Tokyo Vlog Part III (7 Days) – Ginza, Nakameguro, Watch Shopping, Omakase & Cafe hopping | Ep 05

Tokyo Vlog Part III

This is the final chapter of my recent trip to Tokyo. In this episode we spend time around the upscale area of Ginza, go secondhand watch shopping, each sushi, cafe hop, meander my favourite neighbourhood Naka-meguro and re-visit Daikan-yama T-Site before flying back to Hong Kong.

TOKYO VLOG SERIES
Tokyo Vlog – Part I ➫ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihD52uh8390&t=232s
Tokyo Vlog – Part I ➫ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OWIutA5k8M&t=1350s

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➫ Chapters

0:00 – Cinematic Intro
0:39 – Intro
0:47 – Tokyo Vlog Part III
1:04 – Nihonbashi/Ginza
1:30 – Tsujihan Kaisen Don
4:44 – Nihonbashi & Ginza
7:20 – Chill at Hotel
8:52 – Brunch at Bills
10:39 – Shopping in Ginza
12:48 – Hitsumabushi Bincho
13:30 – Bongen Coffee
14:12 – Watch shopping at Nakano Broadway
15:57 – Shinjuku
17:02 – Omakase at Sushi Ten
20:08 – Onibus Coffee
21:10 – Nakameguro canal
21:20 – Aesop, Nakameguro
24:01 – Starbucks Reserve
25:10 – Shopping at Kandall
27:38 – Daikanyama T-Site
28:50 – Shibuya
29:46 – Snow in Tokyo
30:29 – Japanese snacks
31:58 – Nippon Ramen
32:59 – Departing Japan
34:41 – Heading home to Hong Kong – CX Experience
36:32 – Outro

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Music

Chief – Be Here Now https://chll.to/0e5d8326

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Equipment & Production

Camera: Sony A7C, DJI Osmos Pocket 3
Lens: Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD.
Edit: Adobe Premier Pro.
Filming & Editing: L.M

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“Dress well, Drink well, Live well”
* Copyright 2024. Mr. Gumbatron. All rights reserved.

