Posted in Feelings, Food, Health, Place, Tokyo

TOTAL FOODS @ Roppongi Hills

Posted on by sonokotchi


This restaurant is produced and operated by a group of exclusive gym: Total Workout.

I was interested their food, but food doesn’t look appealing from the street.

Nonetheless, I thought I should try it because I want to lose weight.

Yes, I know if I keep eating what I’ve been posting, it’s difficult to lose; but I’m serious.

I want to lose weight!

Well, the dining place is cold during winter (even though, it’s located inside of Building on B1 (Basement 1)) because the restaurant installed open-concept; there aren’t any walls.

I’m glad to know that all food can be taken out.

We decided to take out and eat at home.


Mummmmm. 

Food is all healthy and well balanced.
Food is actually good, very delicious.

When I’m lazy to cook, I might take out food from here. 

Surprisingly, DELICIOUS!

Posted in Beauty, Feelings, Flower, Japanese Culture

Tsubaki (Camellia) Oil

Posted on by sonokotchi


I’m about to finish it.

This is camellia oil which is Japanese almighty traditional beauty item for hair and skin.

Since it’s showing its presence for many years, I thought this product isn’t cool.

However, I was wrong.

My hair is thin so it tends to expand during winter because now I’m trying to keep my hair long (my hair itself is dry) and air is dry, especially during winter.

I couldn’t control my hair with hair lotion and wax.

I reached this sample bottle…it works.

Now I value the camellia oil differently – cool. 

Posted in Feelings, Food, Friends, Japanese Food, Place, Tokyo

Dining with Friends from LA

Posted on by sonokotchi

I couldn’t post last night because I had too much fun.
I was too happy to see my friends from LA; therefore, I had too much sake. Ahhhhh

We went to Torihide at Roppongi because they requested Yakitori (chicken skewer).


Torihide is conveniently located at the Roppongi junction.

We can also order sushi because a sushi restaurant, Hachibei, above is a same group company.


Food is good and it never gets crowded.

But again, food is nice and location is good.

I wonder why this restaurant is always quiet.

Maybe because it’s on B1 (basement); we cannot check the restaurant from the street…?

Last night, we owned the place as if we rent out a whole restaurant. hahaha

After dinner, we went to T.G.I. Friday’s for dessert. 
Oh, I miss these!!


My friends also gave me nice souvenirs…

 

We met last night, but I already miss them… hahaha

Posted in Feelings, Food, Friends, Japanese Food, Place, Tokyo

Returning to Office, Ahhhhh

Posted on by sonokotchi

Ohayo Ginza!  


There aren’t many people on the street at this hour because it’s still New Year holiday season in Japan.

My office building’s main door is closed; I entered a building using a card key to open a side door.

It was a quiet day so I managed to clear my desk and mails. 

This should be the way to start a new year!

I punched out at 5 pm to go out dinner with my Singaporean friends.

I had a gorgeous dessert, a strawberry parfait, at Takano Fruit Parlor Main Store, Shinjuku.

There are three different strawberries on the parfait and white one named Hatsukoi (First Love).  Yammy!!!


My Singaporean friends are so sweet.

A couple gave me souvenirs: TWG TEA and Sakura Cookies from the Cookie Museum.


Surely, I’ll enjoy them!

Thank you my friends for your thoughts and I wish you a safe journey back to Singapore!

Posted in Feelings, Food, Health, Japanese Food, Place, Travel

Trip to Izu (Day 4/Last Day)

Posted on by sonokotchi

Ohayo 2017 (Morning 2017)!


It is the last day of my trip to Izu and also holidays.

I enjoyed healthy breakfast at Hotel Micrus; ingredients are fresh.


Hotel is facing ocean; it’s nice sunny day to walk on beach.


Even hotels look nice; it reminds me of Hawaii…!?


Time’s up; it’s time to go back.

I took Shinkansen (bullet train) to return for Tokyo.



Time is ticking…



On the way back, I managed to catch Mt. Fuji🎶

It’s a good sign! 

Let’s have fun in 2017!!

Posted in Feelings, Food, Health, Japanese Culture, Japanese Food, Travel

Trip to Izu (Day 3/New Year)

Posted on by sonokotchi

Akemashite Omedetogozaimasu.

(Happy New Year)

The first sunrise in 2017.


We eat Osechi (New Year dishes) on New Year.

Every dish has a meaning: black beans (work hard till get black), golden mashed sweet potato (wealth/gold), etc.


After breakfast, checked out the hotel and moved to Atami.


