Kani Douraku

One of our most memorable dinners was at Kani Douraku. There are a bunch of locations in Japan, with the honten (main store) being in Dotombori, Osaka, but we went to the one in Shinjuku. Actually, it felt like there was one Kani Douraku for every few storefronts at Dotombori. The restaurant always has a giant 3D crab in the signage. Here, you remove your shoes before entering the dining area. I recommend getting a reservation before coming, as I hear there’s usually a wait. Lots of Chinese people seem to love eating here.

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April in Shinjuku

Back in April, we stayed at Shinjuku in Tokyo. There’s a lot to do there; we did not anticipate walking as much as we did in Japan. Eventually my feet hurt so much that later on during our trip, I had to make a stop at Muji to buy some comfier shoes. This time, I’m sneakering it all the way (except on rainy days). Here are some pictures.

One of our favorite ramen shops in Tokyo was Ramen Nagi. As with most of the bars in Golden Gai, this one is super tiny. Probably seats about 7-10 people max, and your back is literally against the wall. We came here during lunch and there was a short line of salarymen in the tiny alley next to the restaurant. Once it’s your turn, you walk up the narrow stairs and order your food through a vending machine (another wonderful feature of Japan – just put in your money, make your selection, and hand the cook your receipt). Ramen Nagi’s specialty is a dry fish-based soup. A lot of the ramen places we went to in Japan typically specialize in one type of broth, and you get to choose how strong you want it to be, unlike the multi-flavored ramen here in New York.

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