Tokyo Day 1 & 2

Tokyo is a country I always wanted to visit because of it's nice food and sceneries. So this time round I decided to go on a short break and visit Tokyo! My flight was 8am and I was early so as to have my breakfast at the airport and to go for some duty-free shopping. Boarded the plane and was glad that the seat beside me was empty, which means more leg space for me throughout the 8hrs flight! Was so tired as I did a very last-min packing the night before and only had a few hours of sleep. So I immediately KO after settling down comfortably. I vaguely remembered having 2 meals on-board and also a cup of haagen daz ice cream in between my sleeps before arriving at Tokyo international airport at 5pm. (Sorry that I forgot to take a photo of the food as I was in a sleepy mode) Was so grateful for in-flight entertainment cause I managed to watch 2 movies (Mandela and Frozen) throughout the long flight too.

After walking out of immigration, you can easily see counters selling the train tickets as well as other bus and limousine services. We decided to take the train as it goes directly to the station near my hotel. The escalator to the train station is located directly beside the exits, so it's quite easy to find.

We've decided to get the Suica card as it can be used for paying our fares when traveling around Tokyo. It's just like the EZ-Link cards we used in Singapore where we top up a certain amount of credit and with every trip, the fares will be deducted from the card when we tap out of the train stations. The Suica card can be used on JR East lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area as well as for subways, buses and the Tokyo Monorail that connects Haneda Airport with Tokyo. Another good thing is that the Suica card can also be used to make purchases onboard trains as well as from vending machines, to rent coin lockers and for spending at convenience stores!

The trip from the airport to our hotel station (Shimbashi) took about 1hr 10mins and we had another round of sleep inside the train too. Am glad that the trains are so quiet and the seats are comfy too. Took a short 10mins walk to our hotel from the station and checked in to our rooms! We're staying at Mitsui Garden Hotel.

The room is quite small but for the price that we paid, it's considered quite well as hotels in Tokyo are rather pricey! We had a queen size bed and there were enough space to fit in 3 big luggage around the room. It was pretty clean and the environment was nice and that's all that matters to me cause all I need is a comfy bed and quiet place to rest and recharge at night.

Oh and how everyone raves about the toilets in Japan, definitely my favorite activity everyday. HAHA!

After settling down and washed up, we decided to head out to have dinner and check out the surroundings. Stopped by a small shop and had ramens and gyozas together with some sake. We were all famished that we gobbled down our food the moment it was served, hence no pictures we taken. Sorry guys! Took a stroll back to our hotel after dinner and bought some snacks and drinks at the convenient store nearby. Decided to take a hot bath and totally knocked out after that.

Woke up pretty early after an early night and feeling all excited for our first day in Tokyo! Walked to Daimon Station which took around 10 mins and our first stop is to Shinjuku. Thankful the train wasn't crowded and we all had seats for ourselves.

Stepped out of the station and everywhere is flooded with people. No doubt the busiest station as it is a large entertainment, business and shopping area around Shinjuku. Once you're out of the station, all you see are tall buildings and shopping centres. You can find many of the famous shopping centres like Isetan, Takashimaya, Mylord, Odakyu and more in this area. For guys who are looking for electronic stuffs, there are also a few big electronic stores around the corner.

First stop is to find some food for our empty stomachs at Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane) or also known as Shonben Yokocho (Piss Alley) on the west side of Shinjuku Station. This is a small alley filled with small yakitori bars. But as it is way too early, most of the stores are closed so we settled for some ramen at the store located right at the entrance of the alley.

Most of the stores in Tokyo uses this vending machine for ordering. You just put in notes and press the item that you want. A token/ticket will then be issued and you just have to pass it to the person at the counter after being seated. It is fully in Japanese so we just blindly match the words to the pictures above. If you can't find the item that you want from the menu on the vending machine, you can kindly ask the staffs in the stores to help you out. But of course, do try to speak slower and use simpler words for the staffs to understand.

