Tag Archives: travel

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: Sunday Brunch

June 16, 2018 Siree 5 Comments

THE VERDICT

Setting & Atmosphere
Food
Service
Value For Money

OVERALL SUMMARY

No crazy food gimmicks. Simple and delicious!

A popular Kinfolkesque brunch joint without the upscale price tag. Sunday Brunch’s Shimokitazawa location proudly shows off its good quality ingredients and variety-on-a-plate concept. Could this be the best value for money brunch you have ever eaten in Tokyo?

SETTING AND ATMOSPHERE

mixture of quiet afternoons, Scandinavian simple finishes, and slow living element vibes Sunday Brunch’s Shimokitazawa cafe offers a stylish and cozy dining experience in the “zakka” aesthetic. With the space’s high ceiling and skylight openings in hipster-loving triangle cutouts, one can enjoy the atmosphere of a relaxed Sunday morning every day of the week.

It’s spacious and well fitted with many seating options suitable for big groups to

single-window dining and comes with fun features like the self-serve fruit infused water station, sweets corner, and even a lifestyle home goods store.

Since it is one of the more popular eating spots in the area, the best time to visit is to avoid the busy weekend lunch rush which peaks around 12PM – 1PM and opt for either an early-late lunch or early tea time to ensure you can enjoy it at your own pace with a good book or some work-time on your laptop.

Food

he first thing you will notice when glancing through Sunday Brunch’s menu is how gorgeous the food looks. Everything here from the plates of pasta to the generous cake slices is just as pretty as the pictures – well-balanced plates with lots of colour and variety.

The main dishes are simple brunch ideas of mixed plate combinations such as doria (a baked rice dish) with pasta, french toast with a side dish as well as curry butter chicken and they are all filling and satisfying. Vegetable produce seems to be the highlight of each dish as they generously decorate every dish with seasonal vegetables to liven up the dish’s presentation for that “wow” effect.

The first dish was a classic Japanese dish found in many cafes here: the omurice plate with a twist. Unlike the common brown demi-glaze sauce you see on most menus, this one was served with a generous helping of herb cream sauce adding a nice mild creaminess to the tomato rice mixture hidden beneath the egg. The egg omelette was nicely set with that gooey but not overly runny texture should you be the kind of person who doesn’t enjoy that texture feeling. Overall, it was a delight to eat if you feel like indulging especially on a chilly day.

Next was the double carb pasta and doria set: a creamy chicken vegetable cheese rice bake with a simple cured ham herb pasta. It was a combination hard to fault

because of its simplicity as all the flavours go well together. Best of all, the accompanying pasta rotates seasonally for more flavour combinations though the doria generally stays the same.

Moving on to dessert, although their stacked pancakes are a show stopper on their own, for a person who had only a little stomach room to spare their window cake selection was hard to beat with delicately decorated treats layered with fresh fruit and cream.

Before the season ends, we decided on the Mont Blanc with Seasonal Fruits Cake which had a nice height of light and airy cream and chestnut puree with a centre of fresh cream and some fruit pieces running through it.

To level up your already Instagram-worthy snack time, I highly recommend to skip the drink set menu and order their Uji Matcha Milk Tea for its decent size and good tea flavour. Using Uji’s famous matcha, the drink was nice without the addition of sugar to savour the slight bitterness of the tea powder’s taste. The cotton candy coloured rice puffs on the top was purely for decoration and fun but was a unique presentation that feels like you’re enjoying some sweets from a traditional Japanese sweets store.

Rice Plate – prawn omurice with a herb cream sauce and garden salad | 1380 yen

Doria and Pasta Plate – a creamy cheese rice bake with a simple cured ham herb pasta and garden salad | 1280 yen

Mont Blanc with Seasonal Fruits Cake | 680 yen

Uji Matcha Milk Tea | 650 yen

SERVICE

or all the times I visited Sunday Brunch, they all seem to fall on a weekday and the service is always very polite with a little local friendliness lent from the area. The staff is very responsive and the food arrives in a very orderly fashion.

The menu is bilingual with Japanese and English descriptions so ordering is a breeze and also some staff can speak a little basic English. The staff will also ask you about any food allergies during ordering which is a nice touch.

VALUE FOR MONEY

ith the cheapest dish being 1150 yen that also includes a salad and the cheapest dessert being around 500 yen, the price is quite average for the area. The best value definitely comes from ordering in sets.

