Travel Diary: Tokyo

tokyo station

tokyo station architecture

Just wrapping my posts on my recent quick work trip to Tokyo. I still have to catch up on France over the summer and Berlin favourites this spring. Above gorgeous Meiji era colonial architecture by Terunobu Fujimori, a scholar of Western architecture and educated in London.

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It’s always nice to be back in Tokyo. I always say that I’d like to be back for leisure but we haven’t made time for that to happen and hopefully we get to do this sooner than later because there is simply so much to explore, see and do. I have been very fortunate to do/see more than others on a business trip. The last time I didn’t sleep and went straight to Tsukiji at 230am, had a wonderful breakfast and then at 6am headed back to the hotel to get ready for meetings and then boarded a flight for the next trip.

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I’m glad I got to catch up with Yukari san, a fellow blogger of Foodie Hub for Tokyo, who really is your English language food authority on all things Tokyo and runs bespoke tours in the city. Yukari san is half American and half Japanese, so you have the best perspective of both worlds. She is also a trained sommelier and chef and takes professional chefs around – I cannot wait to visit for leisure again with the husband.

ippudo tokyo

Well, I spent two full days in meetings and pretty much ate at the hotel except for two dinners – Den and La Bonne Table. I am ever grateful for the chance to dine out. In other highlights, I also got to stuff my face with échiré croissants and buy all sort of delicious wonderful things from the shop – including queuing outside in the rain. If you’re unfamiliar with échiré, it’s the butter that pros use and one of the butters my husband prefers along side Bourdier. It is also the French brand of butter often served in fine dining restaurants. I don’t read Japanese but am certain that Hokkaido milk butter would taste just as good, without the French mark of endorsement. In between, I had a quick lunch at Ippudo and another soba restaurant Hikariya serving variations of soba at Kitte Japan tower (just opposite Tokyo Station)    – how wonderful.

tokyo soba noodles

échiré is just  a stone’s throw from Four Seasons Marunouchi hotel (Echire Maison du Beurre, Marunouchi Brick Square 1F, Marunouchi 2-6-1, Chiyoda-ku; 03-6269-9840 round the corner from Robuchon’s Salon de thé)

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echire tokyo

So, I was here for work and dined at Motif twice at the Four Seasons Marunouchi – say what you like but I really love the view overlooking Tokyo station – and probably every train loving child’s meal entertainment! Stay tuned on eating at Motif.
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