Tokyo - Shimokitazawa

Less than a month and I am back in Tokyo... It feels good to be "home" again! haha... I was really lucky that my Japanese friend, Ema was off on that day and the best part is that she stay very near shimokitazawa.

I have been blog hopping for awhile and I found out about Shimokitazawa. It is like the Haji lane in Singapore. I thought probably it is just a street of shops that's all but I WAS WRONG! IT IS THE WHOLE NEIGHBOURHOOD! ENDLESS OF SHOPS AND CAFE! OMG! 

ALRIGHT LET'S GO!

saw this pretty cafe but it is close! :(

typical neighbourhood in the sub urban area in tokyo!

pls wait while the train is passing! :)

can u believe this is a hair salon? so pretty outside n inside too! OMG!

i love this street... so pretty...

check out this place!

i have no idea what is Route 25! But this KFC does look special!

Bubble tea anyone?!

every corner is pretty!

Miyazaki's food! Miyazaki is the first place I been in Japan. that's 11years ago!

see! even by the lamp post... it's so pretty... OMG... JAPAN WHY U LIKE THAT!

I so wanna chill out outside this shop! Gimme Kirin beer!

There's many used clothing shop in Shimokitazawa. However, most of them are still quite expensive... But if you really like it, you should buy it cuz some is really unique!

I have no idea why when i took this shot.... it gives a lomo effect.. somehow it feels kinda artsy.. that girl looks like she got an awesome camera and going around taking pretty photos... Tokyo is probably a place that will make ur camera "spoilt" with countless shutter count.. (pun intended)

Pls wait for the barricade to lift up before you cross!

Different type of rice crackers!

SO PRETTY RIGHT?!

this too!

waaaa.... hopefully ppl dun jumble up their stuff!

This is a warehouse of chic stuff! chic-it out!

even this mess is beautiful... a beautiful mess indeed...

can't stop my camera from taking photos

i love the colourful stools!

Japanese Childhood toys.... very old school type!

soccer fans... for u!

i miss my bike in Netherlands...

Hello Spiderman!

I am so tired from walking the WHOLE neighbourhood. so i saw this cafe... look really interesting...

so cute

very emo yah? haha

Love the lighting and how cosy the place is...

I really like the rustic effect in the shop...

So me and Ema sat down and ordered our cheesecake sets! everything is so petite! look at the creamer grass! so small! but potent! haha...

What a great time to really catch up with Ema... 10years worth of catch up over coffee.

えまは１０年に久しぶりでした！中学校のもとで、日本は初めて行ったとともに、えまを知り合いしました。仕事の為に、東京で引っ越した。今回は二人が暇から会いました。良かった。最初会った時、私は日本語をぜんぜんしゃべれない。日本語を勉強すればするけど、会話は段々易いなります。再び会うはまた１０年後しないでください！またね、えま！

 It's been more than 10 years since I last met Ema! We met when I first went to Japan for exchange program under St Gabriel's... She moved from Southern Japan to Tokyo for work and I am so glad that I have the chance to meet her. When we first met, I barely can speak any proper Japanese. Now, we can carry out any conversation easily... Hope we won't take another 10years to meet again! See you again soon Ema! :)

I like my outfit for the day!

Blue checkered shirt with hood from MUJI, Japan

Grey shirt from London

Pants from Eleven Paris

Shoes from Korea

Goodbye Tokyo (for now) ! Till we meet again! :)

エルビンの信じられない東京 [^.^v]

Hellllllo everyone!!!! It's ERUBIN~!!! haha ok... i shall stop being such a lazy bum n continue to BLOG!

If you follow me on my facebook/twitter/instagram @erubinz you would know that i just came back from Tokyo not long ago! Really miss the place... been more than 2.5years! Great to be back!

I was staying at Odaiba... so for those of you been to Odaiba... u will know there's the statue of liberty... which is quite funny cuz its japan n not US! anyway... i just doing my stupid photo pose again... so far... i ate Eiffel tower n some popular buildings... i shall continue to eat them up! HAHA!!!

So first stop of the day! SHIBUYA! Yes~!! my fav place... cuz i love to go to the starbucks at level 2 of 109 building and have my coffee and people watch... it's really nice to people watch... you will get to see many interesting stuff...

I would say this is the world most famous traffic light crossing... i will just stare at the crowd and look at their fashion! it's really fun :) try it next time and tell how you like it :)

Yeah! it's been a long time since I last had my authentic Japanese beef bowl from Yoshinoya.... Singapore's one are all craps... nothing compared to the Japanese... Singapore you dun even get the raw egg to mix into your beef bowl... so yes this is what the typical salaryman have for their breakfast in the morning! yums!!


Time for some touristy stuff!!!

Though i've been to Tokyo more than 5 times? but i didn't really take photo with Hachiko! hehe... yeah if you caught that movie... yes... its this dog over here! just right outside shibuya station!

I wonder when will i get to have my own real dog... really love to have a dog! :)

電車がまいます！足下にご注意ください！


For those of you who took Tokyo subway... you will always see this message on the board or someone will make an announcement of this message... it's just saying train is arriving. please mind the steps!


Me and my touristy photos... hahaha


Though i am a tourist.... but everyone think i am Japanese.... cuz i can speak the language... really glad that I picked up the language and i can breeze through tokyo effortlessly... :)


























Before I came over to tokyo.... I have this Michelin book on Tokyo... and i always wanted to try it... so I picked this place to be my 1st testing ground! it's a 3 stars michelin! I had Yumi to book a place for me!