The brunch set meal which includes a mini salad, pasta of the day, cake dessert, and a drink at 1650 yen is a cheaper choice if you want to experience everything there is to offer and expect to pay for a cake and drink set 1050 yen.

Bucket List Experiences, England, Popular Posts, Travel

The Ultimate Guide to Durdle Door & Man O’War Beach

May 30, 2018 Talyssa 5 Comments

Chasing the sun before it fades away, a perfect scene awaits; an ancient door standing out at sea, under a heavenly sky of blues, pinks and yellows.

To your left an empty beach with fingers that cling to the shore, the sea doesn’t want to go back to the ocean yet, it wants to stay a little more.

For you see, the sea wishes to view the spectacle too.

With chalk white cliffs that frame the coast and the sun casting a golden glow, wouldn’t you also want to see this magnificent sunset view?

Experience Sunset at the World’s most Famous Rock Arch

When it comes to famous landmarks in foreign countries, I guess you could say I’m a bit naive. Outside of London, I really didn’t know much about what England had to offer. But England has AMAZING scenery with Durdle Door being one of my favourite sites during my trip. I remember walking down the long path to Durdle Door and being blown away as the scenery was revealed before me. Durdle Door is, very, very beautiful, majestic, and quite fittingly feels very “Jurassic” to behold.

Located behind Durdle Door is Man O’War beach. Also a beautiful beach, I especially loved the way the pebbles caused the waves to wash up looking like the ocean had fingers gripping the shore!

A little bit of History

For anyone who loves to travel, I think it’s important to get to know a bit about the area and what exactly you’re looking at. Located on England’s Jurassic Coast, it’s estimated that Durdle Door was created around 10,000 years ago when the waves eroded the limestone rock and created a hole. Over time the hole eroded to create the door you see now. Personally I think it looks like a seahorse kissing the ocean…does anyone else see that?

How to get there

Hire a car:

With limited transportation in the area I highly recommend hiring a car. The drive itself is not too difficult, but the road is windy and narrow in sections so you need to be mindful of oncoming cars. Simply take your time, be alert and drive at a pace you feel comfortable and you will be fine. It’ll also save you a tonne of time and give you the freedom to explore the place at your leisure.

I used Google Maps on my phone to navigate, and it was as simple as typing Durdle Door as my destination. I got there with very little trouble except for the fact that it kept trying to get me to turn into the caravan park on my right (you’ll know it’s the caravan park because there is a sign and gate). Instead, ignore this and continue straight until you reach the Durdle Door carpark.

I was staying in Weymouth and the drive took approximately 30mins.

From the car park it’s about a 15minute walk to Durdle door by foot.

Tour Bus

All you need to do is a quick Google search to find a selection of tours to Durdle door. In generall, tour buses tend to leave the site around 4:30PM, so you’re likely to miss the sunset – which is a real shame! I personally prefer to avoid tours where possible as it often means a sacrifice of freedom and intimacy – you’ll probably be sharing the site with the 20+ other people also on the tour which makes nice photos difficult.

From the car park it’s about a 15minute walk to Durdle door by foot.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

ARRIVING BY TRAIN: The nearest railway station is Wool (on the London Waterloo to Weymouth line). Bus numbers 15, 30, X55 and X54 connect Wool Railway Station to West Lulworth for Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door Park Entrance. The 15 bus operates on school days only. The 30 operates daily between 25 June and 16 September 2017. The X55 and X54 operate daily from 22 May until 3 September 2017.

It’s about a 20 minute walk from here to Durdle Door. Plan your travel with Google Maps it will give you exact instructions including the location of bus stops, train stations and the bus numbers you need to catch.

ARRIVING BY BUS: There are 4 bus services to West Lulworth for Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door (numbers 15, 30, X55 and X54). The 15 bus operates on school days only. The 30 operates daily between 25 June and 16 September 2017. The X55 and X 54 operates daily from 22 May until 3 September 2017.

Please note, there is no easy access to the site. It’s not wheelchair or stroller friendly and may also be difficult for those with trouble walking, particularly the hike back to the car – it’s up hill and quite difficult.

When to go for the best photos

Durdle Door is a pretty popular landmark and that means tourists! Tourists can be really annoying when you’re looking to capture that perfect shot.

