YoNinja’s Japan Travel Concierge service helps you build a practical, personal plan around your dates, budget, interests, and travel style. You get clear guidance before you go, so you can spend less time sorting through conflicting advice and more time looking forward to the trip.

Request a Japan Travel Consultation

What your plan can include

• A tailored day-by-day itinerary that leaves room to explore
• Neighborhood and accommodation recommendations that fit your trip
• Practical rail, airport, and local transport guidance
• Ideas for food, culture, shopping, nature, and family-friendly experiences
• Booking priorities and reservation guidance for the parts of the trip that need advance planning

Who this is for

This service is a strong fit for first-time visitors who want confidence before arriving, couples planning a special trip, families and small groups with competing priorities, and independent travelers who want a better plan without a rigid packaged tour.

How it works

1. Tell us about your trip. Share your travel dates, group, budget range, interests, and the places you are considering.
2. We shape the itinerary. We turn those details into a sensible route, recommended pacing, and practical priorities.
3. You travel prepared. You receive clear recommendations and next steps, with the flexibility to make the experience your own.

A plan built around your version of Japan

Some travelers want Tokyo energy, quiet Kyoto mornings, and a few memorable meals. Others want art islands, mountain towns, baseball, anime, gardens, or time with family outside the major cities. The right itinerary is not a checklist. It is a route that reflects what you care about and gives each day enough breathing room.

Pricing

Every trip is different, so planning is quoted based on your itinerary length, group size, and the level of support you need. Start with a consultation and we will discuss the scope before you commit.

Start Planning Your Japan Trip

The post Japan Travel Concierge appeared first on YoNinja – Your Global Travel Guide.

Diglight – Live music bar in baba

Shibuya – shopping/bars

Here is a list of our favorite places in Tokyo. It consists of restaurants, sightseeing destinations, bars, and other activities. If you can check off at least a quarter of these on your next trip to Tokyo, then you will have a very fun trip!
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Diglight – Live music bar in baba

Shibuya – shopping/bars

Gyukaku

Torikizoku

Hanshin tigers game at Jingumae

Shinjuku – Shanghai Xiaochi, batting cages, and bar hopping

Roppongi – Gonpachi, Agave

Uogashi Nihon (AKA Standing sushi) or Sushi Zanmai

Yoyogi/Harajuku – weekend walk through park or check out the fairgrounds for a special event

Hanabi Taikai – summer firework festival

Hanami – cherry blossoms

Kanamara matsuri

Asakusa Sanja Matsuri

Koenji Awadori Festival

Kamakura – temple and shrine visits and beach or Enoshima island

Niijima or Shikinejima islands

Mt Fuji

Hakone shrine in the woods visit

Ootoya – Japanese chain restaurant

Zest Cantina

La Boheme

Chinese Cafe 8

Tsukiji Fish Market

Odaiba

Inakaya – a traditional Japanese restaurant in Roppongi (very expensive though)

Decco  bocco – 500 yen pizza joint

Maruhachi – Japanese izakaya

Izakaya En

Agave – tequila bar restaurant

Sakuratei – A Japanese Okonomiyaki restaurant surrounded by a art studio.

Pub Cardinal – Akasaka, Marunochi, Ginza

Tohokenbunroku (order by electronic menu and has English available)

Andy’s Izakaya

Kyomachi Koishigure

Gonpachi

Ramen – Ippudo, Jangara, Ichiran,

Omoide Yokocho – Memory street restaurants in Shinjuku

The post Our Top Recommended Sites in Tokyo appeared first on YoNinja – Your Global Travel Guide.

Enjoy!

Amsterdam:

• B&B Lunchroom – Restaurant
• Brouwerij De Prael – Bars
• Castell – Restaurant

Australia:

• Grossi Florentino – Restaurant
• Palmer and Co – Bars
• The Baxter Inn – Bars
• Rare Steakhouse Midtown – Restaurants
• Dikstein’s Corner Bar – Restaurant/Bar

Beijing:

• Sureno – Italian Restaurant
• Xiu – Bar

Brussels:

• Noordzee – Restaurants
• Les Brassins – Restaurants

Columbus, Ohio:

• Barley’s Brewing Company – Restaurant
• Schmidt’s Banquet Haus – Restaurant
• The Thurman Cafe – Restaurant
• Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace – Restaurant

Copenhagen:

• Cocks and Cows – Restaurant

Dubai:

• 360 Degrees – Bars
• Al Hallab Restaurant & Sweets – Restaurants
• Asha’s – Restaurant
• Pai Thai – Restaurant
• Wafi Gourmet – Restaurant

Dublin:

• The Temple Bar – Bar

Edinburgh:

• STEAK – Restaurant

Florence:

• Il Latini – Restaurant
• Trattoria 13 Gobbi – Restaurant

Fukuoka:

• Makanai Shokudo Kiwamiya – Restaurant
• Dai – Restaurant
• El Borracho

Hamburg:

• Parlament – Restaurant
• Hofbrau der Alster – Restaurant

Hong Kong:

• Aqua Bar and Restaurant – Restaurant/Bar
• BLT Steak – Restaurant
• Intercontinental Hotel Bar – Bar
• Whisk – Restaurant

Honolulu: 

• Marukame Udon – Restaurants
• Duke’s Waikiki – Restaurants

Kuwait:

