ANA to Hokkaido - Autumn Snow, Seafood and the Art of Onsen Appreciation

[yflyer]

While Miss yflyer no.2 spent time with other activities at the culture and craft square, Mrs yflyer and I headed elsewhere for a taste of sake...



...or more accurately more than 20 different sake's, and a couple of shochu's as well.



The goal: taste these sake's in 30 minutes...unlimited tastes for a very reasonable price...



You were assigned your table, and off you went!



And you could purchase your favourite sake on your way out.



That was a lot of fun. I probably wasn't walking straight when I left the place.

After a day in Takayama, we caught the train back to Nagoya.

[yflyer]

Our last meal in Nagoya, and one of the most memorable of our trip, was at a small restaurant serving Yakitori, or grilled chicken skewers. By sheer coincidence, this remarkable restaurant was just located around the corner from our hotel, the Royal Park Canvas Nagoya.



This particular place featured Nagoya's famous Cochin chicken, a special breed of chicken reknown for it's exceptional taste.



There were other dishes too, but the real star here was the exceptional chicken.



The food here was ideal to accompany beverages, whether beer, shochu, sake or something non-alcoholic.



I ordered a Yamazaki Highball...



...and Mrs yflyer ordered sake...



First, sea grapes, and some delicious peanut tofu...



...and then chicken skewer after chicken skewer, all served piping hot straight from the grill...and all incredibly tasty...

Wings and hearts...



Chicken liver and shishamo fish...



Chicken "hormone", which we learnt were the chicken's fallopian tubes with unborn eggs...



There were daily specials pasted on the wall... what was that we wondered? Only one way to find out...



This was basashi, or horse sashimi. Absolutely delicious...

[yflyer]

Chicken tails...



Quail's eggs...



Chicken breast...



Lamb with herbs...



Chicken skin...



Grilled cheese...



Gingko nuts...



Meatball soup...



There was another daily special...



What on earth was that? It was grilled oviduct with unborn egg...informally called "chochin" or Japanese lantern...



What an incredibly satisfying meal, very different from any other meal we had. Each skewer was grilled to perfection, showcasing the unique flavour of the ingredient, and then served immediately off the fire. We just ordered round after round of skewers, including repeats of items we liked. I thought the hearts, gizzard and chicken tails were exceptionally delicious. The price of dinner was absolutely reasonable too, considering the quality.

If I were back in Nagoya I would definitely head back to this place!

[yflyer]

The next day we caught the Shinkansen from Nagoya to Tokyo.



We picked up bento meals in the shops at the station before heading to the platform to catch the sleek new bullet trains.



This was a 1 hour 39 minute train journey. It was also possible to fly bween Nagoya and Tokyo, but the Shinkansen was convenient and very quick.



Our seats were in the Shinkansen Green Car, which was a class of travel in between the top end Gran Car and regular Ordinary Car.



Our train carriage was spotless, and looked brand new...



Seats were laid out 2-2...



Recline was quite generous...



A/C power in each seat, along with complimentary wifi.



Fairly limited luggage storage space onboard the train. Mrs yflyer had arranged for our large pieces of luggage to be forwarded directly to our hotel in Tokyo -- this was apparently a very common service in Japan.



Spotless and very well appointed bathrooms on this train...

[yflyer]

Apart from complimentary wifi, there was an online refreshment ordering portal for Green Car passengers. Just order online and the refreshment would be delivered to your seat.



That said, the menu was fairly limited and did not have bento meals.



We were aware of this and had brought our own feast onboard in the form of drinks and bento meals purchased at the station prior to boarding.



These bento meals were quite delicious...



What a pleasant way to dine onboard a train...



On clear days Mount Fuji was supposed to be visible at one point enroute along the train journey between Nagoya and Tokyo, but this was a very cloudy day. Somewhere out there was Mount Fuji but on the day we travelled, there was no sign of Fuji-san.



The 1 hour 39 minute train ride went by smoothly and very quickly, and we were soon at our destination, Tokyo Station.

From there, we caught the Odaiba Rainbow bus from Tokyo station to Odaiba, where our hotel, the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba, was located.

[yflyer]

For this stay in Tokyo, Mrs yflyer picked the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba, which was located on Odaiba, an artificial Island in Tokyo Bay, not far from central Tokyo.


This was an entertainmand and shipping district connected to Tokyo by a bridge, the Rainbow Bridge, and also by train. From Odaiba, downtown Tokyo was not far away. The next picture is a view of the Tokyo skyline, including Tokyo Tower, as seen from Odaiba.



