06. Bar Del Sole - Roppongi

When you're a college student preparing to travel abroad to Japan, you're pretty much told to avoid Roppongi at all costs. Our Bureau of Consulate Affairs considers it so dangerous, in fact, that there are specific warnings on their website instructing travelers not to go there because you will either (a) have your credit card stolen, (b) get roofied, (c) be assaulted, or (d) all of the above. A lot of my Japanese friends are shocked to hear this. The long and short of it is that there is a potential sketch factor to any entertainment district (not only in Japan,) but this doesn't mean you shouldn't avoid them at all costs... because then you would miss out on awesome places like Bar Del Sole.

Exterior of Bar Del Sole

Bar Del Sole is an Italian cafe/bar hybrid located just a short walk from the station. They offer lunch, dinner, a decent selection of desserts and gelato and (best of all) coffee and espresso. You can sit either outside or inside. Because the summer weather was still in full swing back in September when I went, we opted to sit inside. The lights inside are dimmed and the decor is simple... a perfect setting for an afternoon break.

The best part about this place is that although they're an Italian-style cafe, they offer set menus which seem to be standard at most Japanese eateries. This means you pay a set price for a meal or course and drink and sides are included. They offer two different dessert sets: one with your choice of espresso or coffee drink and a dessert, or one with the drink, desert and gelato.

Kabocha (Japanese Pumpkin) Cake

Cappuccino

Tiramisu and Strawberry Gelato set

Being a fan of all things kabocha, I'm definitely biased when I say that this is one of the best things I've eaten since coming to Japan.





















Heavenly doesn't even begin to describe their cappuccino. It was perfect, and I would happily make the trip all the way back to Roppongi just to have it again.






















This was my friend's order. While I was a little disappointed by the portion of gelato (I suppose this is a cultural bias, portions are typically smaller in Japan) the portion of the tiramisu made up for it!







In terms of food, everything was fantastic. Even though it was probably pushing 90 degrees outside, the cappuccino was worth it. I would drink it outside on a 100 degree day - that's how good it was. The service was so-so, they forgot to bring us one of our drinks and the price the charged us on the check didn't match what was in the menu (!). If my friend wasn't a native speaker of Japanese, I'm not sure how easy it would have been to clear up the issue. I can't say that this is typical of their service though, since I've only been once. That being said, if you want to experience some awesome coffee in a charming little cafe go to Bar Del Sole. You can find more info about their menu and location here!

05. Entering the Home Stretch

It's Friday again. If you asked me where this week went, I probably wouldn't be able to tell you. All I know that it was a blur of midterms, group projects and 4 hour long marathon-style lectures. Although the weekend is technically here I still have a Saturday morning class to suffer through tomorrow.

Many people who ask me about my class schedule have heard me complain about my six-days-a-week class schedule, but I'm thankful for the experience because it's something I would never be able to experience in America. Maybe this schedule is unique to International Christian University, but I'm not quite sure. I remember when came to Japan on exchange in high school I was surprised that high school students regularly had to attend a half-day on Saturdays, so it seems like it might be a common practice. The plus side is that this class will give me credit towards my International Relations certificate at my home university, and I will have only attended a dozen classes (albeit 4 hours long each) at the end of the trimester. 

Now that this week is over we've officially entered into the final few weeks of the Autumn term. It's passed by so quickly.  My friends have planned a picnic in Shibuya this weekend, but other than that I don't have much planned aside from just taking it easy, doing some exploring by bike, and maybe checking out a new cafe near the station. Should be fun!

じゃ、また。

04. Yebisu Beer Museum

After enduring over a month of Tokyo's unforgiving humidity, I think the fall weather is definitely here. The cooler weather was perfect for exploring this weekend, so on Saturday I went to check out the Yebisu Beer Museum with some friends. The museum is located in Yebisu Garden Place, which is a really charming collection of restaurants and stores.

Yebisu Garden Place has the feel of a small town despite being in a busy area of Tokyo, which I was pleasantly surprised by. On top of that, it's practically impossible to get lost on your way because it has its own exit straight from the station! It's definitely a tourist-y area, but the Yebisu Beer Museum is well worth the trip.

There's a sign specifically cautioning guests not to stand on the image of the Yebisu
god lest he stop extending good fortune to the museum and its visitors.

Another great thing about visiting the museum is that it's free. If you've brushed up on your Japanese before visiting then you have the option of taking a guided tour, which costs only 500 yen and ends with a beer tasting. We opted to skip the 40 minute tour in favor of wandering around by ourselves. The main exhibit in the museum consists of a single hallway, so we didn't end up wandering for long.