• Burj Al Hamam – Restaurant

London:

• Barbacao – Restaurant
• Belgo Centraal – Restaurant
• Burger and Lobster – Restaurant
• Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – Restaurant
• Pizza East Portobello – Restaurant

Los Angeles:

• Guido’s Restaurant – Restaurants
• La Descarga – Bars
• Miro Restaurant – Restaurants
• Morton’s Steakhouse – Restaurants
• Perch – Restaurants
• The Ace Hotel Bar – Bars
• The Escondite – Restaurant/Bar
• Fisherman’s Outlet – Restaurant
• The Standard Rooftop Bar – Bars

Milan: 

• Pizzeria Fabbrica – Restaurant
• Radetzky – Bars

Moscow:

• Grand Cafe Dr. Jhivago – Restaurant

Munich:

• Andechser am Dom – Restaurant
• Hofbrauhaus – Restaurant
• Osteria Italiana – Restaurant
• Spatenhau an der Oper – Restaurant

New York:

• Bobwhite – Restaurant
• Arthur’s Tavern – Bars
• Garage Restaurant and Cafe – Restaurant/Bar
• Katz’s Delicatessen – Restaurant
• Lombardi’s Pizza – Restaurant

Paris:

• Le Relais de Venise – Restaurants
• Le Hide – Restaurants
• Le Severo – Restaurants
• UC-61 – Bars
• Le cafe blanc – Restaurants

Prague:

• Ristorante Pizzeria Giovanni – Restaurants
• NOI – The Art of Taste – Restaurants
• Kolkovna – Restaurants

Rome:

• Colline Emiliane – Restaurants
• Open Baladin – Restaurants

Sapporo:

• Ebi Soba (Shrimp Ramen) – Chitose

Seoul:

• Chicken Baengi – Restaurant

Shanghai:

• Bar Rouge – Bars
• Din Tai Fung – Restaurants
• Lost Heaven – Restaurants
• Mr. and Mrs. Bund – Restaurants
• M1nt – Bars
• Element Fresh – Restaurant
• South Beauty – Restaurantt

Singapore:

• Brussels Sprouts – Restaurant
• Coco – Restaurant
• Fuse – Bar
• No Signboard Seafood – Restaurant
• Martini Bar – Bar
• PS. Cafe – Cafe

Stockholm:

• B.A.R. Blasieholmens Akvarium och Restaurang – Restaurants
• Bakfickan – Restaurants

Taipei:

• Shin Yeh – Restaurants
• Seafood market Taipei Fresh 100 – Restaurants

Tokyo:

• Agave – Bars
• Chinese Cafe 8 – Restaurants
• Inakaya – Restaurants
• Jangara Ramen – Restaurants
• Kushiage Ryu – Restaurants
• Uogashi Nihon Ichi (Standing Sushi) – Restaurants
• Issaigassai Taiyomitaini Kagayaku – Restaurants

Toronto:

• Rodney’s Oyster House – Restaurants
• Barberian’s Steak House – Restaurants
• The Senator Restaurant – Restaurants
• PAI – Restaurants

Venice:

• Dal Moro’s – Fresh Pasta To Go – Restaurants
• Pizzeria Antico Forno – Restaurants

The post Global City Guide appeared first on YoNinja – Your Global Travel Guide.

#1 Ichiran

Ichiran

With Ichiran having locations throughout Japan, it’s bound to be in our top 5. But not just because it’s conventietly placed throughout Japan, this ramen is amazing with such a deep flavor and nice little spicy kick to it! The restaurant is also very cool. You sit in little booth like seats where you have walls on both sides of you and you get your bowl of noodles delivered by a person behind a tiny hanging curtain. The experience eating in Ichiran is just part of the fun and adds to the overall ramen experience. You also get a little sheet of paper at the beginning of your meal to select things like, tenderness of your noodles, level of spicy, amount of garlic and green onions. It’s #1 on our top 5, need we say more. Go and enjoy this amazing bowl of noodles and then go back every chance you get!

#2 Jangara

Jangara Ramen

Jangara ramen comes in as a VERY CLOSE second. I think the overall experience of eating at a Ichiran restaurant was what gave Ichiran the extra 2 points to come in first. They are both very delicious bowls of ramen. Jangara is just an explosion of flavors that just can’t be matched. We HIGHLY recommend you to order the bowl that comes with all the toppings. The kakunin (fatty pork slices) is heavenly and melts in your mouth. The everything bowl comes with mentaiko which gives it that extra kick of a little spice and really changes up the taste. After you eat a bowl of this, you will need to take a nap. Oh, did we mention the hanjuku egg (runny hard boiled egg) that comes with it as well? Our recmmendation, fight the temptation and save the egg for the very end. You will be in food heaven!

#3 Ippudo

Ippudo

It’s no wonder the top 3 ramen companies on our list are from Fukuoka. Fukuoka just knows what they are doing when it comes to ramen. Each prefecture has their own way of creating the perfect bowl of noodles. The type of broth, the noodle thickness, the ingredients, and toppings, typically vary by prefecture. We love Ippudo ramen for it’s style and use of burnt oil. The black oil in this photo is what we consider their secret weapon. We can’t explain it, it’s just amazing! Make sure you get a bowl of AKA ramen when you go here. You will thank us later!

