tabletop journey

A Tabletop Journey: Hakata Ikkousha Hakata DEITOS (August 2026)

Ajitama chashu ramen and bite-sized gyoza at Hakata Ikkousha in Hakata Men Kaido, Hakata Station. A solo ramen tabletop journey with foam-style tonkotsu soup and an unexpected kaedama incident.

2026.08.15

Solo Gourmet

A Tabletop Journey: Mariage Frères Ginza Main Store (August 2026)

A glossy chocolate cake and a strong chai-based tea at the Mariage Frères main store in Ginza, plus a box of Rouge Bourbon — a vanilla-flavoured rooibos — to take home. A tea-time record from Ginza's temple of tea.

2026.08.14

Solo Gourmet

A Tabletop Journey: NeRoLi herb (July 2026)

Vegan soft serve at NeRoLi herb, a herbal tea specialist in Omotesando. Thursday's flavour is Prime Quality, served on a brown rice cone: a cooling solo treat on a hot day.

2026.07.16

Solo Gourmet

A Tabletop Journey: Kissa Shokubutsu Saikou (July 2026)

A medicinal curry that turned out to be an incredibly delicious keema curry. A solo tabletop journey through Kissa Shokubutsu Saikou, a yakuzen cafe near Gaienmae.

2026.07.16

Solo Gourmet

A Tabletop Journey: Suzukake (June 2026)

Still wrapped in the afterglow of kabuki, I headed to Suzukake, a long-established wagashi shop beside the Hakataza, for a quiet solo bowl of anmitsu topped with vanilla ice cream.

2026.06.22

Solo Gourmet

A Tabletop Journey: Hakata Ikkousha (June 2026)

The finale of the trip was ramen, of course: a light shio-tonkotsu ramen with a seasoned egg at Hakata Ikkousha in Fukuoka Airport's Ramen Runway.

2026.06.22

Solo Gourmet

A Tabletop Journey: Coppie (April 2026)

The reservation I had mentioned booking last time has finally come around. My third tabletop journey through Coppie, the borderless-cuisine spot in Kyoto's Takatsuji, from the hanazansho-topped opener to bamboo-and-sansho noodles and the closing sorbet.

2026.04.11

Solo Gourmet

A Tabletop Journey: Coppie (March 2026)

A second solo dinner at Coppie, a borderless-cuisine sakaba in Takatsuji, Kyoto. From opener and potato salad to spring roll, onion, noodles, and sorbet, this is a tabletop journey through the meal in order.

2026.03.08

Solo Gourmet

A Tabletop Journey: Coppie (January 2026)

A solo dinner at Coppie, a tiny restaurant just south of Hankyu Omiya in Kyoto. From amuse-bouche to kiln-roasted pork and medicinal-herb curry, this is a tabletop journey through eight carefully made dishes.

2026.01.24

Solo Gourmet

A Tabletop Journey: Tokuwo (January 2026)

An omakase dinner plus two extra dishes at Tokuwo, a Japanese restaurant in Kyoto's Kiyamachi district. A gilded plate fit for Hideyoshi, deep-fried ebi-imo taro, and pillowy warabi mochi: a solo tabletop journey complete with the most genuine hospitality.

2026.01.17

Solo Gourmet