Welcome to the final episode (Part III) of The Tokyo Travel Vlog Series. If you haven’t watched previous episodes, theres a link to the playlist above. In this episode We spend time around the upscale area of Ginza, go second hand watch shopping, eat sushi, cafe hop to Tokyo’s most famous cafes. meander my favourite neighbourhood Nakameguro and re-visit Daikankaya T-Site Eat one of the best bowls of ramen before flying back to Hong Kong. Tokyo Vlog Part III. Are you Subscribed? ** Remember to turn on Subtitles [CC]. ** Japan is one of the largest domestic markets for golf, so that means theres a plethora of great golf stores all over Tokyo. We visited many different stores and noticed that some even have professional simulators in store. This is a very popular Kaisen Don (Seafood Rice Bowl) restaurant. Since we were close by, we decided to try our luck The menu has only one item; Zeitaku Don, but depending on your appetite, you can go for one of four sizes. In the end we ended up queuing for 35 minutes. The restaurant has a eating capacity for around 12 pax. The sushi counter style seating allows you an uninterrupted view of the seafood being prepared right infront of you. The chef prepares the sea bream sashimi which is included with all courses. The sea bream sashimi is covered with a sesame sauce with had a nutty flavour, and a hint of yuzu. Chef is preparing the fresh seafood mixture which consist of Salmon Roe, Tuna, Crab, Shrimp, Geoduck Clam, Whelk, Squid Herring Eggs, Cucumber and Green Onions. We added extra Crab and Sea Urchin (Highly Recommended). Zeitaku Don! Zeitaku – Matsu Course (¥3,xxx) You can add some shoyo and wasabi as you like. Looks oishii doesn’t it? It’s a rather generous portion of seafood and quite a sizable amount of rice. I would watch them preparing these all day long… I highly recommend that you order one of the courses with Sea Urchin, the richness and creaminess is a perfect addition. Plus we didn’t queue not to order it. Then topped off with Ikura. "Yoishi! Yoishi! I like your style. As delicious as the Zeitaku Don is, remember to leave some rice behind to enjoy with your ‘final course’. For me this was the highlight of this meal! This is a rich sea bream broth made from the bones of the fish. some green onion is added for freshness, then some freshly grated yuzu peel for added acidity and vibrancy to the broth. There’s nothing like a warm bowl of hearty broth when it’s around 4°C outside. The sea bream broth was incredibly rich and comforting, not heavy in any way but full of umami and concentrated fish flavour. The yuzu peel added a welcomed vibrancy as a way to clear the palate to conclude a very enjoyable meal. Not me asking for another bowl of broth. lol Honestly, the Zeitaku Don was delicious and great value. but I would come back just for a bowl of this sea bream broth in a heart beat. (9.8/10 rating). Worth queuing 30 minutes for, but maybe skip this one if there’s more than an hour long queue (which there normally is). Walking off lunch, heading from Nihonbashi to Ginza. I love Heritage Japanese Department Stores. Takashimaya’s flagship store in Nihonbashi is a true gem. Fusing elements of traditional architecture with historical western styles. manually-operated elevators and graceful architecture. At the time there was a Herman Miller exhibition within the department stores lobby. Once the first department store in Japan to introduce air conditioning. Symbolic of an affluent urban Japan during the 20th century. The best floor in all Japanese Department stores is the basement Food Hall. (I was so engrossed, I forgot to film it). The first time I came across the Goyard brand was more than 15 years ago at this very boutique within Takashimaya. Grand and understated; It’s delightful to visit Takashimaya’s flagship once again. We decided to take some street style photos in Ginza, as the architectural facades are beautiful in this part of town. Then we stumbled across some sakura trees down a small side street. We are blessed to catch some sakura this trip, even though we are a few weeks early from full bloom in Tokyo. Every spring, the cherry blossoms remind us of the beauty and transience of life. Ginza, the postcode of luxury. SF-90, stormtrooper spec. The Renzo Piano Masterpiece; Maison Hermes. If asked to name my top three favourite architectural works in the world, this would be in the list. Renzo Piano was commissioned to design the Hermes Japan headquarters in 1998. A slim building with a distinctive glass façade which evokes somewhat a contemporary version of the traditional Japanese screen. By day, the facade is silvered and sparkling; by night it glows warm like a lantern, a distinctive presence in the crowded shopping district. Fun Fact: the glass block facade is designed to act like a curtain