Japan Skin care Product review: Ettusais peeling sheet

Okay, I'm sure this brand might not be as well known to people but this brand from Japan (a sub brand of shiseido), is one of my fav Japanese skin products brand. It is exiting Singapore though cos sales isn't that good (well many haven't heard about it).

I chanced upon this brand during one of my trip to Japan a few years back. It started with me using their uv jelly sunblock which is good and then on to their melty lip lipbalm that my friend recommended which is damn good wtf (shall have separate posts for them in future) Then I started trying other products by them and they have not disappointed me yet.

This time I shall review their peeling sheet which basically, is like wet tissues - style exfoliator which removes dead skin cells and impurities from your pores. All you have to do is wipe your face with it (ok I wiped my face quite a few times and then I used it to wipe my hands and legs too - please don't judge me) and the dead skin cells and impurities will be removed. I'm pleasantly surprised to realize that some of my black heads are actually removed (not all are removed but 80-90%). I actually kept rubbing my skin the first time I used cos the sheet shows no dead skin cells or black head or anything but when I look into the mirror I can see that blackheads are definitely removed and my skin was brighter.



It's easier to apply make up and skincare products after using this. I will recommend this to everyone simply cos it's gentle on the skin and it's so convenient.

More info here 

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Japanese Skincare product review: Sekkisui Perfect UV Gel

I guess Kose is a well-known brand, especially with their Sekkisei line.  However, do you guys know about their sub-brand sekkisui which is exclusively sold at 7-11 Japan?

Sekkisui is a cheaper version of sekkisei, using less ingredients in their products (but it still works quite well). I think the Sekkisui line only included sun block and cleansing foam when I visited a few years back but recently they have been releasing masks, toner and moisturiser as well.

I always see tourists from other Asia countries buying Sekkisui products by cartons in Japan 7-11. It is actually quite scary lol. I always buy 1 or 2 for personal use though.

On to the product: Sekkisui Perfect UV Gel
This is a SPF50+ sunblock by sekkisei which looks similar to sekkisei (packaging-wise), I thought it was a knock-off brand at first and then I saw Kose at the bottom then I realised it's from the same company.

Top: Sekkisui
Bottom: Sekkisei

Review: As you can see, there is really not much difference between the 2 brands. The gel is easily absorbed into my skin, leaving no sticky residue. I would even say that this is light and less sticky on my skin as compared to Sekkisei Sun Protect Essence Gel.  This is, however, less moisturizing as compared to Sekkisei. At about 700 or 800 yen, which is like 10 sgd or so and having the same SPF as sekkisei, I would say that this is a good investment. Just slap on some really light moisturiser together with this and you are ready to go. People with oily skin can just use this alone and it will be enough I guess.

More info (in eng): here

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Hokkaido Sushi : Sushi Kantaro

Since Hokkaido is well-known for their seafood and my friend wanted to visit a kaitenzushi shop (sushi go round), we decided to visit Sushi Kantaro in Hakodate since it is a bay area and sushi kantaro is actually quite well-known there, having several branches in Hakodate itself. Sushi kantaro has a branch in Otaru, Sapporo airport and I think Osaka as well.

We visited the branch near Goryokaku Park and while the sushi weren't cheap cheap, it was value for money as in the sushi are really fresh and worth the price that they charged.



It was a fairly big outlet and it was empty when we went (we went at about 3pm) so there weren't any sushi going around the belt so we had to order (which is better actually, fresher somehow?) and the sushi chefs will ask us the amount of wasabi we want in our sushi so I thought it was a sweet gesture.


Scallop


Shirasu

I ordered chawanmushi as well cos it's my fav and I am so glad that the ginnan (gingko nut) that was in the chawanmushi is the sweetest I have ever tasted. Loved it!


I ordered the 3 kind of aburi fish -salmon, engawa and maguro


ikura, negitoro, uni

More info here (eng web).


Sushi Kantaro Goryokaku Park branch (they have other branches in Hokkaido, Osaka etc too):
Address: 25-17 Goryokaku-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 北海道函館市五稜郭町25-17

Operating hours:

11:00～22:00

Access: 15min walk from the Goryokaku Koen-Mae streetcar stop

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Japanese Body Product Review: Deoball Deodorant

So, my friend had introduced me a deodorant (which she said she regretted not stocking more when she went Japan last year) and told me to get it for her when I went to Japan this year. Basically, it is a roll-on deodorant with different scents – floral soap, citrus, sweet musk and rose bloom. 