I ordered this pork and dumpling ramen which was very filling for me. The soup tasted so great that I finished every single drop of it. I am super afraid of soup that has the pork kind of taste/smell and this totally tasted nothing like that. The soup is rich but not too salty which I find most of the ramen base are. The meat is also so tender and soft, I just can't get enough of it. However, the dumplings are quite normal, nothing fantastic about it.

The set also comes with a ramen egg and a small bowl of rice with grilled pork topped with home-made sauce. Had to share my meal with the rest as it was super filling and my stomach almost exploded! But no doubt, the food was superb and price was very affordable.

This is the store front and it is very easy to locate once you're at the road junction. Do go try this store out if you are around the area!
After filling up our stomachs, we went to shop around the area before taking the train down to Harajuku which was just few stops away.

Takeshita Street, located just right opposite the exit of Harajuku Station. It's a street filled with teenager clothing, shoes, bags, cosmetics and street foods. There is also a 4-storey Daiso store located near the entrance. As it is a Sunday, it is fully packed with teenagers and a lot of them are in their cosplay suits.

We decided to try out this potato chips store where they have chips topped with different flavours. There was quite a queue so we figured it must be well-known or really delicious so we joined in too. We got the sour cream and salty flavours to try and personally I prefer the sour cream one as the salty one is a tad too salty for me.

There are a lot of stores that are selling this lucky box thing for 100 yen and the boxes each contain a prize. If you are lucky you may get the good prices such as cameras, mp3, watches etc. But if you're not that lucky as me, you might end up having keychains, earphones and small accessories.

After a long walk down Harajuku Street, we decided to take a short break and enjoy some nice coffee and pancakes. 

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pancake topped with Whipped Cream and Nuts.

 Continue down the Omotesando Street (Tokyo's Champs-Elysees). This street is known as one of the foremost 'architectural showcase' streets in the world and has many fashion flagship stores like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Zara, Tods etc near each other. This street is 1km long and is a tree-lined avenue stretching from the entrance of Meiji Shrine, our next location point.

Meiji Shrine Entrance

Meiji Shrine with the huge cypress tori marking the entrance. This shinto shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife. 

Barrels of Sake 

The Shrine

Wishing Tree

Prayers by visitors 

After the visit, we continued walking down to Shibuya for more shopping and dinner.

Shibuya is a place filled with youth fashion and culture and its streets are the birthplace to many of Japan's fashion and entertainment trends.

Look at the amount of stores and restaurants located within Shibuya. So spoiled for choices but we decided to have gyozas for dinner.

The gyozas were so crispy and the fillings were so juicy. The skin was perfect too, not being too thick nor too thin. It was so delicious we could easily devour 10 each!

The name of the store with a big gyoza sign outside

Look how the streets are bustled with people at night

Stopped by to have some finger food after a long walk around Shibuya. This chicken nuggets were smelling so nice from far and I couldn't resist getting one too. It was soo crispy and juicy I just kept reaching for it and finished it in less than 10mins!

The famous Shibuya Crossing

One of the prominent landmark of Shibuya is this large intersection in front of the Shibuya Station Hachiko Exit. This intersection stops all cars from all direction and allows pedestrians to cross the intersection in every direction, including diagonally at the same time.

The famous Hachiko Statue

This is the famous Hachiko statue which was built to remember the loyalty of the dog to his owner which continued to wait for his master in front of the station exit everyday even after his master had passed away. A movie about Hachiko was also made and I remember crying throughout the whole movie.

After a long day out, we finally took the train back to hotel and we went for onsen (Hot Spring) in the hotel to relax before tucking to bed!

Will continue to blog about my trip in Tokyo in the next few days! Do stay tune! (:

SabX2 - Pratunam Wanton Noodles, Bangkok

Guess many are familiar with this famous wanton noodles in Bangkok, especially those who frequent pratunam area. I never once noticed this shop though I have been to this area to shop countless of times before, until one of my friends told me that it is a must try! So I went over to this place in one of my trip a few years back and ever since then, every time I'm in bkk I will definitely stop by this place for fuel before heading over to the shopping heaven, Platinum Fashion Mall! I normally re-visit this place 2-3 times throughout my trip, especially when it's so near to my hotel and my favorite shopping place.