Visited Kinomiya Jinja (Kinomiya Shrine) for hatsumoude (a New Year prayer).



This camphor tree is believed to be 2000 years old.

This tree is a sacred tree for long life.


I also enjoyed a bowl of matcha green tea while looking at a sacred tree.


Today, checked in at Hotel Micuras, Atami.

This hotel is very modern and every room has ocean view.




We had French for dinner; nice.

Tomorrow, I’ll return to Tokyo. Oh, NO!

Posted in Family, Feelings, Food, Japanese Culture, Japanese Food, Place, Travel

Trip to Izu (Day 2)

Posted on by sonokotchi

I woke up and looked outside.

Sun was about to rise.


I quickly went to an open-air bath to wait for sunrise.


Today, it’s our lazy day because we don’t have a car to go out.

This isn’t my first trip to Izu during Year-End and New Year holidays.

The traffic in this area is terrible during holidays because there are many visitors/cars from Tokyo, but a road is narrow and there is only one lane!


Usually, it takes only 2.5 hrs for 160 km, but it will become 8 hr journey during holidays.

I tried three times/years and I gave up; it’s so tiring to drive 8 hrs alone! Sob sob.

This is why we don’t have a car.

There aren’t any places that we can go by foot in the area. Hummmm

Ate brunch at 8:30 am. 

This is actually breakfast, but needed to eat for lunch as well because we cannot go out. hahaha

Our accommodation plan includes a complementary himono (local specialities, dried seafood) and a can of beer from Koshien (a store in front of Atagawa Station).

After breakfast, we made a brief trip to Atagawa Station by a hotel shuttle bus.

A shuttle bus meant to send off their hotel guests to a station, but simultaneously, a bus can send us to the station and take us back!


Yes, we managed to get aji no himono (dried horse mackerels) and beers.


That was the most active thing that we did today.

Other hours, dipped in onsen (hot springs: there are five different baths),


Free Massage,


Foot Bath,

Dinner,

It is a custom to eat soba noodle on New Year’s Eve to wish for long (as soba) life. 


After dinner, we have no choice, but to spend New Year’s Eve in very traditional way.

I’m watching Kohaku Utagassen (Red and White Singing Battle) on NHK.

Red Team (women singers) and White Team (men singers) compete their performances.

Every year, it starts at 7:15 pm and ends at 11:45 pm.


Then I plan to watch Yukutoshi Kurutoshi (Year Going, Year Coming) from 11:45 pm till midnight.

Temples gong a bell for 108 times to purify our 108 sins by midnight to welcome New Year.

We watch lives or listen to gongs throughout the nation for 15 mins.

These sounds are actually the countdown to welcome New Year.

The sound of gongs calm us to welcome New Year peacefully.

Another one hour to welcome 2017…

Posted in Beauty, Cooking, Feelings, Food, Health, Japanese Culture, Japanese Food, Place, Travel

Trip to Izu (Day 1)

Posted on by sonokotchi

I’ll be away for few days so needed to clear my refrigerator.

I don’t want to waste vegetables; therefore, I made a power vegetable juice.

I think the recipe is good: a lots of spinach, celery, parsley and lemon.

And I think this is good because it was BITTER…


I took Marine Express Odoriko Go.

I was surprised because the coach is Narita Express (an express train for Narita Airport).

Is it recycled…? Reused…?



A seat is dressed for Marine/Izu Peninsular to stimulate our holiday spirit.


After 2.5 hour journey, I arrived at Izu Atagawa Station.



I didn’t know there is a hotel shuttle bus waiting for us; I was about to miss it.

Luckily, I spotted it and waved to stop the bus.

According to Google Map, it’s only 6 mins walk from station to hotel; but Nooooo, it’s much farther.

Once again, luckily, I managed to catch a hotel shuttle bus. Fuuuuu

Our room is spacious.

Left door leads us to a toilet, washroom and bathroom.

Right door is a storage.

And fusuma (the main sliding door)…



We went to get a Welcome Drink (Hot Yuzu citrus Honey) at a hotel coffee shop.


Then changed into yukata (I could pick yukata design) to take a bath.


It was nice to dip into an open-air bath overlooking Sagami Wan (Sagami Bay).

Okay, burned few calories and refreshed by taking a bath; READY TO EAT!

I had a glass of Sapporo draft beer produced at nearby Shizuoka Factory.

Beer must be fresh; it was clear and smooth!!


And…


After dinner, I became so full; my body is still warm from dipping in hot spring…ready to sleep…

Oyasuminasai