It is called Deoball and is produced by Rohto Mentholatum (I love their eyedrops btw). I thought it looked cute, since it was shaped like a ball and all. I initially thought that people got it just cos it looks cute and it is convenient to bring around.

Since I was getting it for my friend, I decided to get it for myself as well to try. The surface area is bigger than the other roll-on deodorant and so you can apply it in seconds, which is a plus point (cos I’m lazy & I don’t wna waste too much time on this). After applying it, the citrus smell isn’t that strong (I was using the citrus one) and my pits felt dry and clean – so far so good. Then I went about my day, going to work etc *note: I live in Singapore where it is really humid & the weather is almost about 30 degrees daily + I sweat alot*.

It was in the afternoon when I smelt the citrus scent wafting from my pits and that’s when I realised that this is usually the time when my pits will smell a little and get wet when I forgot to put on deodorant. I was pleasantly surprised tbh, my pits remained dry and smelt good. This product just changed what should smell like sweat to a pleasant citrusy smell and this was when I realised why my friend is obsessed with this deodorant – it works!

I guess this should be able to last for months? & at a reasonable price of about 600+ yen, I think it is pretty worth it.  I would totally get this again when I visit Japan in the future. I recommend this to you guys~ get one to try if you visit Japan! This is one of the best deodorant around for me. 

Official website here

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Forget about Pablo, try Kobe Kannonya Cheesecake instead

I guess many have heard about Pablo cheesetarts, the rare cheesetarts are my fav and I would always get one when I visit Japan, but in my recent trip to Japan this year. I found something better and it seems it is not as hyped or known like Pablo.

I ordered the Denmark Cheesecake set (just realised I didn't take photos of the cake properly, took vids instead) and I can't remember the price but it should be 1,200 yen-ish? 

I bought it back for my friend and here's the photos. So what is special about this cheesecake is that there is two layers, a baked cheesecake as the base and the gooey cheese (which is so melty and stringy and yummy when heated). 

 Must eat for any cheesecake lovers

You get them take-out or eat-in. It is probably about 500 yen for one cheesecake if you buy in those take-out stores. I went to the outlet at motomachi shopping street and got the cheesecake from the store at Osaka station to bring back home. 

While Pablo is nice, this is a whole new different taste~ try this!

More info here

There is an outlet at Harbourland Mosaic Shopping mall as well. 

Shop name: 観音屋

Address: 3 Chome-9-23 Motomachidori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture 650-0022, Japan

Opening Hours : 11am- 10pm

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Kobe Beef in Tokyo

I have always heard about the magical beef in Japan, and how the farmers play music and feed chocolate to them and how tender their meat is, and the one always (mostly) talked about was Kobe beef.  Hence, when I visited Kansai region for the first time in 2014, I made it a point to travel out to Kobe to try their famed Kobe beef & boy, was it good. More about that here. Then I blogged about the cheap kobe beef in Osaka (which was good too!) here. Then this year I went to Kobe again and tried another restaurant. More about that here.

The thing is, I have tried Kobe beef in Tokyo last year as well (seems like Japan is the only place I ever travel to now, since I only travel overseas once a year anyway :x) and it certainly tastes as good as the ones they have in Kobe, the restaurant I visited in Tokyo served it steak style though while the ones in Kobe & Osaka that i visited were served teppenyaki style.   So, when I went to Tokyo with my friends last year, we went to eat Kobe beef in Tokyo as one of my friends wanted to try it. 

We went to Kobe Beef Kaiseki 511 located at Akasaka.
More info here.
They serve cheap Kobe beef hamburger - 1,500 yen. People who are familiar with Japan hamburger will know that it is thick beef hamburger patty served with rice and sauce etc (not actually served with buns and all).



We ordered the 12,000 yen 150g lunch set instead of the lunch set which start at 3,800 yen as the staff told us that it was rump meat (less oil) which means it might not be as tender. The set came with tea (not pictured), rice, pickles, side dishes, soup etc.



See that thing on top of the beef? That is solidified shouyu, which will melt when it comes in contact with the beef. It COMPLEMENTS the beef so damn well. This is obviously very different from teppenyaki style Kobe beef, I must say I love this a lot because you get to eat, like a whole big piece of beef and it is just so satisfying.

