Arigato, Tokyo

Sisters Jocelyn and Justine of HangryDiary Have Your Tokyo Travel Guide Ready

HangryDiary is a food diary my sister (Justine) and I (Jocelyn) founded when we graduated from UCLA and USC. We loved exploring new restaurants, and that was our inspiration for becoming food bloggers. If you want to run into us, you can try seeking us out at the hottest restaurants in town. We’ll be the two holding cameras and taking an obscene amount of time getting that perfect shot of the dishes! We’re showing you our favorite spots for a day in Tokyo—a lot of food at hard-to-reserve restaurants, a trendy place to stay and places to explore included. Get your passport ready—we’re off to Japan.

9 a.m.BREAKFAST 朝御飯

Ú We always call Japan a pancake wonderland. Our recent favorite is the big, fluffy pancake that you should eat like a cake. Ginza West Aoyama Garden has a rich history of over four decades. The perfectlyshaped, pillowy pancake is so fluffy! We went an hour early before the cafe opened and chose to sit on the patio, enjoying the perfect weather while taking huge bites.

PRICE: ¥¥

TOKYO TIP: Visit the store at least 30 minutes before it opens!

GINZA WEST AOYAMA GARDEN www.ginza-west.co.jp/english

Noon LUNCH 昼御飯

Ú Yakitori Omino is the place to get your skewered chicken fix. Yakitori Omino is headed by Chef Masayoshi Komino, who trained for six years in Meguro's Michelin one star restaurant Torishiki, and uses the highest quality date chicken with the finest flavor. If you choose to go with omakase, you can experience a variety of chicken parts such as thigh, liver, gizzard, heart, tail and more! If you’re still hungry, you can also order their oyako-don! It is a risotto with date chicken and kodawari shirotamako, or white egg.

PRICE: ¥¥¥

YAKITORI OMINO www.tabelog.com/en/tokyo

3 p.m. ENJOY A MUSEUM 博物館

Ú teamLab Borderless is a group of artwork that forms one borderless world. You can expect to find yourself standing beneath waterfalls, wandering through a forest of flowers, followed by waves in five unique areas. Be amazed as you explore this new world created by 520 computers and 470 projectors.

PRICE: ¥¥

TOKYO TIP: You have to see this! Our favorite is the everchanging room with scattered petals that grow, bloom, wither and die in an endless cycle.

MORI BUILDING DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: TEAMLAB BORDERLESS www.borderless.teamlab.art

5 p.m.DINNER 晩御飯

Ú Mikawa-Zezankyo is one of the top traditional tempura places in Tokyo. Master Tetsuya Saotome (aka God of Tempura) has been making tempura for over 50 years. He told us: “Tempura is my practice of aesthetics as a creature.” Chef Saotome varies the coating and frying methods. One of the highlights of our meal was anago (sea eel). When serving the anago, Chef Saotome used a long, metal utensil to slice the eel into two. It was truly amazing!

PRICE: ¥¥¥¥¥

TOKYO TIP: The handwritten menu is beautifully complemented with his drawings. The meal is completed with special calligraphy drawn and signed by Chef himself.

MIKAWA-ZEZANKYO www.mikawa-zezankyo.jimdo.com/ english-information/

8 p.m. DESSERT デザート

Ú Do you recognize this fruit tart? You may have seen it all over IG! It is a Frenchinspired Japanese pastry served at Été, which is located in a residential area near Yoyogi Park. It is the most exclusive, seasonal fruit tart from artist and chef Natsuko Shoji! Every bite is juicy, sweet and memorable. Packaged in a jewelry box, the fruit tart is skillfully crafted in three layers, with a buttery, sable cookie crust, topped with special custard, edible “roses,” mango from Miyazaki, or other seasonal fruits with gold flakes or a sugar butterfly.

PRICE: ¥¥¥¥¥

ÉTÉ www.ete.tokyo

9 p.m. TIME TO TURN IN ホテル

Ú Look no further than The Celestine Hotel Ginza. The hotel faces the worldrenowned main shopping street of Ginza and is steps away from high-quality restaurants with easy access to the train station. We were welcomed by the friendly team who went above and beyond to provide clear directions to all sightseeing spots and even ordered admission tickets for us!

PRICE: ¥¥¥¥

TOKYO TIP: In the superior twin room, they provide not only regular amenities but also extra amenity kits from Bvlgari and Shiseido!

THE CELESTINE HOTEL GINZA www.celestinehotels.jp/ginza/eng/

Michelin Star-Rated Restaurants

If It's Good Enough For The Pros, It's Good Enough For Us

TWO MICHELIN STARS

Ú Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa puts a magical twist on the dining experience to make it playful and kawaii, yet is still rooted in the classic kaiseki cuisine. His signature garDen salad is made with emoji carrots and 20 vegetables harvested daily from the garden, and at the end of the meal, Chef and his dog Puchi will bid you farewell.

PRICE: ¥¥¥¥¥

DEN www.jimbochoden.com/en/

TWO MICHELIN STARS

Ú Chef Noboru Arai creates a fusion between French and Japanese cuisine. He is wellknown for using ingredients from around the world and employing classic French cooking techniques. We could tell that all the dishes were prepared with a lot of effort and incredible skills. The meal was extremely impressive.

PRICE: ¥¥¥¥¥

HOMMAGE www.hommage-arai.com/en/

ONE MICHELIN STAR

Ú We’re not huge fans of eel, but after trying the unagi (aka eel) at Obana, our feelings toward eel have changed. The unagi has one Michelin Star and is charcoal grilled to perfection and seasoned with sweet, caramelized sauce.

PRICE: ¥¥¥

OBANA