We left Okinawa at 3am or some other ungodly hour. Everyone in Japan travels at three times of the year – Silver Week in September, Golden Week in May, and July/August. So my choices for cheap flights were really cut down and our options were leave at 3am or pay $300 one way for a flight to Tokyo.

Arriving at 7am, we hit the ground running and were on a train and headed into downtown Tokyo in no time from Haneda. This is the beauty of Japan.  We grabbed a snack, stored our stuff in a handy locker (they make them big enough for a standard rolling suitcase and a backcountry backpack) and went to pick up the bikes we had reserved with Neil at Tokyo Rent A Bike.  Despite being exhausted, I was elated to have our bikes and be on pedal power the rest of the day. It was exhilarating, and I will absolutely do this again and recommend it to anyone who is traveling to Tokyo.

With a general route mapped out, our first stop was the Tsukiji Fish Market. After visiting Sushi Dai three years ago, Mike had another place (Sushi Bun) in mind, but it was unfortunately closed. No worries – have bike, smartphone and back up plans – and will travel. We biked a short distance to a street in the outer ring of the market and tried to find a restaurant called Uogashi Senryo just after lunch rush.

It is not known for sushi (although they do serve it), but for chirashisushi bowls. It is behind a dried fish shop and kind of blends in with the other shops. The quality is not the best you can get in the area, but it is popular for a reason. I think my two kinds of tuna bowl was excellent, and Mike’s uni ikura bowl was salty, creamy and hit the spot. Just what we needed after an early morning of travel and bike riding, and just what we needed to power us up the rest of the day.

Uogashi Senryo from the street. They do have an English menu.

Recharged we rode around east Tokyo, circling back to the bike rental office while hitting a few big sights and neighbourhoods along the way. Again – I cannot emphasize this enough; renting a bike was insanely easy, relatively cheap and very safe. They come with wheel locks so you can park and lock wherever you are, there are bells to ring and let people know you are coming at them on the fancy shopping Ginza shopping street and 6 gears to make climbing hills in Roppongi easier. Most people ride on the sidewalk, and this is accepted and perhaps even expected (pedestrians beware!) Many many people in Tokyo have bicycles, if only to get them to the nearest train station. It is insane to think that the world’s largest megacity is bike friendly to even the lowly tourist, but it is. If the Neil the bike guy had not been going on holiday I would have totally rented for a few more days. Next time, Tokyo. Next time.

After a sad high tea in Hong Kong, I was eager to get back on the horse in Bangkok, this time having an enjoyable experience. My mom and I strolled down the street to the Sukhothai hotel one day to take in high tea.

The Sukhothai is one of most serene boutique hotels in Bangkok. The grounds and architecture are stunning, and although it is being dwarfed by some nearby skyscrapers, it still retains a feeling of exclusivity and privacy.

We decided on the classic Sukhothai tea set. I got a Mariage Frères Earl Grey French Blue tea and my mom got a coffee. We also ordered extra scones.

The tower came out quickly, but not TOO quickly as to suggest they were sitting in the back ready to go out.

Delicious sannies. There was a smoked salmon croissant, pate sausage baguette, an italian job with prosciutto and provolone and then a few little fingers with various more classic high tea fillings. Everything was fresh and not cold like some high tea rooms.

The pastries were fantastic, with nothing overly sweet, and a good mix of melting, crunchy, chocolatey and fruity. Berry tartlet, orange almond mini cake, fruit cake, truffles and matcha shortbread.

The fig scones! It was kind of a mistake to get an extra order – although they WERE excellent and so were the preserves and slightly untraditional mascarpone. Just too much.

My favourite was the eclair. I still miss the ones I would get from Duchess in Edmonton.

Vanilla creme brulee. Neither my mom or I wanted it at first – we were too full. But then I cracked it and inside was silken filling I could not stop eating.

And then, to finish, “Green Goddess” dragonfruit lime sorbet. Surprisingly light.

Afterwards we strolled around the complex a little bit more. They seem to be doing a lot of refurbishing. There was also a wedding being set up, for a Japanese couple!

High tea is in the main hotel lobby Monday through Thursday from 2-6pm. The Sukhothai also does a weekend chocolate buffet for those looking for more sweets and less tea and sandwiches. Both are around 800 baht.

Going to visit my mom in Bangkok this May was a game changer for me. Not everyday has been a party this first year in Okinawa, and I was in a pretty low place when I went on a last minute, parent-funded trip to Bangkok over “Golden Week” here in Japan. Mike was very kind and held the fort down alone as rainy season started.

Bangkok is kind of my home base in the east, and comforting in its chaos. I had no particular plans – do some shopping, hang out with my mom, work out, take some photos, sit in the sun … and eat, of course.

My parents have chosen a place near to one of the most famous food streets in Bangkok as their home the past two years – Soi Convent. It is not a long stroll to go up and down as it is just one long city block, and takes about 10 minutes to walk. But you can get a little bit of everything on or around this street at all hours of the day – in actual restaurants or carts that appear.

