Tokyo - Day 1

Like I mentioned in my previous post, it is HOT. And HUMID. Any of you who have seen me in Malaysia will know that humid is not my preferred climate. I am CONSTANTLY sweating here and because I've been walking around Tokyo a lot, it's been pretty bad.

Yesterday I walked around Ginza (shopping), went through the Tsukiji fish markets (in the middle of the day, i'll go back when in the morning for the auctions), Shimbashi (Horse meat restaurants) and went to Yurakucho (Izakaya with S and colleagues).
Ginza: Highlights were Zara - got a jacket discounted for 27,900 to 3,990 Yen! We really need a Zara in Sydney - i think there is one coming right? We also should get a Uni Qlo - a better version of Cotton On.

For the first time, I went into an Abercrombie and Fitch store and it was quite the experience. For those of you who haven't been before let me explain.
As you enter, you have some very good looking people at the door saying things "How're you goin?" in strong American on Japanese accents. Just inside, there is a very ripped guy with no shirt basically flexing non stop. and you can have a Polaroid with him! (no i didn't get one). You have a LOT of women lining to take photos with him.. and fair enough he was pretty good looking. If there was a girl equivalent I may have been tempted (isn't there usually a girl there too?) . The only girl there was the one taking the Polaroid. The store itself had many levels and it was DARK. I've seen the comedy skits where its all dark inside and its pretty gay and its ALL TRUE. The place is like a night club, and the staff are constantly dancing and instead of yelling "irashaimase" like in a Japaneses store, they are shouting things like, "flannel is back" and "how are you going?" WHILE dancing to the music. The staff there are all VERY good looking and the girls are in VERY short skirts. Also there is an overpowering fragrance of the cologne they are selling.

All in all a very distinctive brand. I'm not sure I like it tho. It was very pretentious and very camp inside. In some ways it intimidates you into not wanting to wear their clothes because you don't meet that standard. Things were really expensive though. I'm talking 10,500 for a flannel shirt and 15,000 for a similar hoodie to one that I have. I guess all those dancing staff have to be paid for somehow.
To ensure that I have a true Japanese dining experience while I'm here, the first two meals I had were burgers. I plan to do a bit of a comparison of burgers over the next few weeks that I'm here.

Mosburger
This was breakfast. The highlight of this burger was the mayonnaise. Very creamy and not too sour. The bun was very soft, and the lettuce was cold - always a plus. The burger itself was small and there were literally 9 chips and 2 onion rings that came with it. Total Cost: 650 Yen
Score 7/10For Lunch, S took me to "The Beat Diner" a one-off burger place situated underneath a railway bridge. Outside (and inside) it blasts "American" music like Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, Simon and Garfunkel. Supposedly, this place rated as one of the top 10 burgers in Tokyo.


It's not fast food here, they make the burger to order. I had the cheeseburger with the large Pattie and it was good. The bun was toasted and burger held together by a skewer. The Pattie was thick and juicy and tasted of real mince, there was tendon and fat all the textures you expect from proper mince, not like your Maccas or Hungry Jacks patties. The fries were done with the skin on, which I liked. The burger was larger than at Mosburger, but it was no Fergburger that's for sure. Overall I rated this burger slightly above Mosburger. Score 8/10. Cost 900 Yen.


In other news, I visited Hibiya park (homeless people on benches) and the Imperial palace (closed). Here is the picture of the day from a park near the Imperial palace.


and some hedge animals..


Today - Akihabara

Coming Soon - Burger Reviews: Freshness Burger and Lotteria (The 10 stack!?!)