Tokyo Heatwave: SIN-HND-SIN on ANA 787-9 Dreamliner Premium Economy (NH842/843)

[yflyer]

After dinner, I took the train to Haneda airport for my flight home.

My flight was ANA flight NH843, a 12.40am departure.



Fairly empty check in area at 10.20pm in the evening...



There was a manned business class check-in counter, but it was closed at the time I was there (I suspect that the counter would open in a few minutes time)...



I did a simple self-check-in using one of the kiosks...



The airside area was quite busy...



...with many eateries...



...and a foodcourt area...



There are 2 ANA lounges at Haneda. I chose the one closer to my boarding gate, but was was closed in the evening...



...so I trudged back through the terminal...



To the ANA lounge near gate 110.



As luck would have it, the departure gate for my flight, NH843, was changed to a gate right in front of this lounge, so it all turned out well.

[yflyer]

My last meal of the trip was in a Kappo-style restaurant hidden in plain sight along a side street in Shibuya...



Where chefs prepared food and drink of your choice right before your eyes, across the counter from where you were seated.



Again, an all Japanese menu.



Thankfully I was there with yet another old friend and ex-colleague, one who had introduced me to so many wonderful dining experiences in Japan over the years, and tonight was no exception...



First up, a Shochu & soda...very refreshing!



Then a series of small plates...



Sashimi...



A small tower of roasted vegetables...



...and an unlikely combination of cheese and pickles....amazingly the flavours worked perfectly!



One of my favourite dishes that evening was a simple egg dish...just beautifully done...



Cooked fish on rice wrapped in fresh seawood...



Finally, whisky highballs, a Yamazaki for my friend, and a Hakushu for me...



What a wonderful way to end a visit to Tokyo!

[yflyer]

Later that week, I had a business lunch at a restaurant in Tokyo specialising in unagi (eel)...



I wish I could tell you the name of this restaurant, or what the menu was...





...but everything was in Japanese...



Suffice to say: This was one of the most amazing unagi meals I have ever had.

Diners ate in private rooms.



Ours was an unagi course menu, starting with appetisers, each quite delectable...



Then unagi on tofu...



Live eels were brought out for our inspection...



Yes these were very much alive, and swimming...



My colleague remarked that these were the eels we would be eating, but then later another colleague said the same eels were also shown to diners in the next room, so maybe these were the demo eels...

The main course was presented in a large lacquer box...



Inside, juicy slabs of eel...cooked to perfection...



...with a flavour and texture a world apart from the mushy, sauce-drenched version that lower-end establishments served.

The unagi was placed on a bed of Japanese rice. What a heavenly combination.

Dessert came wrapped in green leaves...



Some kind of mochi, I think...

[yflyer]

That evening, I met up with a friend and ex-colleague based in Tokyo. He brought me to a part of Tokyo that I, as a visitor, would never have found myself...



This was near Kichijoji station, in the western part of Tokyo, where there were maze like lanes of eating and drinking establishments.

We popped into a sake bar...



...and sampled some sake...



...and a few bites...



We could have spent hours here, wandering the streets and popping into place after place, having a drink or two at each...

[yflyer]

Tokyo was experiencing a heatwave while I was there, with daytime temperatures reaching the high thirties...



But of course, despite the blazing heat, I still headed out for a run...



The good thing about city runs is that you see a lot on foot that you might miss if you were on a train or in a bus...



My run took me across Tokyo...



...and ended at the Imperial Palace...



...with its beautifully landscaped grounds and walking/running track around the perimeter of the palace moat...



Despite the heat, I was not the only one out running...



I ended my run near the Palace.



I stayed respectfully outside the perimeter. Apparently it is only acceptable to run around the perimeter -- running towards or into the palace was forbidden. I learnt that the hard way the last time I was in Tokyo before the pandemic: One of the palace guards shouted at me "No Running!". I stopped immediately and walked back to the perimeter.

Just 7km that afternoon, but I was exhausted and dripping with perspiration by the end of it. It was no joke running in this heat!



I cooled down before taking the metro back to Shibuya.

While the trains and metro were all clean and efficient, some trains were much more beautifully decorated than others. The one I rode back to the hotel was almost luxurious, with wood-finish flooring and plush cushioned seats.

[yflyer]

I am a fan of sushi. A friend gave me a recommendation for a sushi restaurant for lunch the next day: Kinka Sushi Bar and Izakaya. It was literally just steps from the hotel.



This was a modern, casual place...



...but the sushi here would pass muster in any top restaurant in Singapore, and for a very reasonable price too!



Absolutely delicious!

[yflyer]

It was great to be in Tokyo again, after a long gap during the pandemic where travel to Japan had been severely curtailed.