Here are my tips to avoid the crowds:

Visit out of season. I visited April 5th 2018 and there were still quite a few people here. I counted about 6-7 other photographers and about 20-30 other people in the area. This was a small enough amount of people to capture relatively empty shots of the area. I can’t imagine how busy it would be in summer!
Visit at sunrise and sunset. Most tour buses leave the site by 4:30PM which cuts out a bunch of the crowds. For even less people, visit at sunrise.
The position of the sun may be something you want to consider too. In the evening, the sun sets behind the white chalk cliffs, as you can see from my photos. At sunrise, the sun is actually located behind the door. I’ve seen some cool shots online where people have captured the sun in the centre of the door, but for me, sunset was ideal!

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What to wear

No matter if you drive or visit with a tour bus, there’s still a 15-20 minute walk to the site that isn’t accessible by vehicle. Although the walk is easy, it is rocky in areas and has some steep hills and steps. There’s also a bit of a climb back to the car that will leave you breathless – so it’s important to wear sensible footwear. I was wearing hiking boots, by any shoes with reasonable grip will be fine,

In the colder months, like when I visited, it’s really, reallly freezing cold, especially when the sun sets, so rug up! I was in two jumpers and a jacket and still freezing cold. I remember finding the walk back to the car in the cold horrible, and my hands hurt from the wind and the cold.

Things to See and Do:

Walk along Durdle Door Beach
Catch the sunset or sunrise – perfect if you’re a photographer
Explore Man O’War Beach
Swim at both beaches – perfect in the summer months!
Visit the caves at the base of the chalk cliffs – don’t venture inside though, cliff falls are really common.
Hike to Lulworth Cove or explore the various walking trails on the site. Find out more here: www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/ or pick up a guide from the Heritage Centre in Lulworth Cove.

Carpark Payment Instructions

Type in registration plate
Choose coins
OR
Choose card to pay by card
Select the price you want to pay – this equates to the number of hours you can spend on the site (there is a pricing table provided on the machine, so you know how much it will cost for the number of hours you want to stay.)

I’ve read online that there is apparently a check-in/check-out system. I personally didn’t see or use this.

The funds raised from the tickets is put towards maintenance of the site, such as car parks, roads, footpaths, toilets, waste management, event programmes and more!

General Info

PRICE

Free entry to the site
Paid parking – I paid £5 for 4 hours, but you can pay less or more for a shorter/longer stay.

OPENING HOURS

Open all year round.
Carpark timings:
- April to September: 8am – Midnight
- October to March: 8am – 4pm

FACILITIES

Toilets & Disabled toilets can be found at Durdle Door Holiday Park (about 15 mins walk from the beach, near the carpark)
There are no food facilities at the beach itself. I saw a restaurant in the holiday park, but best to come prepared.
Dogs are allowed, but you must pick up after them.
Camping is allowed in the holiday park, but not on the beach or carpark.

Have a fabulous time!

Let me know if you’ve been here and what you thought – oh and if you’re planning to visit and have any questions, feel free to ask below, very happy to help you guys out!

France, Travel

Take me to Cassis, France | Travel Guide

October 15, 2017 Talyssa 5 Comments

“Anyone who has seen Paris, but hasn’t seen Cassis, hasn’t seen anything” – Frédéric Mistral (1830-1914)

Quiet and still, the fisherman’s boats rock gently along the Port. As the sun greets the water, the colourful houses burst into life with the freshest catch of the Côte d’Azur on full display. Bouillabaisse, Soupe de poissons and seafood served with a side of tapenade can be found within the restaurants that kiss the port, cooked in traditional Provencal style.

Admiring the port while strolling down the esplanade, a small cobblestoned passageway captures your curiosity asking to be explored. Here you find remnants of Cassis’ historic past, gorgeous boutiques and artisan food – each store specialising in it’s own delicacy – gelato, handmade cookies and biscuits, vinegars, wines, oils and fresh produce.

But, do not be fooled by appearances, for this sleepy town is home to an adventurous heart. Framed on one side by France’s highest sea cliff Cap Canaille, and the Calanque national park on the other, Cassis is food for any adventurers soul.

Welcome to Cassis

I’m so happy to finally share with you my favourite destination of my trip to France. I loved Cassis from the moment I stepped off the bus. Cassis has a bit of everything that I consider to be ideal in a place, in fact I’ve already got dibs to retire here (haha).

On top of the hill, you’ll find modern apartments, good internet and gorgeous views of the Mediterranean and the town below. There’s lots of nature, the weather is gorgeous and the beaches? Postcard perfect.

