Japan Trip Day 5 - TYA Kitchen & Asakusa

It all started when I excitedly telling Snowfern and Sans about my trip to Japan during our mini meet. Sans was asking whether or not I have any plan to visit any miniaturist during my Japan visit. I was too excited to go that I didn't have much plan other than Museum Ghibli, Disneyland, and Tokyu Hands. Xd

After few visits to my favorite Japanese miniaturist sites, I found out that TYA Kitchen has a workshop in Tokyo. I tried to contact them and asked for directions. Tomoko-san replied to me (her friend help her to translate to English) that she even offered to pick me up at the station! *excited*

So on the day itself, I called her first from my hotel. We were like a chicken and duck trying to communicate with each other (my mom's phrase for not being able to communicate with each other); me with limited Japanese just telling her that we will arrived at the station about 30 minutes later. We took JR Yamanote line to Tabata; the train does not take that long, but I calculated the time we would spent on getting lost too. XD Luckily (or shall I say miraculously? :D ) me and my mom finally met up with Tomoko-san and Yukio-san and they drove us to their shop.

Their workshop is REALLY AMAZING! d(*v*)b

I will just post a few picture of their work here. My name (Stephanie) was quite hard to pronounce in Japanese, so I become Panda-chan on that day (I told them beforehand that I would be wearing my panda T-shirt). XD

Yukio-san was working on the chinese wok.

After spending 2 hours there with me walking in circle, marveling everything they have and picking things in and out the basket to buy, I finally made up my mind and paid for my things. I spent most of my money here than anywhere else, but I thought if I never buy it there and then, I would regret and might even lose more money eventually.

Unfortunately they don't really ship to Singapore so I previously used an agent to buy from them. But maybe next time I will ask them anyway. :)

They will also attend the Tom Bishop's Show at Chicago next year, but sadly I don't think I can go. My loots:

Then Yukio-san drove us back to the Tabata station. After simple lunch, we took the JR Yamanote line again to Ueno to change line to Tokyo Metro Ginza line and drop off at Asakusa.

my lunch - grilled fish

my mom's - fish with miso paste

(I have come to believe everything with miso taste delicious!)

I found this cute bakery inside the JR station. Here are few of the cakes and mochi that they sell.

found this giant Panda on Ueno station

I have known the Asakusa Sensouji Temple from Annathered's post, so it's another a-must-visit-place for me.

Kaminarimon

Nakamise Street; which connect the Kaminarimon and the Senso-ji Temple

we've tried this sweet dango, which was covered with soybean powder;

which was very sweet and powdery LMAO

super sticky sweets with dried apricot

Senso-ji Temple

cute girl and cute kimono :)

the Asakusa Shrine

bought this bell from one of the shop at Nakamise Street

After that we headed towards Kappabashi-dori. I managed to find one shop where they sell the plastic model foods; like the one that you can found at some Japanese restaurant front display. They have assorted sizes, which I think are meant for tourists. Beware though, they are really pricey. I like one of their ramen noodle (just nice for Akira / scale 1:3), but again the price made me cringed. And I decided to challenge myself to make one, hopefully just as nice. :)

I couldn't resist to buy some cookie cutters from the next-door shop though. Then I asked the owner how to go to Asakusa Imahan which was recommended from my guide book.

Since it was getting dark already, we never see the signboard. My mom refused to go in at first because I said "I *think* it's this restaurant." So I went in and asked the waiter, glad that I was right and followed him to be seated without looking back. I chose to sit at the tatami seat and as I was getting ready to open my shoes, I just realized one thing: my mom didn't follow me to go in at all! =.=;

We ordered Kobe Beef Sukiyaki Set and Marbled Beef Shabu-Shabu set. The beef just melt in your mouth, now I know why they can immediately say "oishii" even by only putting it in your mouth.

the appetizers

the KOBE SUKIYAKI; we dipped into raw egg before eating

sashimi which comes with the Shabu-Shabu set

Marbled Beef

Each sets comes with miso soup and rice or udon. But we were to busy enjoying the meat to take photo of them. ;)

With happily stuffed stomach, we walked back to the station and went back to the hotel.

Continue to Japan Trip Day 6...