You can get breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. From Starbucks coffee, Mexican, Japanese and Irish food to baked goods, fruits, noodles, spicy som tam salad … it was so inspiring I wanted to do a post just dedicated to the sights along it.

Carts sleeping during the day

Taxis and tuk tuks whir up and down 24 hours a day, security guards for the hospitals and schools laze in the shade. Street sweepers work up and down with their oddly useless but effective wood brooms. Clientele ranging from ancient grannies to young school kids and nuns, expats living in near by skyscrapers and neatly dressed Thai office workers mix with the late night party crowd.

It is god damned magical.

Durian cart

Mangosteens were also in season

Hand squeezed nam som, or orange juice.

I made a point to walk up and down it at all hours and reveled in the different vendors and people. Early morning, with the blenders somehow plugged in somewhere to make fruit shakes, fried banana stands, coffee and Thai iced tea vendors.

Afternoon brings noodle carts, and fruit selllers with their icey sweet pineapple, crunchy green mango with spicy salt sugar mix and deep orange papaya.

As the blazing sun falls out of the sky, seafood platter makers appear, as do ka-nom producers with their hot pans for making sweet coconut and banana desserts or roti.

People drink, talk and eat sitting on plastic stools as tourists and Bangkok residents walk through the kitchen of the “restaurant” they eat at. I am certain if you sat here for long enough, you might see everything. Just like this guy, who I saw every day and is a fixture on Convent, with his big beer belly and, well, beer in a wine glass. Breakfast of champions.

My personal favourite stand is the southern Thai fried chicken lady that I have been visiting for over a decade. It has expanded from one lady who used to marvel I knew how to say simple phrases in Thai, to a fully staffed family operation with an English sign. Here they are, just setting up at about 4 in the afternoon.

In motion while arriving…

…in operation…

…in digestion.

Incredible.

I implore you to visit Convent when you are in Bangkok.
—

Nearest BTS station: Sala Daeng.

We tend to eat sushi out once a week at our favourite easy kaiten (belt) sushi chain restaurant, and it is excellent for the old favourites and some maki choices, but sometimes you like to eat your own creations full of your favourite ingredients. Also, maki sushi is quite different from the nigiri sushi that is often at these restaurants, as it combines many ingredients.

One of the best things about the local supermarket is the fish section. It is stocked with various cuts and preparations of the many kinds of fish, from classic favourites to seasonal varieties. There are packages of pre cut slices for sashimi or nigiri sushi, long pieces for grilling… you can really go to town.

On this occasion, I bought a few things:

• two kinds of nori seaweed, one for hand rolls and one for the longer maki rolls
• premade rice (almost as fresh as homemade, but more convenient)
• salmon, crab and maguro
• burdock root, and some vegetables

Crab sticks. Not imitation, although that is also available.

Burdock root, or gobo

This mixed pack of sushi grade maguro tuna and salmon was about $5.50

At home I already had what I needed to flavour the rice, as well as cream cheese and various kinds of pickles and other fillings to put in the rolls.

As I have mentioned before, I think the rice is one of the best things about living in Japan. My favourite is sushi rice with a lightly flavoured taste of vinegar, sake and sugar. It is tangy and delicious.

I made my own sushi vinegar to add to the rice by combining these items:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (you can use rice vinegar too)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 table spoon of mirin or sake/nihon shu
• 1/2 tablespoon of salt

Combine these in a small pot on the stove until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Will flavour about 4 cups of rice.

Combine into warm rice by folding it in, being careful to not crush the rice.

Buying rice is a bit of a cheat since the flavour is better when the rice is turned into sushi rice when it is warm and fresh.
You cannot substitute any other kind of rice, or turn arborio or Thai sticky rice into sushi rice by making it gooey and mushy, so please do not do this.

Assembly is easy. I did not want the rolls to be too filling because we wanted to try many different combinations, so I did not push the rice to the edge of the nori. Normally you would, otherwise you get…

…sad looking rolls like this. These deflated looking things were really good though.

You can mix and match each rolls. Here, toro chopped and mixed with soy, negi or green onions, crunchy Niigata Prefecture miso daikon pickles that were a present from our Japanese tutor, burdock root dipped in the same sushi vinegar mix I made for the rice and a cucumber. You want to combine the things you like, thinking about taste, smell, texture (crunch!) and color.

There are sushi mats you can use to roll up rolls, like inside out California rolls, but I just hand rolled these nori wrapped rolls. The sushi mats help the rice from sticking and keep a uniform size and look, if presentation is important. But we are rustic here at the ZeeCall household, and we are not so picky.

I also made some salmon, negi, cream cheese, sesame seed and cucumber rolls.

Finally, even more customizable, the hand rolls. You just stuff and fill the little squares of nori with rice, then the fillings you want, roll up and eat.

Crab, cucumber, negi and cream cheese.

Fun and easy!