This is a definite must-try if you are in Tokyo and love beef. You can try the hamburger set or the lunch special Kobe beef, but whatever it is, just go try Kobe beef or Japan beef in general. Totally life changing beef for us. My mum who does not like to eat beef loves Kobe beef, so you can imagine how good it is.

Anyway, when dining in Japan, it is a point to note that while restaurants may serve the same food for lunch and dinner, it is usually more expensive during dinner. For example, a 150g kobe beef steak might set you back at 7,000 yen during lunch, but it will be 15,000 yen or more during dinner. Hence, it is best to eat expensive food (eg sushi, Kobe beef etc) during lunch and food with fixed prices all day  (eg. ramen/ udon/ soba/ gyudon) for dinner instead.

As usual, reservation is recommended.

Kobe Beef Kaiseki 511
Website: here
Address:  B1, Dear Plaza Akasaka, Akasaka 4-3-28,
Minato Ward, Tokyo 107-0052
Tel: 03-6685-0511 Fax: 03-6893-0511
Opening hours: Lunch 11:30～14:30 (L.O. 14:00)
Dinner: 18:00～23:00 (L.O. 22:00)
Closed on Sunday & Public Holidays

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Delicious ramen in Tokyo

I guess most of us love ramen. While there are many choices - ichiran, ippudo, rokurinsha etc...

The one in Ikebukuro - Mutekiya is absolutely delicious, if you love thick chashu and tonkotsu soup base, this is the place to go. Plus the fact that it is affordable - 1,050 yen?

More info here.

Coupon here (free 1/2 ajitama - ramen egg). 

The good thing about mutekiya is that it opens till like 4am, so you can always go for late dinner after all your shopping since shops close so early (imo). The downside will be that there is always a long queue cos everyone thinks the same T^T. We visited close to 10pm and there was a long queue omg. 

No regrets queuing tho. The chashu was so thick with the right amount of fats. The noodles are thick and springy, just the way I like it. Fans of thin noodles will probably prefer Ichiran noodles but I think the soup base here is way thicker and more delicious than ichiran (my opinion), but ichiran is delicious in its own way too. If you prefer thin noodles and lighter soup base, I doubt you will like this. However, if you are a fan of tonkotsu, then you have to try this. 

We ordered the gyoza to share as well and it was pretty good as well. 

Shop name: Mutekiya

Address: Japan, 〒171-0022 Tokyo, Toshima, 南池袋1丁目17-1

Operating hours: 10am - 4am

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Santa no hige - Hokkaido Melon ice cream

Hokkaido is famous for their melons as well, santa no hige (santa's beard) is a melon with milk ice cream/ melon ice cream or a mix of melon and milk ice cream. There are two branches - one in Furano city, one in Otaru. I went to the one in Otaru cos it's more easily accessible without car and all.

More info Here.

To find the shop.

This place is near the canal so it should be wasy to spot.  It is the building under the bell tower (?) thingy.

The shop is located on the first floor and we went up to level 2 to eat.

Half melon with plain ice cream - 1,100 yen. (mixed & melon ice cream cost 1,200 yen)
Quarter melon with ice cream - 650-700 yen w/o toppings.

There is also the choice of chocolate drizzle topping & red bean toppings.

Address: Japan, 〒047-0031 北海道小樽市色内1丁目1−17
Opening hours: 10:30-6:30

More info Here.
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Michelin-starred sushi restaurant in Otaru Hokkaido

So during my trip in Jul 2016 to Hokkaido (my 1st time to Hokkaido), I actually found out that there is a Michelin starred sushi restaurant in Otaru, which is less than 1 hour away  (43 mins) from Sapporo by train.

I guess most of you who have been to Hokkaido or are planning to visit Hokkaido probably have planned a day trip to Otaru or something. Otaru is actually pretty famous for their seafood (especially uni / sea urcchin) so I was very excited to be there.

That was when I found out about a Michelin starred sushi restaurant in Otaru, which cost less than the price of the sushi set served in my favourite Tokyo sushi restaurant (which is not Michelin starred by the way), so I know I just have to try this.

Restaurant web here.

