Tag Archives: Lifestyle

Tokyo, Japan: Five Spots Recommended by a local, Dan Ushikubo

TOKYO CITY GUIDE : FOOD / SHOPPING / CULTURE

Tokyo-Japan-Restaurants-Shops-Museum-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

You asked me addresses of a local: here are some hot spots recommended by Dan Ushikubo. Who’s Dan?

Few years ago, he was the originator of the “Tokyo by Tokyo” city guide edited by Claska (the design hotel): “I started asking fifteen friends about their hot spots. The city is too large, with too many people”. It wasn’t another city guide. Dan’s been a High Tech Consultant at Sony and wanted to bring some geek flav. The result was fun and really useful in a city where before moving, you often check the adress on Goole Maps. Even the Tokyo native do it!

Dan’s fav for few days in Tokyo:

1.Check out Book Off, an old second hand bookshops with a polisher to clean books: “really Japanese”!  

2. A museum: Japan Folk Craft Museum. Plus a gallery: “NADiff, near Shibuya: an art gallery and bookshop”.

3. Shopping in Aoyama. Course! The hypest fashion area with amazing shops like the Prada‘s building (on the picture above). 

4. Dinner in Omoide Alley, an alley with yakitori (grilled chicken) in Shinjuku: 1 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, 160-0023. Near train stations: JR / Tokyo Subway / Odakyu Line / Keio Line Shinjuku Station west exit.

5. “I also recommend you a very small alley near the main exit of the JR Shibuya station, where salary men drink sake and have dinner after work. Less famous, but very local” (pictures above). I had a dinner in a tiny restaurant there: great experience!

Domo arigato gosaimasu Dan!

Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés. 

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DESTINATIONSHOTEL REVIEWS & LIFESTYLE  

Tokyo, Japon: Cinq lieux recommendés par un insider, Dan Ushikubo

TOKYO CITY GUIDE : DINER / SHOPPING / CULTURE

Tokyo-Japan-Restaurants-Shops-Museum-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Vous m’aviez demandé des adresses d’insiders et voici quelques endroits dans Tokyo, recommandés par Dan Ushikubo. Mais qui est Dan?

Il y a quelques années, il a a eu l’idée du city guide Tokyo by Tokyo édité par le design hotel, Claska : « Je me suis dit, je devrais demander à une quinzaine d’amis leurs adresses dans Tokyo. La ville est bien trop grande, avec beaucoup de monde ». Un city guide de plus? Pas exactement, Dan qui a été consultant dans la Haute Technologie chez Sony, voulait apporter quelque chose de geek en plus. Ludique et surtout utile, dans une ville où avant chaque déplacement, on vérifie sur Google map.

Les endroits favoris de Dan pour un court séjour dans Tokyo : 

1. Chez Book Off, des bouquins, vieux magasins, ou livres d’occasion qui « sont encore nettoyés par une machine à lustrer, très japonais » !  

2. Un musée : Japan Folk Craft Museum. Plus une galerie: « NADiff, près de Shibuya, à la fois galerie d’art et librairie ». 

3. Shopping à Aoyama. Ultra chic et tendance, avec des boutiques aux architectures et décorations fantasques, comme le magasin Prada (en photo ci-dessus). 

4. Dîner dans l’Omoide Alley à Shinjuku, pour un yakitori : 1 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, 160-0023. Près des gares : JR / Tokyo Subway / Odakyu Line / Keio Line Shinjuku Station west exit. 

5. « Je vous recommande aussi une toute petite allée à Shibuya près de la sortie principale du JR, où les salary men vont boire leur saké et dîner en sortant du boulot (cliquez ici pour les photos). C’est moins connu et très authentique! » (photos ci-dessus). J’y ai dîné dans un minuscule restaurant : expérience authentique garantie! Domo arigato gosaimasu Dan! 

Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés. 

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3 restaurants à Lisbonne, Portugal  

DESTINATIONSHOTEL REVIEWS & LIFESTYLE

3 Restaurants in Lisbon, Portugal

Restaurants in Lisbon-Cervejaria da Esquina-1-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013

Oops who spoke about diet? LOL! Invitations, no way to refuse them, right? Especially when different friends invited me to three restaurants, with different atmospheres, foods and interiors! Dinner with girlfriends, arty lunch in a funky hostel and a more formal restaurant of Portuguese cuisine. For all three, it is best to book ahead. 

1. CERVEJARIA DA ESQUINA (pictures above & 2) 

First crush for the good atmosphere, people are easy going and the service is nice! And the food is creative. Delicious fried (but not greasy) shrimps with a super yummy avocado sauce. And as a dessert, although I’m not found of chocolate mousse (no, it’s true!) … I cracked for one! Lovely dishes presentation and the minimalist  decor could be Nordic! Thanks girls, you were able to cheer me up!  Rue Correia Teles n°56, Campo de Ourique. T. (+351) 213 874 644.

Restaurants in Lisbon-Cervejaria da Esquina-2-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013Restaurants in Lisbon-The Decadente-1-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013

2. THE DECADENTE (picture above and lay out below) 

And here is my second fav! Bohemian attitude in Bairro Alto: the interior is a fresh mix of vintage and design and the atmosphere is laid back, with a traveler spirit. Arty friends invited me in this hostel, the trendiest of Lisbon, of course … The Decadente offers at lunch, a cheap tasty light menu, with nice portions (neither too much nor too little). The first meal (1), a pea soup, the dish (2), a cod (Bacalao) with a little green salad and for the dessert, a mini portion of fresh fruit salad. Bubbling! Rua Sao Pedro de Alcantara 81. T. (+351) 213461381

Restaurants in Lisbon-The Decadente-2-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013Restaurants in Lisbon-A Charcuteria-1-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013

A CHARCUTERIA (picture above and lay out below)

Invited by a friends couple that I love, it was really a pleasure to see them and share with them this moment in this chic restaurant. But I found the place (a reference to Lisbon) pretty pretentious and lacking of warmth and generosity! We were seated near a table of ten smokers who smoked cigarillo and cigars! Enough to lose the flavor of food! What about the Portugese food? Excellent Empada da galinha (1),a kind of small chicken pie. But I didn’t like the main course (2): Rissois of camarao, shrimp fritters (the sauce inside tasted like Bechamel), too heavy. Accompanied by a tomato rice (Arroz de tomate), too salty. Rua do Alecrim 47 A, T. (+351) 213 423 845 

Restaurants in Lisbon-A Charcuteria-2-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013

Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2013, tous droits réservés. 

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