#4 Taishouken

Taishouken

Taishouken is one of the ramen shops that is not really a famous or well know chain. It definitely has a huge following though as it can see lines of 20+ people on week days during lunch and dinner time. Taishouken is Japanese simplicity at it’s finest. A very simply bowl of ramen but with a broth that is to die for. There is a LONG waiting list to work for this company and learn from the ramen masters that work here. This bowl of noodles is so simply that there is not much to talk to. But if you trust us and head down to this restaurant, you will know why it made number 4 on our list. The shop also sells chilled noodles, the broth, and the menma, so if you enjoy your meal (which I know you will), pick up a few bags to take home. You will be so content and full at the end of your meal that you won’t want to, but you will thank us in a couple days when you start craving it again!

#5 Ramen Jirou

Ramen Jirou

Ramen Jirou has been around for a long time and it also have a following. It’s not as main stream and well known as the top 3 on our list, but those that do know this little secret ramen joint, absolutely love it! It’s a bit intense for the new comer to ramen, and unless you have a hugh appetite, we recommend to hold off on experiencing this place. The restaurant is a bit rough looking on the inside, but it’s from the years and years of bowling pork bone soup in the large pots in the kitchen and just pumping out ramen day in and day out. The pork here is super tender and full of rich flavors! If you are starving and in the mood for ramen, head down to Ramen Jirou and get your fill. We still think you will have a hard time finishing this mammoth sized bowl of noodles!

The post YoNinja’s Best of Ramen – Tokyo, Japan appeared first on YoNinja – Your Global Travel Guide.

Food

Kyomachi-Koishigure – Transport yourself back to Kyoto around the time Geisha ruled as the best entertainers!

Gyukaku – All you can eat Japanese BBQ. What more could you want!

Torikizoku Izakaya – You can’t beat the price of this Izakaya and all the delicious food on the menu. Everything on the menu is 280 yen!

Shanghai Xiaochi – What an experience this place. This place has a BYOB policy. Any type of alcohol minus beer is allowed to be brought into the restaurant. The lady that runs the place is what really makes this place. You walk down a dirty alley which seems like you will be mugged to see a quirky little Chinese restaurant. The first two floors are for customers and the kitchen is on the third floor. The lady can be seen yelling your order from outside to the 3rd floor kitchen. And did we mention the food here is AMAZING! We recommend the tofu noodles, clam in oyster sauce, deep fried bread and any of the green Chinese vegatables. AMAZING!
Ramen Shops – You can’t come to Japan and not enjoy ramen. Take all your preconceptions and throw them out the window. We are not talking about Top Ramen, if you have never had Japanese ramen, you are in for a treat. Go to either Ippudo, Ichiran, or Jangara. There is bound to be one in every major city you visit!

Gonpachi – You wanna see the restaurant that inspired the movie set that Quentin Tarantino designer for the famous Kill Bill fight scene? Wanna see the restaurant that Japanese prime minister Koizumi took George Bush for a fun night out. This long time favorite themed restaurant in Roppongi should not be missed!

Sushi – Our favorites are Standing Sushi and Sushi Zanmai. If you are visiting Japan, odds are you love Sushi and can’t wait to taste what Japanese sushi tastes like. And yes, it’s better than anything you had outside of Japan. The Japanese get the cream of the crop, mostly because they buy so much, they tend to get first dibs in the market. There are so many different sushi restaurants, but you are bound to be able to find a standing sushi shop in pretty much every major city in Tokyo and you just can’t beat the quality and the taste!

Ebisu Yokocho – This is a cool indoor place where 2 dozen or so restaurants are stacked side by side. It’s a very popular place for tourist and Tokyo locals. Expect slightly higher prices for your standard yakitori, oden, and izakaya fare, due to the atmosphere. Great place to kick off your night out!

Sakura Tei – This is a cool Okonomiyaki restaurant sit inside a massive art gallery complex. Cool structures, art work, and graffiti on the walls. Definitely a great place to enjoy Okonomiyaki with friends. It also has outdoor seating areas which are nice.

Omoide Yokocho – One of Shinjuku’s oldest areas. This little place is a secret gem not most know about or frequent all too often. But here you can find several tiny little 4-5 seat bars in the back alleys of Shinjuku’s Kabukicho area. A very local spot and will let you experience a side of Japan, most do not.

Ootoya – Denny’s of Japan, but just so much better. It’s Japanese staple food at great prices. Perfect for a solid Japanese meal that taste delicious but under 1000 yen. Perfect for the budget traveler!

Andy’s Izakaya – Can’t beat Andy’s Izakaya which is a restaurant that sits directly under the train tracks that the bullet train rides on. This place has a lot of character. Make sure to say hello to Andy and ask him what the fresh seafood of the day is. He goes to the Tsukiji fish market every morning and purchases some of the best and freshest seafood. Don’t leave here without getting the scallops, order at least double of what you think you will eat, because you will eat them all!

Chinese Cafe 8 – A quirky Chinese restaurant with decor to get you in the mood. Oh by the way, the food is amazing!

Drinks

Agave – The tequila bar in Roppongi is a place to end the night, start the night, or take a break from the night. A HUGE selection of tequilas and some great Cuban and Dominican cigars available for purchase!