Walking towards the town, the wide modern roads collide into small cobblestone passageways that snake through the historic village. The village itself has a whole lot of charm with all passageways leading towards the town’s centrepiece, the port surrounded by colourful fisherman buildings.

With delicious food and the Calanque National Park to boot, let’s explore Cassis!

How To Get There

Travel from Paris to Cassis is fairly easy. There is a direct TGV from Paris to Marseille St Charles, then it’s just one transfer from Marseille St Charles to Cassis. The journey takes approximately 4 hours.

I travelled to Cassis from Nice, which is approximately a 2-3 hour trip. Like travelling from Paris, there are two transfers required

Nice Ville to Toulon
Toulon to Cassis

When you arrive, Cassis train station is located about 5km away from the village centre. Catch the bus called “Marcouline” located at the station’s exit to Cassis’ town centre. As I was staying at an Airbnb, I got off at the stop called “Belsunce” located just before the town centre.

As mentioned in my other travel posts, I recommend booking your transport via Trainline – it will work out the entire journey under one ticket, plus you can download the app and have everything stored on your phone in one place; super handy when you have multiple tickets from travelling all over Europe/France.

Where to Stay

I stayed at a wonderful AirBnb in Cassis which I highly recommend to everyone. The apartment is large, spacious, modern, comfortable and owned by the lovely, Sophie.

As a lone traveller I was a bit hesitant to stay in an apartment with the owner because I love my space, but it actually turned out perfect. Sophie was wonderful, really friendly and could speak English which was a bonus. She also knew all the best local places to recommend and could help me out with anything difficult, such as transport. She was also very respectful of my personal space which was great!

The apartment itself is in a wonderful location being very close to the town centre, beaches and the National Park where you can trek to the Calanques.

Best of all, each morning she set up a gorgeous breakfast which was amazing!

Find Sophie’s Airbnb here

AirBnb in Cassis — Sophie’s Amazing Breakfast!! There was fresh fruit, granola, artisan jams, bread,teas and more!

What to Discover

Port de Cassis

If you’re looking for the picture perfect postcard place you can’t go past Cassis Port. Picturesque and beautiful, the port is spotted with local fishing boats and framed with the colourful homes of fisherman. On the esplanade, there are a number of delicious restaurants specialising in local delicacies, particularly seafood!

City Centre

Walking through the historic streets was one of my favourite experiences of Cassis. I absolutely loved the city centre here. In quintessential Southern France tradition, the city centre diverges into numerous winding streets and cobblestone pathways lined with artisan shops, restaurants and colourful architecture decorated in vines and pot plants.

La plage du Bestouan

Probably the most pristine beach I saw during my travels – La Page Du Bestouan is GORGEOUS. Imagine just living in the house in photo?? Pure paradise. I discovered this beach on the way to the Calanque National Park. It’s only a short walk from Cassis city centre.

Plage de la grande mer & cap canaille

Cassis most popular beach is Plage de la Grande Mer, located at the centre of town and crowned by Cap Canaille; the highest sea cliff in France and one of the highest across Europe. If you’re adventurous enough, Cap Canaille features a tough, steep hike to the summit, but the view from showcases the long stretch of the Mediterranean sea, Cassis harbour and even the Calanques.

TIP: For an easier journey up to Cap Canaille, ask for the ‘Route des Cretes’ which is considered the tourist trail.

PLAGE DE LA GRANDE MER & CAP CANAILLE — Plage de la Grande Mer & Cap Canaille

The Calanque NATIONAL PARK

My main reason for visiting Cassis was to see the Calanques. While doing research for my trip, I stumbled across a picture of the Calanques and knew I had to visit.

I had read on the internet that the hike to the Calanques was difficult, but I think I underestimated how difficult. Hiking all the way to Calanque d’En Vau (the third furthest Calanque from Cassis) and back took all day and I was exhausted by the end of it. My feet hurt and my legs were jelly! It’s tough, but totally worth it – one of the best experiences of my entire trip.

There are a few challenges on your hike to the Calanques. The first is signage. It’s terrible and then eventually non existent.

The second is that there are two ways to descend into to the Calanque d’En Vau The first way is a steep decent that’s quite tough, but doesn’t require you to be an experienced hiker – you can slide down on your bum for the difficult parts. The other is a more tourist friendly route, but it takes a lot longer to reach the Calanques and at times can be confusing to navigate. It’s also the route you end up taking on the way back, regardless of if you descended down the steep cliff face or not.

