Travellers

Selasa, 12 November 2019

Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo

I think the highlight of my Tokyo trip was visiting Starbucks Reserve Roastery. I read somewhere that it is the largest Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world by now, even larger than the one in Shanghai. The building is located in Meguro, which felt a bit different from the other districts I visited before in Tokyo.

I saw Meguro as a hip area where small coffee shops and local boutiques are aligning along the river. It was Sunday night and the area was quite quiet compared to the ever busy areas like Shibuya or Shinjuku.

We alighted at the Naka-Meguro Station, and the maps said that we needed to walk around 12 minutes to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. But guess what? We arrived around an hour because we stopped by The Alley to try their boba drinks and a tonkatsu restaurant called Fujiki to have dinner.

After awhile, finally we arrived!

We started exploring from the first floor where you could find special merchandise which is only available this place, and also where the coffee bar is. Warm & contemporary modern - that's how I felt about this place. The interior was dominated by bronze element and wood texture with greyish color floor and part of the walls which complemented the whole room.

I was tempted to buy the tumbler above, but finally passed it. Regret no regret.

You could go to the next floor by stairs or elevator. I went by stairs since each part of the interior decoration was too mesmerizing to be missed just like the cups wall below.

Second floor is dedicated for Teavana. I just found out that Starbucks just acquired Teavana around 7 years ago and it was previously a stand alone company. There are so many kinds of tea that you could see, smell, and purchase here. The staff here will gladly help you if you have any questions or else.

Now heading to the third floor which intrigued me the most. I've been wanting to order drink from the Arriviamo Bar since the first time I found about this place.

Cocktails at Starbucks? Why not?

I contemplated for a while on which drink to order, and finally I got myself a glass of Irish Coffee (JPY 1,300) - a mixture of whisky, syrup, espresso, and fresh cream. It already sounds good just by listing the ingredients, right?

Here goes my Irish Coffee! The beans were Kenya Ukambani (high acidity, medium bodied, tasting notes: citrus, fresh berry, vanilla). I ordered it hot as recommended by the bartender, and it was indeed awesome! It would be even better to drink it on a chilly day.

There are also outdoor seats on the third and fourth floor of this building. Imagine enjoying the night view while having a glass of coffee cocktail.

The fourth floor was more like a co-working space. From what I read, this area is dedicated for the coffee enthusiasts to learn more or share their interest upon coffee.

Actually I'm not a big Starbucks fan nor am I a coffee geek. I just drink coffee, that's all, but still this place was quite fascinating for me and I think it does worth a visit. The other reason to visit this place is to explore Meguro surroundings, I read that this area was especially beautiful around cherry blossom moment.

Anyway, you can also take a quick look through this place from my short video below!

Meanwhile, let me ponder on what to write next. *coffee toast ☕*

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JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2019
Otaru: The Serene and Charming City of Hokkaido
Furano-Biei Day Trip: Farm Tomita, Shikisai No Oka, Blue Pond
Sapporo: The Food Journal
Sapporo: The Vibrant City of Hokkaido (And Where to Stay)
Falling in Love with Yokohama's Charm
Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo
Reasons to Stay Around Asakusa (or not)
My Third Japan Trip - The Intro

JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2017
Konnichiwa! I'm back!
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Preparation and Cost
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Back to Dotonbori
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Fall Foliage at Minoo Park and Quick Visit to Kuromon Market
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: Autumn in Kyoto
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: A Day In Takayama
JAPAN AUTUMN TRIP 2017: November Snow at Shirakawa-Go

JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2015

Hello JAPAN!

JAPAN TRIP: Preparation and Cost (Visa, Accommodation, Transportation, etc)

JAPAN TRIP: 20 Random Facts about Japan
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 1 Welcome to Osaka - Umeda!
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 2 Universal Studios Japan
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 3 Kaiyukan (Osaka Aquarium) & Osaka Castle
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 4 Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Shibuya, Tokyo Tower, Shinjuku
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 5 Sensoji, Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park, Harajuku
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 6 Gotemba Premium Outlet
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 7 Tokyo Disneyland
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 8 Tokyo DisneySea
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 9 Fujio F. Fujio Museum & Yanaka Ginza
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 10 Kyoto - Kiyomizu Dera, Nishiki Market, Tsujiri Honten, Gion
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 11 Half Day Trip to Nara, Smile Burger - Kyoto
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 12 Fushimi Inari Taisha & Ichiran Ramen - Kyoto
JAPAN TRIP: DAY 13 & 14 Osaka Shopping Heaven - Shinsaibashi Suji & Dotonbori

Jumat, 08 November 2019

Reasons to Stay Around Asakusa (or not)

On my previous visits to Tokyo, I stayed around Shin-Okubo/Shinjuku area. This time, I stayed in Asakusa for a different vibe. So, is it recommended to stay in Asakusa? And what to do around this area? Find out more here.

So, why did I pick Asakusa? One of my friend has visited Tokyo before, but one of the area that she hasn't had the chance to visit is Asakusa, and the other friend is a Japan first timer. I consider Asakusa one of the must visit place in Tokyo especially its famous landmark Sensō-ji Temple and Nakamise shopping street. And if you have Tokyo Skytree on your list, staying in Asakusa might be a good option.