This is how the shop front looks like and it's very difficult to miss as you can smell the aroma of their braised pork which is being cooked right outside the store. If you're there in the afternoon, then you'll be able to see a long queue outside (mostly Singaporeans/Malaysians), definitely easy to spot! It is air-conditioned inside the store (super plus point!) and staffs are very friendly. They do not have a physical menu because they only have a few items but not to worry, the staffs there can speak in english and mandarin too! That made ordering the food way much easier.

They serve both dry and soup wanton noodles and I prefer the dry one as opposed to the soup one as the taste is not as rich and I find it quite oily for a soup base. The noodles also come in big and small one and I would definitely order 2 big bowls at one go as the portion are pretty small and you can definitely finish one bowl in 2 scoops. I fell in love with the noodles after my first try here! It may look simple but the taste is so wonderful and the noodles are so bouncy (QQ). They also add in fried pork lard which added fragrance and texture to every mouthful of noodle but not making it overly oily. There are also condiments at the side of each table which you can add in to increase the flavour of your noodles as per your liking.

Another famous item that many people come for is this braised pork trotters dish! You can order this together with rice or you can simply just order the meat alone to go with your noodles. You can also add in pork intestines and bean curds if you are a lover for those. This dish is superb and I am totally addicted to it, no kid! The meat is so soft and soaked in the tasty sauce that it just melts in your mouth. Be ready to get up early for this amazing dish as it is normally sold out by 2pm!!

At SabX2, they serve this homemade iced chrysanthemum tea which I will always order 1 to go with my food and another 1 on the go. This is the best drink for the super hot and humid weather of thailand as chrysanthemum is known as a natural coolant and helps in lowering body temperature!

Hence, if you're tired after rounds of shopping at Platinum Fashion Mall or is staying around the area, do give this stall a visit and try out their delicious dishes! The hop is just 5 mins walk from Platinum Fashion Mall, right across the overhead bridge. Do be prepared to queue as it is usually very crowded right from the moment they open!

SabX2 Pratunam Wanton Noodles

4/32-33 Soi Petchburi 19, Pratunam Bangkok, Thailand

Tel +66 2 653 9618

Opening Hours: 9am - 4pm Daily

Somboon Seafood - Bangkok

I believe this place is no stranger to most of the people who have traveled to Bangkok as it is one of the popular restaurants in Bangkok. Being a crab lover, this place is definitely must go as they are well-known for their Fried Curry Crab (and they are the original creator of this special dish)! But of course, their other dishes are also very good and satisfying!! This is one of the restaurant that I definitely will go to every time I'm in Bangkok and have never been disappointed by their food or service so far.

They have a wide range of dishes to choose ranging from appetizer to desserts and every picture just look so delicious! Their menu also have different languages in it so you do not have to worry not knowing what or how to order.

We ordered the signature dish- fried curry crab, stir fried morning glory with chili, grilled squid, raw prawns, grilled fish coated with salt and grilled large prawns.

You should definitely order a bowl of steam rice as it is a perfect match with the fried curry crab! The sauce is so thick and delicious, you just can't stop scooping it into your bowl. As for the raw prawns, it seems like a popular dish among the locals and ever since the first time we tried it, this dish made it to our "must-order-list" every time we're here. We didn't thought much about this dish but it was surprisingly delicious as the prawns are so fresh and springy. As for the grilled fish coated with salt (the salt is being coated on the skin and it will be removed once it's being served), it is my favorite food in Bangkok!! The meat is so fresh and juicy and by dipping it together with the spicy fish sauce, it is just heavenly!!! (You can also find this dish along the streets and they do taste as equally delicious but at a much cheaper price)

Every single dish is so delicious and the seafood are so fresh that we cleaned out the whole table leaving nothing behind except our big fat tummies! Apart from good quality food, the price range is also pretty affordable and there's nothing to complain about their service. And most importantly, the whole restaurant is air-conditioned (super plus point as thailand is a super hot country)!

