes by the Emperor’s family and monks from Kyoto’s historic temples. They have kept the traditional tastes for over 540 years.

Noodles dishes are served cold and hot. Soba and Udon are very famous here. I ordered Kake Soba with assorted tempura on the side. Soba is boiled and drained, a warm soya-base sauce broth is served by the side, which is meant for dipping before eating the noodles. Address: 322 Kurumaya-cho Nijo Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto

9. Hayakawa knife shop

As a passionate cook, I made sure that I didn’t leave Kyoto without purchasing a good Japanese knife. Aritsugu will probably be the first place that people would recommend as it is a very well known place in Kyoto to purchase Kyoto knives. Well, at least, it is very popular amongst the tourists and Japanese restaurants in Kyoto. I did check out the knives there but it was so packed and the prices are sky-high. I didn’t buy a knife there and didn’t plan to anyway as I already got another plan.

I read on the internet and found out a small and humble family run business that sells good quality of Kyoto knives. This knife shop is called Hayakawa. If you check out the website, you will see that the price is very reasonable for a good Japanese knife. And of course I bought one for myself and got my name engraved in Japanese. Well, as the shop owner doesn’t speak English, so, it could be a slight problem here. He has got a little electronic dictionary, so, that helped a little. He was really friendly, asked where we travelled from, then, showed us his photos many years ago when he went travelling in Europe.

Anyway, if you know what kind of knife you are after, then, it should be fine. Like me, I wanted a Santoku, I told him and he took out quite a few with different price range for me to choose.

10. Maruyama Park

Maruyama park is best visited when the cherry trees are in full bloom. It is the most popular and crowded spot for cherry blossom viewing. It was still really crowded when we were there after 9pm! A lot of food stalls were set up and it was great to sample some street food at this beautiful park. Of course, the reason to go to Maruyama park is to see the ever famous tall shidarezakura (weeping cherry tree), which gets lit up in the night. Now I know that Japanese people take cherry blossom viewing so seriously as they even stay up all night long under the cherry trees with their friends and family and having a good time!

11. Nishiki Market (錦市場)

If you do have some time to spare, do visit Nishiki market. Take a stroll through more than hundred over shops was an amazing experience. It is a market place in downtown Kyoto and it’s the place to go if you want to get  various Japanese specialities. Known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen”, Nishiki Market has a history of several centuries, and many stores have been operated by the same families for generations.

So, that rounds up my memorable stay in Kyoto. I wanted to make it a Top 10, but I couldn’t seem to be able to squeeze 11 items into 10. So, I hope you like this delicious and beautiful Top 11 – Kyoto Highlights!

“Since we are in Tokyo, I think we shouldn’t miss this opportunity. Even if it means we will get less than 5 hours of sleep.”

I set the alarm at 04:45. Even before the alarm went off, my brain sent a message to wake me up from my deep sleep. It usually take me some time to be fully awake, but that time, it literally took me less than 5 minutes to wake up. I didn’t feel tired as I was excited! I couldn’t wait to see Tsukiji Fish Market and the tuna auction, which had recently opened to visitors. Tsukiji Market (築地市場), is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. The nearest metro station is Tsukiji on Hibiya line.

As the metro didn’t start until 05:10, we decided to take a taxi to get there. Not the cheapest option but I didn’t want to miss the once in my life time experience witnessing the tuna auction. Well, talking about tuna, I recall one article that I read on the internet about the depleted global stocks of tuna, which one of the key factors behind it was Japan’s insatiable appetite for it. Fish is Japanese staple food for centuries, it may be difficult but  I think we now have to eat sustainable catches.

A taxi ride to the ever famous Tsukiji Market that is always flocked with visitors from Shinjuku will cost around ¥ 3,000. We quickly made our way to the auction once we arrived.  We had to squeeze through the crowds to get a good spot to see the auction. Every gesture and word from the auctioneer didn’t quite make sense to me. But, in the end, all the gigantic tuna belong to some winning bidders. Tuna were then taken away.

We walked around the market to check out some stalls. Presented in front of the shops were freshly caught seafood and fish. Some were not identifiable. Japanese do eat a lot of produce from the sea. My initial thought was it must be expensive. But, after I checked out the prices and converted to GBP; I realised it was NOT expensive after all – for the choices and quality!