Our accommodation was this place called Hotel 3000 Jyuraku. Actually Hotel 3000 Jyuraku was more a hostel than a hotel. I booked a triple room which was shown in the booking site as a small room with a bunk bed and another mattress on the floor with ensuite bathroom, but as we arrived, they upgraded our room to a three bunk beds. So we got 6 beds in total, though the room was still small, but luckily we got more space to spread our luggages and belongings.

The facilities was quite standard, but I must say that they did extra miles in their service. The building got no elevator, and they took the initiative to bring our suitcases to the room which was on the second floor. I've been staying in several hostels in Japan, and recalled that most of the time I took my own luggage over or down the stairs which was quite a hassle. The night before we checked out they also asked and noted our check out time to help us bring our suitcases down. Thumbs up!

Sensō-ji Temple is one of the ultimate reason you should stay in Asakusa. The temple and its surroundings is one of the main thing that creates a traditional and older Tokyo vibe.

Another reason to stay (or visit) around Asakusa is to experience a Jinrikisha (rickshaw) tour.

You surely cannot miss Nakamise Shopping Street while being in Asakusa, to hunt for souvenirs or maybe just to have a bite of those tempting local delights.

The street stretches from Kaminarimon to Sensoji Temple as you could see from the picture below.

Across Karinomon, you could find Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center where you could take some great shots from its rooftop (which I did).

Tokyo Skytree could easily be spotted from Asakusa area wether day or night. That tall tower in the picture below, yes that's Tokyo Skytree which I spotted from Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center. It takes around 20 minutes on foot from Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center to Tokyo Skytree which could be a good afternoon activity if you stay around Asakusa while enjoying the view of Sumida River.

One of my consideration in choosing accommodation in Japan is: Wether the place is close to Don Quijote or not. Yes, you just can't leave Don Quijote out of your must visit place in any part of Japan. Don Quijote is my favorite place to buy souvenirs, snacks, and everything else in Japan. I think I love Donki too much, but hey, who doesn't?

And since they got Donki in Asakusa which is within short walking distance from our stay, I'm more than good.

Another part of my Asakusa itinerary was Fuglen. Fuglen, originated from Norway is one of the most famous coffee shop in Tokyo. I've been wanting to visit Fuglen since my previous visit but just skipped it in the end. So I was excited to find out that they had opened another branch in Asakusa. Fuglen Asakusa is located in the same building with 9 Hours - a capsule hotel chain with several branches in Japan. I've stayed in 9h Shinjuku-North before which was my first capsule hotel experience.

Visiting Fuglen might also be in your Asakusa itinerary if you love coffee or maybe just because you love the shop's atmosphere.

The downside of staying in Asakusa is - it is not that close to other popular areas in Tokyo like Shinjuku or Shibuya which is connected by JR Yamanote Line. So if you buy JR Pass you need to take another line like Tokyo Metro Ginza Line or Toei Asakusa Subway line to/from Asakusa which is not covered by the pass.

Overall I think Asakusa worth a two or three nights stay - before you move to another part of Tokyo. At the end, you need to arrange your itinerary first, then you can look for the best accommodation that compliment your itinerary.

Questions or anything else? Feel free to leave a message.

JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2015

Hello JAPAN!

JAPAN TRIP: Preparation and Cost (Visa, Accommodation, Transportation, etc)

Kamis, 31 Oktober 2019

My Third Japan Trip - The Intro

Farm Tomita, Furano

I think I haven't finished writing about my 2017 Japan trip yet, and I went to Japan for the third time already. Well, I hope this time I will write more diligently *finger crossed*. Before I sort out on what to write, let me do the intro upon this trip.

This time I spent 10 nights in Japan. My main interest on this trip was to visit Hokkaido, but I started the trip revisiting the forever busy Tokyo. Thank God I flew to Sapporo just a few days before the Hagibis typhoon, so I was safe and sound in Hokkaido when the typhoon came.

View from Asakusa Tourist Information Center

I stayed around Shinjuku in my previous visits, and this time, I chose to stay around Asakusa for a different vibe. And yes, I will write about staying around this area later.

Yokohama

When planning upon this trip, I thought about a few day trip options from Tokyo and finally chose Yokohama as one of the day trip destination. No regret because I did fall in love with this city!

Starbucks Reserve Roastery - Meguro, Tokyo

One of the place I visited in Tokyo that I think worth writing about is this Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Meguro which happened to be the largest Starbucks Reserve in the world for now.

Hakone

Other than Yokohama, I also visited Hakone as a day trip from Tokyo.

Susukino, Sapporo

From Tokyo, I flew to Sapporo by plane. It's funny that my friends who are with me in this trip thought that Sapporo is a village. Apparently it's not. It's a big city with neon lights and big shopping malls my dear friends. And from Sapporo I did some day trips to some of the other cities in Hokkaido.

Shikisai No Oka, Biei

Some of the cities I visited were: Furano, Biei, Otaru, Toya, and I spent a night in Hakodate.

Otaru Canal, Otaru

Lake Toya

Hakodate

I will write in details later. Soon, I hope. But lemme ask you guys some questions:

Should I write about preparation and cost again?

What do you guys want to know about, and which place do you think is more interesting to write about first?

*brb

JAPAN TRIP SERIES 2015

Hello JAPAN!

JAPAN TRIP: Preparation and Cost (Visa, Accommodation, Transportation, etc)