DAY 7 in TOKYO: Heading to Shibuya!

Day 7:

• Head to Shibuya and walk around Shibuya

• Lunch at Maidreamin's Digitized Cafe and Dining Bar

• Check-in airbnb apartment

• Explore Ginza

• Dinner at Vampire Café

And it's time to leave Odaiba and head to Shibuya!~ We pulled our luggage all the way to Tokyo Teleport station... Grand Pacific Le Daiba does provide shuttle bus to the train station but it starts rather late; at 11plus I think, but we want to arrive in Shibuya earlier! From Tokyo Teleport station, there is a direct train to Shibuya station!

When we arrived at Shibuya station, we were lost at the station.. >.< So confusing, so many people and we still have our luggage to pull around! Since it isn't the check in time for our Shibuya airbnb apartment, we left our luggage in the lockers at Shibuya station; after we finally found where the lockers are... There are limited large lockers but luckily we found 1 for my friend's larger luggage. I took a medium size for my luggage and we each took another small lockers for the rest of our barang barang.

Finally, it's time to explore Shibuya and have our breakfast!!

Shibuya!~~

Our breakfast at  Ichiran Shibuya (一蘭 渋谷店). For detailed directions & review, read >>here<<.

Store front

Located at basement

Entrance

Vending machine to buy your ramen

Order sheet to indicate your preference

Booth seat

Ramen and tea!

We managed to avoid the lunch crowd and get seated in Ichiran within a few minutes. It's our first time using vending machine to buy ramen and we were a bit confused at first :/ I like the booth seating though. You can even open up the partition between your friends! I really like Ichiran's broth; it's very rich and flavourful!

After lunch, we headed to Disney store; just looked around and didn't buy anything since we had our fill of Disney stores, but this Disney store has a nice design.

Store front

Pretty interior

We also took a Purikura at Adores game centre in Shibuya! :D

We also shopped at GU at Parco! We bought matching shirts! Just different in colour! :D After much shopping and walking, it's time to visit a maid cafe! Our first experience! :D Read >>here<< about a more detailed post on our dining experience in Maidreamin's Digitized Cafe and Dining Bar!

Down the stairs we go~

Interior of Maidreamin's

Omelette and rice

Rabbit parfait!

It is definitely a unique experience, but I think one visit to a maid cafe is enough for me! ;P After all, there target market is aimed towards guys!

Finally, it's time for our check-in time! We met our airbnb host to collect and make payment for our Ghibli and Doraemon museum tickets. Then it's time to take our luggage from the lockers and drag them to our apartment! I led the way wrongly at first though, didn't see the direction clearly enough since I was busy pulling my luggage, but the apartment is actually a short walking distance away from Shibuya station. There are lifts when needed as well. There are also a lot of drinks vending machine on our way to the apartment and these machines are used for my daily morning coffee ;P

Some photos of our airbnb apartment. Read >>here<< for my detailed accommodation reviews!

We were greeted by this picture once we opened the door

Shower and toilet are separated

Small kitchen area

TV and desk

Information book made by host

Towels and hairdryer provided

Small snacks given!

Our rest place for the next few days~

Finally, we don't need to pull our luggage around anymore!! After chilling a while, we travel to Ginza! I wanted to visit Itoya and stock up on my card-making materials! :D Itoya is a must-go place for people looking to buy crafts materials. Though not very cheap, the crafts items are of good quality and everything is arranged and displayed nicely.

Ginza at night

itoya!

It's time for dinner at Vampire cafe!! Next theme cafe during our trip! :) Read >>here<< for my detailed review of dining in Vampire cafe

Store front

Greeted by grim reapers >.<

Appetizers

Salad

Steak

Dessert

 Even the toilet is themed by the way. I was too creeped out to look into the mirror >.<

Bloody sink

And... that's the end of Day 7!

To Day 8!~

JAPAN THEMED RESTAURANT: VAMPIRE CAFE

Vampire cafe  ヴァンパイアカフェ (also under Diamond Dining group) is, as the name suggests, a vampire-themed cafe. The store is located near Ginza station. The cafe is dimly lighted and decorated with red and dark colours.

As a someone who dislike anything horror-related, this place is still acceptable for me. Only the toilet was a weeee bit spooky for me.. especially since I went in alone... O.O

Located at level 7 of La Paix Building

The skulls welcome you to the restaurant~

We were brought into the cafe by Vampire Rose. There is a female bride/vampire?? as well. 

We were seated in a private booth where curtains can be closed and we are seated safely inside. Hopefully you don't get a shock when the servers open the curtains! >.<

Table setting. Ring the bell to call the servers!

Food menu

Drinks menu & special menu

There's a coffin outside. It's real candles burning there by the way~ Don't burn yourself!

Complimentary appetizers. It was delightful!

Salad! This is very cool. If you order this dish, when Vampire Rose serve it to you, there is some sort of chant and the rest of the servers will repeat the chant as well. Then Vampire Rose will pour the 'blood' into your salad. :D If only I understood what the chant was... Also, the salad is quite nice!

We shared a main dish - beef served on hot stone! Not bad, but I find it a bit difficult to chew and swallow.. but that may just be me.. 

