DiamondSteppe
It’s a long way to the top, if you wanna eat it all.
This is the beginning of a story where two friends tried to eat Japan (think, Godzilla) and visit as many landmarks as possible. It’ll be broken down by days, meals and destinations. Be warned, it will get tough, you will get tired, but hang in there because at the end of the day, the food is always worth it.
Day 1, Tokyo: Arrival, Keisei Skyliner ( スカイライナー) & Japanese Curry
Arrival: Narita Airport
Destination: Higashi-Shinjuku (hotel)
Weather: Raining. Fairly cool but slightly humid.
Stomach Status: ‘Battery Low’
BACKGROUND: We landed and despite having planned out the right exits, the money we were prepared to part with and the train to take from Narita Airport, we went completely 180° and ended up catching a completely different train and spending more money than we thought. Konichiwa indeed!
Instead of going for the cheaper option and taking the Narita Express train, we somehow ended up on a ride with the Keisei Skyliner, a limited-stops express train that’ll get you into Tokyo from Narita Airport.
MEAL: CoCo Ichibanya (Dinner)
After a 9.5 hour flight and having it bucket down as we arrived at our hotel, we were hungry. Walking just 5 minutes from our hotel in Higashi-Shinjuku (which is also right next door to Higashi-Shinjuku Station-winning!), we were on the hunt for warm and hearty comfort food. Enter, CoCo Ichibanya.
It may as well be called, ‘Custom Curry House’ because you can virtually ‘build up’ your own curry dish. Choose:
The size of rice and meat portionsCurry sauce baseAdditional toppingsYour preferred spice intensity too!
I ordered the Hamburger Curry and was met with a deep, rich curry sauce, a home-style hamburger steak patty and a perfectly poached egg perched on top of that well known, signature Japanese white rice. Delicious.
Rating: 4/5 brilliant value for money and very flavoursome. Also easily accessible throughout Japan due to large number of stores.
Stomach Status: ‘Battery Full’ — Warm and Satisfied.