I witness how the gigantic tuna was prepared – wash and sliced into chunks. The knife used wasn’t a knife, more like a sword!

After a few minutes, we walked pass a shop. A friendly middle-age man looked at us staring at the big tuna. He was friendly looking and attempted a conversation with some basic English. We used our limited Japanese to ask if the tuna was delicious. He nodded and responded in Japanese, which we couldn’t understand. He walked away to reach for something.

Came back with him in his hand was a scallop shell. He said ’spoon’. Without us realising, he used the clean scallop shell as a spoon and reached for the tuna in front of him, scooping out some tuna and placed it in a plastic box. “Try, oishii” he said and passed us the plastic box that contained some yellow fin tuna. “Chotto matte”. He poured some shoyu (soya sauce) in another plastic box.

Right in front of us was probably the freshest tuna sashimi that we were going to sample! I carefully dipped my portion of sashimi in the shoyu before putting it in my mouth. “That was just heavenly delicious! The tuna practically melted in my mouth without much effort to chew. The addition of the shoyu has brought out and enhanced the taste of the tuna, just unbelievable!” We were stunned by the freshest sashimi that we have ever had in our entire lives! We passed back the empty plastic boxes (my stomach was shouting: I want more!). We said many times of ‘Arigato gozaimasu’ and bowed many times before we walked away. Now, I understand the Japanese’s insatiable appetite for it!

Around Tsukiji Market, there are plenty of restaurants. It was only 07:00 after we have checked out most of the stalls. So, what’s next? All the restaurants have already started to serve breakfast. When I talk about breakfast, I am talking about having sushi or sashimi for breakfast!

Well, I have never had sushi or sashimi for breakfast before. We just walked around to see which restaurant to choose. We came across a restaurant that serves Chirashi. Chirashi is basically a bowl of sushi rice topped with sashimi. “Fancy that?” We decided to join the queue. When there’s a queue and there are many locals eating, then, it must be good. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take photo of my Chirashi, there was a sign in the tiny restaurant says ‘No photo.’ Anyway, my chirashi came in a medium bowl of sushi rice sprinkled with some black sesame, topped with a generous portion of sliced tuna, salmon, seabream and ikura (salmon roe). It was indeed delicious and I feel healthy to have such fresh sliced fish for breakfast!

With a happy stomach after breakfast, we made our way to Ueno Park (上野公園). Ueno Park is one of the most popular parks for cherry blossom viewings. This whole cherry blossom thing really made me go gaga over them! The Japanese appreciate every moment of it. They picnic in the park, with friends and family. While enjoying good food, there are those pretty sakura to look at! As you could imagine, I took lots of pictures of cherry blossom, they are just too pretty!

So many parks can be found in Tokyo. Yoyogi Park (代々木公園) is another one that you may want to check out. Yoyogi Park is one of the largest parks in Tokyo and it’s near to Harajuku station. On Sundays around the outer perimeter of the park, bands and individuals play music. The band often have generators and amplifiers so it can turn into a battle of bands. Again, during cherry blossom season, there’s nothing better to do but to enjoy the magnificent views of sakura and spend time with friends and family along with some good Japanese food!

To leave a destination is difficult, let alone leaving a country that you are visiting. Somehow, some countries will make you fall madly in love with and will remain in your memory for life. Before we waved goodbye to Tokyo to our next destination, a must not miss is Tokyo tower (東京タワー). Tokyo tower is a communications and observation tower. Stands at 332.5 metres, which the structures is an Eiffel tower -inspired lattice tower that is painted in white and orange. The lights reminds me everything that I have seen in Tokyo that will remain in my memory for a long time.

1. Akihabara (秋葉原) also known as Akiba (アキバ)

Japan is famous for its technology, especially electrical devices. If you like electrical gadgets, Akihabara shouldn’t be missed! Akihabara is a major shopping area for electronic and computer items.

We were there pretty early, just when the shop first opened. One thing in mind was to check out Yodobashi. Yodobashi  is a chain store that sells mainly electronic products. The store in Akihabara spans eleven floors and have great selections of toys, videos, computers, laptops, cameras and all other high-end items. We went to each floor to check out everything and decided to stop slightly longer at the department that interested us more.

