Sumptuous Sundays: Eating Around Japan

Almost everyone I know who's been to Japan would only say one thing: The food is good. And I got to experience that last week. For three days, I forgot about my diet because traveling is the best excuse to cheat on it haha! :D

In this post, I'll share with you all the restaurants I've been to in my trip-they're also some of the best around Ginza so read on and take note of them when you visit this district! :)

SHISEIDO PARLOUR

For fine dining goodness in Ginza, be sure to visit Shiseido Parlour.

PRICE RANGE: Ala Carte meals start at Y1,000 (P500.00) and Set meals start at Y6,000 (P3,000.00)

Just a recap from my first post about my Shiseido immersion, Shiseido Parlour boasts of their extensive array of the finest foods from pastries, to regular meals, and to teas. The 1st fl. is the shop, 3rd fl. is Salon De Cafe, a more casual restaurant where you can have high tea with friends, and the 4th and 5th floors are the main restaurant areas where they serve French and Japanese delicacies.

 The place is really classy-it's the kind that would require you to dress up formally, although I don't know if that's a requirement here. I guess you just have to be well- dressed enough to match up to the feel of the place! :) Service is VERY excellent: When I sat down on my chair, I was looking for something to put my bag on and suddenly, a waiter emerged from behind, politely asked me for my bag and he hung it on a table using a bag hook. I don't also remember a time wherein I had to follow up my orders and requests. These details, no matter how small, made me feel that I am truly in a fine dining restaurant! Sigh, I wish such restaurants in the Philippines would have this kind of service and attitude to further enhance the fine dining experience! If you want to experience fine dining around Ginza, (that is, if you have money to spare) I'd recommend Shiseido Parlour! It has been said as well that this place makes the best cheesecakes in the district!

I had a 5- course dinner. Check out what I had:

A mild type of cheese (possibly Gruyere) with bacon bits, a mini appetizer to open up the palate.

Confit of Foie Gras in French- Oh hi there, my beloved Foie Gras. It came with two slices of toasted bruschetta and two slices of a type of citrus fruit. I'm a Foie Gras lover, but sometimes, it gets a lil' tiring to eat after the first slice and those fruit slices there really helped neutralize its strong, pungent taste.

Click READ MORE for automatic menus, Japanese tapas, and towering french toast! :D

Risotto with Braised Conger Eel in Sweet Soya Sauce- this one has a porridge- like texture, and is small yet very satisfying. The whole dish is very rich, making the portion just right to fulfill your appetite.

Pan-fried Sea Bream Vinegar Sauce and Seasoned Vegetables- Main course number one. The fish is so buttery and soft, and the lightly seasoned veggies proved to be a great side dish for the fish.

Roasted Japanese Beef Gravy Sauce with Horseradish- Main course number 2. Thin, long slice of beef in light gravy-the juice of the meat was left in the plate as well. The whole thing is very light yet filling.

Comport of Pineapple and Coconut Ice Cream with Mango Pie- Super fresh fruits atop a long, crunchy filo pastry. The coconut ice cream on the side is to die for!!! I almost ordered a separate cup of it, but we didn't have time anymore. :D

Sugary biscuits and jellies for coffee. I love the mini chocolate drops-it was bursting with coffee essence!

KAZAN

For our second day, we had dinner at Kazan, a mini bar located in one of the inner streets at the main road of Ginza. To me, it's a tapas kind of restaurant as all servings are pretty small, not to mention everybody was drinking in the place and enjoying Sake. Kazan specializes in exotic seafood specialties so if this type of food is your thing, don't miss Kazan.

Two Kinds Hors d'Oeuvre- The one in the mini bowl seemed like a pudding mix of tofu and egg, while the one on the soup ladle, I believe is seaweed. I might not know what they exactly are, but they're good! :D

"Tender" Whelks from Quebec- Whelks with button mushroom. Curious, I looked up Whelks in my digital dictionary and found out that they're are a type of sea snails. Tastes okay, but it was too exotic for me. :p

Kazan's Deep Fried Angel Prawn- breaded tiger prawn with mayo dip and a slice of beet. 

Millefeuille of Fresh Hokkaido Sea Urchin and Grilled Scallops- grilled sea urchin and scallops, I think. Didn't know that sea urchin tastes good-it had this bittersweet taste. :) 

Organic Vegetable with Fedelini- my first time to try Japanese spaghetti! It feels heavier and thicker than the usual spaghetti and definitely tastes...Asian. :D

Today's dessert- Tiramisu cake and a piece of Banana (?) bread.

PASELA RESORTS

On the side of East Ginza is where you'll find Pasela Resorts, a popular videoke bar in the area. They're very well- known for their food as well!

My cousin and her Japanese husband-who both live in Japan-took me here for some happy hour on my last day in the country-I didn't get to spend a lot of time with them as I was always on the move. We had Nasi Goreng, Carbonara, and this, Smoked Salmon with boiled fresh veggies.

Pasela Resorts is famous for their French Toast, a holy tower of carb and dessert goodness. We got Honey Toast, the best- selling variety.

Told my cousin and uncle that I couldn't sing 'cuz I was dead tired, but I really couldn't resist the microphone! :D

GENKI SUSHI

On our last day, we had lunch in the Shibuya district. We went to Genki Sushi, a fascinating hi-tech restaurant known for their computerized menu and automatic food service. If you're a techie person, you definitely have to visit Genki Sushi! 

You order food via the tablets. They have modern sushi bars for individual customers and bigger tables to accommodate large groups, each having its own individual tablets.

Ordering is very simple-just press, press, press! You can only order three items per batch so you can get your meals as quickly as possible. Just order again if you wish. :)

Your orders are whisked to your table via a conveyor machine. For empty plates, just load them on the machine and off they go to the kitchen for dishwashing. How cool is that!? :D

They also have games and contests for the customers so you won't get tired of waiting.

Not only do they have this unique restaurant concept, they also got great tasting sushi! :D

Prawn Sushi- The unanimous favorite! We had four orders of it!

Hamburger Sushi- Kim Palanca of MEGA mag said that it reminded her so much of Jollibee. Agree with that, and it's pretty yummy-tastes like Burger Steak! :D It's the perfect thing to break the seafood-ness of our meal.

Tuna Sushi- seared tune with tangy mayonnaise and a dash of soy sauce sprinkled with pepper.

Tuna and Avocado sushi, Liz's order.

Roast Pork Sushi

A strawberry dessert with crumbled yellow sponge cake. The entire thing tasted like strawberry custard cake. :)

Finally, custard! It's a lighter kind of leche flan.

So there goes my gastronomic diary on Japan. Feel free to recommend your favorite local restaurants in the city! :)

More diaries on my recent Japan trip:

Shiseido Culture and Ginza

Shiseido Ibuki Launch

Shiseido Museum