Akihabara is really only fun on weekends. The crowds make the streets lively, and there are tons of weekend-only events and sales. I needed to pick up some parts, so I popped out during the day for a quick look around, and a lot of new stuff had appeared since I was last there. The biggest surprise was a free information booth. A reasonably pretty attendant sits there in a maid outfit and gives you guidance on Akihabara. A few Akihabara specialty foods have popped up too, like cardboard dumplings, canned ramen and kebabs, and there are way more tourists and families visiting. It feels like the gloomy otaku aura is slowly fading away.
Wandering around the electronics side for a bit, I spotted a full-HD 40-inch TV going for 128,000 yen. For a moment I was seriously tempted to splurge, but I held back because I’d have nowhere to put it (sob). Looking around, there were quite a few other sale items worth buying too. I also found a cheap liquor shop and bought some wine to drink with friends.
There really aren’t many good places to eat in Akihabara, so after shopping I’d usually head over to Ochanomizu, Ueno or Ginza for a meal. But I’d heard that a decent restaurant floor had opened on the 8th floor of Yodobashi Camera, the giant electronics store, so this time I gave it a try. It’s on the 8th floor of Yodobashi Camera, and when I got there I found they’d gathered some places with real name value, like Koumen. With so many famous shops, it looked like you’d eat at least above average wherever you went. Out of them all, I went to Wan Tsu Chi, a Chinese restaurant a friend had recommended.
The entrance
There’s a bit of a line. The inside is fairly spacious, but it was packed. I think that’s more because it was the weekend than because of the food, though..
Spicy tantanmen
With tantanmen, how the sesame is used makes or breaks the flavor, and this place’s was pretty ordinary. It was spicy, I’ll give it that…
Shaoxing wine
I just wasn’t in the mood for beer today, so I ordered this, but it wasn’t great quality..
Large fried rice
It doesn’t have that smoky wok flavor, but the taste was okay..
Today’s highlight: subuta
Subuta is a dish like Korean tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), but this place served it in a pretty unique way. The sauce was tasty, but the meat was just average.
I didn’t try everything on the menu, so it’s a bit hard to judge, but overall it was better than your neighborhood Chinese place. That said, considering the prices, I don’t think it’s worth going out of your way for. This place didn’t wow me much, but there are plenty of other good restaurants on the Yodobashi gourmet floor, so I’ll have to drop by now and then.
Milk sold at the milk stand inside Akihabara Station
They were selling milk in glass bottles, so I had one on my way home. Delicious ^_^ I don’t think I’ve seen it sold at any station other than Akihabara.
It had been a while since my last trip to Akihabara, but it was a lot of fun. It should get even more fun once the weather warms up, so I’m looking forward to it. But taking pictures of Akihabara’s street scenes with an SLR isn’t easy. You stand out way too much. I think I might have to buy a small compact camera. (That is, if a good one comes out for under 10,000 yen.)