It has grown on me!: 03/2024

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Review : Hilton Tokyo Breakfast Buffet - Marble Lounge

In 2022, my husband and I visited Japan and stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Shinjuku. During our stay, we enjoyed breakfast at the Marble Lounge on the hotel’s first floor. Normally priced at 4,200 yen per person, we were fortunate to have it for free (an 8,400 yen value) due to my husband’s Hilton Diamond Status. The Hilton Tokyo’s breakfast buffet offers an impressive selection of over 150 dishes and beverages.

Marble Lounge

1st Floor

Hilton Tokyo Shinjuku

6-6-2 Nishishinjuku

Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Japan

Breakfast Buffet

6:00 a.m. through 10:30 a.m.

We arrived there pretty early time, so it was not so crowded yet. After being seated, we promptly went to get our food.

I was glad that their breakfast buffet had plenty of Japanese foods we could choose from.

When we visit Japan, I’m always excited to savor genuine Japanese dishes.

There were many kinds of Japanese pickles.

We found natto there. Natto (納豆) is a traditional Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans. I used to often eat natto for breakfast when I lived in Japan. I now think that being able to eat natto in the morning is very delightful.

You can add green onions and wakame seaweeds in you miso soup.

There were also Chinese and Western foods we could choose from.

There was a wide variety of bread. Bread lovers can certainly appreciate these abundance of choices. I should have had their French toast!

We were served an omelette. While it doesn’t quite match the luxurious lobster omelette we had at Conrad Tokyo, it was delightfully fluffy and had a comforting homemade flavor. Delicious!

At hotel breakfast buffets, we tend to eat a bit too much. 😁 We enjoyed a variety of dishes, focusing on Japanese cuisine. I made sure to have plenty of green onion in my miso soup.

My husband had a plenty of salad and Japanese food as usual.

After the breakfast, we took a taxi and went to the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal. Then, we headed to Haneda airport. Due to COVID -19 pandemic, the express bus service from Hilton Tokyo to the airport was temporarily suspended at that time. As travelers returning from overseas, we had large suitcases and a lot of luggage, so navigating through the crowded bus terminal to reach the bus stop was a bit challenging. Currently, you can use a paid limousine bus service (1,400 yen for adults) from the hotel to the airport. One of the advantages of staying at Hilton Tokyo is its convenient access to the airport.

We flew from Haneda Airport to Fukuoka on an ANA airplane. Choosing a seat with a view of Mount Fuji turned out to be a great decision. The mountain looked incredibly beautiful from the window seat, and I was deeply moved. I was able to take this photo that resembles a postcard. 🗻

The Photo of Mt. Fuji I Took from the Window

If you are interested in the seats with a view of Mt. Fuji, you can check out airline website. It provably depends on the weather, but the decision of the which side (right or left) to choose for the window seat is crucial.

■ANA Website

■JAL Website

Next time, I will write about Hilton Fukuoka.

These are my entries related to Hilton Tokyo.

■Hotel Room Tour and Review - Hilton Tokyo in Shinjuku, Tokyo Japan

■Review : Hilton Tokyo Executive Lounge - Evening Cocktail

■Review : Hilton Tokyo Fitness Center - Three Fitness Rooms

■Review : Hilton Tokyo Breakfast Buffet - Marble Lounge

These are my entries related to Conrad Tokyo.

■Hotel Room Tour and Review - Conrad Tokyo in Japan

■Review : Conrad Tokyo Executive Lounge - Afternoon Tea & Evening Cocktails

■Review : Conrad Tokyo Fitness Center - Luxury Fitness Gym

■Review : Conrad Tokyo Breakfast Buffet - Cerise

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     My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

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Thursday, March 21, 2024

Walking around Kokyo Gaien National Garden and Nanko Resthouse - Japan Haul

Gyoko Dori Avenue (行幸通り)

While my husband and I were visiting Tokyo, Japan in 2022, we visited Kokyo Gaien National Garden (皇居外苑). We also had visited there for exercising in 2018. (You can also check out my previous entry, 6 Facts about Kokyo Gaien Jogging Course.) Because there is no signal on the sidewalk surrounding Kokyo Gaien, it is a very popular jogging course. You will see many joggers there. We haven't jogged there, but we have taken a walk there. In 2018, I hadn't known that there are some official souvenir shops and restaurants. That's why I wanted to visit there again.

We decided to go to Kokyo Gaien on foot from Conrad Tokyo hotel. We first used Google Maps to get Kokyo Gaien, but we found that Live View on Google Maps was so much easier for me to understand which direction I should go on complicated streets of Tokyo.