Btw, side track a little here. I stayed in an airbnb for my Otaru trip (2 nights cos I reached in the late afternoon of the 1st day), most people would probably just plan a day or even a half day trip down to Otaru but we took our time and I am glad we did. It was relaxing and my airbnb host was such a good guy I feel like crying and the house was so big (it has two rooms, we used one room to dry our clothes hehe), it was a proper apartment with living room and dining table, unlike apartments in Tokyo and Osaka (guess Hokkaido really has all the land). I had requested for my airbnb host to help me book a seat at the restaurant (I went alone) and he did, but then I requested for a counter seat and then he called again, and again, for like 8 times actually cos the shop was so busy/ did not pick up the phone. I was so touched. Then when we reached Otaru, he actually contacted us the day before to confirm the timing we would reach Otaru so we could drive us to the airbnb house which is about 10-15 mins walk away from the train station, 15-20 mins walk from the attractions/ shopping districts. Then he helped us to carry our luggage up the stairs into the house (2nd floor) and he did the same thing when we were leaving and were heading to Sapporo. He drove us to the train station and helped us to buy train tickets. He also showed us how to use all the things in the house (washing machine/ heater (we didn't need it cos it was summer but we switched it on to dry our clothes and it was so useful), how to use the stove, electrical appliances and all. He even showed me how to go to the sushi restaurant and offered to drive me there the next day for my reservation (I walked there myself cos it's like 5 mins walk away from the apartment). If you are going to Otaru and staying a night there, I highly recommend you to stay with this host (seems like he has two listings, prolly side by side anyway).
*end side-track*

Here's the menu + sushi when I went in July 2016.

I ordered the Jun set, since I was already there...

other pages of the menu


They also offer Japanese traditional cuisines but you have to tell them which set you want when you make a reservation since they probably buy ingredients according to the reservations and all.

As mentioned earlier, I requested for a change to counter seat... hehe, right in front of where the magic takes place.


Since I ordered Gin (16 sushi)...
All sushi were already seasoned with soy sauce/ citrus/ salt so we can just eat it. yums.

1. Karei (Flounder) - This was the first piece of sushi and it was good, like so fresh. Really made me anticipate what was coming next. In my excitement, I actually forgot to take a photo of this, so I re-ordered this after finishing the set + ordering one more nigiri lol.


2. Shake (Salmon) - probably one of the thing Hokkaido is known for anyway, super fresh.


3. Maguro no shoyuzuke - (seasoned tuna in soy sauce)


4. Chutoro (Medium fatty tuna) -  okay, tbh I was a tad disappointed when i was served this, I was hoping for my fav tuna belly to appear but since I went at night there's probably no more ootoro, but it is still good though.


5. Shimesabe (Marinated mackerel)


6. Botan Ebi (big sweet shrimp) - very sweet.


7. Hotate (scallop)


8. Hokkigai (surf clam)


9. Tsubugai (whelk)


10. Shako - Okay, this is supposedly another famous Hokkaido local produce or something, but I didn't really like this (it was my first time eating this). It has a grainy texture and I think that is how the locals like it, doesn't really suit my tastes but it was sweet, so for me it is taste-wise: yes, texture-wise: no.


11. Zuwaigani (snow crab) - super  sweet


12. Ikura (Salmon roe)


13. Tarako (cod fish roe)


14. & 15. 2 variety of sea urchin - Bafun uni & Murasaki uni. Bafun uni wins, hands-down. We might be used to eating Murasaki uni and I thought that was good enough, till I ate bafun uni. It was so much sweeter and flavor that murasaki uni pales in comparison, It is good, but bafun uni is better (& much more expensive tho. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both varieties.


16. Wakame (seaweed) - Usually when you see this or egg sushi, it signifies that your set is ending. I felt so sad when I was served this. I WANT MORE D:


17. Maguro Temaki (tuna handroll) - Almost always the last probably so to fill up people's bellies?

Add-ons:

Shiromirugai (Geoduck) - I have never eaten raw geoduck before and I really wanted to try it and I did the right thing by ordering. It was fresh and I really liked the taste and texture. Apparently it was the most expensive sushi (I didn't know) that the sushi chef was like talking to the local guest who was like approving(?) me for ordering this and giving the thumbs up sign? The locals were like nodding their head in approval when I ordered this.  Think it is 880 yen for a piece or something T^T.

+ an additional karei (just so I can snap a photo of it lol)

So in total, I ate like 18 sushi and was so stuffed, but I have no regrets and their service is really good. Instead of topping up your tea, they actually changed the entire cup so you have a piping hot cup of tea instead of lukewarm tea. Oh yeah, set came with soup as well.

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