It has grown on me!: 05/2024

Thursday, May 30, 2024

Review : Hilton Fukuoka Breakfast Buffet - Seala

Seala at Hilton Fukuoka

In 2022, my husband and I visited Japan and stayed at Sunshine City Prince Hotel, Conrad Tokyo, Hilton Tokyo and Hilton Fukuoka. During our stay at Hilton Fukuoka, we enjoyed breakfast at the Seala, a restaurant located on the hotel’s 4th floor. Normally priced at 3,600 yen per person, we were fortunate to have it for free (an 7,200 yen value) due to my husband’s Hilton Diamond Status.

In my previous entry, I mentioned that we went to the gym at 6:30 a.m., but on my way to the 5th-floor gym, I noticed that there was already a line of people heading for breakfast at the restaurant on the 4th floor. After exercising at the gym, we decided to visit the restaurant right away.

Seala at Hilton Fukuoka

Seala

4th Floor

Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk

2-2-3 Jigyohama

Chuo-ku, Fukuoa City

Fukuoka, Japan

Breakfast Buffet

Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Weekends and Holidays 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Siara had many spacious tables, and it appeared that they distinguish between the general area and the Hilton Honors member area. As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, I was escorted to a seat in the area with purple carpet.

I always start by checking out Japanese foods first when I enjoy a breakfast buffet at hotels.

When I visit Japan, I always enjoy authentic Japanese breakfast! I was really glad when I found natto (納豆) there.

There were tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette), umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums) and nori (toasted seaweeds).

That simmered kabocha squash were slightly sweet and so good!

There was simmered gobo (burdock roots) with dried bonito flakes.

They had rice porridge.

This was vegetable curry.

I was really happy to be able to enjoy grilled mackerel for breakfast. Having fish for breakfast feels like an indulgence.

Chikuzenni is local dish from Fukuoka.

There was also fried rice.

I really love Japanese crunchy sausages. If you have never had Japanese sausage yet, you really should try one.

There were many kinds of cheese you could choose from.

There were many fluffy bread and pastry.

There were fresh salad and seaweeds.

I was looking forward to enjoying their onigiri, rice balls. There offer mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and takana (pickled mustard leaves) rice balls that you can choose from. As soon as you order a rice ball, the staff prepares it right in front of you. This unique experience is only available at Hilton Fukuoka.

Mentaiko Rice Balls and Takana Rice Balls

These were so good!

I savored small portions of all my favorite dishes. Natto was on my list, and the kabocha dish was so good that I had to get more.

I also enjoyed rice porridge and miso soup with plenty of green onions and wakame seaweeds.

I could eat as much salad as I wanted.

He also enjoyed small portions of all his favorite Japanese dishes. He enjoyed vegetable curry as well.

He always starts by eating salad.

Finally, I enjoyed this soft-serve ice cream. Then, I was absolutely full. 😆

I really liked that Hilton Fukuoka had local vibes with its mentaiko rice balls. It made me want to stay there again just for the rice balls. 😋

This was our first time staying at Hilton Fukuoka, and we were really satisfied with our stay. We truly appreciated that they upgraded our room to an executive sweet. The breakfast buffets were delicious. We were able to create amazing memories in Fukuoka.

These are my entries related to Hilton Fukuoka.

■ Hotel Room Tour and Review - Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk in Fukuoka, Japan

■ Review : Hilton Fukuoka Executive Lounge - Cocktail Time and Refreshment Time

■ Review : Hilton Fukuoka Fitness Center and Public Bath

■ Review : Hilton Fukuoka Breakfast Buffet - Seala

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Thursday, May 23, 2024

How to Cook Hokkaido Soup Curry

This year, I've been really into soup curry, which was originated in Hokkaido, Japan. It's soup with aromatic curry flavor.

While Japanese curry is thick and a consistency similar to stew, soup curry is thin and watery base. Japanese curry is made with a roux-based curry sauce, but soup curry incorporates additional spices like curry powder, garam masala, and basil.

I usually make large amount of soup curry on weekends, and enjoy the soup for five days. Today, I'm going to share with you how to cook soup curry.