Womb – Womb is a an awesome club in Shibuya near love hotel hill. Womb gets some amazing DJs from all over and you can guarantee your night will be fun if you end up in this basement club!

Scramble – Any local will tell you scramble is one of those places that never gets old. Pop in for a quick drink and watch the crazyiness go on around you. Prefect for a pre-game drink or to hang out until that darn first train!

300 Bar – 300 bar has two locations in the glitzy Ginza district and gets PACKED! We also like that all drinks are only 300 yen. Say hello to Johnny the skater bar guy. The coolest dude this side of Tokyo Tower.

Geronimo Shot Bar – An awesome dive bar in the heart of Roppongi. Blasting music all night long…this little bar gets PACKED and wild! Definitely not Japanese, but our local Japanese friends love in and frequent it all the time. Take the shot challenge and get your name engraved on a name plate and have it nailed to the bar somewhere, there are hundreds already there, so you will need to fight for space.

Activities

Shibuya – Shibuya has your shopping, awesome restaurants, bars, clubs, and more. Perfect for a day time stroll around to shop and get funky at night!

Harajuku – Check out this famous shopping street, which is famous for those Harajuku girls and their unique clothing styles.

Yoyogi Park – Enjoy a nice walk in the park. Come out on Sundays to see the park come to life with groups of people doing all kinds of interesting things!

Jingumae Baseball Stadium – Catch a Japanese baseball game. Something NOT to miss…especially when the Hanshin tigers play.

Hanami – Cherry blossom season (end of March/early April) is probably our favorite time of the year. The weather finally warms up after a long winter and the cherry blossoms start to bloom all over Japan making Japan look like something out of a story book. Everyone is happy enjoying a picnic under the trees and drinking liters and liters of beer.

Hanabi – We can’t forget about Hanabi – summer firework festivals! Some of the festivals last for several areas, like Sumidagawa with an amazing 22,500 fireworks!!!

Roppongi – Home to Gonpachi, Mori Tower, VERY expensive flats, world famous clubs, bars, and restaurants!
Asakusa Sanja Matsuri – A summer festival in Asakusa. It gets a bit crazy, but hey, that’s why we love Japan!

Koenji Awadori Festival – If you are in Japan during the Koenji Awadori festival, make sure to get yourself down to Koenji and enjoy watching the festival.

Mt Fuji – No explanation needed. If you are in Japan during the summer months, you can join a tour group and climb (more like walk) to the top of the mountain and see the sun rise over Japan. Well worth it!
Kamakura – One of the more famous places where Samurai ruled the land. This beautiful area is perfect for a nice sunny day as it’s literally a short walk to the ocean and has temples and shrines and samurai museums scattered all throughout the area. It’s also within close proximity to Enoshima island.

Enoshima Island – If doing a visit out to Kamakura, make sure you walk out to Enoshima island and check out all the cool little Japanese shops. If you are up for a hike, walk to the top of this island and see the temples scattered throughout. You could easily spend a day just exploring around this island. So perhaps make Kamakura a 2 day trip. There is a cool little onsen/hotel on the island that you can spend the night in relaxing after a long walk around all that Kamakura has to offer!

Niijima, Mikurajima, Shikinejima Islands – Yes Tokyo has islands. Some of the islands are only 3-4 hours away by speed boat with others being around 5-7hrs. Mikurajima has around 300 wild dolphins that live around it that you can swim with! Shikinejima is a beautiful island with white sand beaches and natural hot spring spas that sit right on the water. You literally enjoy a nice hot spring while looking into the ocean. Great fishing and snorkeling around this island too!

Hakone – Up in the mountains and only an hour or two away from Tokyo. There is some very scenic places to see here with temples and shrines buried in the woods. Stay the night and enjoy natural hot springs and rejuveniate from a crazy weekend in Tokyo. Our detox destination!

Shinjuku – What can you not do in Shinjuku? There isn’t much you couldn’t! Check out all the cool restaurants and bars? In the mood for some outdoor batting cages after your late night of drinking? Jump into a karaoke box and sing the night away? Bowling? Darts? Shinjuku has everything for a fun night out…or every night out!

Odaiba – Odaiba, a man made island that has a theme park, man made beach, the statue of liberty, Toyota’s car park, outdoor onsen (hot spring) and more. You can easily spend a day or weekend here!

Tsukiji Fish Market – Where blue fin tuna is auctioned off every morning and shipped all around the world.

Maps and Other Useful Information

Tokyo Subway Train Map – A high quality PDF of the Tokyo underground. This does not include regular/overground train lines. It would just be too difficult to read. Most likely you will be using the metro in Tokyo, but feel free to reference the Jorudan train software link below to see if there are better travel options.

Jorudan Train Route (English Train Route Finder) – Find your way from point A to point B including train fares and times. One of the most handy tools for savvy tourist and used by millions of residents of Japan.

Foods you Must Try:

Yakiniku – Japanese BBQ. Many restaurants in Tokyo have all you can eat deals for under 3000 yen. Like our favorite Gyukaku. You get to choose from all kinds of cuts of beef, chicken, pork, seafood, and vegetables

Ramen – Japanese ramen is our favorite type of noodle dish. Try it and you will know why!

Yakitori – Meats on a stick grilled over charcoal or a gas grill. Chicken, beef ,pork, liver, heart, you name it. Perfect with beer!

