Tokyo/Kyoto Apr12 - Day 2

When your trip is so long it's really a drag to blog all about it. But I must persevere. Don't wanna go searching for lost memories when I'm old.. Ok let's continue. Early in the morn we walked from our hotel to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden to do "Hanami" ( which means flower viewing). According to a website this is supposed to be the best place to Hanami in Tokyo. It's supposed to be the tailend of the sakura season already but luck was with us. Some trees were still in full bloom while some were starting to bare. Overall, very satisfied with the outcome. This is exactly what we're here for! (other than the food of course) Such a mesmerizing sight. More so with the sakura shower (petals raining down when the gentle wind blows). 太美了！Too bad they didn't allow alochol in the premises (we actually brought our own champagne). I'll leave the rest of the talking to the photos...

After about 2 hours we left for lunch. Booked this 2 Michelin-starred restaurant a few months ago. Haven't been to a starred restaurant in Japan so was quite excited...and it didn't disappoint! Albeit French cuisine, there's a slight Japanese touch to it; there were even sakura petals added to one of the dishes. Nothing too fancy or inventive and each course suited our tastes very well, especially since it's more geared towards seafood. Paired with a nice bottle of Burgundy white. Ichiban! Definitely will be back.

Name: Les Créations de Narisawa 

Location: Minami Aoyama 2-6-15 Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062

Expenditure: ~29,000yen (7,350yen pp for set lunch + a bot of wine)

S' parents arrived a day later than us. It's their maiden trip to Japan so I, as the appointed tour guide, was a bit nervous. Took them out to experience the lively Shinjuku night atmosphere. Dropped by a traditional-looking beer place where lots of businessmen in suits gather after work and stand around makeshift tables drinking beer and ordering beer food non-stop. This was followed by a satisfying sushi dinner.