I’ve been doing my side work at home all this time, but today the weather warmed up and it’s the weekend, so I thought I’d try working outside for a change and headed out to Daikanyama. (Mine is a life where the weekend doesn’t mean a break from work -_-)
Daikanyama sits between Ebisu and Shibuya. Changing trains at Shibuya is a hassle for me, so I got off at Ebisu and walked.
Near Daikanyama Station
Turns out it’s a fashion street. Lots of clothing shops, good restaurants and cafés. (Of course, I only buy my clothes at outlets..) You see a lot of stylishly dressed young women. It’s not very big, but the neighborhood has a nice vibe. And unlike Harajuku it isn’t swarming with people, so it’s actually better for strolling around and looking.
A café run by the pricey Italian restaurant Ristorante ASO
Packed to bursting. Next time I come with company I’ll have to go in.
Maison Paul Bocuse, a pricey French restaurant
Will I ever end up going to a place that doesn’t care about value for money.. or not..
After a lap around, I go into the café that looks the least busy. I came alone anyway, so it felt a bit awkward to squeeze into a crowded place..
Cuore di Roma
Between lunch and dinner it runs as a café. It’s in the basement of a shopping complex called Daikanyama Address. Being underground, the view isn’t great and it’s hard to get to, which is probably why it’s empty. Still, the atmosphere is calm and pleasant.
Cassis gelato
Not bad. It seemed well made, but it wasn’t to my taste. They asked me to pick one of three, chocolate, milk or cassis, but there wasn’t much of a choice. There were some tasty-looking cakes too, but I’d had a good lunch before coming so I couldn’t try them.
Gelato, take 2
Inside
I ate on the terrace, and it was a bit chilly. The weather may have warmed up, but out of the sun with the wind blowing it’s cold.. Still, not long ago sitting out on a terrace would have been unthinkable, so it really has gotten a lot warmer.
Blood orange
Taste was so-so. I worked for a while until just before 5, when dinner service starts, and then left. The stuff that kept stalling at home got more or less sorted out. I had a feeling that from now on I’ll be roaming around every weekend looking for cafés where work goes well.
Ah.. I paid 840 yen for all that. What a show-off -_-;; If you know a café that’s cheap, quiet, has comfy chairs and doesn’t give you the side-eye when you stay a long time, please, please tell me about it..
Having eaten, I need to digest. I walk to Shibuya. It’s not far.
Walking along, I spot cherry blossoms.
Not in full bloom yet.
Oh.. some trees are in full bloom already.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency forecast, next weekend will be the peak. The week after that they’ll already be falling. Where should I go for cherry blossom viewing this year.. hmm..
Shibuya is absolutely packed. I quickly take care of what I had planned to do, then head to VIRON, a hidden gem, to buy some snacks.
The front entrance
I hear it’s a bakery doing very well in France. The bread here is seriously good. Good enough to be on a par with the Joël Robuchon bread I tasted a few days ago.
VIRON’s sign
Buy a few breads here as a snack and bring them home, and your family will love you for it. It’s a little(?) expensive, but it’s worth it.
Below are some bonus photos.
I bought chocolates at La Maison du Chocolat in Omotesando, and they give you a chocolate cut in half as a sample.
It’s a rum-filled chocolate, but I’m not a big fan of rum, and I was frazzled that day, so I’ll hold off on a verdict..
The chocolates here are top class in taste, but they look plain compared to other specialist shops. Look at Pierre Marcolini’s chocolates and they’re like ornaments. Makes you wonder if you’re really allowed to eat them.. And Gucci chocolates have the Gucci logo stamped on them, so you almost feel bad eating them.. In that sense, unless the person is a chocolate maniac, La Maison du Chocolat’s chocolates don’t seem to make as much of an impression as a gift as their price would suggest.
A free photo exhibition by GLAMOROUS magazine in Omotesando
Omotesando Hills sometimes has fun events. The year before last there was one where they took your profile photo. If I’d had a bit more time I’d have gone in, but I just walked past.
And this is a photo of the izakaya Kuimonoya Wan in Shinjuku
For an izakaya right in the middle of Shinjuku, it’s quite cheap. Plenty of choice on the menu too. It’s not a foodie spot, but we ate well and it came to about 4,000 yen a head, so not bad at all.
In Japan, wherever you drink it comes to around 4,000 yen. That’s the benchmark. Go on to a second round and it’s about 2,000 yen more. Go to karaoke or push it a little, and 10,000 yen a night goes in no time. Drinking in this country is truly scary. ^_^ Then again, there are fewer drinking sessions than in Korea, so it might be a good country for me..