Sushi/Sashimi – No explanation needed! Just eat it!

Okonomiyaki – What Osaka is known for. This dish is a made of flour, egg, water, cabbage and different types of meats. Many restaurants have a flat grill built into the table and you create your own dish and cook it yourself. Perfect for a night out with friends and several rounds of beers!

Yaki Soba – Fried soba noodle with vegetables and meat. Another favorite from Osaka

Takoyaki – Another famous dish that was born in Osaka. It’s hot balls of dough with chopped pieces of octopus and some ginger and chives. Delicious!

Udon – Japanese fat white noodle in soup. Served with topping like fried tofu, meat, or tempura.

Donburi – Rice bowl with usually egg, chicken, or pork.

Tempura – Deep fried seafood and vegetables. Another favorite export from Japan like Sushi

Katsu Don – Deep fried pork cutlet served surrounded by an omelet over a bed of rice.

Shabu Shabu – Japanese hot pot. Served with various types of vegetables and meats. Sumos eat something similar which is also highly recommended.

Chanko Nabe

Sukiyaki – Another type of Japanese hot pot. This one is very similar to Shabu Shabu but the sauces are different. You usually eat this by dipping the boiled meats and vegetables you just cooked in the pot into a sauce or a beaten raw egg. Very good!

Words and Phrases you Must Know:

Sumimasen – This means excuse me and is used in restaurant settings when you want to call to the waitor or waitress to have them come to your table. . Unlike western countries, in Asia, you call the waiter or waitress over to your table. If it’s a loud and noisy restaurant, yelling it to your waitor/waitress is perfectly fine! Isn’t Asia fun! Can you believe you get such great on-demand service and there is no expectation of a tip.

Kudasai – Please. Used when making requests like when ordering food. Beer Juseyo for example. Similar to the Japanese word Onegaishimasu

Mizu – Water. You can say Mizu Kudasai to ask for a glass of water in a restaurant

Otearai – Toilet

Doko desu ka – Where is…? So mix and match what you have learned thus far…otearai doko desu ka? Where is the toilet. Isn’t language fun. You’re gonna have a blast in Japan!

Oishii- Delicious! Staff and chefs love to hear compliments. If you are eating some amazing food in Japan, which you will be, tell them, Oishii!!!

Dekinai-  Can’t do it.

Ikura desu ka? – How much is it?

Takai- Expensive

Makete Kudasai – Discount please – great for bartering. Remember, people wont expect you to be fluent, actually they will be surprised you know this much. Don’t worry if you can’t hold a conversation. Just the fact that you are utterly a few words here and there, means you are trying. And people respect and enjoy that!

Tabemono – Food

Kaikei (or Okanjo)  – Check / The Bill – in a restaurant

Nanto iu (e-ou) – How do you say…X? The first phrase we ALWAYS learn when we visit a country. It’s the rosetta stone to any language. With a bit of charades and point and this phrase you can pretty much learn anything and then expand on your sentence. Let’s say you want to know the word for water. You can point to your glass of water and say Nanto iu? Or if they know a word in English you can say, hamburger nanto iu?

Hai – Yes (affirmative)

Nani- What?

Nande  – Why?

Tsumaranai – Boring

Visiting a new country and learning about the local people is an amazing experience. Multiply that experience by 100x if you throw in a little local lingo. You will be amazed by how much more fun you will have. Enjoy!

Day Trips & Nearby Destinations

Hakone – Hakone is a cool destination which is easily reachable by train and is perfect for a long day trip. Enjoy walking around the shrines that sit in the forest along the lake or relax in one of the natural hot springs by visiting one of the hot spring resorts/hotels in the area.

Yokohama – Yokohama city is another very populous cities that sits only a 30-40 minute train ride away. Be sure to check out the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama.

Kamakura – Seaside area just 40-50 minutes from Tokyo with many cool temples to explore. Lots of Samurai things to see as well!

Koyasan (Mt. Koyasan) – South of Osaka, great for a walk around the temples, cemeteries hidden in the forest, or a overnight stay in a temple with morning prayers with monks.

Osaka – a very cool city to check out with a lot going on very close by. Osaka is home to Dontombori area, the Osaka castle, and Umeda city area.

Hiroshima – a depressing stop, but great none the less an important place to see.

The post Tokyo City Guide appeared first on YoNinja – Your Global Travel Guide.

Food

Chicken Baengi – We have to say, after being all over the world and trying all kinds of food, this place, hands down, has the best fried chicken on the planet! Okay okay, so that’s a pretty bold statement, but seriously, you will be blown away by what you will eat here. Chicken and beer restaurants/bars are probably Korean’s best kept secret. We aren’t talking KFC or Popeyes, we are talking about fried chicken that you have never experienced. It’s just too difficult to try to explain. Put it this way, if we had 500 bucks to burn, and we could only do one thing in Seoul, it would be to go here and eat a plate of regular fried chicken, bbq sweet and sour chicken, and a few pints of Cass. It’s seriously that good, do not miss it!

Two Two Chicken – Another chicken and beer joint. Just in case you can’t find our number one pick Chicken Baengi.

Yookssam Naengmyeon – We love this place for 3 reasons, the menu is super simple, it’s incredibly cheap, and it’s delicious! What more could you ask for you!

