Pandie Survey: Where To Eat In Tokyo

March 28, 2016March 28, 20166 Comments

I’m so excited everyone because I’m actually going to one of the craziest countries that I know of… JAPAN!

So I’ve been fed with a good amount of Anime back when I was young. I was one of those kids who couldn’t wait to get home and watch the latest episode of Fushigi Yuugi (what was my mom thinking??), Akazukin Chacha, Rurounin Kenshin, etc. and my knowledge of Japan started here. And as I grew up and learned more about Japan through Nintendo games, Pokemon, and weird Japanese commercials, I knew that I had to go here someday.

Will only be going to Tokyo due to time constraints this April 12-19 and a side travel to Shibazakura festival, Mt. Fuji and Fuji-Q, but I really hope 8 days is enough for me (who am I kidding, course not) and my college friend to cover at least… um the basics?

Must visits include Harajuku, Akihabara, Odaiba (science museum & onsen), Shibuya, Shinjuku, Meiji Shrine, Ghibli Museum, Ginza, flea markets here and there… but I don’t know. Am I missing something?

Especially for restaurants! Tokyo is the capital of food gastronomy and the food quality is incomparable to other countries. It hosts the most number of Michelin starred restaurants and if you’re feeling local, you can check out Tablelog’s dependable reviews to find a restaurant to your fancy. Because of this impromptu decision to go to Japan (there was a seat sale at Jetstar. How can I say no to 6,000php roundtrip Tokyo ticket), I couldn’t get in my must try restaurants because they require 2-3 months of reservation in advance. Namely..

1. Jimbocho Den – Moden and whimsical take of the kaiseki style Japanese dining. The style hails from Kyoto and is a degustation type of setting. I will be missing these dishes though I hope to be able to visit next time (YES THERE WILL BE A NEXT TOKYO TRIP even though I haven’t even set foot in Tokyo).

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Being Happy: A Beautiful Message

March 27, 2016March 28, 2016Leave a comment

This may have nothing to do with food and travel but on reflection it actually does.

Being happy is something we all strive to be but we usually associate it with only just ourselves. After all, it is us who actually feels happy. What does it have to do with the Other? We travel and eat to be happy, but how?

The message of Pope Francis albeit last year’s is as important as it is now especially after all the numerous terrorist attacks. This message is too beautiful not to share on this wonderful Easter morning.

BEING HAPPY by Pope Francis

“You may have defects, be anxious and sometimes live irritated, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world. Only you can prevent it from going into decadence. There are many that need you, admire you and love you.
I would like to remind you that being happy is not having a sky without storms, or roads without accidents, or work without fatigue, or relationships without disappointments.

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Zuma – My Best Japanese Meal & Steak In Hong Kong (so far)

March 24, 2016March 25, 20164 Comments

Pandie Rating:

I hope you guys enjoyed my first travel post – 10 Things We Wished We Knew Before Going To Korea. It’s personal so it may not be the most comprehensive guide but for budget travelers like me, you’d certainly like it.

Now going back to food and travel! Hong Kong is my guilty pleasure. It’s the destination I’ve been going to since childhood. It’s such a teeny tiny city that my overseas friends wonder why I love it so much. There’s not much to do in Hong Kong they say but au contraire mon frere! There are tons to do in this harbour city and it’s a shopper’s paradise. Not only that, restaurants reign this city of many different flavors. You will always find a good place to eat no matter when and where unlike some cities that have restaurants opening really late. It’s the perfect city for a city gal like me.

Let me introduce you to one of my recent finds. I love love Japanese cuisine and if you’re a sushi fanatic like me, you know that the sushi selection that we have in Manila is subpar. My issue is always the freshness. If you’ve been to Japan, you know about a fresh sushi/sashimi’s umami and frankly aside from my find in Singapore (which I’ll blog about as well), I’ve never tasted a really fresh sushi in Manila. Little Tokyo’s Izakaya Kikufuji isn’t fresh at all though it’s probably a 6/10 rating and probably the best in Manila but you can’t beat the quality in other countries.

So in Hong Kong, the port hub of Asia, you know you’re gonna get fresh fish delivered DAILY. So I was very lucky to have eaten at Zuma.

Zuma as mentioned on their website is a Japanese restaurant with a sophisticated twist on the traditional Japanese Izakaya style of informal eating and drinking. Well known by expats, entering Zuma is like entering a totally different Hong Kong because 90% of the guests are foreigners. I usually like restaurants that is local at its heart but my expat uncle told me to get a reservation or else I should regret it and I’m glad I did. Going to Zuma can be quite daunting for middle class folks like me because everything was so posh.

Located at Central in Landmark where it houses most of Hong Kong’s Michelin starred restaurants (I think they have 12 now?), Zuma’s price is at the upper level tier but still attainable unlike those in Tokyo. Zuma may not have a michelin star but it is up there in their class. Let me show you what Zuma looks like

It’s beautiful and you have legit Japanese chefs working their hearts out for us hungry customers. Let me tell you a secret – they offer weekend brunch buffets. I was quite sad that no one told me this beforehand because it was such a bargain with the amount of food that they offered. But on hindsight, I’m glad as well because I was able to try dinner ala carte AND the weekend brunch buffet. My family shares my love for food.

What I had for the Brunch Buffet (I honestly don’t know how I fit everything inside my stomach)