Because it was in November, Ginkgo leaves turned yellow and were so beautiful.

Nanko Resthouse (楠公レストハウス)

We finally arrived at Nanko Rethouse (楠公レストハウス), a place to rest, eat, and discover more about the outer gardens of the Imperial Palace, Kokyo Gaien National Garden.

Nanko Resthouse

1-1 Kokyo Gaien,

Chiyoda Tokyo, Japan

There was a restaurant and was serving Japanese foods at reasonable prices. There was also a souvenir store and was selling Japanese traditional confection such as drayaki (どら焼き) and kintsuba (きんつば). They also sell Japanese sake, watches, chopsticks and so on. You can see products they are selling from here.

We purchased this drayaki (どら焼き) for 324 yen. There was a vending machine right next to the store, so we decided to eat at the garden.

Drayaki is a Japanese traditional confection, sweetened red bean filling between two slices of sweet fluffy pancakes. Kokyo Gaien Drayaki had Imperial Seal of Japan, Chrysanthemum Seal.

We also purchased this cherry blossom honey which contains honey collected from beehives placed around the Imperial Palace moat.

The honey is nice and sweet. I enjoy this honey with a toast. 😋

UA MapMyWalk App

I realized that I should have tracked my walk on App, so I decided to use Under Armour MapMyWalk app from here.

There were many benches, so we could sit and enjoy drayaki there.

Equestrian statue of Kusunoki Masashige

Gyoko Dori Avenue

We were able to see JR Tokyo Station from Kokyo Gaien. There were many Ginkgo trees along Gyoko Dori Avenue.

Imperial Palace Moat

We thoroughly enjoyed walking around Kokyo Gaien. Then we walked through Hibiya Park and eventually returned to Conrad Tokyo. It was a 6-mile walk in total and completed over 20,000 steps that day. When you’re in Tokyo, prepare to be pleasantly surprised by how much walking you can do. Tokyo’s efficient public transportation system makes owning a car unnecessary for many residents. That's why people in Tokyo walk a lot and it contributes to a healthier lifestyle.

Hibiya Park

I’m eager to travel to Japan and explore Tokyo on foot again.

These are also my entries you might like.

♥Tsukiji Tamasushi - Sushi Lunch in Ikebukuro, Tokyo

♥Nakau, Affordable Japanese Beef Bowl Restaurant

♥Breakfast Meal at Sukiya, Beef Bowl Restaurant, - What I Ate in Ikebukuro, Tokyo

♥Hotel Room Tour and Review - Sunshine City Prince Hotel - Ikebukuro, Tokyo

♥My Shopping List for Japanese Beauty Products - What I Want to Get in Japan

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Hawaii Haul - What I Purchased at Starbucks in Hawaii

Starbucks in Honolulu, Hawaii

This month, my husband and I finally flew to O'ahu Island from Los Angeles. We stayed in Honolulu for six days and really enjoyed a lot! While we were staying there, we sometimes visited Starbucks and found some Starbucks Hawaii exclusive items.

Starbucks in Honolulu, Hawaii

Today, I'm going to share with you what I purchased at Starbucks in Hawaii.

Starbucks Hawaii Haul

1. Starbucks Hawaii Collection ALOHA VIBES Venti Double Wall Cold Cup

Starbucks Hawaii Collection ALOHA VIBES Venti Double Wall Cold Cup

I wanted to purchase this Starbucks Hawaii Collection Aloha Vibes cold cup to drink more water! When I drink water from this cold cup, it reminds me of my Hawaii travel. 😍

Starbucks Hawaii Collection ALOHA VIBES Venti Double Wall Cold Cup

2. Starbucks Hawaii Collection Stainless Steel Ocean Blue Ombre Venti Double Wall Cold Cup

Starbucks Hawaii Collection Stainless Steel Ocean Blue Ombre Venti Double Wall Cold Cup

My husband purchased this Starbucks Hawaii Collection Ocean Blue Ombre cold cup. I think that he will drink iced coffee from this cup.

Starbucks Hawaii Collection Stainless Steel Ocean Blue Ombre Venti Double Wall Cold Cup

3. Starbucks Been There Series - Waikiki Mug

Starbucks Been There Series Waikiki Mug

As you might know, we already have too many Starbucks mugs, but we couldn't resist purchasing their local mugs! This Starbucks Been There Series Waikiki mug can be only purchased at Starbucks located in Waikiki.