New Village Restaurant – Ah the dependable New Village Restaurant. New Village is a Korean BBQ chain and can literally be found all throughout Seoul. If you walk 15 minutes in one direction you will probably find one. The reason why we love this place is just because the food is great, the price is spot on and they just seem to always be open somewhere. Oh yeah, and we L-O-V-E Korean BBQ!

Myeongdong Street Food – Korean street food is amazing! If you see a cart (especially one with a line) try it out and enjoy the local cuisine! Be sure to try Toppoki, Sundae (Soondae), and Pappinsu. You can’t go wrong with these!

Drink

Glam Lounge – Glam is a trendy bar/lounge with one super long bar down the middle and just packed with good looking 20 and 30 year olds. If you want a good time out in Itaewon away from all the tourist/military bars, this is the place. It’s also next door to a very cool club which you can pop into to get your groove on until the early hours of the morning! They are both part of the same place called District but the club area has a cover charge you need to pay to get inside.

B One Lounge Club – One of the best places to get down and get your groove on. After you have done the bar hopping thing in Hongdae, Apgujeong, Gangnam, and Itaewon. And you are ready to dance your ass off, head over to B One Lounge Club, one of the hottest clubs in Seoul

Hongdae/Itaewon/Gangnam/Apgujeon– You can’t go wrong with choosing one of these areas to get your drink and dance on!

Activities

Haeundae Beach – Is the sun out and is it warm? Wanna break from the hustle of the city? Then head down to Haeundae beach and chill with the locals!

Dongdaemun – Dongdaemun is one of the cities in Seoul. It’s famous for it’s 24/7 shopping malls that never close. This city never sleeps and you can walk through massive complexes that operate 24/7. We aren’t talking about designer brands, just a bit of everything. And since this area never stops, there are tons of restaurants, bars, and outdoor activities always taking place.

Lotte World – Korea’s answer to not having a Disneyland. Lotte World is a HUGE indoor amusement park with rollercoasters, children rides, shows, and more. It’s a pretty impressive site to see how much they fit inside this mega complex. The island which is connected to the main park of the amusement park has more of the adult rides and roller coasters. Funny thing is, each of the rides look suspiciously similar to Disneyland’s rides. For example Sinbad’s adventure looks like a straight copy of Indiana Jones with just different characters. 😉 But we still love it and it makes for a fun place to visit in the evening with their half day discounted passes!

Paradise Walker Hill – Fancy trying your luck at the card tables? Yep, Korea does have a casino and it’s right in the middle of the city.

Namsan Park – Seoul’s largest parks. You can enjoy a nice walk through the park and head up to the tower for a view of the city!

Apgujeong – Apgujeong is a cool trendy city where the 20s and 30s crowd hangs out. It’s filled with upscale restaurant, shops, and bars.

Myeondong – Where the teenagers and early 20s hang out. The feeling is very similar to Japanese Harajuku area, with tons of fast fashion retailers, fast food joints, and street vendors.

Hongdae – Oh Hongdae, you are what really make Seoul for us. Hongdae is a college town but at night feels like just one big CLUB. If you go to only one place, go here, eat at Chicken Baengi and then drink or dance your ass off. Basically colleges are scattered throughout this area and in between all of the colleges it’s just PACKED with restaurants, bars, and clubs. Literally, any night of the week, this place is pumping. Just get dropped off on the main street that leads into this area and then just walk around. If you know what a fraternity row feels like (an area with a lot of fraternity houses in it), well it’s like that but the size of the area covers something like a 5 by 5 street block area.

Hwaseong Fortress – This cool area makes you feel like you have just gone back in time. If Seoul gets snow on the ground, we highly recommend this place as it looks really cool! It’s a walled city and you can walk the entire perimeter along the stone walls and check out the look out points and where the soldiers once slept and defended the area.

Seoul Lantern Festival – If you are in Seoul around November, this festival should not be missed. It consists of what feels like hundreds of lanterns that are floating in the water way around city hall.

DMZ – Go to the border of North and South Korea. See where the North Koreans built underground tunnels to try to infiltrate and attack the South. Go to the look out point and look into North Korea. There are a lot of tour agencies that do tours to the DMZ. We recommend either the full or half day. The half day sees more than enough though if you are short on time.

The Story of King Sejong – A very cool museum dedicated to King Sejong. He was the one that invented the Korean’s current writing system and introduced many things in the fields of science, art, and music.

Gyeongbok Palace – This symbolic palace with the mountains in the background is a perfect destination to snap a photo to remember your visit to Korea.

Food you Must Try!

We are probably butchering the spelling, so we apologize in advance.

• Yamyom Ghalbi (Marinated Ghalbi): Delicious beef served at Korean BBQ restaurants
• Samgyopsal – Delicious pork Korean BBQ
• Samgetan – It’s a hot soup, similar to chicken noodle soup, but different. It includes usually a half chicken boiled with rice and some vegetables and herbs. It’s delicious and healthy!
• Bulgogi – You definitely need to order this when you are at a Korean BBQ restaurant. It just goes without saying…but we thought we would remind you here.
• Toppoki – Delicious sticky rice usually served in a spicy sauce with chicken or pork
• Korean Fried Chicken – You can’t beat Korean fried chicken. Try it!
• Korean Hot Pot – Delicious spicy soup with various ingredients
• Bibimbap – A Korean hot stone rice dish. It’s beef with vegetables over rice, served in a hot stone bowl. Add your spicy korean paste, mix everything up and enjoy!
• Chijimi – Nicknamed the Korean pancake. This is usually made with seafood and the base is egg and vegetables. Very delicious!

