It’s a long way to the top, if you wanna eat it all.
Day 4, Tokyo: Mos Burger in Ginza & Okonomiyaki in Shibuya + Shibuya Crossing
BACKGROUND: Having woken up a little late after spontaneously meeting up with another friend from home, we thought it best to take the foot off the accelerator and just roam around. Roam around…GINZA! Ginza’s known for upmarket/luxury stores typically found around the world. You’ll find your Louis Vuitton’s, your Chanel’s, Bvlgari’s etc here.
But first. We must eat.
MEAL: MOS CAFE at Ginza9. After we hopped off the metro, we walked a few blocks and stumbled upon a Mos Cafe within Ginza9. We’d heard about this chain of stores from a few friends that had recently travelled to Japan- they called it simple, tasty burgers with deliciously soft buns. Although the burgers appear to be similar to the likes of McDonald’s, our friends swore that Mos Burgers tasted significantly fresher and a little more wholesome/less artificial.
Bordering on lunch time, my friend and I ordered the standard Mos Cheeseburger and the Mos Burger with Aurora sauce. Since this was actually a ‘Mos Cafe’, we spotted an additional menu of cold drinks (something that doesn’t appear to be a part of their main menu). Like I’ve stated before, my friend and I are avid matcha lovers, so we both ordered the Matcha Brown Sugar Iced Latte (pictured above) topped with whipped cream. We are pleased to report that it was refreshing, slightly sweet and fulfilling.
The second time was bordering on the late afternoon around 4pm. We had the same burgers but also added some fries and a Mos Chicken Piece to share.
If you’re coming from a place that has an abundance of fast food and you’re thinking, “Damn, can I get some fast food variety?” This is your place.
Rating 3.5/5: Recommended for fast food lovers and Japanese culture enthusiasts who are ‘curious’ as to how the Japanese people cope with Westernised fast food. In case you were wondering, they’re pretty flipping competent! You’ll find Mos Burgers scattered around Japan in most major urban areas.
DESTINATION: Hachiko Statue, Hachiko exit @ Shibuya Station. Another tick off the bucket list, by accident too! We were only headed for the Shibuya scramble crossing, but little did we know that the exit we needed to take was actually named after Japan’s most loyal canine, Hachiko! After waiting for around 2–3 minutes for our turn to take a selfie, we were back on the hunt for dinner.
MEAL: Traditional Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) in Shibuya. You can’t travel all the way to Japan just for the sushi, you’ve gotta get into the fried stuff as well! We headed down one of the more pedestrian friendly street/walkways within ‘Udagawacho’.
Unfortunately we can’t recall what the place was called, however we do know it was located in a slightly underground setting, right near the Outback Steakhouse just off the main Udagawacho walkway (mentioned above). The restaurant offers lockers for your bags and shoes so that you are able to dine it utmost comfort (don’t worry, they offer inside-slippers!) and not have to worry about your belongings.
After scanning the menu, we immediately selected the ‘Cheese Okonomiyaki’ and were rightfully presented with this:
It tasted as good as it looked- our first real Okonomiyaki in Japan and it did not disappoint. The cheese was quick to combine with the stickily sweet Otafuku sauce (think of thick, sweet Worcestershire sauce- not BBQ sauce!), which was then absorbed into the dense pancake-like batter within seconds. Phwoarr, what a hearty meal! The traditional Katsuobushi (dried Bonito flakes) topping makes Okonomiyaki the perfect comfort meal for any season. Yummy!
A note to all future tourists of Japan, some Okonomiyaki restaurants offer the choice for you to assemble and cook an Okonomiyaki yourself (giving you the batter, all the ingredients and then providing you will a grill plate to cook it), or they will make the entire Okonomiyaki mix while you wait and finish off the cooking process in front of you on a grill plate. (This is what we experienced here)
Rating 3.5/5: Most of these Okonomiyaki restaurants also offer some great sake and beer which serve as the perfect accompaniment. I chose to have a local ale beer and I instantly felt like I was one of the fellow city workers catching up for a casual meal after a hard day at work. The food was delicious and the relaxed dining atmosphere made us feel like we were dining in a Japanese kitchen!
DESTINATION: Shibuya Scramble Crossing. After our little foray into Japanese pancake heaven, we set off to see the crossing in action:
Sitting in the Starbucks across from Shibuya station gives you a pretty good overlooking view of the scramble crossing from front on. Note that you may need to wait a while to get yourself and a friend an optimal spot with the limited seating provided by Starbucks.
Oh and also, there’s staff on the second floor that enforces all those in Starbucks to actually purchase a drink in order to sit in the cafe. Meh, makes sense if you’re taking up their dining space!
However, if you’re not willing to shell out for the super sweet matcha frappuccino or stick it out for a seat, there are plenty of other viewing options available. If I ever go back, I’ll be viewing it via this angle.
Rating: 4.8/5. Technically not a piece of food but I thought I’d give it a rating based on experience. To be honest, we probably should have gone in the morning or in the early evening to witness the full peak hour traffic run through. It was still crowded at around 9pm- but if you wanna see it to the extent of seeing ‘crawling ants’, then time your visit wisely.