in the event of an earthquake, allowing it to move, absorbing rather than resisting seismic shock. Heading home… We’re really pleased with this stay. Watch The Tokyo Vlog (Part II) for a full room tour. Family Mart Premium Soufflé (¥350), 8/10 rating. Time for a bath… * Alarm Ringing * * Alarm Ringing * * Alarm Ringing * Time to head out. Tokyo has one of the most efficient and extensive metro transport systems. Shinkansen! Aussie brunch at another of my favourites; Bills. Contemporary interiors… Great hospitality… Delicious food… The coffee is supplied by Single Origin coffee roasters in Sydney. Full Aussie Breakfast (¥2,700). Mate! eggs (cooked your way), grilled bacon, cumin roast tomato, herbed garlic mushrooms, pork and fennel sausage and sourdough. Signature Ricotta Hotcakes, fresh banana and honeycomb butter (¥2,000). Highly Recomended. "Fair dinkum" as good as it gets for Aussie brunch experience outside of Australia. Vibes on point! Sakura! A nice touch. Golden hour is approaching… We ended up staying longer after our meal. The dining room is casual, relaxing yet sophisticated up mostly. A great venue to catch up with a friend, for a family outing, a date or even a business lunch. Bill Granger, Australia’s sunniest chefs legacy lives on. Tokyo Tower in the distance at golden hour. Window shopping in Ginza. We stumbled across Bully inside Matsuya, Ginza. Bully is a Parisian beauty temple whose religion is to help take care of you and your home. Their stores are limited around the world, but I first discovered this brand in Hong Kong where there is one store. I think it came and went during covid, but it’s back in its current location in Central, Hong Kong. Their shops are inspiring with beautiful and enchanting details, displaying their very uniquely packaged skin, hair and perfume products. I picked up this dental floss. and she got a couple of ivory hair combs. You can also personalise it with your name or initials (it takes a couple of days). We’ll be back in a few days. A quick tempura soba meal (¥1300). * Alarm Ringing * * Alarm Ringing * * Alarm Ringing * New Balance 991, the most comfortable sneakers for long days out on your feet during holidays. Taking the subway to Ginza. This is a famous Unagi (Eel) restaurant originally from Nagoya prefecture. They have an outlet inside Mitsukoshi Ginza. Crisp skin and fragrance with fluffy meat created by grilling over Binchōtan charcoal without steaming. Extra Hitsumabushi – 1 fish (¥4,800). Quite possibly the best Unagi that we have had. The eel is crispy and has strong charcoal fragrance. The flesh texture is perfect and fluffy. I ordered the Hitsumabushi set, which means you can enjoy the eel in three different ways. Including eel Ochazuke. You can probably now tell that I like rice with broth. (9.1/10 rating). Highly Recommend. We bumped into some friends in Tokyo, who we saw last week in Kuala Lumpur. Tokyo is such a popular travel destination, so there is always bound to be some friends in town. The infamous Bongen Coffee. It’s a tiny cafe, so expect there to always be a queue here. Spotted Tradsman’s Bonsai. Our coffees took quite some time, perhaps avoid here if you are short on time. Americano (¥660) and Rich Latte (Double Shot) (¥880). We didn’t attempt to line up for the salt bread close by. Whilst in Tokyo, I wanted to take a look a few of the secondary watch stores. So I ended up here at Nakano Broadway. A nice but limited selection of F.P Journes. There’s nothing quite like the older 38mm F.P Journe timepieces. I spotted a pair of rare gem set Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5066A-010 Japan Limited Editions. The infamous Jack Road, They have quite a few shops in this arcade. I observed plenty of modern pieces but their prices were on the higher end as expected. They had a few F.P Journes. and a limited curation of vintage holy trinity (PP, VC, AP) pieces. I’m not really impressed by the inventory here. I guess we’re spoilt in Hong Kong. I was hoping to find some Japan market only timepieces, (my Nomos Toki) or some unique neo vintage pieces. But i was just seeing mostly the usual suspects. Even with the weaker yen right now the prices were high. JLC Reversos! This is a shop I wanted to visit after seeing photos of it on Instagram and on design blogs. But let’s just say with clever photography you can make a space look greater than the sum of its parts. lol Ciao. Mister Donut! here for one thing. hmm. maybe a couple… Do you see it? Pon De Ring! (¥154) A ring of chewy mochi-like balls joined together to form a garland and dipped in glaze. (9.4/10 rating). Highly Recommended. Whats is this? all you can eat Mister Donuts!? Then I saw they just put out some Sakura flavoured Pon De Ring. It would be wrong not to seeing its Sakura season and all. ¥888, its a lucky