So Here I am~!!! :)

The flow of the course for the lunch set. Hot towels. Getting ready for my 3 stars michelin meal! :)

I just warm up my stomach with this Japanese shochuu... really tasty and i like it mixed with warm water! :)

1st course of the day: Steamed Asparagus with miso sauce


I like the appetizer. very flavourful and the vegetables are still very crunchy!

2nd course of the day: Tai Sashimi


Really fresh and good :)

3rd course of the day: 

Carrot & White Radish with Miso sauce and Sea Salt

I am not a big fan of carrot so was quite torturing for me to eat 2 whole carrots! this is a set... so i can't change it...

4th course of the day: 

Snapper fish with crab sauce


The fish is fresh. At the end, you just have to scoop and drink the crab sauce! Oishiiiii~!!

5th course of the day: Japanese rice with fish flakes, seaweed and spring onions + Miso soup with tofu skin


The rice is my favourite!!! The chef deliberately burnt the rice to give it a bit of the chewy and crunchy bite! i almost go crazy over it! haha...


The soup is simply miso and tofu skin. Not very thick and salty like some restaurants.

6th course of the day: Custard with red bean paste


Sadly, i am not a fan of red bean too! but certain dessert i do like the red bean however i don't really like the red bean... BUT... the custard is damm awesome! OMG! its soooo goooood! Love the presentation....

Together with the dessert, they serve either organic coffee or hafu tea... Coffee is just coffee so i chose to try something new and decide to drink this!


This is something that vegan will LOVE it! It's filled with Japanese vegetables and it taste very GREENY! haha... i quite like vegetables so i really like this... actually by then, i was already very FULL... gonna explode anytime! haha...

At the end, I took photo with the chef! Damm.. i should have bring my michelin book and ask him to sign! Then i will go around collecting signatures! haha... anyway... He signed the menu for me to bring home :) He kept saying he want to visit Marina Bay Sands! STB u did a great job in promoting SG huh! well done! :) Hope to see him soon! :)

just opposite omotesando, still around the shibuya area.... it's the cat street! just like Singapore's haji lane but alot bigger!

YES! I SEE MY SNOOPY TOWN! JUST 150M away from me :) happiness!

So nice right.... Haji lane is nothing compared to this!

How i wish Singapore have enough space to have this kind of building...

ERUBIN 


  SAYS 


 YEAH!



Self explanatory!

This is the basket of happiness....


Filled with SNOOPY items!! ahhhh!!! going crazy! hahaha... 


Sometime i just dun think i am really 26... i still like SNOOPY A LOT... i grew up with SNOOPY in my life... yes... ever since young! 


We all should be like SNOOPY... SMILE! Snoopy is always smiling!

Yoshi is also one of my favourite... and recently i am playing new super mario on my wii and every mario gamers everytime they see yoshi pop out from the ? box.... they will get excited! RIGHT? hahaha... but i didnt buy yoshi... just SNOOPY! haha

In the evening, I went to meet up with Yumi! Because I have a very important task which is to deliver Sandcastle autographed poster and booklet from Junfeng to Yumi for Singapore-Tokyo Film Festival 2012


Please join SinTok Group and show support for our local films! 


http://www.facebook.com/SintokSFFT

While searching for our dining place in Nakameguro, I have to say... this is really a nice chill out place... very quiet neighbourhood with many nice cafe and restaurants around!

When we went in the restaurant, we just ordered right away! can't wait! hahaha! this is agedashi tamago! instead of tofu, this is the egg version... omg the sauce is heavenly! i slurped it all up!!!

Anyone try lamb sashimi before? THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TRYING IT!!!! It is not like the normal mutton meat with that goaty smell... this has no smell and a little chewy and YUMS! LOVE IT!

Like the younger generation, I am not a fan of bitter gourd. However, this is not that bitter and its really refreshing with other veg.... THE ONIONS SO FRESH ITS SWEET!!! HOW CAN U NOT LOVE JAPAN FOR THEIR FOOD?!

I actually took some time to decide what I wanted to have for dinner! in the end, i chose Jingisukan! That's Hokkaidou style of lamb BBQ! I don't think Singapore has it. Not many Japanese eat it too. But for those who know it, it is NICE! :) Yes this is my 2nd time i have it! :)

The lovely staff helped us to prepare the food and arrange it.... isn't it beautiful.... i mean the presentation of the FOOD! haha....

At the end of the dinner, I was really full but Yumi forced me to have dessert... we shared half of it! I SO GLAD SHE FORCE ME TO EAT.... CUZ THIS SAKURA ALMOND PUDDING IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD!!!! I WANT TO EAT IT AGAIN! OMG!!!! NEXT TIME, IF ANY JAPANESE FORCE U TO EAT.... JUST EAT IT!!!! hahahahahha

Just outside the restaurant! The Sakuras are still blooming... so beautiful with the night illumination...

This is the other side of the street.... so nice... I wanna stay in Japan can...

Yumi asked me to pose for the photos so i did the Japanese pose! haha! yes this is very Japanese....

So I showed her the Korean pose! Haha... many ppl asked me why is this the Korean pose... I told them cause this is how Tohoshinki pose haha... Oh man I miss JAPAN ALREADY!!!! I am going there this Sunday! Can't wait!!! :)


That's all readers! I will be back with more awesome posts.... regularly! hehe! BYE!