LUXOMME

naomi

The place that fulfilled my guilty pleasure was this chain store called Genki Sushi. The sign is in highlighter yellow, and placed so strategically all over the city, that it's near impossible to miss. At first, I was lured to the doors after I caught a glimpse of the rotating conveyor belt, but continued to come back time and time for their delicious (fake) crabstick maki rolls. Basic, I know.

Tiffany and I were exhausted from a day of walking one evening, and neither of us wanting to pick which restaurant to try, decided to go for Genki which was already familiar to us.



Although we mostly went to the ones in Hong Kong, which had the continuous flow of plates going around the bar, the set-up at the chain in Tokyo was a little different. Instead of making an X number of plates that would rotate until they were picked up, here, customers ordered from a touch-screen and then the sushi 'chefs' would make the plates to order.

Definitely much fresher with a lot more options available.


The ordering system itself is fairly simple, and for Japanese illiterate people like me, the menu can be displayed in English as well, so that you are not ordering some mystery fish.



Pricing here was much cheaper than the Hong Kong chains - with most options costing around 1.50 - 3.50 CAD. Premium options and other food items were slightly higher, but still extremely reasonable.


What is also interesting about these conveyor belt restaurants is that there is little to no server interaction. The host shows you to your seat and leaves you to your own device. At the table, there is a hot water spout and some powdered green tea which you use to mix your own drink. Plates, chopsticks, wasabi and everything in between are also provided at your seat - so that it's unnecessary to have to wait for someone to bring you what you need.







When the plates arrive, a 'ding' noise begins to sound at your seat which indicates that your dish is ready for you to take off the platform. They come on these surfboard type contraptions that carry up to three dishes. Take off the dish and then press the yellow "genki" logo to send the surfboard back to the main station.




There is a limit to how many items you can order at once, and best part is that each screen is personalized and linked to the seat, so it's easy to keep track of what and how much you have ordered. At the end, each customer takes their little barcode receipt - which is linked to the individual screen, and the cashier scans it and determines how much you owe.

Ordering around 5 plates each, we both walked out of there spending around 1000 yen, which is equivalent to 10 CAD. As affordable and tempting as the cheapest plates are, don't hesitate to go for the higher priced ones which are often better quality vs. price ratio.

If you find yourself near a Genki, stop by and give it a try!

naomi

While the weather in Tokyo was nice, there were moments in the afternoon where the sun was blazing down onto our already exhausted selves. We found ourselves spending hours in cafes (Tiffany's favorite way to travel) and sipping on drinks that we can't find in Canada, like this Strawberries and Cream Frappucino.


Halfway in between sips, Tiffany spontaneously looks up at me and says 'let's go get a haircut'.


While I needed a bit more mental preparation, this girl was game to go all out and switch up her look. She quickly googled a salon in Tokyo, and found this one called BLOC which is known for styling hairstyles for models and fashion magazines.

We trekked all the way across Japan (or so it seemed), got lost along the way, and ended up in a very hidden and exclusive part of Tokyo which can only be accessed through a gated door and past a security guard, who was so kind as to direct lost foreigners towards their destination.


Walking in, we immediately noticed that while the place was gorgeously finished, and obviously extremely popular amongst local celebrities, no one there spoke a word of English. Thank goodness for google translate.


According to their page, BLOC salon has a number of different floors, each decorated in a unique theme. Having never stepped foot in a salon outside of North America, it was interesting to see the differences in approach when it came to the layout of the salon. Firstly, the rooms were all semi-private, and at most, only one person would be sitting there getting their hair done with you.

Secondly, there was none of those adjustable chairs that can be moved up and down at the stylist's leisure. Here, all the chairs were seemingly designed more for form than function.





Tiffany decided to get a cut, dye and style, and a total of 5 stylists worked on her for 5 hours. Meanwhile, I sat in a nearby chair entertaining myself with YouTube videos and taking loads of pictures of the whole process.



The attention to detail and the level of service was incomparable. The amount of care each stylist took during the whole process is something that's difficult to find in North America - unless you are a VIP and going to a top stylist.




So five hours we sat in that salon, watching the sun slowly set and seeing Tiffany's hair go from dark and lifeless to beautifully ombre and lustrously shiny. Pricing for this salon for quality and time was extremely reasonable,  but the English was definitely a barrier.

If you are planning on visiting this place, it's located in the garden of an apartment building, in the most unassuming of places. Be sure to brush up on a few hair styling terms, if you want to be sure you receive the cut you are looking to achieve. That or just bring a picture and google translate - works just as well.

naomi