Flying vs Frying

Toto Toilet on our Airplane

Staggered Seating, built by Ikea

Saki Bowl well chilled 

Fish Eggs on warm Rice

One Perfect Tempura Shrimp 

The Dinner pre-cooking

What Sauce was I supposed to use again?

Desserts

Tokyo Tower from our 53rd floor bedroom window

The flight on Japan Airlines from Los Angeles to Tokyo Narita Airport was very pleasant. We had never flown on Japan Airways before. The seating in Business Class is unusual - the seating is staggered in such a way that the person sitting in the window seat does not have to crawl across the aisle seat to leave their seat, they walk around it. The partitions reminded me of something you would buy at an Ikea store. They were totally functional but not highly aesthetic. The bathrooms had Toto Toilets! I have never experienced them before at 30,000 feet. All of the high-tech controls were there. We were able (with the aid of a sleeping pill and Bloody Mary) to sleep for a few hours on the flight. The seat converted to a comfortable bed. The food was excellent although we ate very little. They don’t serve everyone at once, rather whenever you are hungry you can order anything on the menu. Seems very sensible to me.

We arrived in a rainy Tokyo about 5pm. We expect rain and came prepared. After being greeted by our Driver, purchasing a Japanese SIM for my soon to be obsolete iPhone 7 Plus and exchanging dollars for Yen we were then  driven to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel for our stay in Japan.

Like many hotels in Japan, the Hotel lobby is not on the ground floor but rather on a higher floor. For the Ritz it was the 45^th floor of this tallest building in Tokyo. Our room is on the 53^rd floor looking out over the city towards the iconic Tokyo Tower.

Being exhausted from the long flight, we opted to eat at the hotels Tempura bar. It accommodates no more than 12 guests. Much like a Sushi bar, the chef prepares one piece of a Tempura at a time. He then presents it to you. Your place setting includes many tiny bowls of sauces. As each piece is presented, he points out the appropriate sauce to use. There was a Japanese couple sitting next to us. The chef also pointed out the proper sauce to use to them as each different Tempura was served. It made me feel good to know I wasn’t just a dumb tourist, but regular Japanese don’t know either.

Because we ordered Omakase style (you don’t order individual dishes – the chef just serves what he thinks is best), we didn’t know where we were in the flow of the Tempura dinner. Tempura just kept on coming. Eventually we were both so full, we indicated we were satiated. That was an indication to them to not stop serving, but rather to start to serve the 4 courses of dessert: including Soup with Rice, Soup with Shrimp Tempura, a delicious Custard and Mochi Ice Cream (Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short- grain japonica glutinous rice it is served cold like ice cream).

If I don’t want to arrive back in the states looking like a Sumo Wrestler, I best not order to many excessive (and expensive) Omakase Dinners. This was quite a treat!

We staggered back to our room to see if we could sleep. I woke up at 4am. Oh Jet lag I hate you, only a little less than I do Trump!