Category Archives: Food & Drink

Japan: Kamakura Day Trip from Tokyo

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Daibutsu, The Great Buddha of Kamakura

Kamakura is a coastal city about an hour away from Tokyo – perfect for a day trip! Lonely Planet introduces Kamakura:

The glory days of Japan’s first feudal capital (from 1185 to 1333) coincided with the spread of populist Buddhism in Japan. This legacy is reflected in the area’s proliferation of stunning temples. Kamakura also has a laid-back, earthy vibe complete with organic restaurants, summer beach shacks and surfers – which can be added to sunrise meditation and hillside hikes as reasons to visit.

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Japan: Hamarikyu Gardens (Tokyo)

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Teahouse

The Hamarikyu Gardens in the Chiyoda Ward of Tokyo, offer a bit of peace in the middle of the busy city. In stark contrast to the skyscrapers surrounding the garden, Hamarikyu is a beautiful oasis where you can enjoy a stroll along the pond or a bowl of matcha with sweets at the traditional teahouse.

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Japan: Akihabara (Tokyo)

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Akihabara at night

Akihabara, aka Akihabara Electric Town, is the otaku cultural center of Tokyo. What is otaku? A Japanese term for people with obsessive interests, commonly anime and manga. Akihabara is also a shopping district for gamers and gadget enthusiasts with many shops selling video games (like Super Potato) and consumer goods. We couldn’t wait to visit and end our evening with the best tonkatsu in Tokyo!

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Japan: Tsukiji Fish Market (Tokyo)

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Entrance of the Tsukiji Fish Market

 

The Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo is the largest and busiest fish market in the world. The market opens most mornings at 3AM, so it’s recommended to visit when you first arrive and are still jet lagged. So we headed to Tsukiji for a sushi breakfast on our first full day!

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Japan: Ramen Street in Tokyo Station

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Tokyo Ramen Street on the right!

Koen and I arrived in Tokyo early in the morning, so by the time we settled into our apartment for the week we were ready for lunch. One place we were excited to visit was the Tokyo Ramen Street in the Tokyo Station. We first saw it in Mind of a Chef with David Chang and then read about it on various sites about the best ramen in Tokyo.

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Birthday Dim Sum at Fong Mei

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Fong Mei

 

To celebrate my birthday a bit further, I organized a Dim Sum and tea brunch at Fong Mei with family and friends on Sunday. Dim Sum is especially fun with a big group, ordering a lot of dishes you can share with everyone! We’re lucky to have such a great Chinese restaurant closeby – Antwerp is actually the only city in Belgium with an official Chinatown.

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Birthday Dinner: Otomat

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Otomat

 

I’ve been really fortunate the last few years to celebrate my birthday abroad – last year in Copenhagen, the two years previous in New York City – but with our upcoming trip to Japan, this year we kept it low key.

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Amsterdam with Christina

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Stedelijk Museum

Luckily I was able to see Christina one more time before she headed back to the States. It doesn’t matter where we are – America, the Netherlands, Belgium – nothing beats a girls’ day. This time we were in Amsterdam!

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