Words and Phrases you Must Know!

Again, we are probably butchering the spelling, but we thought it would be best to spell the words in a way that non speakers of Korean could hopefully pronounce them as best as possible.

• Yogio – This means “here” and used in restaurant settings when you want to call to the waitor or waitress to have them come to your table. Similar to the word Sumimasen in Japanese. Unlike western countries, in Asia, you call the waiter or waitress over to your table. If it’s a loud and noisy restaurant, yelling it to your waitor/waitress is perfectly fine! Isn’t Asia fun! Can you believe you get such great on-demand service and there is no expectation of a tip.
• Juseyo – Please. Used when making requests like when ordering food. Beer Juseyo for example. Similar to the Japanese word Onegaishimasu
• Mul – Water. You can say Mul Juseyo to ask for a glass of water in a restaurant
• Fahjunshil – Toilet
• Odiiminika – Where is…? So mix and match what you have learned thus far…Fahjunshil odiiminika? Where is the toilet. Isn’t language fun. You’re gonna have a blast in Korea!
• Mashisoyo – Delicious! Staff and chefs love to hear compliments. If you are eating some amazing food in Korea, which you will be, tell them, Mashisoyo!!
• Andeyo –  Can’t do it.
• Ul Maeo – How much is it?
• Pisao – Expensive
• Gakka Juseyo – Discount please – great for bartering. Remember, people wont expect you to be fluent, actually they will be surprised you know this much. Don’t worry if you can’t hold a conversation. Just the fact that you are utterly a few words here and there, means you are trying. And people respect and enjoy that!
• Umishi – Food
• Keisanso  – Check / The Bill – in a restaurant
• Iige Moyeyo – How do you say…X? The first phrase we ALWAYS learn when we visit a country. It’s the rosetta stone to any language. With a bit of charades and point and this phrase you can pretty much learn anything and then expand on your sentence. Let’s say you want to know the word for water. You can point to your glass of water and say Iige Moyeyo? Or if they know a word in English you can say, Iige Moyeyo…dog?
• Ee – Yes (affirmative)
• Mwoh – What?
• Wue (wae)  – Why?
• Chiruhada – Boring

Visiting a new country and learning about the local people is an amazing experience. Multiply that experience by 100x if you throw in a little local lingo. You will be amazed by how much more fun you will have. Enjoy!

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Barbacao – Barbacao is Jamie Olivers restaurant specializing in Steak and located in a very nice complex with window views of St Pauls. Food is exceptional and the atmosphere is romantic with St Paul in perfect view and tables lit by candle light. Price wise, it ain’t cheap, but it won’t rob the bank. Dinner will be about 60-80 USD per person with a drink (but there are cheaper options on the menu)

Burger and Lobster – Our go to place to take visitors because it’s good, affordable (about 40$ without drink per person) and in central London. They only have two things, gourmet burgers and lobster. I recommend the steamed lobster. For a whole lobster, 22 quid is a steal in London.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – If you really want to splurge and have an amazing meal and experience, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (Michelin chef), which is located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in central, will do the trick. Depending on what you select and how many bottles of wine you have, think Barbacao or double, price wise. But it’s amazing! Be sure to try Blumenthal’s meat fruit. It’s where he takes meat dishes and makes them look like fruit. The mandarin which is really foie gras is absolutely amazing!

Pizza East Portobello – If you will be visiting the Nottinghill street market on the weekend, at the end of the market there is a restaurant called Pizza East. They create really yummy gourmet pizzas. Price wise, you are looking at around 16 USD per pizza, so probably 20-25 USD per person with drinks.

Another good restaurant, which has locations all over London, is Cote. It’s a French restaurant with reasonably priced dishes and very delicious.

Check out the below for cheap and cheerful, good quality, quick and easy food, that will allow you to save some money for dinner:

Nandos – http://yoninja.com/europe/listing/united-kingdom/food-drinks/1866/nandos-mayfair
Pret a Manger
Wasabi
EAT
Vital Ingredient

Our Recommended Places to Visit in Paris:

Paris has so much great food, but they have a lot of bad restaurants catering to tourists. Make sure to stay away from the restaurants catering to tourists.

Some advice, when eating at French restaurants, make an effort to speak French, like the basic stuff: yes, thank you, 1, 2, or 3, can we have the bill please. Putting in the effort, goes a long way with the French. You are in their country afterall, try to enjoy it as a local. You can definitely speak English in most of the places, but obviously don’t try to ask a million questions about this and that, as English is definitely not their first language, or one that they are fluent in. People have mixed reviews about the French, but I find that if you show a little effort, you will have a fantastic experience.

Le Relais de Venise – YOU MUST GO HERE if you enjoy yourself a good steak frites. This place doesn’t take reservations, AND there is always a line out the door. They also only have one main entree item, the steak frites. Basically you sit down and your options are what do you want for your drink. 🙂 I recommend going early, perhaps even prior to opening, so you can queue and get a seat when they first open the doors. I’ve waited alongside many others in 13C degree weather for over an hour because we went around 7-8pm. But the wait is definitely worth it!

