This trip came up suddenly for work, so I could not meet friends or make the rounds of good restaurants. It was a bit dull, but for the record, here are photos of the places I dropped by.
The fountain at Marunouchi Brick Square
It is a little park right by Echire, and you can buy something at Echire and eat it here. I wanted ice cream too, but I held back and had just one chausson aux pommes.
At Liquors Hasegawa in the basement of Tokyo Station, I tasted a few whiskies I had my eye on.
Willett Single Barrel Bourbon
I have gotten interested in bourbon lately, so I gave it a try. For an expensive bourbon, though, it was more ordinary than I expected. It was too spicy; maybe a splash of water would help.
The Spice Tree
A blended malt whisky with great value for money. Whisky like this is not that expensive and tastes good, so it is a shame you cannot pick it up cheaply in bulk.
Pierre Marcolini ice cream
There is a Pierre Marcolini in the basement of Tokyo Station, and it was so hot as I walked past that I had an ice cream. I do not understand why Pierre Marcolini has not come to Korea yet.
The Bottega Veneta window display at Isetan Shinjuku
They made Blythe dolls in human size, which was kind of funny…
That look in the eyes..
Like a horror movie. I have no idea who thought of making these.
Miho Nakayama
She is in cosmetics ads and has recently started working again. I was wandering around Takashimaya Shinjuku, and it was so nice to see her that I took a photo.
A new steak place near the Skytree
A stand-up steak specialist opened where Cafe Kaila used to be, and even late at night there were quite a few people. A restaurant with this concept doing well seemed odd enough that I took a photo. It seems to have gotten some media coverage too.
Bunnahabhain heavily peated single malt whisky
I got this at Shinanoya in Shinjuku. Bunnahabhain is a distillery on Islay, the same island as Bowmore, and of the six distilleries there it is famous as the only one that makes whisky without peat. So it was quite a surprise to hear that Bunnahabhain had released a heavily peated whisky this time. It seems to be a Shinanoya exclusive, and though it is only five years old, the tingling, powerful flavour was superb. I wanted to buy it, but T_T I had other whiskies this time, so I held off. There was just too much to buy.
There is a reason I got this whisky sample: the Aultmore 21 Year Old with the beautiful label that I had set my heart on had sold out by the time I came back the next day, and while I was heartbroken over it, the clerk gave me this one and told me to at least try it. It eased the pain a little. From now on, if I like a whisky, I am going to just buy it first.
I HARDCORE YOU, the Mikkeller and BrewDog collaboration
I had loved this beer when I tried it before, so I had it again. There are so many highly rated beers in the world, and it seems they are slowly making their way into Korea too. Once my diet is over, I will have to go around and try them soon. Well, if I wait patiently, a world where they are easier to drink will come.
Marunouchi Naka-dori at night
Curiously, there are no street lamps; the street is lit by the light from the shops and by lighting in the ground. It is dark, but walking is not at all uncomfortable, and since it is not as bright as broad daylight, I could take a stroll in a calm atmosphere. I never knew there was a street right in the middle of the city that feels like a deserted country lane, good for looking back on yourself and meditating, or for calming a fluttering heart. A brilliant idea, but something like this would not be easy to introduce in Korea, would it?
I walked along Naka-dori, crossed through the Yaesu underground passage, and visited Liquors Hasegawa a second time.
Clydesdale’s Bowmore
Perhaps because it is cask strength, it had an intense impact. There are so many interesting whiskies among the independent bottlers that I felt like getting serious about a whisky collection. Though in Korea the restrictions are heavy.
New Balance shoes
They did not have my size in Japan either, so I took a photo of the model number and ordered from Amazon. These days I only wear the Minimus, but they are so hard to find in either Korea or Japan. Not many people seem to wear barefoot shoes, and since barefoot shoes make you look shorter and do not look pretty, I can understand that. But choosing shoes, where function matters most, by their looks! At least the restrictions on direct orders from the US are being lifted from July, which is a relief.
That evening’s late-night snack
I drank the Brooklyn Lager and Mikkeller’s I Beat yoU, and brought the whisky back to Korea.
I was surprised at how good the Brooklyn Lager was for the price. So this is why Brooklyn Brewery has been doing so well lately. I had dismissed it as just a lager, but I should not have. You cannot look at it as the same kind of lager as OB or Cass. I heard it is coming to Jeju Island, and I hope it does well.
I Beat yoU is a double-hopped beer, and the flavour was strong. As always, it does not disappoint. It has a RateBeer score of 99 and a pretty label too, which I think made it taste even better.
As for the whisky, I could not buy the one I wanted and just grabbed something at random, so I will drink it soon and post about how it tastes.
The view from the hotel
A peaceful view of Kabukicho. In the daytime, that is..
This is Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi
This area is not as crowded as it used to be either, but that makes it more relaxing to visit. Korea has gotten plenty of new buildings too, but they do not seem to have this feel.
Bowmore Springtide, tasted on my third stop at Liquors Hasegawa
I went to Hasegawa way too many times on this trip. I guess that shows how little else I had to do. The Springtide turned out to be a truly superb whisky. There was exploding peat hidden inside the sweetness of the sherry cask. Since it is an official bottling there was no need to rush to buy it, so I passed this time. It seems it really has to be rare for me to splurge.
Jiichiro at Haneda Airport
Who knew the Shizuoka baumkuchen would make it all the way to Haneda Airport. A big one would be hard to finish even if I brought it home, so I picked up a few small slices.
Rokurinsha, the ramen shop at the airport
I never expected Tokyo’s number one ramen shop to open inside the airport. And there was no line at all. I did not have time for ramen this trip, but next time I will have to give it a go.
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