Ingredients for 10 Servings

1 LB of Chicken Thigh (Cut into Bite Sizes)

Pinch of Salt and Black Pepper

1 Onion (Minced)

2 Teaspoons of Cumin Seeds

4 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)

1 Tablespoon of Ginger (Minced)

3 Tablespoons of Curry Powder

1 Tablespoon of Garam Masala

2 Tablespoons of Dried Basil Leaves

1 Large Can (28 oz / 794g) of Diced Tomato

3 Carrots (Chopped)

3 Potatoes (Chopped)

2 Tablespoons of Chicken Bouillon Powder

1,500 ml (50 fl oz) of Water

2 Tablespoons of Ketchup

1. Heat oil in a pan over high heat, and saute chickens until browned both sides.

2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker over high heat. Put onions and sprinkle salt. Cook for 3 minutes.

3. Add cumin seeds, garlic and ginger. Stir thoroughly.

4. Add curry powder, garam masala and basil leaves. Stir thoroughly for a minute.

5. Add tomato, chicken, carrots, potatoes, chicken bouillon powder, water and ketchup. Stir to combine well. Cover the lid. When it the pressure cooker is fully with pressure, reduce heat to low and simmer for 4 minutes. Then, turn off the heat. Wait until it naturally deflates completely.

6. Serve and enjoy.

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Thursday, May 16, 2024

Review : Hilton Fukuoka Fitness Center and Public Bath

As I mentioned in my previous entries, in the winter of 2022, my husband and I visited Japan and stayed at Sunshine City Prince Hotel, Conrad Tokyo, Hilton Tokyo and Hilton Fukuoka. While staying at Hilton Fukuoka, we went to its fitness center before having breakfast.

If you are staying in Hilton Fukuoka, you can access to the fitness center gym area for free, but its pool area was 2,200 yen.

Fitness Center Hours

Gym Area : 24 Hours

Fitness Center (5th Floor)

Hilton Fukuoka Gym Area Entrance

We arrived at the Hilton Fukuoka gym area entrance at 6:30 a.m. There was the vending machine near the entrance.

There were a blood pressure monitor and scale in the gym area.

There were two water dispensers. It's important to drink water before and after workout.

There were hand sanitizer sprays and wipes available.

We arrived at the gym area at 6:30 and found it empty! In foreign-owned hotels like Hilton hotels, the morning gym is often crowded with foreign guests, as they tend to be popular among travelers from overseas. However, during the winter of 2022, perhaps due to the ongoing pandemic, there were significantly fewer Western tourists, and the gym was practically empty, allowing for exclusive use.

According to Hilton Fukuoka website, there are approximately 20 types of training machines, including the latest models from PRECOR, as well as dumbbells.

I did aerobic exercise on a cross trainer, which allows me to work out both my legs and upper body simultaneously. Whenever I visit a hotel gym, I always use the cross trainer. I was very satisfied with the relatively new cross trainer.

Among Hilton-affiliated hotels, the fitness gyms at Conrad Osaka and Conrad Las Vegas are places I’d love to visit again. However, the Hilton Fukuoka has also become one of my favorite gyms due to its peaceful and modern facilities.

The Rock Bath, Public Bath (7th Floor)

Photo by Hilton Fukuoka

The rock bath (public bath) is located on the 7th floor. Normally, even hotel guests are charged 1,760 yen for admission. However, guests staying on the 6th and 7th floors can use it for free. We stayed on the 33rd floor, and during check-in, we received a complimentary voucher for the rock bath, so there was no payment required. Although it’s not mentioned on the official website, it seems that guests staying on the 30th floor or higher also have complimentary access.

Public Bath Hours

7 a.m. through 10 a.m.

3 p.m. through 12 a.m.

I went to the public bath at night, and I was surprised that it was incredibly crowded with Asian tourists. While I always look forward to Japanese baths when I visit Japan, this level of congestion was disappointing. Considering how busy it was, I thought it might be better to avoid using it next time unless I plan my visit carefully. I guess that morning and afternoon hours tend to be less crowded compared to nighttime. If you’re looking for a quieter experience, consider using the public bath during those times.

Next time, I will write about breakfast buffet at Hilton Fukuoka.

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