stumbling upon the good life – savoring food, discovering wine, and exploring places
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That sudden gust of air you felt around November 17th was the result of the entire nation of France collectively gasping for air. On that day the press broke the news that Tokyo had topped Paris in the number of the coveted 3-star restaurants. Should we care? Will this have bigger results? [keep reading…]
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Our favorite hotels when we are traveling in Tokyo
Tokyo can be expensive. And so it depends on how you want to do it…5 star hotel experiences are definitely available. We like the Grand Hyatt Roppongi for a truly luxe hotel experience. But we also discovered you don’t have to spend a fortune on hotels (save it for 5 star dining!). And in less expensive category, we like the Granbell Shibuya. Here’s why: [keep reading…]
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Glorious cheese is the star in this Tokyo restaurant
As much as I absolutely adore Japanese food, we took a break from our much loved Yakitori and Katsudon to try an interesting concept in casual dining. A restaurant entirely based around creamy, fresh mozzarella flown in daily from the Paestum and the Agro Pontino areas of Italy (how extravagant!). [keep reading…]
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We here at Accidental Epicurean are looking at ways of expanding the reach of our site beyond Southeast Asia. As part of that mission we’re going to start doing a weekly series of “epicurean concepts”…these could be words that you’ll find on a fine dining menu, boutique ingredients, dining etiquette, etc. (if there’s something specific you’d like addressed or something you learned in a painful / embarrassing way and would like to spare others the embarrassment hit us up in the comments or via the contact page).
We’ll start the series with one of my favorite dining terms – Amuse-Bouche.
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Dun
Dan
Dun!
This post should really start with the iconic “Kill Bill Theme” theme song from the movie and play throughout. If you’d like to load it up to play in the background get it here : )
We had just finished watching the Tokyo Giants win the game with a homer in the 9th. The hot dog and yakitori we ate in the 2nd inning weren’t holding us over. As we debated food options (surprisingly not a lot around the dome) our friend, who is no stranger to Tokyo, suggested we hit up Gonpachi. The name didn’t register with me at first. Then she said all that needs to be said about the place, “the kill bill restaurant”. Dun Dan Dun. The music immediately started up in my head as a grin spread across my lips. Sure I said coolly, masking the kid-like joy bubbling up inside me. [keep reading…]
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And left Japan kicking and screaming…
The first time I traveled to Hong Kong, I fell in love. I had an inexplicable affinity for the place, and on subsequent trips, discovered many new parts that ultimately led to Hong Kong’s classification as my favorite city in Asia. Now I think Tokyo has equally captivated me, if not possibly surpassing Hong Kong in my personal ranking…in fact when my travels came to an end, I honest to goodness did not want to leave! What is it that makes Tokyo so special? [keep reading…]
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Japan = Cute.
Japan = Cosplay.
Japan = Rockabilly?
A Sunday stroll through Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park is unlike a visit to any park anywhere else in the world. Sure you can find couples enjoying the day quietly on blankets, dad’s playing catch with their children, hippies whipping about frisbees in many parks… but there’s so much more on show at Yoyogi Park. I’d go so far as to say it’s a must visit for any traveler to Japan as it offers a unique glimpse into the wackiness that can only be found in Japan 
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I went to a Thai language school in Bangkok that didn’t use any English, forcing students to comprehend the language in situations rather than memorizing from rote. Our class consisted of Koreans, Japanese, Germans, and many other nationalities… most of whom had little or no English language abilities. For the first couple of weeks none of the students could communicate with each other during class. Then one day, out of nowhere, we were able to communicate to each other. I made the first joke in the classroom when the teacher asked us how we arrived at school that day. With a grin on my face I told the class that I had traveled via elephant to the school. A simple joke, but after weeks of being unable to communicate all the students shared a cathartic chuckle.
The next joke came surprisingly from the Japanese students during a lesson on words for food. They began teasing the Korean students about eating dog. We all laughed. The Korean student quipped back with, “Well, Japanese people eat raw horse.” The class was quiet. Did we hear that right? The word for horse is a tonal word that also shares identical pronunciation with “mother” and “dog” with the different meanings coming on tone. We played a bit of charades and realized, some with horror, that the Japanese did in fact eat raw horse. At first the idea bothered me, but then I thought more about it and reflected on my general trust in Japanese cuisine… a nation that was so particular about the nuances of food (and everything else for that matter) wouldn’t serve up something unworthy of digestion. I decided on that day that I would one day try horse sashimi.
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Take me out to the ballgame
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some yakitori and edamame….
Stepping out of the cab at the base of the massive Tokyo Dome I immediately felt the same frantic pre-game energy I knew from my childhood. It was just like seeing the Rangers or Rockies, men walking excitedly to the gate decked out in the team apparel, rows of souvenir stands, etc. The closer I got the stadium however, the more I began to notice subtle differences.
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So maybe all the meals weren’t adventurous while in Tokyo. Sometimes one simply needs junk comfort food… particularly one that’s been missed for over seven years! So yes, we broke down and chowed down at Krispy Kreme in Shibuya, Tokyo Japan. [keep reading…]
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