TIP: If you want to enjoy the beaches at each Calanque, you need to hike. Most boat tours I researched don’t go close enough to the shore and Calanques can only be viewed by the boat.

Calanque 01: Port-Miou

Just a short walk from Cassis, no hiking is needed to visit this Calanque. Calanque Port-Miou is beautiful in that it is lined with the fishermen’s sailing boats.

Calanque 02: Port Pin

Port Pin is the first Calanque inside the national park. Altogether, it takes about 30 minutes to walk there, so if you’re not keen on a whole day hike to En Vau, I recommend at least visiting Port Pin.

Small, intimate and not crowded, Port Pin’s clear emerald waters are beautiful and perfect for a swim! The walk to Port Pin is easy and clearly marked.

Calanque o3: En Vau

TIP: There are no toilets, food or rest stops inside the national park so you need to come well equipped for the day if you’re planning to hike to En Vau. There’s also limited shade so make sure your sun protected!

From Port Pin onwards things get a little tricky. The hike starts getting tougher and signage virtually becomes non existent the further you travel into the national park. En Vau is approximately a 3 hour hike from Port Pin.

Because I hadn’t travelled to Cassis during peak season, there were significantly less travellers visiting the national park than usual and this meant getting lost was quite easy…in fact on my way back I was DID get lost for about an hour inside the national park…that’s how bad the signage is.

If you think I’m exaggerating, take a look at the image below. This is an example of signage that was actually clear and obvious. Most of the time you walk for long stretches of time before seeing another of of these markings and some markings are even hidden off track.

By the time I reached En Vau the sun was starting to set, so I didn’t get to see the crystal blue waters, but it was still beautiful! The water was freezing as I travelled just as summer was transitioning into winter so I recommend going during the summer months.

En Vau Calanque — Steep cliffs that surround the Calanque

More national park shots…

This was the terrain of the national park. Different to what I had imagined!

View of the Cassis vineyards from the national park.

Where to fill the belly

Restaurant Le Chaudron

Overall rating: ★★★.5

This restaurant caught my eye straight away because of how beautiful it looked on the outside! I was given a beautiful seat on the terrace which was perfect on a summer’s night. The staff were very friendly and tried their hand at English which was very helpful.

I did the usual French 3 course meal special. Overall food was good, but didn’t make me go wow.

L’escallier

Overall rating: ★★★★

On my second night I ate here and unfortunately didn’t take any photos! I chose the 3 course menu for 23,50€ and chose the fish soup, followed by the Filet de rouget accompagné de sa tapenade d’olive verte and finished with a Panacotta type desert. The Provincial dish I had for my main felt very homely and it was great to taste a traditional French fish soup!

Autrefois Cassis

Overall rating: ★★★★★

This little shop is so awesome, I can’t believe I can’t find anything written about it on Trip Advisor or the like. The amount of artisan goodies in the store is enough to make my mouth water just remembering it. I loved the whole concept of selling handmade cookies and biscuits, out in the open to pick and choose as you please.

There were also handmade lollies, flavoured oils, regional wines and more. This place is a must visit and a must eat too!

Autrefois Cassis — Photo by: http://autrefois-terroir.fr

France, Travel

Day Trip to Annecy, France

April 20, 2017 Talyssa 6 Comments

She’s a traveller. A wonderer. The winding canals pique her interest to discover every hidden corner of this beautiful town. She gets lost amongst the artisan markets, the boutiques, French cuisine, a smiling face, the blooming flowers.

Where someone gets lost, they open themselves up to being found and just like that the winding streets and gushing canals start calling her, leading her. As she follows, a calm walk breaks into a brisk jog as the pull gets stronger, faster.

A sudden stop. She’s here and all is silent. A wide open space where rolling mountains frame an aqua lake that disappears beneath the fog and into the horizon. There’s nothing but the sound of rowboats lapping the waves. It is peaceful, it is still.

Suddenly she’s not lost. She is found. She is free.

Welcome to Annecy

Okay, so if I’m being really honest I went to France with the hope of being swept away by a romantic French boy and living happily forever after, sailing on a white yacht along the Côte d’Azur.

Turns out things didn’t happen that way, but instead my heart was beyond fulfilled with other things.

When you think of France, you tend to think of Paris and whilst Paris is beautiful, there is so much more to France than just Paris. France surprised me and kept me guessing but most of all, it was beautifully picturesque in it’s every facet.

