Diana does Tokyo (Day 2 and 3)

Day 2: Cafe in Daikanyama

Cheesecake

Chestnut cream tart (I love this)

Berry cake

Very pretty coffee cup

Day 3: Tsukiji Market

Don’t ask me why, but I always thought that the Tsukiji Fish Market would be kind of like a Disneyland-type of tourist attraction. In my mind, I thought that there would be a main entrance where you would be guided towards the different areas where there would be on-going auctions, people explaining the market’s history and operations etc.

It was only when I arrived at the market that I realised, oh, this is ACTUALLY a real market. It looked like one, it smelled like one, and more importantly, it felt like one. The workers were rushing from one location to another, on their mini fish truck vehicle, and more often than not, eager to get awe-struck visitors like us out of their way. We had arrived at around seven am, and had missed the auctions, but there was still much to see as we strolled ducked and sped along the stalls.

TUNA, I like.

Many many varieties of seafood

Of course, my much-awaited part of the excursion was the eating. We had decided on a small and crowded (but not as crowded as the one next door) eatery located about two streets away from the market grounds.

We were packed in like sardines, and like most customers, we went for the set-o, which went for 3500 Yen (about S$60). It consisted of seven pieces of nigiri, six rolled-up sushi slices, and a miso soup made with fresh mini clams.

The o-toro (fatty tuna) nigiri was one of the best I had ever tasted in my life. I savoured the sweetness from the marbled fat as it slowly melted into my mouth. It was truly truly truly scrumptious. After that, I knew I could never eat in some of the sushi restaurants in Singapore without comparing its heavenly taste again. NEVER.

Day 3: Ramen in Shibuya

One of the must-dos for a tourist - ordering from the ramen machine

The soup was miso-based, and again, it was delicious. I like that in Japan, you can land up in a nondescript shop and still be assured of good quality food.