jins vs zoff

I’ve been a fan of JINS for some time now. (photo from 2021 Kat’s glasses JINS, Satoshi’s ZOFF)

Whenever people ask me where to buy their glasses in Japan, I usually recommend JINS

Well the other day I brought my prescription to JINS to make a pair of glasses and also a pair of sunglasses

Unfortunately after picking out frames and waiting in line so they could check the positioning of the frames to my face

They tell me, “your prescription says “glasses”, you need a separate prescription for sunglasses”..WT?!

“Call your eye doctor and if they approve to add sunglasses to your prescription then we’ll make them”

Well, it was GW (Golden Week) so my eye doctor was not open...boo

We told them, can't you just make the sunglasses without the prescription?! (because most people just go to make glasses without prescriptions)

They said, "no, we already "saw" the prescription, so we cannot pretend we didn't see it"

I haven’t had sunglasses made in many years so maybe the rules changed?

Still, this didn’t sit well with me or Satoshi, so we went to ZOFF, another eyeglasses shop.

Showed them my prescription, the guy we talked to was with another customer, so he told us to look at frames and he’d go and find out if my prescription could also be used to make sunglasses 

So we looked at frames and he came and told us, it’ll take 2 weeks to make but if we were okay with that, they could do it…ha!

I ordered my glasses and sunglasses and then on Tuesday, when everyone returned from GW, I called my eye doctor 

They said they didn't see anything wrong with ordering glasses and sunglasses with the prescription they gave me and that I didn't need a separate prescription.

So...JINS is super strict/picky?!

strange yeah?! 

1st world problems...

frou frou laboratory

Sunday we went to have lunch at Frou Frou Laboratory

This is the restaurant version of Frou Frou 

(apparently the Frou Frou I buy pre-made foods from used to have an eat-in space, but stopped awhile back because the owner was feeling overworked)

At the restaurant version, there were about 4 tables inside and 2 tables out on their mini terrace.

I ordered the bacon pepperoncino...1700 yen (tax included), this came with a small salad and coffee or tea, I chose iced tea

In Japan, pepperoncino is an oil based “sauce” that has chili and garlic in it

This was delicious but a lot of pasta, so Satoshi helped me finish

Satoshi chose the pork with garlic tomato sauce...2000 yen (tax included), his meal also came with a small salad and either coffee or tea, he chose hot coffee

He said he enjoyed this

Afterwards he went up to Tamagawa Sengen Shrine to see Mount Fuji.

I'm glad we got to try Frou Frou's restaurant, I'm sure we'll be back.

Frou Frou Laboratory

1-55-9 Denenchofu

Ota, Tokyo

Open Saturdays 11:00-20:00 & Sundays 11:00-18:00

ankintan

Lately the trend for Japanese travelling has been called "ankintan" (photo from 2024, Niigata)

"An" is the chinese character for "yasui" (cheap)

"kin" is the chinese character for "chikai" (nearby)

"tan" is the chinese character for "mijika" (short)

Choices for this Golden Week were Korea, Thailand and Vietnam

Others stayed in Japan and travelled to areas nearby to where they lived, maybe not needing to get on a train or in their car

Anyway with the exchange rate so bad for the Japanese these days, not many went abroad

The stories of how expensive things were for the ones that went abroad was quite alarming

Hopefully the yen will balance out so more Japanese can travel abroad soon.

grill suzukou

Went to check out Grill Suzukou which has been in business since 1964.

They are only open on weekdays and since Friday was a holiday, it was probably the only chance Satoshi would get to try this place.

And since it was a holiday, we were lucky that they were open

Their dinner starts at 17:00 and we arrived a little after 17:30

We ended up waiting for about 30 minutes for a table then another 20 minutes or so for our food

I'd say they could seat maybe 20 people max?!

Anyway, I ordered their beef stew...melt in your mouth!

Demi-glace sauce based this was so delicious!

Satoshi had their ebi fry (fried shrimp)

He enjoyed this too.

Not sure when we'll be able to come back since they aren't open on weekends, glad we got to try this place.

Grill Suzukou

5-16-8 Kamata

Ota, Tokyo

Closed Saturdays, Sundays

Hours: 11:30-13:30 (lunch), 17:00-20:30 (dinner)

*cash only

takase

There is a bakery with a restaurant on the 3rd floor and coffee shop on the 2nd floor called Takase.

Their building is located in front of the JR Ikebukuro station and has been in business since 1920

While researching this, I learned they also have a coffee lounge on the 9th floor of their building as well as an annex with a coffee shop in it as well.

I actually wanted to check out the restaurant but since we were too early, we just picked up some of their baked goods.

It's a good thing I snapped this photo, because after it was in Satoshi's bag, they did not look like this...960 yen (tax included)

I had their teriyaki chicken and anpan...Satoshi had their mega sandwich and curry pan.

Everything was delicious, I'll be back.

Takase

1-1-4 Higashi Ikebukuro

Toshima, Tokyo

Bakery: 9:00-21:00

Coffee Shop: 9:00-20:00

Restaurant: 11:00-16:00 (lunch), 17:00-21:00 (dinner)

Coffee Lounge (9th floor): 11:00-19:30 (+300 yen per person on weekends and holidays)

Annex coffee salon: 8:00-19:00

kura

Satoshi wanted to check out Ikebukuro for guests he will be taking around soon.

After checking out this and that, we stopped in to Kura.

I've been wanting to check it out for some time and had it marked on my "to try" list.

Bummer they allow smoking.

Iced coffee for me, hot coffee for Satoshi and we shared this purin (caramel flan)...2400 yen (tax included)

Super expensive but the coffee was so good!

I'm sure we'd be back if they didn't allow smoking.

Still, I'm glad we got to try this place.

Kura

1-39-1 Nishiikebukuro

Toshima, Tokyo

Hours: 9:30am-5:30am Mondays-Saturdays, 9:30am-23:00 Sundays

this and that

Tokyo People: you gotta protect your navi in the rain
 

Burger King's Ugly Cheese Whopper

It really was ugly and it didn't even look like the picture.

It's a holiday today, have a safe weekend.

seijo ishii

When we lived in Osaka, Seijo Ishii wasn't in too many areas.

I used to love checking out the import items, mostly the chocolates and snacks there.

Since moving to Tokyo, I realized that Seijo Ishii is everywhere! and they sell bento as well as pre-made foods and desserts

Satoshi didn't need dinner last night so I bought this "instant" japchae with kuroge wagyu, just zap for a little over 6 minutes….719 yen plus tax

peppery and lots of noodles!

would definitely get this one again and will check out Seijo Ishii whenever I need to buy dinner.
 

this and that

Tokyo People : interesting brand name (pervert norm)

(smoking) Tokyo People : please stay in there : sad that they gotta make a place for people to smoke

loved the rounded windows on this building
 

guess who dropped something behind the washer?!

I did once before but "someone" else did recently...

I attached a clear plastic sheet to the washer to be a "catcher"

He hasn't noticed it, will see how long it takes him to

Summer is here in April!

made a batch of watermelon feta salad

And a batch of tomato suzuke, this time I didn't peel the tomatoes, still ono

And this flower that supposedly means that rainy season is coming, is already blooming...eep

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)