cafe crawl

We had actually wanted to have lunch at a Chinese restaurant, but they were closed, so plan B was the cafe right across from them, Cafe Amour.

I ordered their teriyaki burger with fries and ginger ale...1500 yen (tax included)...where's the beef?!

Satoshi tried their egg with hamburger and their garlic sauce...1300 yen (tax included)

His hamburger patty was bigger than the one in my sandwich.

Then we went to Cafe Pippis to have something sweet.

loved the glass windows

I ordered the chocolat tarte and iced coffee...1005 yen (tax included)

So rich!

Satoshi had their dried fruit cake and hot coffee...1005 yen (tax included)

He said he wished the coffee were hotter.

I'm glad we got to try both of these places, we don't come down this way too often, but if we do, I think we'll be back to Cafe Pippis

Cafe Amour

2-25-11 Minamirokugo

Ota, Tokyo

Closed: Mondays

Hours: 11:30-15:00 (Sundays, Tuesdays-Thursdays)

11:30-15:00 (lunch) 18:00-23:00 (dinner) Fridays & Saturdays

Cafe Pippis

2-18-15 Nakarokugo

Ota, Tokyo

Hours: 11:00-18:00 (Sundays & Mondays)

10:00-18:00 (Tuesdays-Fridays)

10:00-19:00 (Saturdays)

maruyama shokudo

Finally got to try Maruyama Shokudo

The couple of times we went past they were either closed or the line was krazy 

Many shops in our area are known for their tonkatsu 

And many tonkatsu shops in our area do not have all you can eat cabbage or unlimited rice

The portions at Maruyama Shokudo are pretty massive in my opinion

I ordered the katsudon without miso soup...1500 yen (tax included)

Bummed that there was about 1 inch of fat on each piece of pork on the katsu and that the rice was super mushy but I managed to finish this (and left all the fat on my plate)

Satoshi ordered the rosu katsu (pork loin)...1500 yen 

He said he enjoyed this and finished his lunch way before I did

Dunno that we would go back but glad we got to try.

Maruyama Shokudo

5-2-7 Kamata

Ota, Tokyo

Closed: Sundays

Hours: 11:30-14:00 (lunch), 16:00-21:00 (dinner) 

*cash only

drizzly bakery crawl

Wednesday it was drizzly, but I still went to Meguro since I've been wanting to try Bagel Standard's bagels.

Not sure what sculpture this is
 

Meguro Shinbashi

This furry one was barking at everyone that walked past

Thought this building (the white one) was interesting looking

Otori Shrine

so teeny

cat bus: crepe food truck

stopped into m.3546 on the way home, picked up their corn olive foccacia, gorgonzola honey walnut and a chocolate cashew scone

Bagel Standard's lox on everything, and honey mustard chicken...loved the honey mustard chicken, lots of nuts, a little celery delicious.

The everything bagel was poppy based and there wasn't the "stinkiness" that everything bagels usually have from the dried garlic and onion

I am glad I got to try this but think Bob's Bagels makes better bagels.

Bagel Standard

3-8-6 Meguro

Meguro, Tokyo

Closed:  Tuesdays, Wednesdays

Hours: 8:00-17:00

this and that

Tokyo People: this guy feeding the birds, he has bird feed in his fanny pack and when no one is looking (except I saw him) he throws the feed near the curbs and in the bushes

Tokyo People: this furry one looked up and smiled when they went past

Botan (peony) near Ikegami Honmonji

Wisteria near Ikegami Honmonji

Tokyo People: learning how to plant a tree
 

Last of the freesia

Shakuyaku (chinese peony)

Wisteria near Umeyashiki

Tokyo People: so warm

Wisteria at Myodenji, Umeyashiki (this wisteria was in front of the priest's house)

tsubame sanjo-nagaoka-tokyo

Was wondering why our bathroom had blinds...it's because we can also see the people in the large bath area of their hotel across the way! except they didn't have blinds...eep!

It was a rare time we didn't have a meal plan with our booking, and nearby breakfast choices were also slim.

Luckily, there was a 7-eleven across the street.

I had a Yasuda yogurt drink, pineapple and teri chicken egg salad sandwich

We also bought some coffee too

While eating we decided to check the time for the local trains, only to discover that there weren't any for the next hour...BUT if we paid an extra 800 yen each, we could take the Shinkansen from Tsubame Sanjo to Nagaoka

How is this huge sakura tree? we could see it from across the JR Tsubame Sanjo parking lot..so pretty

And this huge knife and fork?! made by the blacksmiths of the area.

Nagaoka...known for their firework makers, they have firework shows during the summer, I remember back when they had a show at Pearl Harbor, we could see it from where my parents house used to be (thought I wrote about it here but only uploaded a video to IG).

Satoshi wanted to check out Yukyuzan Park, which was about 15 minutes away by bus

On the property is Aoshi Shrine

Niigata people (I think), enjoying the cherry blossoms

There is a picnic area as well as this area with double cherry blossom trees

And weeping cherry trees

So pretty

Lunch was at Restaurant Nakata, near the JR Nagaoka station, which Satoshi had wanted to try

Their pork curry is popular, you can choose the spiciness from 1 to 50!

I chose 1, while the dude at the other table chose the 50...if you finish eating it they take your photo and put it on their wall of fame...they took his photo!

I also added cheese…1040 yen (tax included)

Satoshi wanted to try their demi katsu and ketchup katsu, but also wanted to try their curry...980 yen (tax included)

I gave him some of my curry to taste.

After lunch, Satoshi wanted to check out some historical areas, I wasn't too interested in that, so I walked around 

This is the City Hall Plaza Aore Nagaoka

Loved the benches in front...

Loved how they had walkways above the roads

We picked up some kamaboko from Taketoku, their nitama (seasoned egg), shrimp, red ginger and tako negi (octopus onion)…1578 yen (tax included)

The nitama was wrapped with kamaboko and was still jammy...delicious

Satoshi said the shrimp one was delicious too.

I put the red ginger and octopus kamaboko into the freezer

We also bought some takikomi gohan which used Niigata koshihikari by Kaiho

And a saba bento...both were delicious.

Not many steps as the other days (16851). 

We hope you enjoyed this adventure as much as we did.

Restaurant Nakata

2-3-6 Sakanouemachi

Nagaoka, Niigata

Taketoku & Kaiho

inside Cocolo Nagaoka