tokyo: noodles

Well I've been in Tokyo just over 24 hours and already I've already had a great time. I arrived at the hostel right around lunchtime yesterday and before even dropping off my bags, I was asking the receptionist to point me towards the best ramen in the area. This small spot didn't dissapoint - even though there was not a word of english on the menu. I picked what ended up being ramen with thingly sliced fatty pork. What a great way to start the trip. I left full and with a huge grin on my face.

Since Adam, Russ and Pierre weren't in yet, I decided to walk through Rappongi, Hiro-O, and Ebisu, with the ultimate goal of finding the Onitsuka Tiger store which was just west of Ebisu. These are quite affluent neighborhoods and somewhat quiet during the day, so I didn't think we'd be going back with the rest of the crew. Turns out the walk lasted 3-4 solid hours as I repeatedly got lost. I purposely left any maps and addresses back at the hostel, so I was just using the subway station maps and my memory to navigate. Unfortunately each of the maps around town is oriented with the north arrow pointing in completely different directions each time, so that can be rather confusing. I eventually found the Onitsuka store and was rather dissapointed with the rather measly selection of shoes and the exhorbitant prices. oh well, t'was a good little walk anyway.

For dinner I met Neha who was also traveling through Japan, and along with a few of her friends we ate at an Izikaya restaurant in Shinjuku. We ordered way too much food - and yet managed to eat it all. See the pictures of most, but not all of the dishes below. The fried chicken cartilage and chicken skin yakitori were my favorites.

Today I moved to a hotel in Shinjuku where we'll stay for a couple days. For lunch I walked around Shinjuku thinking perhaps I was craving sushi. I've noticed that some of the best food in Tokyo is usually hidden in small alleys or on the 9th floor of buildings. Since going up and down building elevators didn't seem practical I focused on the small alleys. I ended up finding an soba/udon/tempura spot that seemed rather popular. I sat down, pointed at the businessman next to me's bowl of udon with tempura and was promptly served - mine with the addition of a soft boiled egg. I wolfed down the bowl like everyone else around me and once again left very satisfied. 3 for 3 with meals so far. I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Shinjuku and the adjoining park snapping pictures of the few trees that were in bloom.