I just checked my day 1 entry and manIhateblogger'sformat :( :( Everything is messy, pictures and sentences were not aligned properly, etc. Argh! I have fixed what I could but it seems a few wouldn't budge. Anyway, onto the next day's entry...
I was heartbroken a couple of months ago when I checked at JTB Australia's website and read that their tickets for Studio Ghibli Museum's admission were all exhausted (tickets canNOT be bought at the entrance of the museum. They have to be reserved in advanced as you will be allocated timing for entry).
Luckily my Japanese colleague could get her father to buy some vouchers for me & my friends straight from Japan (purchased through Lawson's. If you are not Japanese or don't know anyone who is and want to assist you though, good luck).
The actual ticket also only costed JPY1000 per piece(compared to A$30 if bought through JTB. Win!).
We took JR train (JR Keiyo Line) from JR Hatchobori station to JR Tokyo station, then changed to Chuo Line Rapid to Mitaka. Our route was covered by the JR Rail pass.
This is not the first time I went to Studio Ghibli Museum either. But I fell in love with Totoro when I first set eyes on him when My Neighbor Totoro came out, so of course I had to visit again!
The museum does not allow pictures to be taken inside, so we will have to make do with pictures of the surroundings
By the way, we had a 10 a.m. entry, and the queue to get inside into the museum was mad... . No wonder JTB exhausted all their allocation for the tickets.
Although there are definitely children and younger crowds, a lot of adults (including us) came to satisfy their Ghibli cravings and inner children.
Upon entry, we were given some film stills that served as tickets for the cinema room inside the museum as well.
... and of course the awesome Laputa robot at their rooftop garden.
This is majestic, I am telling y'all!
Lunch was at the Straw's Hat Cafe, and they have English Menu :)
After queuing up for almost 2 hours (yes, no kidding), our perseverance finally paid off and it was our turn to eat.
Coffee with Foamy Milk (not so fancy word for latte) - JPY 500. Very weak, but I really purchased this for picture taking :P
Sunny Side Up Panini Sandwich (JPY1100) was also exxy for what it was, but OhMyGod that Totoro plate!
Chicken & Pork Hamburger on Mushroom Rice (JPY1300) was quite nice, if not a little bland for my liking. But it tasted better than the Hamburger we had at the other Straw's Hat Cafe (Cafe Mugiwara) at One Piece Tower yesterday.
My favourite would be the Straw Hat's Chocolate Parfait (JPY800)
Baked Creamy Vanilla Cheese Pie (JPY680) was so-so. Taste was good as the cheesecake definitely was not too sweet (which I would hate), but I just felt there should be more flavour in there.
To summarize, food was nothing out of ordinary, but the cafe is very cute and to be honest I ate here just because I felt obliged to as we were already at the museum (and to take picture of the straw hat latte. haha)..
After busting my wallet buying
We visited Hie-Jinja on our way to dinner as well. Very low light and the shrine was already closed when we went there, but photo op nevertheless.
Dinner was at Ninja Akasaka, a themed restaurant based on the concept of ... well you guessed it... ninja. The entrance was very interesting where we were taken through trap doors, up and down staircases through narrow paths to our allocated dining room.
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| Ninja Cocktails: Sha (JPY950) and Toh (JPY950) |
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| More cocktails & apperitifs |
For Yamato course, the Turban in Garlic Butter was served. Our ninja waitress light up the room (literally) by lighting the fuse on the serving plate.
We loved the herbs & garlic mix that the turban shells had been cooked with.
The All-black course continued with Fried Chicken in Jet Black Dome (whatever that means). I think the black stuff was seaweed.
They were also served Stone-boiled Soup (bouillabaisse), cooked in front of our eyes by our ninja. The stone practically brought all the soup into boiling point.
As for the All-black course, I got Black Dumpling Soup. More bland than the bouillabasse, but I quite liked it.
Sherbet Candy (Grapefruit flavour for today) came for the Yamato Course. Very refreshing and cleansed the palate.
Diners of Yamato Course can choose if they wanted steak or some options of fish. We opted for both so we could try-taste everything.
Beef was tender and perfectly cooked, as was the salmon. Not much seasonings used, but the flavors were sweet and just right due to the quality ingredients.
As for my black course, I had Black Sweet and Sour Pork which - IMO - tasted better than the above two combined :P
Special Sushi & Sushi Roll came for the Yamato Course. By this time I think everyone was already gaping for breath as their stomachs bulged more.
I was served Black Curry - consisting of some Onigiri that has meat filling and onion ball, smothered in black curry sauce. Loved this curry.
For dessert, Yamato diners received mousse in the shape of a frog.
And I got Maple mousse covered with Sweetened Black Beans. Mine was somehow less sweeter than the frog and was actually a nicer finish after such a long (and plenty) dinner course.
Ninja Akasaka is definitely a different and fun way to spend a few hours with your friends & loved ones, indulging in unique foods (some better than the others) and dining environment.
Our waitress was very attentive and fun, and my dining companions loved every second of their experience.
〒100-0014 Tokyo, Chiyoda, 永田町 2-14-3
ph: 03-5157-3936
Reservation can be made on their online website. If you need help, do let me know. It is quite easy to do :)
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