Apart from the cameras and lenses section, another section of the store that got me really excited was household electrical appliances. It really wowed me when I saw so many different electric rice cookers on display! Ok, I have already got one trusted Zojirushi, but, I still couldn’t resist! They come in all sizes and all colours! I saw rice dispensers, which I now regret I didn’t buy one. Perhaps, this is a sign or excuse to travel to Tokyo next time!

2. Sensō-ji (金龍山浅草寺), Asakusa

Sensō-ji also known as Asakusa Temple is an ancient Buddist temple located in Asakusa, a central part of old town in Tokyo. The entrance gate to the temple which is called kaminari-mon or Thunder Gate, is very famous as there’s a gigantic red paper lantern painted in red and black which is said to represent thunderclouds and lightning.

Many shops lined up on two sides of Nakamise-Dori after the entrance. A lot of souvenirs can be purchased here and also lots of Japanese sweet and savoury snacks to choose from. Undoubtedly, we stopped by at some stalls to check out food and souvenirs to bring home.

A lot of tourists, both from Japan and abroad visit Sensō-ji every year to pray for good luck. A lot of unique rituals are still being practised nowadays, such as folding prayer paper, write prayers on wooden plaques, rubbing incense smoke onto one’s head and drinking the holy water.

The icon of Sensō-ji is definitely the impressive and eye-catching  five storey Pagoda.

3. Sunshine City ((サンシャインシティ)

Sunshine City is a shopping and entertainment complex in Ikebukuro. Namja Town is an indoor theme park that is popular amongst the kids and teenagers. The only reason we visited Sunshine City is to try out some ice-cream there. Well, you must be wondering, why particularly here that is so special that you can’t get ice-cream elsewhere? Well, it is because they have a lot of ice-cream with ‘weird’ flavours that you can never imagine! For example: octopus, garlic, fish sauce, squids, curry, wasabi, viper,…and more to name!

We tried a few – curry, fried noodles, cheese risotto and BBQ chicken wings. So, what do I think? Ermm… I didn’t enjoy these flavours as ice-cream. Even though, the curry one started out ok but after a few spoons of it, I felt that I wouldn’t want to eat ice-cream for the rest of my life!

4. Cherry Blossom spot – Meguro River

The most important thing to visit Japan in late March and beginning of April is to enjoy Hanami (花見), which means ‘flower viewing’. Cherry blossoms  viewing is a big event in Japan. It is one of the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of sakura. About 800 cherry trees line Meguro River for several hundred meters and create an amazing sight! Of course, I went crazy and couldn’t stop taking photos when I saw these pretty pink flowers. They were just too pretty to be missed!

5. Ginza (銀座)

Ginza is well-known as the most luxurious shopping district. There are a lot of department stores, boutiques, specialty shops, restaurants, and coffeehouses. Many branded goods can be found here.

It was in Ginza that we found a great place to eat! If you love Unagi (うなぎ), freshwater eels, then, you will definitely love Unagi Kabayaki. Kabayaki (蒲焼) is a term that is use to describe a dish of seafood, which is filleted , boned, and dipped in a sweet soya sauce mixture before being broiled or grilled. Unagi Kabayaki is a very popular dish, always serve on top of hot rice.

Nobori Tei (鰻 登亭) – Address: 8-3-4 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo, has a few branches in Tokyo. One is in Ginza. Nobori Tei specialised only in Unagi Kabayaki. There are a few set of menu to choose and they are usually accompanied with soup and pickles. Of course, green tea is served for free. The Unagi Kabayaki served here is so good that we went there twice!

6. Shibuya (渋谷区)

Shibuya is also another great place for shopping. If you mention about Hachikō, an Akita dog statue, which was a Shibuya fixture during the late 1920s and early 1930s is a popular meeting spot. This place is always full of people and you would have seen and heard about its scramble crossings, which is right in front of Shibuya Station. There are lots of neon lights and large TV screens mounted on the buildings which reminded me the scenes in ‘Lost in Translation’. There are also a lot of restaurants in this area. The best spot to catch bird’s eye glimpse of the crossings is at the Starbucks.