Annecy is no different – it’s absolutely gorgeous and relatively unheard of which means less tourists! Bonus :D

How to get there

If you’re travelling from Paris, getting to Annecy is really easy. There is a direct TVG from Paris to Annecy which takes approximately 4 hours.

I on the other hand came from Cassis, which is a slightly more complicated journey. Even though Cassis is closer to Annecy than Paris (I recommend going by car if you have one, it will save you half the time) there is no direct train, which meant quite a few train transfers:

Cassis to Marseille St Charles
Marseille St Charles to Lyon Part-Dieu
Lyon Part-Dieu to Annecy

I recommend you book via Trainline – it will work out the entire journey under one ticket, plus you can download the app and have everything stored on your phone in one place; super handy when you have multiple tickets from travelling all over Europe/France.

The trip in total took approximately 4.5 hours and cost €51, but the earlier you book in advanced, the cheaper!

Where to stay

I had booked a place on AirBnB for my stay in Annecy which was adequate for one night, but I probably wouldn’t stay there again. My main reason for this was that the apartment was located outside of the old town and even though it was only a 10-15min walk into the old town, it just wasn’t the same. I highly recommend finding a place inside the old town.

WHat to discover

I only spent about a day in Annecy, which was definitely not enough. In any case here are my recommendations:

1. Vieille Ville – Located on the Thiou river, the old town of Annecy is gorgeous with it’s historic medieval architecture, canals and blooming florals. I encourage you to discover every nook and cranny of the little passageways and admire the beautiful architecture – remember to take pics! On Tuesdays, there is a fresh food market adding an extra burst of colour to the streets, along with numerous boulangeries, patisseries and artisan food shops.

2. Palais de l’Île – Possibly the most famous landmark in Annecy, I was so so so sad that it was under construction when I visited. Regardless, you must go and take a photo – this spot is one of the most photographed spots in France. Through its history, the Palais de I’lle has been a palace, prison, warehouse, barracks and today it exists as an exhibition space detailing the history of Annecy’s architecture, so you can have all sorts of fun browsing old courtrooms, dungeons, cells and a chapel.

3. Chateau d’Annecy – Due to time constraints, I didn’t get a chance to go inside the castle, but I made my way up to admire the terrace views. If you’re wondering what’s inside, you’ll find a museum depicting the lives of the rulers of Savoy.

4. Lake Annecy – Possibly the most beautiful lake I have seen in my life so far, Lake Annecy has crystal clear waters and is framed by snow capped mountains. Surrounding the lake is a vast expanse of parkland, where you’ll find numerous groups of youths chilling and playing sports by the lake. Next time I plan to ride the little paddle boats across the lake.

5. While you’re strolling around Lake Annecy, make sure to visit the Jardins de l’Europe. During my walk through the gardens, I stumbled across a beautiful building which ended up being a hotel called L’Imperial Palace.

If you’re able to spend more time in Annecy, there are many water sports, lake/canal cruises, hikes in the mountains and a number of other activities to do by the lake.

View of Chateau d’Annecy from the Jardins de l’Europe

6. Eat!! I will continue this in the next section, but there are just so many good thing to try around every corner. Just eat everything.

Where to fill the belly

Lunch – L’auberge du Lyonnais

Overall Rating: ★★★.5

Nice food, absolutely beautiful location, friendly and prompt service – wait staff speak English.

DINNER – L’APPART DU DIX-SEPT

Overall Rating: ★★★★

Nice homely food – desert was particularly delicious! Funky interior with it’s own vibe going on, the restaurant itself is hidden, located up a staircase inside one of the beautiful old town buildings – it was great to be able to go inside of one! Friendly service – wait staff speak English.

SNACKs – Glacier artisanal La Fabbrica di Gelato

Overall Rating: ★★★★

This place instantly stood out for me because of the creative ways in which they sold their gelato. The display was so cute that I couldn’t go past these gelato pops!

Japan, Travel

Sailor Moon Exhibition and Cafe

July 8, 2016 Siree 1 Comment

By the Power of the Moon, I will Punish you!

She may not be a Disney Princess by title, but Sailor Moon’s charm has captured every girls’ dream of becoming fairy-tale royalty with the added badassery of fighting in the name of love and justice, all by the magical hour of moonlight of course.

I can’t believe it’s been more than 20 years since the series was released and to celebrate, Roppongi’s Mori Art Museum held a special themed exhibition to honour the work and success of our favourite teenage supernatural crime-fighting squad in style.