sign! Sakura Pon De Ring. (7.2/10 Rating). OG is much better. Some more donuts for the road! haha I love the energy of Shinjuku. A quick walk around the area before heading to a late dinner with friends. A scene from Lost in Translation (2004), featuring Bill Murray & Scarlett Johansson. A great film. Yurakucho, Shinjuku. The Sin City of Tokyo. Watch out for the many scams here. Did you know MEGA Don Quijote has designer goods for sale at their Japan stores? Pre Dinner Kebab! lol My favourite Reis Kebab Sando + hot sauce (¥350) (8.8/10 rating). The city that never sleeps. Shinjuku, Tokyo. Our friends recommended this place for a casual and well priced omakase. "For relaxing times, make it Suntory times." Continuing the Bill Murray theme. Omakase is the Japanese tradition of letting a chef choose your order. The word means "I will leave it to you." It’s a fine tradition that gives the chef creative freedom and the customer a memorable dining experience. Dinner Omakase Course (¥9,900 pp). (8.2/10 Rating). Outstanding value. Time for a donut break…why not Subscribe if you haven’t already. My everyday bag, Grams28 City 154. "MRGUMBATRON20" for 20% off. Her favourite. Family Mart Onigiri (¥200). (7/10 Rating). A great snack for the road. Today were heading over to one of my favourite neighbourhoods Naka-Meguro. The train journey was around 25mins in total. We arrived here at Onibus Coffee. The coffee is great and consistent as always, This location is more of a coffee stand. The cafe is located adjacent to the Tōyoko Line tracks and has a unique vibe, =like a tree house. Relaxing vibes… Flat white (¥630) & Piccolo (¥630) (8.5-10 Rating). Light roast and smooth. Not the kind of cafe that you sit for hours at. But it’s perfect for chasing that quick caffeine high. Kanpai! This cafe is rather popular with both locals and tourists alike. and the local pigeons.. *Family Mart jingle * The infamous Naka-Meguro canal. This vicinity if great for people watching, it’s a quaint, quiet and trendy part of Tokyo. Aesop, Naka-Meguro. I was attracted to the store front of this location, it has a very welcoming and almost domestic energy about it. The shadows cast are quite something. Fun Fact: All Aesop visual merchandise displays are in prime number sequences. I decide to pick up this new Protective Facial Lotion SPF50 to try out. They also have a Sage & Zinc Facial Hydrating Lotion SPF15. What a beautifully open and spacious store. there’s even a courtyard at the rear which I was told they use to host events periodically. In praise of shadows. Feels like I’m coming home. A complimentary refreshment. She’s having a consultation, whilst I obsess over joinery details and observe the light and shadows within the space. The staff have a translator device to better communicate with foreign customers. The kind consultant generously handed us plenty of samples with our purchase today. and diligently explained to us on how to use each one. The small details matter. Domo Arigato. We ended up spending more than 45mins at the store, it was a pleasure to meet the store manager and chat with the members of staff. Cute strolls together along the canal during spring time. The cutest dogs at this local luxury pet groomer. More Sakura! A beautiful local residential development. We arrived at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo. Covering nearly 32,000 square feet (2,966 sq. meters), There are four floors that offer an immersive space for customers to explore, discover and taste the world of coffee with all of their senses. There is even an on-site bakery for breads, cakes and pastries. These looked too good to pass up. There is also outdoor balcony seating with views over the canal and the Shibuya ward skyline. Tokyo Bike! I forgot to mention, the 4 story building is designed by renowned Japanese Architect Kengo Kuma. A short stroll away.. and we ended up at Kindal. Kind All is a used select shop that specializes in buying and selling pre-loved designer clothes and brands. In today’s increasingly diverse fashion, reused fashion is attracting attention around the world again as an alternative. The greatest appeal of reused fashion is that clothes are not thrown away, but passed on to the next person to enjoy. I picked out a Herno jacket (¥75,000). and this United Arrows sports Jacket (¥25,000) I like that it is unlined as well as the lapels and the fabric texture. A Lemaire oversized sweater (¥13,000) Purple Label by Ralph Lauren Mafia trench jacket, (¥45,000), what a deal! We did some serious damage here. Too bad it’s closed already! Walking up to Daikan-yama. Blue Bottle Coffee, building designed by Kengo Kuma. R107 class! We arrived here 15mins before they closed. This store is much smaller than the Naka-Meguro one. Their largest store is in Shibuya, which we