Good Town Doughnuts

Not sure if I'll ever find a better doughnut in Tokyo. Good Town Doughnuts in Harajuku near Cat Street make some of the best I've ever had, and there coffee is pretty good too. On the left is their delicious Van Houten Chocolate and on the right is their amazing Maple Bacon!

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f1.4, ISO 500, 1/8 sec.

Satsumaimo Mochi Dango and Satsumo Imo Chips in Kawagoe

On that trip in January to explore Kawagoe in Saitama, we enjoyed some satsumaimo (or Japanese sweet potato) treats. Satsumaimo mochi dango (さつま芋餅だんご) and chips (おさつチップ) were on offer for a reasonable price at this shop. Just eat quickly and don't drop crumbs. The other shopkeepers along the street will scold you!

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 23 mm, f5, ISO 100, 1/60 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 17 mm, f5, ISO 100, 1/30 sec.

Ekiben and Ultraman!

In mid-January the family took a day trip to explore Kawagoe in Saitama. It's about 1.5 hours away by train from Tokyo Station. This post isn't really about Kawagoe, but the Ekiben shop (or Train Bento shop) that we passed in Tokyo Station. For those who haven't traveled in Japan before, it's typical to pick up a box lunch at the train station before heading out on a journey. Japan has a strong food culture that extends even to the ekiben.
Each region has it's own seasonal delicacies, and favorite foods and flavors. The ekiben highlights these regional and seasonal flavors. Often the dishes in the ekiben may only be available in certain regions. However, this shop in the heart of Tokyo Station seems to have collected many of the regional ekiben to a central distribution point. So if you can't travel across Japan to try them out, you can get a sample of here!
One of the more unusual ekiben was a JR East collaboration with Ultraman. As you may know from previous posts I've spotted Ultraman in several unexpected places.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-Sf4.5, ISO 100, 1/40 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-Sf4.5, ISO 100, 1/100 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-Sf4.5, ISO 100, 1/50 sec.

Croissant Taiyaki Mashup in Shinjuku

Although, I haven't posted frequently in the last few months, the number of photos I've taken hasn't really gone down. I've just been busy with life and perhaps now that I've got a little time there's quite a big of blogging to catch up on.

This past Sunday, I wandered by this Croissant Taiyaki shop in Shinjuku. It's located out in the front Studio Alta just across the street from the East Shinjuku exit. I like taiyaki and croissants, so I had paid ¥210 and quickly devoured a custard creme version of this mashup, and was not disappointed. It's was delicious as expected. If I'm in the area again, I'll have to give the azuki bean or chocolate filled a taste. Hopefully, this pop-up shop doesn't disappear anytime soon.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-Sf8.0, ISO 100, 1/80 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-Sf5.6, ISO 100, 1/400 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-Sf5.6, ISO 100, 1/125 sec.

White Amaryllis and Japanese Breakfast at Girandole, Park Hyatt Shinjuku

On the my mother's last morning in Tokyo before departing from Narita Airport, we visited the Park Hyatt Tokyo in Shinjuku for an elegant late breakfast at Girandole on the 41st floor. As expected, the restaurant had great design and fresh bouquets of beautiful white amaryllis on prominent display. Our delicious savory Japanese breakfast, included tofu, grilled fish, miso soup, tamagoyaki, and oshinko (pickled vegetables).

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 35 mm, f5.6, ISO 400, 1/30 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 27 mm, f5.6, ISO 400, 1/20 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 16 mm, f4.0, ISO 400, 1/40 sec.