The exhibition featured everything you could have imagined that was the 90’s golden age of the series, from television magazine cover appearances to replica wand and compact toys, this exhibition was gauged towards those who grew up with the original Sailor Moon television show rather anything from with the recent reboot Crystal series (a blessing in disguise for traditionalists).

I have heard many good things about the famed Roppongi Mori Art Museum and it goes without saying that it is one of the best places for exhibits ranging from works by famed artists like Takashi Murakami to even pop culture manga like Naruto, they hold something for everyone!

Being the artistic creation of mangaka Naoko Takeuchi, the art show not only showcased original artworks used in the original anime and manga, but also some new works made especially for this Sailor Moon exhibition. Unfortunately, the artworks were camera restricted but the exhibition featured a few photo spot opportunities just to live out your girlish dreams to strike a pose or two.

Another attraction is the Chibiusa Cafe, the theme cafe where the food is based on the characters from the series! Awesome! But not as awesome as this bomb view we managed to snag right in front of Tokyo Tower!

Totally worth the hour-long wait to manage such a perfect view. While waiting, the front of the cafe displayed the dishes available to choose from just to make you that much hungrier as you wait your turn.

Chibiusa’s Custard Pudding a la Mode

Heavenly Miracle Romance Parfait and Evil Black Crystal Cocktail. Fun fact, all drinks also combine a Chocola BB Joma beauty supplement drink for beautiful skin!

We decided upon the Sailor Senshi Beauty Juices themed as either, Sailor Moon (Calpis), Sailor Mercury (Tonic Water), Sailor Mars (Grapefruit), Sailor Jupiter (Ginger Ale) and Sailor Venus (Orange). We ended up with two Sailor Mars and one Sailor Jupiter and they were delish despite what the crazy colour may suggest.

Being a party of three, we were able to sample all three mains available on the menu. The first was the Sailor Moon Special Hamburger with star-shaped tater tots.

Isn’t it so cute?! The pink bun was shaped to look like the first brooch Sailor Moon received in the series. Unfortunately, the taste was just average for this one.

I ordered the Three-Variety Talisman Curry based on my favourite, the Outer Senshi (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto). I wasn’t expecting too much from this dish but, wow! Can we take a moment to appreciate the detail of their eatable weapons? It tasted just as great as it looked! The curries were a yellow, spinach, and squid ink roux mixture and each had its own distinct taste from mild to spicy.

The final main was the Tuxedo Mask’s Nihilistic Pasta featuring a pie-crust mask and spicy tomato sauce. It was refreshing to see a vegetarian option on the menu and the added rose petals made it look extra fancy.

While the other’s opted for the jelly Heavenly Miracle Romance Parfait, I just had to get this Luna P Ball Berry Mousse for dessert and yes, it was deliciously good.

The exhibition is now over but all-in-all, the Sailor Moon exhibition was such a great nostalgic experience. Now I can’t wait to go to the new Studio Ghibli exhibition and relive the magic!

The Details

Where: 〒106-0032 Tokyo, Minato, Roppongi, 6−10−1, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 53F

Opening Hours:

Sun – Mon: 10AM-10PM
Tue: 10AM-5PM
Wed – Sat: 10AM-10PM

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Until Next Time!

Siree

Greatly Terrific Food Outing, Japan, Japan Food Guide

V-Day Girl’s Day at the Alice in Wonderland Restaurant, Shibuya

February 18, 2016 Siree 2 Comments

You’re Late for Tea!

It seems that Valentine’s Day is a bit upside down here in Japan.

Rather than being all about the girls (let’s be honest), here, all the chocolate and hearts go to the fellows. If you happened to have walked around Shibuya on Sunday you might have spotted some lone hearted guys holding signs saying “Free Hugs” and “Chocolate please.”

Being in single town myself, I turned V Day into Galentine’s Day and went to the Alice in Wonderland theme restaurant for a girl’s day out. Girl Parties or 女子会/joshikai in Japanese is a pretty popular social gathering activity for gal pals here in Japan with hotels and venue restaurants offering lunch, dinner or dessert courses for some Sex and the City female bonding. But don’t worry boys! You have your own 男子会/danshikai version as well here!

Technically this restaurant chain is called Alice’s Fantasy Restaurant and each location has its own “version” on the Alice in Wonderland theme eg. Alice in a Labyrinth, Alice in a Fantasy Book and so on. The one in Shibuya is called Alice in a Dancing Land – 舞踏の国のアリス – and has a cute as hell carousel right in the middle of the restaurant where you can sit surrounded by lights and porcelain ornaments with a giant chandelier dangling from the center.