Here are just a few of the pictures I took in the exhibit:

Bottle of beer c. 1850

Mark your calendars.

The museum was surprisingly informative and I learned a lot of random trivia that I didn't know. Like the fact that Yebisu is actually a subsidiary of the famous Sapporo Beer company. Or that it ceased to exist as a brand name from pre-WWII until the 1970's, but now can be purchased world wide. That's a lot of progress to be made in just a few decades.

It didn't take us long to make it through the exhibit and we made our way into the tasting salon. They had a little menu sign with prices for drinks and food, varying from one to two tokens. The tokens had to be purchased before entering the salon and cost 400 yen each. We opted to purchase them on an as-needed basis because they are non-refundable, but they would have made a great souvenir!

We ended up trying 4 of the 5 drinks they offered, but I only snapped pictures of 3 of them! The one I didn't get was a seasonal beer cocktail that had currant and some other fruit infused into their Kohaku beer. You can see it in the background of the first picture.

Yebisu Creamy Top Stout

Yebisu Kohaku, an American Amber Ale

Half-and-Half with Yebisu the Black and original Yebisu

Mmmm.

If I had the chance, I would definitely return to the Yebisu Beer Museum just to hang out in the tasting salon. The ambiance is really great (albeit busy, lots of people) and you can't beat the prices for their beer. If you're a choose-your-own-adventure kind of person, it's a perfect place to go because you're able to experience the museum at your own pace. We ended up wandering outside of the Garden Place and there are a lot of cute places to shop and even more places to eat that can accommodate for anyone's budget (cough college students cough).

Anyways, I'm buckling down for midterms this week and starting research for the numerous papers I'll be writing at the end of this trimester. Study time!

じゃ、また。

03. Settling In

Eeeeek, it's been almost a month since I last posted. I had no idea maintaining a blog would be this difficult. I'm always thinking about interesting things to post, but I never get around to actually typing anything. Whoops.

It's hard to believe that it's been over a month since I arrived in Japan. At this point, I can definitely say I've settled in and adjusted to life in Tokyo. Unlike being back home though, I don't feel like I'm stuck into a routine yet. Although I am plagued with homework for 5 classes (18 credits worth... 6 days a week... bleh...) I'm still getting to try new things on a weekly basis. That being said, I plan on taking fewer courses next semester so I can do more exploring.

Since starting school here, I feel like I've entered into some kind of weird time paradox. Tokyo is indeed a city that never sleeps, but although I attend class, have club practice, run errands, participate in dormitory events / chores and spend an inordinate amount of time doing homework.... I can't help but feel that my life has slowed down at the same time. I have crazy, long days but I enjoy the process of it all because it's so different and new.

There are a lot of things I've begun to appreciate about my life back home since being in Japan.

For example, I cook for myself 3 times a day (almost) 7 days a week. I was so used to the convenience of the dining hall at school and the well-stocked fridge and pantry at home that I didn't realize how much planning it takes to feed yourself. I share a small fridge with my roomie, so I can't buy a week's worth of food at a time, so as a result I go grocery shopping 2-3 times a week. The closest major grocery store (which is also by the nearest station) it's a 30 minute round-trip by bike, so I have to plan in advance when I need to go since I'm usually busy with class until 7:00 pm some nights.

(side note: There are convenience stores close to campus, but it's hard to eat well on a 7/11 diet! That being said, the selection of food in the convenience stores here is impressive, and there are wayyyy healthier options than in the US).

typical lunch: steamed cabbage, brown rice with furikake, spicy tofu

The upside is that I consider cooking one of my hobbies, so I always enjoy these breaks in my hectic schedule where I can just stop and do something for myself. The kitchen in my dorm is a popular place to socialize, and spots at the table are often full around mealtime. Getting into a habit of cooking for myself has also given me a new awareness about the foods I consume, and as a result I've been eating a lot healthier! The bike ride to the station is also a decent workout. ;)

There are some things I'm still not quite used to yet... like the group showers, the smaller portions at restaurants and all of the customs surrounding shoes in buildings. I'm already thinking about the subtle changes that I'm making to my behavior and normal habits and I wonder how I'll feel once I return home having totally embraced my Japanese lifestyle. I suppose that's a question better left for next year.

As for now, my goal is to update at least once a week for the remainder of the month and *hopefully* get around to posting some pictures that I've neglected up until now!

じゃ、また。