April 12-13: Honolulu to Tokyo

Our flight from Honolulu departed at 1:35 pm so we got dropped off at about 11:30 and went through security without any stress. We were on ANA airlines in the economy plus cabin so we got passes for the United lounge, so we had a light lunch before taking off. The flight to Tokyo was pretty uneventful and Luke did really well for being cooped up for eight hours. The flight from Honolulu seems so much easier than the flight from the mainland now. The Japanese airlines really know how to pamper you and leave a good impression. They brought some markers and a mug for Luke to decorate and also took a couple of pictures of all of us with the mug and some flowers at the end of the flight. I thought that was a really nice touch that we will always remember.

Gifts from ANA

After arriving at Haneda airport we took a bus to our hotel, the Shinjuku Washington Hotel, which is a few blocks from Shinjuku station. After we checked in we got settled and Christal grabbed a snack from the Family Mart in the lobby while we waited for Ojiichan to get to the hotel. After he arrived Christal and I headed out to grab a quick late dinner. We went to an izakaya just down the street from the hotel called Sakura Suisan.

Omelette w Dashi

We ordered a small sample of dishes to split so that we wouldn't eat too much. The first thing to come out was the omelette with dashi.

Grilled Hokke

Next was grilled hokke, or Atka mackerel. The fish is very mild and firm and it is usually seasoned generously with salt.

BBQ Scallop Skewer

Then came the barbequed scallop skewer. The scallops were tender and sweet, and they still had the digestive tract attached, which added a pleasant bitterness to the overall sweetness. The chicken thigh skewer that we ordered was basted with tare and it was good as always, but then again, it's pretty hard to mess it up.

Chicken Thigh w Tare Skewer

The last thing to come out was the tuna noten (top of the head) with leek skewer. The leek was nice and sweet and the tuna was savory with a firm texture. It wasn't quite as rich tasting as the noten nigiri we had at Sushi Zanmai last time, but it was still good.

Tuna Noten (Top of the Head) w Leek Skewer

After eating we headed back to relieve Ojiichan and luckily Luke was still asleep. Then we got ready for bed and zonked out.