KURATABI

The other day, I went to Tokyo for the first time in a while. I stayed at a hotel for about a week while working. I also had plans to meet up with friends and colleagues who live here. This time, I decided to base myself around Ekoda Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, which I had never visited before.

The reason I chose Ekoda was simply that hotels with kitchens were cheaper there, and also because I tend to only go to the eastern side of Tokyo, so I wanted to see the streetscape on the western side. When I visited a friend who lives along the Seibu Shinjuku Line before, I really liked the nostalgic atmosphere of the shopping street on this side.

On the first day, after arriving in Tokyo in the afternoon and checking into the hotel, I took a leisurely stroll around Higashi-Nagasaki, the neighboring station to Ekoda.

While walking, thinking of buying ingredients for dinner at the supermarket, I spotted a yakitori shop run by an elderly woman. I decided to pick up a few skewers of yakitori to take back. Across from the yakitori shop was a greengrocer where I found inexpensive tomatoes, so I bought them for making Caprese salad.

Heading to the bakery early in the morning

I found several intriguing bakeries in Ekoda, so I decided to go buy some bread for breakfast. I headed out to the shuttered shopping street early in the morning, where retro signs exuding a nostalgic Showa-era atmosphere lined the street.

On this day, I visited a bakery called "Parlor Ekoda." They had a selection of hard-crust bread similar to what I had find in European bakeries.

I bought a cashew nut and black pepper bread, as well as a rustic bread. They were quite substantial, with a firm crust but a soft interior. You could faintly smell the acidity of the yeast.

I've recently taken up bread baking as a hobby, but when I taste authentic bread from a bakery like this, I really felt how much I still have to learn.

On that day, it was raining, and during my lunch break, I went shopping and stopped by the flower shop near the station. I bought a single rose on my way back. Ever since visiting a florist in Hakodate, I've been hooked on decorating my hotel room with flowers. I've been looking around lately for a portable, foldable flower vase.

Afternoon snack time on weekdays

On weekdays, I mostly spent my time working, so I stayed in the hotel most of the time. However, whenever I found some free time, I explored the area around the hotel. A small pleasure during workdays was taking a break in the afternoon for snacks.

Coffee brewed with freshly roasted beans and craft chocolate

This time, I added a coffee set (grinder and dripper) to my travel items, so I promptly went to procure some beans. I bought Mocha and Kilimanjaro beans from a local coffee roastery in Ekoda. Since I'm not yet very knowledgeable about coffee beans, I decided to buy what caught my interest for now, brew them, and explore my preferences.

To pair with the coffee, I bought craft chocolate from a specialty chocolate shop in Higashi-Nagasaki. It's chocolate made from raw cocoa beans right in the shop. When you put it in your mouth, the chocolate slowly melts, releasing the rich aroma of cocoa.

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The specialty of a cake shop beloved by locals

Visiting local cake shops is also one of the joys of traveling. Located just outside Ekoda Station, Andersen is a cake shop known for its signature treat, the Coronne, made with crispy pie crust. The custard cream filling inside offers a gentle milk flavor.

I wanted to try their cakes as well, so I bought a chocolate cake with strawberries. The sweet and tangy flavor of the berries combined with the chocolate harmoniously, and I couldn't help but finish it all in one go.

My cooking diary at the hotel

I always wished I could cook whenever I stayed in a business hotel, so this time I decided to try staying in a hotel with a simple kitchenette, and it turned out to be the perfect choice. Having the ability to cook really enhances the quality of life during travels.

For short trips, dining out is usually fine, but when the trip extends beyond a week, eating out can become tedious (and expensive). Being able to cook some simple meals in the room was a great relief.

I often dined out at night, but for breakfast and lunch, I mostly cooked for myself. Pre-cut vegetables for hot pot were handy and convenient as they could be used not only for hot pot but also for stir-frying. Since it was a trip, I decided to indulge a little, buying some nice cheese and sausages that I wouldn't usually buy. Shopping at the supermarket was exciting and enjoyable, adding a bit of excitement to the trip.

What I can only experience in a big city like Tokyo

I glimpsed a different side of Tokyo's downtown vibe compared to the eastern side. My stay in Ekoda was very intriguing.

I met up with a friend from my student days who has been living here for a long time, sharing updates on our lives, and went out for drinks with colleagues whom I usually only see remotely. There's definitely a unique kind of enjoyment and learning experience that you can only get in a big city like Tokyo. Although Sendai is a comfortable place to live, encountering these kinds of stimuli every once in a while reminds me of how narrow my perspective could become if I forget about them.