japan – on weekends, we brunch

Alice (Tokyo)

Themed Cafe $$ Alice in Wonderland themed cafe. Got a voucher to this place as part of a package deal to see the Robot restaurant. Not worth it. Gimmicky decorations, and poor quality food. https://www.dd-holdings.jp/shops/alice/ehonsinjyuku#/ 🃏 🃏 🃏 🃏 4/10

Disneyland (Tokyo)

Theme Park $$ Cute, but mediocre quality, as expected of pretty much all theme parks! https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/tdl/ 🌭🌭🌭🌭🌭 5/10

Calbee (Tokyo)

Fries $ A surprisingly popular franchise in Japan, that serves sweet and savoury potato fries. Cute, but nothing amazing. https://www.calbee.co.jp/calbeestore/shop/ 🍟🍟🍟🍟🍟🍟🍟 7/10

Dominique Ansel Bakery (Tokyo)

Bakery/Dessert $$ French pastry bakery that now has stores worldwide. Beautiful pastry creations. (Visited May 2017) 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰 9/10

Kourakuen (Tokyo)

Ramen $ One of the first ramen I had in Japan, not too expensive and pretty decent! https://stores.kourakuen.co.jp/20085 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜 7/10

Bills (Tokyo)

Australian $$ Perfect for Aussies missing a typical brunch. (Visited May 2017) https://billsjapan.com/en/omotesando 🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳 8/10

Pablo (Osaka)

Dessert $ Famous for it’s cheese tarts, definitely warrants a visit. (Visited May 2017) https://www.pablo3.com/shop/detail/?seq=6 🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧 8/10

Universal Studios (Osaka)

Theme Park $$ Just as expensive as you’d expect, mediocre quality, but very cute! (Visited May 2017) https://www.usj.co.jp/web/en/us 🌭🌭🌭🌭🌭🌭 6/10

Rikuro’s Cheese Cake (Osaka)

Cheesecake $ Famous jiggly cheesecake in Japan. Incredibly light and fluffy. (Visited May 2017) http://www.rikuro.co.jp/en/ 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰 8/10

鶏Soba (Osaka)

Ramen $ A quintessential little shop that really embodies ramen eating in Japan. Only a handful of seats inside, and order via the vending machine outside. Not too expensive, but fantastic ramen in an intimate setting. One of my favourite meals in Japan. (Visited May 2017) https://tabelog.com/osaka/A2701/A270102/27079112/ 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜 9/10

Cheese Craft Works (Osaka)

Cheese $$ Wasn’t expecting there to be a cheese franchise in Japan! After a lifetime’s worth of ramen and sushi, this was a nice break. Can’t go too wrong with cheese!(Visited May 2017) https://www.cheese-cw.jp/ 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 8/10

Gyukatsu Kyoto-katsugyu (Kyoto)

Japanese $$ Some of the tastiest beef cutlets I’ve ever had. Randomly came across this place looking for food and saw this place had a line. Definitely worth it! Perfectly cooked without being greasy, served with sides and several different sauces. Simple but absolutely delicious. (Visited May 2017) 🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩 10/10

Lawson (Kyoto)

Convenience store $ Both 7 eleven and Lawson in Japan are not your average convenience stores; cheap but good quality foods. Large range of sushi and sashimi, as well as hot foods. Great for a quick breakfast or lunch on the run. Lawson have great fried food. (Visited May 2017) https://www.lawson.jp/en/ 🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗 9/10

551 Horai (Kyoto)

Chinese $ Popular Chinese takeaway shop in Kyoto station with excellent dim sum. Great food on the run. https://www.551horai.co.jp/ 🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡 9/10

Tapas Molecular Bar (Tokyo)

Tapas $$$$ A must for those that love a fine dining dinnertainment experience. A very exclusive restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental hotel of Tokyo, food was just as creative as it was delicious. It included being given a ‘toolbox’ with a menu on a measuring tape, and a mini hammer and spade to later eatContinue reading “Tapas Molecular Bar (Tokyo)”

Hirobun (Kyoto)

Noodles $$ Famous for it’s Nagashi Somen, which is a style of eating where you catch noodles from running cold water; definitely entertainment value! The food itself is nothing exceptional, but a lot of fun catching your food. Very popular with tourists, naturally. Not central by any stretch, but worth the travel to try. TheContinue reading “Hirobun (Kyoto)”

Ichiran (Kyoto)

Ramen $ A definite must in Japan! For the experience and the food. You have individual stalls to eat, and order by ticking what you’d like on a piece of paper, and passing it across the stall. Some stalls have self serving water, so you may not even see any wait staff at all! ApparentlyContinue reading “Ichiran (Kyoto)”

Kamukura (Tokyo)

Ramen $ A popular ramen franchise in Japan. Isn’t my favourite, but still great. Almost all the ramen we ate in Japan was really good quality. (Visited May 2017) 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜 7/10