Henri Charpentier – Ginza, Tokyo.
My first impression is that this café outright trumps the interior appeal of every café that I’ve visited. It is posh but at the same time very comfortable and a place where you can easily relax those tired feet from walking around the whole day. When I went, there was a queue but we opted to be seated earlier by choosing the smoking area, which we regretted later as the patrons around us were chain-puffing like the world was about to end (though this didn’t spoil the experience).
As you enter Henri Charpentier, this level is where they display their infamous macarons and patisseries for your viewing delight. Downstairs is the café area, which is lead down by a spiralling staircase. The lighting is dim and sets a chill atmosphere. When I went the patrons were all female, myself and my brothers were the only males there – quite an odd moment.
Midori Sushi and Patisserie Viron – Shibuya, Japan.
Eating sushi in Japan should be at the bottom of the list of ‘things to do’, just below ramen and every other dish iconic to Japanese food. Why? Once you go back to Sydney or wherever you reside, nothing even comes close in my books. From that moment your first sushi platter in Japan is laid before you, you know that this will be something extra-ordinary, amazing and an experience that will blow your minds pretences to smithereens. Put the piece of sushi in your mouth and you will taste the perfectly vinegared rice complementing the slice of fish it beholds.
Sushi Midori is located on top of Mark City in Shibuya, which is 1 minute from the famous crossing. Just go up the big escalator and keep walking forward and you’ll find it in about 5 minutes. Be warned that during peak times, you can expect to wait up to 30 minutes with a group of people. In my opinion, this is the best place in Shibuya for sushi.
Stone Burg – Kyoto, Japan.
Broome isn’t famous for brooms. Tambourine isn’t famous for tambourines. But like Bega being famous for Bega Cheese, Hamburg in Germany is famous as the origin of Hamburg steak – we are perhaps more familiar with the modern word for it: hamburger steak or patties. Stone Burg prides itself in Hamburg steak, which I had no idea what it was until I read it’s meaning recently – to my surprise the meaning is just that obvious – ground beef. It is hard not to mention that this chain restaurant is part of the WDI Group, which owns notable restaurants such as Tony Roma’s, Hard Rock Café, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse and many more.