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recommended by Jeremiah Cooper (@jeremiahcooper- photography on Instagram). There wasn’t anything fancy about the place — it just had solid, satisfying sushi. Very attentive service too! Ginza Kagari (4 Chome-1-2 Ginza, Chuo, 104-0061, +81 3-3561-0717) – Bethany (@bjbitler on Instagram) suggests coming here for incredible chicken broth ramen. *Ginza Sushi-Dokoro Shin (7 Chome-12-4 Ginza, Way Fair Bldg. 1F, Chuo, 104-0061, +03-3543-9339) – A spectacular sushi spot in Ginza. It was one of the best I ate at. The portions are huge. Go for lunch, when you get more bang for your buck. And definitely get the uni — yummy! (Suggested by Mark Weins) *Ichiran Shibuya (1 Chome-22-7 Jinnan, Shibuya, 150- 0041, +81 3-3463-3667, en.ichiran.com/index.php) – Recommended by many people, this ramen spot served one of the best meals I had my entire trip. The thick, flavorful broth is to die for. I also like how you eat in your own little private booth. Funky. Expect a wait during peak lunch and dinner times. *Kyubey (8 Chome-7-6 Ginza, Chuo, 104-0061, +81 *Isakaya Juban (2 Chome-1-2 Azabujuban, Minato, 3-3571-6523) – Suggested by my friends, this restau- 106-0045, +81 3-3451-6873, izakayajuban.com) – A rant (which has a couple of locations) offered the Eating little hole-in-the-wall izakaya restaurant (think Jap- fanciest sushi I had in Tokyo. You sit at the bar and anese tapas) with locals getting drunk on sake and are served whatever the chef decides to bring (this is eating tasty small plates. I was big fan of their salmon called omakase). It was expensive (at $150 USD) but and grilled squid. They have a small English menu, worth every penny. but judging how my friend ordered for me, I think it Masaru (1 Chome-32-2 Asakusa, Taito, 111-0032, doesn’t list everything, so if you see something, point at +81 3-3841-8356) – Daina (@headedanywhere on Through it and get it! Instagram) recommended this as an excellent option JBS Bar (Jazz, Blues, Soul) (1 Chome-17-10 Dogenza- for tempura dishes. ka, Shibuya, 150-0043, +81 3-3461-7788) – A cool bar *Memory Lane (Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku, +81 that is basically a one-man shop filled with records, 3-3342-1589, shinjuku-omoide.com) – On this tiny whiskey, and smoke. It’s tucked away on the second alley of yakitori joints, some require an entrance fee, level of an office/shopping plaza. but they are all worth it. Tokyo *Kakimaru (6 Chome-1-6 Roppongi, Minato, 106- Mutekiya (1 Chome-17-1, Minami Ikebukuro, 1F 0032, +81-3-5413-3689) – While catching up with my Sakimoto Bldg., Toshima 171-0022, +81 3-3982-7656, On a whim, I went to Tokyo for a week. My we went there in our quest for Wagyu beef. The steak friend, we found this awesome place. There was an old- mutekiya.com) – Carly Sabo (@carly_sabo on Insta- friends and I had been talking about a food-themed basically melted in my mouth and exploded with flavor. er couple next to us and a wedding party getting drunk gram) recommended this spot for its amazing ramen. trip to the city for years, and after convincing them that However, I don’t think I’d go back, as I found it a bit too across from us. As the night went on, the couple helped Honmarumen is its most popular dish. now was the time to cash in all our miles, we found high-end and overpriced for me. The décor is incred- ourselves at the airport on a cold November day with ible, the service over the top, and the wine list world- one goal: to eat as much as humanly possible. class — but all that is more than I needed. That said, if Like me, they’d been to Tokyo before and each you want to spend money on delicious steak with out- had a list of places to eat at. Along with our combined of-this-world service, you can’t go wrong here. lists, I had received suggestions from friends, readers, BrewDog Roppongi (5 Chome-3-2 Roppongi, Minato, and one of my favorite foodies, Mark Weins of Migra- 106-0032, +81 3-6447-4160, brewdogbar.jp) – Recom- tionology. mended by Matt Chandler (@mchandler07 on Twit- Even eating four to six meals a day, I was barely ter), this bar has 20 craft beers on tap, 10 of which are able to scratch the surface of the list of recommenda- brewed on site. So if you’re tired of sake and want some tions. Nevertheless, I wanted to share the combined fancy beer, you probably can’t go wrong here! suggestions of the community and my own investiga- CoCo Ichibanya (1 Chome-2-12 Nishishinjuku, Shin- tions with you. (Those I ate at are denoted by a star.) juku, 