7. Ramen – Ippudo

As a noodle lover, I will never give ramen a miss since I was in the noodle nation of Japan! Noodle shops can be found almost everywhere in Tokyo. I have read on the internet about the lip-smacking ramen at Ippudo. There are a few branches of Ippudo in Tokyo, such as Ginza, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ebisu. It is a place to get a quick fix of comfort food not having to wait for too long! We went to the Ebisu branch - Address: 1-3-12 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

What famous at Ippudo is the Hakata style tonkotsu ramen from the island of Kyushu. The broth is rich, very creamy and delicious. Thin egg noodles are cooked to perfection, topped with think slices of pork. Along with the ramen, there are toppings to be added to the noodles, such as spicy moyashi (bean sprouts), crushed garlic, spicy pickled greens and pickled ginger.

8.  Tsukemen – Yasube

As you read on, you will notice that I really love noodles! Yasube – Address: 2-11-19 Yoyogi, Shibuya-Ku, serves up both ramen and tsukemen. But, it is more popular for its tsukemen. Tsukemen (つけ麺) is similar to ramen but the noodles are served separate from the soup – the noodles are to be dipped into the soup.

Yasube is a few minutes walk from Shinjuku station. This little ramen place is so popular that you may need to expect a queue. One thing that could be a little tricky is that you need to order from a vending machine. What’s so tricky about it? Well, it’s written in Japanese. Unless you know Chinese, you could probably make some sense of  some Kanji. Otherwise, it could be a bit of a problem. It took us a little while to know what to choose after asking the waitress, who spoke very little English.

Basically, for the same amount of ¥720 (¥820 for spicy and spicy miso), you can choose your quantity of noodles, from small all the way to extra large. Then, you have 3 different flavours of broth to choose from – spicy miso, spicy, and non-spicy broth. There are some extras like medium-boiled egg and vegetables too.  The broth was full of flavours, contained bambooshoot, small pieces of pork and topped with lots of thinly sliced spring onions, along with small sheet of seaweed.

We went there twice (again!) as it was so good that I was worried I would miss it so much. The last trip there was for lunch, just before we made our way to the airport! I have tried spicy miso and spicy broth – I love both, they are highly-recommended if you love a bit of spice (for me, it wasn’t spicy at all)! I would certainly go back if I go to Tokyo next time!

Well, this post is a bit lengthy. But, I hope you will find it useful. It’s not it, I will wrap up my Tokyo trip in my next post. So, much more to come!

Meanwhile, I will leave you with a video that I have made it myself using iMovie, exclusively from My Cooking Hut!

“This post has been entered into the Grantourismo and HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition” http://grantourismotravels.com/2010/05/05/grantourismo-travel-blogging-competition-may/

It was more than an hour ride on the train, which we then finally reached Shinjuku, where we were based for the next 4 days.

Hilton Tokyo is centrally located in the ultra-modern city centre of Tokyo’s Shinjuku skyscraper district. It is about 10-minute walk from Shinjuku Station on JR Line and 2-minute walk from Nishi-Shinjuku Station on Marunouchi Line and these stations are connected by underground passages to the hotel.

A choice of seven restaurants and bars serving the finest International cuisine. Le Pergolès was recently awarded with 1 star in Michelin Guide Tokyo 2010. There is also a Fitness Center that opens 24/7, two outdoor tennis courts, indoor pool, sauna and massages for men and women.

It was unusually cold when got out from the taxi. Without waiting much, we were greeted warmly by two door porters and then went to the reception. The lady politely asked for my name. “May I please ask you to proceed to Executive 37th floor for checking-in.”

To our surprise, we have been upgraded to Executive Junior Suite Room on the 35^th floor. The top 7 floors at Hilton, which have been newly upgraded with facilities and superior services are specially dedicated for Executive Floor guests. The check-in process was smooth and impeccable.

I was really impressed with the space and the Western design with unique Japanese touches such as shoji, yukata robes and slippers. I love the idea of Japanese touches in the sleek designed adopted by the Hilton. An exquisite, low to the floor sofa set and a square wooden table enhance a snug atmosphere for the upmost experience of relaxation. The spectacular urban view over Shinjuku almost took my breath away!

After a long journey, I thought I would spoil myself in a long and warm shower to chase away my tiredness. It was a great relief before I started to explore Tokyo!

