Cavalock and The Izakaya Night-Out

It's a good thing that the baker-at-home made the necessary reservations before we left for Tokyo. When we finally made our way to Uoshin at Nogizaka, the popular izakaya was already quite packed with Japanese patrons, mostly office workers boisterously enjoying their dinner and drinks. I must admit, I found the lively atmosphere rather refreshing even though we were seated away from them.

We eagerly ordered more than a few dishes from the English menu. Their above house speciality Nokkezushi quickly became my favourite. A glorious mix of cucumber rolls topped with salmon roe, chopped tuna, crab meat and sea urchin. We had two servings by the end of the night. This enormous and luscious oyster below was another memorable dish. Now how I wish I had ordered another. Great food for a memorable night-out with friends.

Well, just when I thought I couldn't find another reason to love Tokyo, a Saturday afternoon at Ginza gave me one. The wide open streets were closed to traffic, tables and chairs set up in the middle of the road. Families and shoppers strolling, enjoying themselves. There's this huge chill vibe hanging over the area that's so engaging. I can imagine how much more appealing it would be if the weather was a tad cooler.

How I wish we could see that happening here instead of those ridiculous, choreographed Orchard Road closures. Do we really need mass yoga or tennis demonstrations? If only one is really sincere about closing Orchard Road for the people and not for the purpose of organising government-sponsored mass participation exercises. Just close the roads and let the people do whatever they wanna do.