160-0023, +81 3-3345-0775) – Recommended by Afuri Yebisu (1 Chome-1-7 Ebisu, 117 Bldg. 1F, Char (@charmatcha on Twitter), this ramen restaurant Shibuya 150-0013, +81 3-5795-0750, afuri.com) – is supposed to offer hearty and filling curry as well as Tom (@tjdj311 on Instagram) recommended this for good chicken and pork curry in a fast service environ- yuzu-flavored ramen. ment. I haven’t been here, but I’ve been to similar plac- *Bifteck Kawamura Ginza (6 Chome-5-1 Ginza, Ginza es in the past. MST Bldg. 8F, Chuo, 104-0061, +81 3-6252-5011, bi- *Genki Sushi (24-8 Udagawacho, Shibuya, 150-0042, fteck.co.jp) – At the suggestion of our hotel’s concierge, +81 3-3461-1281, genkisushi.co.jp) – Yummy sushi, To Market, When organizing a trip to Paris, one thing that’s high on many visitors list of to-do’s is to browse and shop at a typical French Market. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in real French daily life and also a great place to pick up some presents and souvenirs. But what is a typical French Market?to There areMar over 57 open air and covered markets in ketParis selling everything from fresh produce, fish, shellfish, meats, cheeses, fresh-cut flowers and breads. There are also markets specializing in gourmet produce, organic foods, handcrafted items, antiques, clothing and accessories, house wares and a variety of second-hand goods. Each market has its own unique pace and ambiance. For example, there’s very little time to discuss at the fruit and vegetable produce at the Marché d’Alligre, which is one of the largest fruit and veg markets in the center of Paris and where many Pa- risian family’s shop for the quality and competitive prices of the Fresh produce. Here, the vender will pass out bags all over his stall for you to choose the goods by hand as there are too many customers for the seller to to hand select for you. However, the Marché Boulevard Raspail only sells organic food making it very exclusive. It has a more sedate pace, leaving a better oppor- tunity to talk to the vendors about their produce. Note that there are no markets in Paris on Mondays, as it is the day for mer- chants to go to Rungis, the wholesale supplier. The Unsung Much of London is Victorian. During the 19th cen- tower is guarded by two stone lions from a set of four that once tury the city’s population grew from under 1 million to over 7 sat at the entrance to the Imperial Institute. million people. To accommodate them, pioneering architects No. 39 Harrington Gardens, just around the corner from the and engineers built churches, schools, hospitals, banks, offices, outrageously flamboyant townhouses of Collingham Gardens, theatres, mansion blocks, streets of terraced houses and town- where the architects Ernest George and Harold Peto let their houses, bridges, sewers, roads and railways. imaginations run riot, is a gorgeous Flemish-style red brick and Buildings of They developed bold new architectural styles and in- stone extravaganza built by George and Peto in 1883 for the genious new engineering techniques. They built many of the librettist Sir William Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan fame. He iconic buildings and structures that promote London to the paid for it out of the profits of their light operetta Patience. world; the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, St Pancras As noted by Beatrix Potter in her diary, “it is a very station and Midland Hotel, Nelson’s Column, the Royal Al- handsome house indeed” – five stately stories of mullioned bert Hall and the London Underground. windows and carved stone topped with an enormous stepped These are treasures we all know and love but London is gable. Gilbert decorated the interior in the Aesthetic (or Artis- Victorian London also full of unsung glories around unexpected corners, down tic) style and filled it with exotic oriental objects, creating per- quiet streets and off the beaten track. They’re hidden from haps one of the last great hurrahs of the Aesthetic before the view by familiarity, modernity and the rush of life, and yet Arts and Crafts movement set in. built with a pride and attention to detail that remains unique Gilbert wrote the Mikado in his study here, inspired, it is to the Victorians. Take the time to stop and stare and you will said, by the clattering fall of a Japanese sword that hung above be amazed. the study door. Note the stone galleon that sits at the very top St Michael’s Vicarage, Burleigh Street (c.

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