Pretty right?! Everywhere you looked each ceiling panel or even the fabric used for the chairs remind you of a character or page from Alice in Wonderland. Even the floor staff waitresses wore Alice’s signature blue dress with at least one girl wearing bunny ears for the March Hare and the waiter at the front wore an outfit similar to the Mad Hatter. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take any photos of the staff but if you visit their Facebook page, you can see some photos of their staff :D

But I digress, to the food!

To mark the special day the restaurant offered a special event course at ¥2500 (roughly $25) per person which includes 2x entrees, 2x mains, and dessert. Considering it was also an all-you-can-drink with unlimited juice, coffee and tea it was a great price!

Look at all these tea types! I tried to make it my personal mission to drink each and every one of these tea flavours but could only drink three: maple, chocolate, and grape kyoho black tea. Although at a lot of places these types of layouts usually mean lackluster and bad quality teas, all the ones I tasted were really delicious and tasted exactly as they said. I especially liked the maple flavoured tea!

The first course was a small amuse-bouche which was I believe some kind of cream cheese spread with “rose” shaped smoked ham and toast.

The waitress explained that the dish represented the scene where Alice finds the “eat me” cookies.

The next dish was a salad with a cute avocado face for the Caterpillar in his “garden” which was a Caesar Salad.

On to mains, the first was a pasta dish with a simple tomato style sauce with cute mozzarella cheese cut into a spade, club, diamond, and heart. The second was a consommé/nabe style soup filled with veggies, chicken, and sausage with some tasty bread and mustard for the sausage. I love the clock plate for the soup! It’s unfortunate that this restaurant doesn’t have a gift shop on site to buy souvenirs as I’m sure there will be many people who would love to buy some of the items here.

Finally, the last dish was these cute blueberry mousse tarts desserts shaped like bunnies! The taste was quite interesting as it was sweet but also a bit tart, I liked it a lot!

One of the girls has food allergies and we were unsure if she could eat the planned dessert so she ordered the Cheshire Cat Parfait off the menu which was equally adorable!

The main menu at this Alice in Wonderland is actually different from the food we ate off the planned course meal but the food quality was quite nice and somewhat affordable. I believe there is an entry fee of ¥500 or so which was included in our course price. If you do decide to come I recommend coming a bit earlier for lunch as the place can be quite busy but if you come after the rush hour after 2 PM, you’ll find it’s a bit quieter and you might get a better seat.

I definitely recommend coming here if you want to have a unique experience with your friends for afternoon tea.

The Details

Where: Zero gate B1, 16-9, Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0042

Opening Hours:

Monday – Sunday

Lunch 11:00am – 2:00pm (last order 3:30pm)

Dinner 4:00pm – 11:30pm (last order 11:00pm)

Website | Facebook

Until Next Time!

Siree

Run by two travel and lifestyle bloggers, The Hidden Thimble focus’ on creating truthful and in-depth travel guides, food & beauty reviews. Enjoy drool-worthy photography from around the world!

THE VERDICT

SETTING AND ATMOSPHERE

Food

SERVICE

VALUE FOR MONEY

Experience Sunset at the World’s most Famous Rock Arch

A little bit of History

How to get there

Hire a car:

Tour Bus

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

When to go for the best photos

What to wear

Things to See and Do:

Carpark Payment Instructions

General Info

Have a fabulous time!

Welcome to Cassis

How To Get There

Where to Stay

What to Discover

Port de Cassis

City Centre

La plage du Bestouan

Plage de la grande mer & cap canaille

The Calanque NATIONAL PARK

Calanque 01: Port-Miou

Calanque 02: Port Pin

Calanque o3: En Vau

More national park shots…

Where to fill the belly

Restaurant Le Chaudron

Welcome to Annecy

How to get there

Where to stay

WHat to discover

Where to fill the belly

Lunch – L’auberge du Lyonnais

DINNER – L’APPART DU DIX-SEPT

SNACKs – Glacier artisanal La Fabbrica di Gelato

By the Power of the Moon, I will Punish you!

The Details

You’re Late for Tea!

The Details

Run by two travel and lifestyle bloggers, The Hidden Thimble focus’ on creating truthful and in-depth travel guides, food & beauty reviews. Enjoy drool-worthy photography from around the world!