On previous trips to Tokyo, I usually stayed in Shibuya or Shinagawa, so it was a pleasant change of scenery to stay in Odaiba this time round. Odaiba was not very far from the city, and had a relaxed vibe very different from the crowds and bustle of Shibuya.

[yflyer]

The Hilton Tokyo Odaiba was a large, sprawling resort hotel.



There was a commuter train station right next to the hotel, which made it very convenient to get to and from downtown Tokyo. There was also a complimentary shuttle bus to and from Tokyo Disney, which was about 45 minutes away by bus.



Right across from the Hilton was the Aqua City Mall.

[yflyer]

The Hilton had a grand lobby...



There were nice views of the Tokyo skyline from the lobby.



Complimentary welcome drinks for guests who checked in in the evening...



Apart from sparkling wine, sake was also available as a welcome drink.



We headed to our room...



This was a large room by Japanese standards...



Our room had 2 single beds and a rollaway bed.



The decor was elegant...



We had great views of Tokyo Bay, and the Tokyo skyline, from our balcony.



As Hilton Diamond, we received a one category room upgrade, and a welcome snack. We would also have access to the Executive Lounge.



Coffee and tea making facilities, as well as mini fridge.



Lots of hangers in the wardrobe (Not always the case!)

[yflyer]

The bathroom...



Separate bathtub and shower area...



WC with Toto Washlet. By the end of our vacation, we got very used to the Washlets, which were available in every hotel we stayed in.



This was a very comfortable room to stay in. We particularly liked the views of Tokyo from the balcony in the evening.

[yflyer]

The Hilton Tokyo Odaiba had a very good Executive Lounge.



Apart from indoor seating, the lounge had an outdoor terrace with great views of Tokyo Bay.



The lounge served a full buffet breakfast, as well as afternoon tea and evening cocktails and canapes.

The afternoon tea selection comprised cakes and sandwiches.



Cakes...



Smoked salmon and egg sandwiches...



The lounge was busiest in the evening...



It was so busy the evenings we were there that guests were requested to limit their dining time to 90 minutes during the evening peak hour.



The evening buffet spread was far more than canapes: it comprised hot and cold dishes which were sufficient for a full dinner.

[yflyer]

There was a pretty good wine and liquor selection...



...as well as garnishes and a rolodex of DIY cocktail recipes.



Some of the wines available...



Umeshu liqueur...



There was even this premium WhistlePig rye whisky...something rarely seen in hotel lounges...

[yflyer]

Each day had different rotating selections of dishes and daily specials, including DIY temaki, or handrolls...



After lightly roasting the seaweed, you added the vinegared sushi rice...



...and your choice of fillings...



On another day, the featured breakfast special was DIY ramen...



...where you added your noodles, and your preferred toppings, to the steaming tonkotsu broth...



...for a very satisfying bowl of ramen...

[yflyer]

The daily breakfast buffet spread in the Executive Lounge was quite impressive.



Bakery items...



Fresh orange juice...



Western selections...



Japanese selections...



...including onsen eggs...



Meatballs, and Japanese style fried mackerel...



Steamed rice dumplings...

[yflyer]

As Hilton Diamond, we could choose to have breakfast in the lounge, or have a complimentary breakfast buffet at the main hotel restaurant in the lobby.

For most days of our stay, we opted to eat in the hotel restaurant, which had a stupendous breakfast buffet.



The hotel breakfast offered a large buffet spread as well as live stations, including an egg station...



...and a hamburger station...



There were great views of Tokyo Bay from the restaurant.



Japanese selections...



Mackeral fillets and simmered root vegetables...



Onsen eggs...



Japanese style curry...



The usual western breakfast standards were also available...



Needless to say, we stuffed ourselves at breakfast each morning of our stay.

[yflyer]

On one our evenings, we dined at the Teppanyaki restaurant in the hotel.



The restaurant had a Teppanyaki set dinner available, which was offered to in-house guests only.

This comprised both a seafood course...



...and a beef course, comprising two different cuts of Wagyu...



...with the dishes prepared on the Teppanyaki grill by an expert chef, who on that day was very warm and friendly, and also spoke good English.

A beef amuse bouche...



Two more small appetisers...



Beautifully prepared scallops and fish...



A vegetable course...



...and a small salad...



...before the Wagyu course...meticulously cooked to perfection...



Each bite of beef was melt-in-the-mouth tender, and full of flavour...



Glistening fried rice cooked in beef fat...



Dessert...



An excellent meal -- prepared right before your eyes by a master chef.