Drooling at a depachika followed by drinks at the top of the world

Started the day out at McDonald's - this was not a homesick driven craving, but rather part of our study of Japanese culture. In other words, let's see what different things they serve at McD's in Tokyo. First difference - Filet o'Fish is on the menu for breakfast and comes as a meal with a hashbrown. Obvious choice for me. Second difference - you can get an Egg McMuffin with basically a McChicken filet instead of ham or sausage. Obvious choice for Dave. And frankly, everything was made with the care and attention to detail that we have experienced with all of our other food so far, even though it was just McDonald's! 

Today was mostly a shopping day because the weather was less than cooperative. One can only wield those clear plastic umbrellas sold all over Asia for so long before having to get out of the rain. We visited Isetan department store in Shinjuku, I believe it is their flagship location. Coming out of the metro, the first floor we found ourselves on was the depachika, or food floor. I had read that these floors were full of amazing savoury and sweet delights but was still impressed as we walked from stall to stall. I also have to note that when you buy anything, the store clerks wrap it so immaculately that you almost don't want to tear it open to eat it. One downside in Tokyo's depachikas - there are no tables to eat at! Kind of cruel considering how mouth watering everything is, but we eventually discovered that food is to be taken up to the garden terrace of the store to enjoy.

Japanese "scotch egg" - perfectly soft boiled egg (at any time of day that you buy one of these) packed in layers of tonkatsu. We ate one in the morning and came back for another on the way home.

Huge sweet potato fries

We worked up an appetite shopping and wanted to try a tempura restaurant, finding one eventually in Takashimaya department store. Like restaurants that only serve yakitori (chicken skewers), there are also tempura specific restaurants where the chefs are standing at what looks like a sushi bar and frying tempura all day. It's hard to pinpoint what it is, but this tempura just tasted different and so, so good. There were also a number of interesting flavoured salts to dip the tempura into after dipping into the classic tempura sauce that we have at home. Cool experience.

 Shopped some more in the afternoon, and then Jeff and Dave found Godzilla!

At night, we had planned to go to the Park Hyatt, where the Peak Bar on the 41st floor has a nightly Twilight Hour open bar. We enjoyed our share of drinks and the beautiful view, then decided to head up another 11 storeys to the New York Grill for one more drink at the iconic spot where Lost in Translation was filmed. A great way to end the night!

Elevator meta selfies