Marche Ave du President Wilson – A fantastic street market of food and other types of vendors. You can eat hot and prepared food and try out all the local cuisine. You can easily kill an hour or two, just walking through this market and sampling the variety of food.

Le Congres Malliot – A good French Brasserie that has been around for many decades. Very local with excellent French dishes.

Chez Georges – Amazing Foie Gras and pork shoulder.

Le Tire Bouchon – Okay this is a very touristy crepe place, but it’s very cool. It’s near the Sacre Coeur Basilica, which is well worth the hike to see this beautiful basilica as well as the amazing view of Paris (this is one of the highest points of the city). This place is tiny and the seating areas are very tight (very French) and they have a piano player performing upbeat music in the middle of the restaurant. Very cool place to enjoy a nice break after walking up the hill to get to this place. (Word of advice when visiting this area by metro, be sure to take the elevator and NOT the stairs!

Relais de l’Entrecôte – Another great steak frites place which is more central.

Le Sèvero – Another very good tiny little French restaurant. Make sure you have your concierge book a reservation.

As for cheap and cheerful lunch options…check out these:
PAUL
POMME DE PAIN

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• Yogio – here, used when asking for attention in a bar or restaurant. It’s like the Japanese equivalent, Sumimasen.
• Juseyo – please, in Japanese – kudasai
• Mul – water
• Fahjunshil – toilet
• Fahjunshil odiminika – where’s the toilet
• Mashisoyo – Delicious, in Japanese – Oishii

Korean food you must try:

• Marinated Ghalbi – Yamyom Ghalbi – Think Korean BBQ
• Toppoki in Chili sauce – It’s basically pounded rice into a thick substance. Very good! You can get it in restaurants or from street vendors
• Lamen (Ramen) – Korean Lamen is cold noodle soup. Very good and spicy!
• Samgyopsal – pork BBQ
• Sundobu – It’s a hot soup with vegetables or meat and you add rice to the soup and eat little by little.

Areas you definitely want to check out:

Hongdae – A college town with cool shops, restaurants and bars/clubs. This place gets wild at night, very good vibe. It’s very young but there are people in their late twenties and thirties around. But definitely worth a visit to see. Daytime – good for shopping and checking out the small shops, and at night on the weekend it’s packed with bar hoppers and club goers.

Suwon – about 40-50 minutes from Seoul. It’s a historic city which is completely walled. I took a lot of really cool photos. They have all the military stuff from ancient times still setup so you can see it. The photos that I saw of the place in winter time (with snow on the ground) were really cool. Very old castle looking. Worth a day trip if you have time. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suwon)

Lotte World – If you have enough time, a trip to Lotte World would be a great experience. Lotte world is like a knock off Disneyland, no seriously, the rides are comically very similar with even pieces in the rides that look like they were stolen from the Disneyland factories that make them. But it’s amazing as HALF of the theme park is indoors, in a HUGE dome. It’s the world’s largest indoor theme park. And will only cost you about 25 bucks for a half day evening entrance. So you could go 5pm to 11pm. It’s located on the other side of the river from all action, depending where you are in Seoul, probably a 15-20 min subway ride.

Itaewon – Similar to Tokyo’s Roppongi, but much better. Why? Because they have Taco Bell! hah, in Asia, finding Taco Bell is not something easy to come by. There are tons of shops that line the streets and a large spread of food from all over the world. Indian, Mexican, Turkish, Egyptian, and others. Plus tons of American fast food chains, like Quiznos, Taco Bell, Roti Boi, Pizza Hut, Outback, and Burger King. At night this area comes alive with tons of bars and clubs catering to the foreign population. It differs from Hongdae and Roppongi differs from Shibuya.

Myeongdong – A hip shopping area filled with young people, eateries, and street vendors and tons of name brands. Really cool streets and a great vibe. Here is what Wikipedia says – “Myeongdong is one of Seoul’s main shopping districts featuring mid-to-high priced retail stores and international brand outlets, including Lacoste, Polo Ralph Lauren, Forever 21, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton and Nature Republic. “. This is where we NEED to open one of our stores. I would compare it to Shibuya with a mix of Harajuku or Omotesando.

Dongdaemun – This is a cool area with A LOT going on. It’s several street blocks wide with everything open 24/7. I’m talking 8 story mega complexes with tons of shops inside operating 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This area never sleeps and there are nightly events going on, department stores throwing outdoor concerts, amusement rides. It’s nuts! I stayed here for 3 days and loved it.

Some other cool areas I was informed about from locals were: Chamsil, Apku, Seocho gu, Ihwa Dong. However I didn’t get time to visit them.

Subways are very cheap in Seoul, costing roughly 70cents to a 1 USD to get from point A to point B. And very clean and efficient, like the subways in Japan. Taxis are also very cheap, usually only cost from 5-10 bucks for a trip.

The subways have these great touch screens for tourists with recommendations on places to go, a train map to tell you how to get from point a to point b, and current events happening around town that would be worthwhile to visit. I recommend using the train every now and then just to get a chance to use these great tourist kiosks. They can give you a good idea of what you can do in a given day.

Here are some web sites I found that have additional information about Seoul and can be useful to plan places to visit and events to go to.

http://www.seoulstyle.com They also have a great monthly English magazine, you should find one in.

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