later found out. I once got scammed US$500 on pair of JJJJound x New Balances which turned out to be fake. Kindall – Sustainable designer fashion After a short 5min walk, we ended up at Diakan-yama T-Site which I visit on every trip to Tokyo. A Klein Dytham designed project. It’s an elegant bookstore campus by Tsutaya, with music, DVD & vintage book sections, a cafe & Share Lounge as well as other F&B and gallery spaces. I picked up a couple of magazines. See you next trip. Our first time in Shibuya this trip, which happens to be on our last night in Tokyo. I think the appeal of Shibuya quickly wears out after you have visited the city more than a few times. well that is my personal experience. Anyway we are here for a quick bowl of ramen. A no-fuss ramen joint that is open early into the morning or is even open 24 hours? Order and pay at the vending machine outside and your order is swiftly prepared by the open kitchen. The portion is massive! Vegetable ramen (¥900) (7.5/10 Rating) Good night Shibuya. Hachikō! We just made it onto the last train home. Our last night in Tokyo was especially cold, I have not experienced such cold weather in central Tokyo before. How cold…? Cold enough that it’s snowing outside our window this morning! It’s quite a rare occasion for it to snow in metropolitan Tokyo. We are blessed to be able to experience this magical moment. And a nice reminder to come back to northern Japan for a ski season again soon. * Alarm Ringing * * Alarm Ringing * It’s time to pack to go home. But first… We need to eat all the left over snacks we bring back every night from Family Mart, Lawsons and 711. The insanely popular NY Perfect Cheese. (7.5/10 Rating). White chocolate more pronounced than the cheese, the biscuit is nice. Grape and Muscat frozen balls? An explosion of grape and muscat flavour. Very juicy and refreshing, plus they are bite sized. (8.5/10 Rating). Two day old Sakura Pon de Ring from Mister Donut. (5/10 Rating), well pass its best. Koikeya Pure Potato Chips – Truffle & Salt. Thick cut and addictive. (9/10 Rating). Meiji Essel Super Cup – Marron Tart? I’m not sure what Marron Tart is supposed to taste like. And eating ice cream for breakfast is not the best idea. (6/10 Rating). Rather bland, unsure how its suppose to taste, they have many better flavours. Both our bags are stuffed. More than half of my suitcase is full of my winter clothes that I bought over. How to take home this giant Super Mario mushroom that I won from the claw machine at the Akiba game center? It felt like home away from home here. I love the minimal design of this service apartment/hotel. Ciao. Our last meal in Tokyo is rather hidden but conveniently located inside Tokyo Station. It’s inside the the paid area. Our ramen took more than 25mins to arrive after ordering. So be patient. Shoyo Ramen (¥1,300) (9.7/10 Rating). Highly Recommended Shio Ramen (¥1,450). The Shoyo Ramen looks deceivingly simple but it’s highly complex in flavour (chicken and pork broth with 5 different types of Shoyo). Flavourful with umami (chicken and pork broth with 5 different types of salt). The execution of every element was perfect and you tell that the chef has great pride in every bowl that he serves out of the kitchen. He is observing from the kitchen pass and seen nodding at diners when they have their first taste of the ramen. The broth temperature, noodle texture and broth flavour balance was all outstanding. (9.7/10 Rating). Highly Recommended. Time to head to the airport, I’m flying out of Narita this time. I accidentally took the local train. A journey that took an hour in total. I was lucky that I allowed enough time to spare on this ocassion. Today i’m flying Cathay Pacific home. *Pro Tip: Always request a "fragile label" to be attached to your luggage even if there isn’t anything fragile inside. I headed to the CX lounge for a refreshment before boarding. The CX lounge at Narita Airport feels a bit dated and the food offerings are rather average. But thats okay.. because i’m really only here for this.. A pre-flight glass of champagne. But I was having an appetite too. Kanpai! I received the announcement that my flight was delayed 25 mins, so a second glass is called for. NRT –> HKG Flight No: CX505 Flight Duration: 4h 55m I hope to visit Japan again soon. Entree is about to be served. Mizumono and Soba. (5.5/10 Rating). LOL Main course is served. Grilled Halibut with Tomatos (8.5/10 Rating). Fresh Fruit and Cheese is served. And Ice-cream that I never ordered. Fresh Fruit, Assorted Cheese Platter and Ice-cream (8.5/10 Rating). I hope you enjoyed this Japan Travel Vlog Series. Please give the videos a LIKE if you did, as this 3 part series took a lot of time & effort to document. Sub? Follow me on Instagram @mrgumbatron Dress Well, Drink Well, Live Well. Ciao