There are currently 7 outlets and I always frequent the one at Surawong. I always make a booking 1-2 days beforehand as it is very crowded during dinner time and do be prepared to queue if there's no prior booking made. You can check out the various locations of each outlet as well as their respective phone numbers for reservation on their website: http://www.somboonseafood.com/index.php/en/branch/index. Do take note of the locations and be very precise to taxi drivers as there are a few fake restaurants of Somboon!

Favourite Skincare Routine

This post will be about my favourite skincare routine. I do mix around with some other products depending on my skin condition and the weather. My skincare products can be totally different when I'm traveling due to the different season and air condition of the country. So I tend to mix around with other products to work what's best for my skin. But if I'm back at home, this would more or less be my everyday skincare routine!

These are the products that I usually use on a daily basis unless I'm having breakouts then I would change to a total different skincare routine as SK-II products are a bit too rich and it'll tend to worsen my breakouts. But of course I also try to change my skincare every 2-3 months so that my skin does not get immune to the products. I find that by changing or mixing the products regularly helps to stimulate the skin and makes it absorb the products even better. (It also gives me a chance to save some money as SK-II products are a very pricey!)

Facial Treatment & Facial Treatment Clear Lotion

This 2 are my must have items daily (as you can see I'm 3/4 through these products and that reminds me that I'll have to get them stocked up again soon!!) as they help to prep my skin for my makeup and my skin always feel tighter after applying this 2.  I do swop around between a few other brands of toner but I still feel that the treatment clear lotion works best with the treatment essence. But of course I do like to experiment and try out other cheaper alternatives that works for my skin too.

(L-R) Cellumination Essence; Skin Signature; Whitening Spots Specialist

These are then the items I use on alternate days and between my morning and night routine. As I've mentioned earlier, I do find that SK-II products are a bit too rich for my skin, thus I do use them in minimal amount and splitting them between my morning and night routine. Some products might be recommended to be applied together, but it can be too rich for me and my skin will start to have breakouts. Everyone has different skin types and condition, so you do have to try out and see what works best for you. Or alternatively, you can speak with the specialist and have them to plan out a routine that suits your skin condition.

Cellumination Essence

This is definitely one of my favourite product from SK-II! The Cellumination Essence not only helps to whitening my skintone, it also makes my skin more translucent. I normally use this during the night time and only include it in during the day if I have a special event to attend. This is because my makeups are easier to apply and sets better when I apply this product beforehand. I normally use this serum consistently for few nights before any special occasions as it really helps to make my skin fairer and brings a glow to my skin!

Whitening Spots Specialist

This serum has worked wonders for my skin and I'm totally sold after trying it out for just 1 week previously! This is my 2nd bottle and I believe I will keep going back to get this product. I have very oily skin and I get breakouts easily, especially when I don't get enough sleep or when I'm stressed out (due to school/work). And to make it worse, my itchy fingers just love to squeeze the small bumps and pimples (a very bad example and is totally NOT advised to do so!), hence I always have scars on my face and it takes a very long time for it to fade away :(

This serum has helped reduce the scars and some pigmentation on my face greatly! All you need to do is just applying a small amount and massaging it into the skin. It's very light-weight and does not make the skin feels oily or greasy. My scars now takes about only 1-2 weeks to completely fade away with daily application of this serum onto the spot! Woohoo~

Skin Signature

Lastly, the final step of the skincare is to apply this super rich and moisturizing cream for the skin! I only use it during the night and in very minimal amount as I find it too rich for my skin. (I use it on every alternate night on normal days and only use it consecutively when my skin is very dry) It is recommended to get a small pea size amount and warm it up in the palms before pressing it on the face. The cream gets absorb very quickly into the skin and does not make it feel very heavy or greasy which I don't like about most moisturizers. My skin feels more soft and tighter after using this cream!

And this completes my whole skincare routine! (: 

PS: I'm still constantly trying out new products and finding cheaper alternatives that works for my skin and I do try to change my skincare routine frequently so as to stimulate the skin.