Category: #foodie

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#foodie Japan restaurant

Okinawan Food


After spending the whole day out with my friend Mayumi , I realized that I really need to get out of Tokyo and explore more of Japan. I want to go to all the other “major” areas of Japan–Hokkaido, Osaka, Kyuushuu, Okinawa–and also to the more rural areas as well. I just need to explore more of the country; after all, there’s more to Japan than Tokyo, just like there’s more to the US than NYC, DC, SF, LA, etc.

I was perusing through Granduo today at the Tachikawa station; felt bored and restless, so I walked around the mall a bit and listened to some music. I went upstairs to the food places and found this little gem called Ichariba, which serves Okinawan food. I had never tried Okinawan food before, so I decided to venture in.

The menu had a lot of healthy items, including some items to preserve youth. I went for the Maguro rice bowl (raw tuna slices with rice), since the picture looked appealing. That choice was a good one for me; I needed something light and healthy to fill me up for the day, and this was it.

I’m not quite sure what the green or white stuff was, but nonetheless it still tasted delicious. Eating this dish made me really want to go to Okinawa soon!

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#foodie fast food Japan Japanese food

Sasebo Burger

This is a Sasebo burger–apparently the first “Japanese hamburger” originating from Sasebo located in Nagasaki. My friend Mayumi told me about the burger, and said that we should go eat it since she was going to be in Tokyo for the day.

I didn’t really know much about the burger, what made it special–but biting into it, I realized it was indeed unique. There’s egg included, and the burger is made fresh–this isn’t a fast food burger. We ate it at Zat’s Burger Cafe in Nakano; apparently Sasebo Burger is also available in Tachikawa at a small burger stand by the south entrance of the station.

The burger looks a little thick from the picture, but I felt it was a good enough portion for me. The restaurant was fun, relaxing–couches to sit on upstairs, just like a “regular” cafe. I wish I had known about this burger earlier on! I probably would eat it more if it weren’t for the abundance of burgers in the US already. Granted, I can’t get a Sasebo Burger in the US, but still, the idea of eating a lot of burgers in Japan makes me feel awkward.

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#foodie fast food Japan

Ramen shop.

I was craving ramen today, and happened to stumble upon a chain ramen shop by the Tachikawa station. Unfortunately, I felt a little embarrassed at the restaurant since I couldn’t find the “Call” button (it was located on the wall behind me), and a nice man gave me a coupon that I couldn’t read/understand until after I ordered my meal. Oops.

But, still, the ramen was tasty and quick. Wish there were ramen shops like this in the US.

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#foodie Japan Japanese food sweet treats

Excelsior Caffe

It seems that most Japanese cafes have something with green tea in it; I ordered the green tea latte (cold, this time) and was mesmerized by its great flavor. There was an abundance of desserts on display, too, but I decided to go with this blueberry cheesecake. It tasted dry, however, so it didn’t really satiate my sweets craving today.

I probably should have gone for a different cake…but I guess I can’t turn back now, huh.

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#foodie Japan Japanese food

Cafe Jr./Italian Tomato.

I remember going to this cafe a lot when I was a student in Japan. There was a Cafe Jr. by the Ontakesan station (where my guest house was), so I’d frequent the cafe a lot, ordering their pizzas and iced lattes.

Going back to the Cafe Jr. in Harajuku made me feel nostalgic, since I remember going here a few times with some friends. This time, however, I was alone, and I did feel a little lonely thinking about memories. This pizza was the first somewhat ‘healthy’ thing I was able to eat in a few days–the pizza had vegetables on it, which made me feel a bit happy.

I made the mistake of sitting upstairs with the smoking section, though. I was trying to just find a better seat for myself, but in turn, I ended up sitting with all the smokers. There were two young schoolgirls sitting a few seats away from me; one girl had a rather husky voice, which amused me. I don’t think they were smoking either; probably just wanted a comfortable, somewhat private place to sit and chat.