Ice cream spider for dessert! My friend likes this better than me; I found it a bit too sweet. Can't remember the exact flavour of the ice cream but it contains peanut butter. 

The toilet is themed as well

The mirror creeps me out by the way.. >.<

Bloody sink~

To sum up, nice decorations, good service and delicious food; worth the money and great experience! We even took a photo with Vampire Rose after we finished eating! The staff here speaks minimal English but English menu is available.

Cover charge: can't rmb how much + minimum 1 food & drink each

Map: level 7 of La Paix Building


Opening hours: 5pm to 11pm (after all vampires are only awake at night...)

Yunomori Onsen at Kallang Wave Mall

My friend and I visited Yunomori Onsen after finishing our JLPT N5 exam! Always missing soaking in onsen when I'm in Singapore and now with Yunomori Onsen, it's time to try out and see if it is as good as the ones I had in Japan!

Yunomori Onsen is located at Level 2 of Kallang Wave Mall (nearest MRT station - Stadium). Directions to the onsen can be found on directional signage within the mall. What's good about Yunomori is there is no time limit on the duration you want to stay there. Onsen entrance fee costs S$40.66 (after GST) for adult. Additionally, if you want to take up some spa treatments, they are available at a charge. Click >>here<< to see the prices.

Entrance to Yunomori

Place your shoes in the shoe locker before heading to the reception

Map of Yunomori

After placing your shoes in the locker, you will proceed to the reception to make payment for the entrance fees. The staff will take your shoe locker key and pass you a electronic wrist tag which will be your clothes locker keys as well as your payment mode within the onsen. Then, proceed to the changing room where you can collect your towels and select your yukata and obi to change into and wear while inside Yunomori. Disposable undergarments are also provided if you are not comfortable with going into the onsen fully naked. ;)

Even though we were there on a Sunday afternoon, the place was not crowded. Hopefully, it stays that way? After all, it won't have a relaxing atmosphere if the interior is fully packed with people right?

Managed to snap a photo of the dressing table. Hairdryer, cotton pads and body lotion are provided. No make-up remover though, if you want to remove your makeup, you have to bring your own!

Moving on to the baths! There are 4 baths and a steam room for females. Remember to take a shower and clean yourself at the bathing area before soaking in the onsen! Shampoo, conditioner and body wash are provided. The conditioner is damn good by the way, can totally feel my hair becoming smoother as I conditioned my hair :D

No photos of the pools cause you know, everyone's naked. :P I shall briefly describe the pools available; arranging them from the lowest to highest temperature.

1. Cold Bath - It tightens the skin and it's really very cold to go into, especially since after soaking in all the hot baths, your body temperature is higher.
2. Soda Bath - The most mild bath. I recommend starting in this bath first to slowly warm up your body. It improves circulation, reduces high blood pressure and detoxifies the blood.
3. Silk Bath - Want to have silky, soft skin? This is the bath for you!
4. Bubble Bath - The bath water literally bubbles like a hot of boiling water. Time to cook ourselves!
5. Jet Bath - This is definitely the hottest. I don't think I managed to soak more than 5 minutes in this bath. And I find it difficult and awkward to lie down and relax in the bath somehow.. It is good for aches and pains and the full-body jets relieve tension and soothe the muscles.

Lastly, the steam room. There is a tub of onsen salt inside where you can use it to scrub your body.

There is a water cooler between the changing room and the bath area for you to quench your thirst. Remember to hydrate yourself after all that soaking. Don't soak too long as well, you might get lightheaded. Take short breaks in between. On a side note, the small towel which you can bring into the bath is not supposed to touch the bath water.

Overall, I have to say the bath were very relaxing! If I have the money, visiting Yunomori at least once a month would be very shiok! Don't need to wait until I go Japan for the awesome onsen! :) Just that it's not an outdoor bath, you can't enjoy the natural air and scenery; still need to go to Japan for that! Like I need more reasons to return to Japan ;D Would like to try the spa treatments in Yunomori when I have the money too!

Now, time to talk about the cafe inside Yunomori onsen! It's a small cafe, so if ever Yunomori gets crowded, there certainly won't be enough place to seat and dine here.

Menu

You place your order at the counter and you can scan your wrist tag and make payment only when you exit Yunomori. You will either collect your food at the counter after the buzzer sounds or the server will bring the food to you. It most likely depends on whether the server is free to bring the food to you.

My friend and I had a tea break in between our onsen soaking and also had dinner at the cafe before we left.

Buzzer

Lemon Kakigori. Taste surprisingly nice; not too sweet as well.

Tempura Mix. Very crispy and when dipped into the sauce, very delicious! :P

Coffee flavoured milk. Quite a nice blend; considering I don't really drink milk, I like coffee though.

Our dinner of hamburger steak plate & japanese assorted plate. Very filling and satisfying! I especially liked the grilled fish from my friend's assorted plate! 

I highly recommend visiting Yunomori Onsen for the baths as well as the food! You get to experience Japanese onsen and food without leaving Singapore! Having your first onsen experience here would also be not as stressful as trying it first time in Japan's public onsen since I'm sure most of us visiting Yunomori has not as much onsen experience as Japanese.