Since we were just a stone’s throw away from Kabukichō (歌舞伎町), we decided to check it out. Kabukichō is an entertainment and red-light district in Shijunku. There are lots of shops, restaurants, nightclubs and hostess bars. It seems to me that it’s a sleepless town in Tokyo!

A stroll on the street in Tokyo was amazingly different. Neon lights are everywhere. As we got closure to Kabukichō, music and noises got clearer. Some pachinko game halls were probably the noisiest place I have been on earth! Such an impressive sight!

A lot of people were in street. Many groups of white collars were chatting and discussing which izakaya (Japanese pub) to go after a hard day of work. Izakaya serves mouth-watering, nutritious and inexpensive small-plate cooking, along with free-flowing drinks. It is a vital place for socializing after work.

The streets were flocked with a lot of young people too. Most Japanese girls and women I saw are predominantly well dressed and always with full-on makeup. Many wear skirts and some with the shortest skirts they could get. 9 out of 10 are usually with brown or blonde hair that is nicely styled. That made me ponder how long they spend on a daily basis for self-grooming?

In a place like Tokyo, you will most likely find it difficult to find a restaurant to dine. Not that there are no good restaurants but there are way too many of them to choose from! Worse is, all of them look equally good!

In Japan, most restaurants specialise in a particular area. Sushi restaurant serves sushi and nothing else. Ramen places serve nothing but only ramen. It’s not like elsewhere outside Japan where you go to a Japanese restaurant, you have a menu filled with variety to choose from.

We didn’t want to limit our choices by trying out only places that were recommended in the guidebook or on the internet. So, we walked around the area for about 30 minutes and couldn’t decide which one to go for. When you are spoiled for choices, it is hard to decide!!

Not too far from where we stood, we saw a big noodle shop. From outside, it looked like a place frequented by the locals. We finally decided to go for it! On the menu, there is only udon to choose from. But, served in different ways. You can choose big or small bowl; strong or mild flavour of broth.

What I liked about this place when we first stepped in was the sights of making fresh udon. I was going to be the freshest bowl of udon in my whole entire life!

I settled for a small bowl of udon served in strong flavour of broth and with slices of pork. As for Arnaud, he ordered a small bowl of udon with no broth but served with a raw egg.

The intense flavoured soup was a great base to be accompanied with freshly made udon that was cooked so perfectly – slightly chewy and not soggy, a real pleasure to eat! Slices of pork served on top of the udon practically melted in my mouth upon my bites; it couldn’t be more tender than this! Arnaud’s choice wasn’t a disappointment to him. It was just simply delicious to have two simple main ingredients – raw egg and fresh udon, sprinkled with some toasted sesame seeds.

We walked to Shinjuku station and waited for 15 minutes before the Hilton shuttle service finally arrived. The complimentary shuttle service runs every 30 minutes from the Hotel.

My eyelids grew heavier as darkness fell. I saw a pillow menu on the bedside table and reached for it.

“There are different types of pillows -Memory Foam, Polyester and Sobagara, Feather and Foam Core, Sobagara, Foam Core, and Feather.”

“That’s pretty impressive! How exciting!”

“Sobagara is a Japanese tradition pillow that is made from buckwheat hull.”

“I will get that one.” “Me too!”

So, I rang house keeping for the Sobagara pillows. Not too long, I heard a knock on the door, presented with 2 pillows was the friendliest smile I have ever seen!

“Have a good night.”

A promising good night sleep followed and I knew that the comfort at the Hilton would make my stay in Tokyo enjoyable.

The next day began and I woke up from my deep sleep. Not even wasted for a minute, I got myself ready. While waiting for Arnaud to get ready, I heard my stomach grumbling! I hurried him as I couldn’t wait to have my first breakfast in Tokyo! We made our way to 37th floor. “Ohayou gozaimasu.” I bowed slightly too.

There were Western and Japanese breakfast to choose from. I quickly decided that I would start my day with the traditional Japanese breakfast. There were congee, rice, miso soup, pickles, Japanese egg rolls and a few more items to choose from. As for the Western-style breakfast, eggs, bacons, sausages, pastries and cereals were on offer.

There’s nothing better than having a great breakfast to start the day! I felt energetic! My second day in Tokyo had begun.