Taste Tokyo: Rainbow Bagels

New New York Club, Jiyugaoka

I know this trend is a little outdated, but I thought I would post about my rainbow bagel experience in Tokyo last summer, so please bear with me. When the craze first broke out last year, I was dying to try these fun-colored bagels myself (I was a huge bagel fan in college… Till this day jalapeño cheese bagels are my favorite ♥︎). Anyway, it took a few months, but Japan finally got its own rainbow bagels store, New New York Club! This little trendy boutique restaurant is located in Jiyugaoka, and it’s about a 7 minute walk from the station. They only serve a limited amount of rainbow bagels on Saturdays and a few chosen holidays . In order to ensure they didn’t sell out, I made sure we were there at 11:05 (the store opened at 11:30). There was a line of about 3-5 people in front of us, so it wasn’t too bad. This was also back in July, so the bagel craze was already dying out.

We ended up ordering two bagels. One strawberry bagel and one of their signature rainbow bagels; plus their mac & cheese dish. They had a couple other flavors, but it would’ve been way too much food for us! I would say the bagels were normal. Quite tasty, but nothing super extraordinary. I preferred the strawberry flavor over the rainbow one (mainly due to the strawberry cream cheese). The rainbow bagel itself had a really sweet light cream cheese filling that I wasn’t a big fan of. The mac & cheese was delicious though and overall the restaurant had a cozy ambience. It had a vintage old American diner feel to it, and the counter was lined with boxes of American candies (Nerds, Reeses, etc.) for decoration.

I would recommend trying out the New New York Club for anyone in Japan looking to get a taste of the rainbow bagel. I’m really curious though as to how the Tokyo rainbow bagels compare to the original New York ones!

Taste Tokyo: Teuchi Udon Kanouya

Hand-made Udon at Kanouya, Asakusa 

Today’s lunch! One of my favorite dishes to eat during the summer in Japan is cold noodles. It’s so refreshing and rejuvenating on a hot, muggy days. Soba, soumen, udon, hiyashi chuuka, tsukemen… chilled noodles with some ice-cold barley tea is my idea of a perfect summer lunch!

Capture Hawaii: Eat the Street

Eat the Street, Kaka’ako Honolulu

One of the aspects I love most about Hawaii is the local community… and the food! Hawaii definitely has one of the most unique and delicious cuisines around (although I know I’m incredibly bias, haha)! Just to be clear though, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Hawaii, there is a difference between local food and Hawaiian food. Traditional Hawaiian food are dishes like poi, lomilomi salmon, haupia, etc., while local food is more of a blend of Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, American, and Portuguese cuisines (i.e. loco moco, mochiko chicken, saimin, spam musubi, etc.), which is reflective of local Hawaii culture as well. Hawaii is often referred to as a “cultural melting pot,” and local food is a great representation of that! Anyway, in Hawaii we also have this great event called Eat the Street, which is usually held a couple times per month. There is usually a set theme for the event and local food vendors will set up dozens food trucks where people can go and enjoy the various dishes. The last time I went the theme was garlic, haha! Anyway, it’s a great little event to check out if you’re ever in Hawaii to get a small taste of the delicious local cuisine!

Taste Tokyo: J.S. Burgers

J.S. BURGERS CAFE (Shinjuku Brach)

I can always count on my friends to introduce me to all these cute trendy restaurants around Tokyo! Today’s pick is J.S. Burgers Cafe. A casual burger joint with a classic menu and taste (plus it’s quite affordable). If you’re in the mood for American-style 100% beef hamburgers, this is one great option to fulfill that craving. They have branches in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, and Ikebukuro.