After a two hour ride on the amazingly smooth and quiet bullet train, a smaller group of about 3o delegates from the Osaka Culinary Tour arrived in Tokyo. Immediately after stepping off the train into the Shinagawa train station, we were met with a flurry of activi
ty, as immaculately dressed men and women swiftly went about their commute. With a population of roughly 12 million people, it was evident that we were no longer in Osaka. Osaka, too, was busy, but Tokyo takes it to a higher level.Diane gathered our group around a color-coded subway and JR (Japan Railway) map posted on the wall and shouted over the crowded station that the JR loop would be our best mode of transportation while in Tokyo and wished us luck! We were on our own for the next 3 days, no longer under the protection of the chartered buses, tour guides, and professional translators that we came to depend on in Osaka. Actually, this is a part of international travel that I enjoy. We would be forced to communicate with the locals (in what ever way we can) and challenged make sense of an alien world.
For example, throughout Tokyo, the sidewalks are embedded with a 'yellow-brick' road. The path either had raised vertical bars or a collection of raised half circles. I was very curious about this yellow-brick road. What was it for? My parents made a guess that perhaps it covered a network of electrical wires. We later learned that this was a path designed to assist the blind. The vertical bars meant the blind can safely walk in a straight path. The collection of half circles were placed before driveways and intersections, serving as a stop sign. How ingenious!
Sorry, I digressed a bit there... Back to our arrival. Our hotel, the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, was conveniently located across the street. After checking in, ... Hmm... wait, let's change the format of this. Rather than do another hour by hour account, how about I just summarize some highlights from our visit to Tokyo? Ok, deal.
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The Ginza District
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The Ginza district is Tokyo's ritzy shopping and dining area. Her
e, you'll find name brands like Channel, Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Harry Winston diamonds. Ann and I were surprised to discover that these elaborately priced named brands actually cost 2-3 times more in Japan than in the United States. For example, the same Louis Vuitton bag that sells for $1500 in the US costs $4500 in Japan! Wow. Now, I understand the shopping frenzy I witnessed in a past trip to Hawaii. I remember seeing groups of Japanese tourists walkin
g around with bags and bags of designer named items. Now, I realize they were 'bargain' shopping in Hawaii! In the Ginza, you can al
so find less expensive shops (by less expensive, I mean $300 for a coat rather than $3,000) and landmarks such as the Sony building. At night, the Ginza is illuminated with bright lights, similar to New York's Time Square, but on a grander scale. The eight of us spent our first night walking around in the Ginza. We also stayed for dinner. Ann, mom, and I returned on our last day for some local boutique shopping. We did some serious damage!====================
Focused Groups
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The eight of us broke out in smaller 'focus' groups on day two. Ann and I took Mom and Dad via subway to tour some local Japanese gardens. Actually, we dropped them off, and Dale and Bob picked them up later in the day after their chartered tour of Tokyo. T, Gary, and Bala went to Akihabara, the electronics discount Disneyland of Tokyo. Ann and I went shopping of course! After a
full day of walking, all we had to show for our efforts were two pairs of very sore feet. We spent half our day in the Omote-Sando district. While we enjoyed a nice lunch at a French cafe here, the shops were quite expensive. We then headed to Shibuya. Here, we found two 8-story malls and countless neighboring boutiques catering to the young punk population of Tokyo. Hmmm... black-laced tutus, skinny jeans, and a spiked leather collar. Is that appropriate for work? Needless to say, our credit cards got a break for the day. Later on that night, we all met back at the hotel and enjoyed a delicious Chinese family style dinner. Our palates all welcome the change of cuisine.====================
The Imperial Gardens
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One of the highlights of Tokyo had to be our visit to the Imperial
Gardens, which surrounds the coveted residence of Japan's royal family. Here, we got lost in the tranquility of the gorgeously groomed Japanese landscape. Mom and dad were especially in awe of the numerous Black Pine bonsais that lined the gardens.====================
The Iron Chef
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Hands down, the biggest treat for all of us was having a delicious
pre-set, 4 course lunch at the gorgeous La Rochelle French restaurant. Being situated 32 stories up, the restaurant provided an amazing view of Tokyo. What made this restaurant extra special was that it belonged to the French Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai. We're a group of admitted FoodTV junkies (mom and dad included), that often stay up for the late-night re-runs of the original Iron Chef. Gary suggested that we try this restaurant and made the reservations a week before from Osaka. Thanks, Gary!
Our first course was an artful arrangement of appetiz
ers that included delicacies filled with smoke salmon, scallops, duck, and pork. Ann had the non-meat option, which was a plate of sashimi and salad.
Next came the soup. It was a chicken-bouillon-based creamy soup
made with a Japanese root vegetable that I cannot recall. Ann had the vegetarian version. It was delicious, especially with the never ending supply of hot baguettes.
For the main course, the women chose a white fish in a creamy
sauce. It was accompanied with a lobster mousse. The men had a duo of lamb and chicken.
We opted out of the optional cheese course and went directly to
dessert. To our delight (well Ann and mine in particular), an entire cart of desserts was presented, and we were encouraged to choose as many as we wished. Now, that's the way to eat dessert!
While the meal was great, the best part was yet to come. Shortly after we were seated, Gary spotted Iron Chef Sakai's head through the kitchen window. Ann first thought Gary was teasing
her, until she shrieked in delight that it was undoubtedly the Iron Chef with his signature long hair. At the conclusion of our meal, we asked our waiter if we'd be able to meet Chef Sakai. Surely enough, he came out with a gigantic smile and greeted all of us in English. Ann wa
s so excited, she blurted out "I love you, Iron Chef" in Japanese. It was hilarious! Dale scratched his head at the sight of his wife playing the role of a young teenaged groupie. He said, "Wait. She wasn't nearly as excited when she met Hilary Clinton."
Chef Sakai made our trip quite memorable, especially by enthusiastically posing for group pictures. Your cuisine reigns supreme! Yes, we love you Iron Chef!