After dropping off my luggage, I headed out of the hotel and went straight to get my Ichiran Ramen fix. The Shibuya branch of the Ichiran ramen chain was just a few minutes walk from the hotel. learnt later in this trip that there was another branch not far away, but this basement outlet was the one which I always visited. And as it was in pre-Covid days, there was a long queue to get in...



But the wait was worth it...



Inside, possibly the world's most antisocial dining experience...



You ordered from a machine, submitted your tickets, and filled out a form with your preferred ramen options. You never even got to see the face of your server.



But what delicious ramen this was...



Just looking at these pics made me hungry again...



I ate here more than once on this trip!

[yflyer]

The bathroom was compact, but well equipped...



Shampoo, conditioner and body wash in large dispensers...



Yes, even budget hotels in Tokyo have sophisticated Toto washlets...



In the basement, a shared microwave oven, and vending machines which dispensed soft drinks as well as beer.



There were also shared laundry facilities.



While this was not a luxury property by any means, I quite enjoyed my stay here. The room was comfortable, and I was right smack in the middle of Shibuya. It was a cost-effective place to stay while on a business trip, and I would happily stay here if I was on vacation as well.

[yflyer]

My hotel on this trip was the Hotel Wing International...



This was an inexpensive place to stay. I would characterize it as a 3-star hotel in a 5 star location.

The lobby...



...and reception...



Check-in formalities were quick. Right behind the reception were shelves of amenities that guests could avail themselves of.



Everything from coffee & tea to additional toiletries...



My single room was tiny...



...but clean and perfectly comfortable...



Not much room for more than a bed...



The bed was comfy...



The writing desk was a fold-out affair...



Electric kettle...



Mini fridge...

[yflyer]

Off the train, I found myself at Shibuya station, by the iconic scramble crossing, on a warm evening...



My hotel was a short walk away from this iconic crossing. It was nice to stay in this part of Tokyo. There were many shopping and dining options available, and there was always a buzz about this area. Here is a pick of the Scramble Walk from later in the week...

[yflyer]

Continuing with the TR...

From the airport, I took the train from Haneda to the city. These days, even though my travel expenses are reimbursable by my company, I try to get around by public transport as much as possible. With Google Maps, I get very clear and detailed instructions about how to get from point A to point B via the available public transport, and often the time difference is not worth the cost of a taxi or private hire car.

[yflyer]

Overall I had a good flight. Impressions of ANA premium economy on this sector? A decent, if not class leading product.

I thought the seat was fine -- good comfort and recline, although the seat design looked a little old fashioned. Lunch was essentially Y catering, although that said, it was top notch Y catering, as good as any Y meal out there.

I didn't like the paper cups much. It felt cheap and detracted from the PEY experience. And the pre-arrival snack was forgettable too.

Cabin service was superb. Professional and courteous -- what you would expected from a Japanese airline.

Was ANA PEY better than Y? Most definitely! Perhaps for a daytime 6-7 hour flight, Y would be ok too, but PEY certainly made the flight more comfortable. And if this was a longer flight, or a red-eye (which my return sector was), then PEY, with its more comfortable seat, and greater seat recline, would definitely be preferable, and worth the price premium over Y.

Next up, Tokyo!

To be continued...

[yflyer]

Prior to landing, a light snack was served. This was just a red bean bun and beverage service.



On some flights to Tokyo, it was possible to see Mount Fuji out of the window, but there was too much cloud cover that day, and besides I was on the wrong side of the plane.



Finally, our descent to Haneda, with the evening sun very low on the horizon...



Views of the Tokyo Skytree as we made our final approach...



On the ground in Haneda...

[yflyer]

After meal service, most folks settled into their seats to rest or watch the IFE...



I ordered a Gin & Tonic. It came with a lemon slice (Which I am always happy with, as SQ cabin crew sometimes cut corners by omitting the lemon). But again, why the paper cup?



Our route took us over Manila...



The windows were centrally dimmed, and for most of this daytime flight, the cabin was quiet and soothingly restful...



...with the partially dimmed windows giving the sky outside an otherwordly blue tint...



I took another stroll through the Y cabin to stretch my legs...



...before returning to my seat, and asking for a glass of red wine...

[yflyer]

Cabin ambience in the small PEY cabin was good...



I took a stroll through the first section of the Y cabin to get to the restroom. Ambience there was ok too, though the 9-abreast 3-3-3 layout in Y felt just a little tight.



A pic of the restroom. For the airline geeks out there, try to spot the one difference between this 787 bathroom and those on other airlines. The answer will be revealed when I cover the return HND-SIN sector.