Shanghai Notes
My family's from Shanghai, so growing up I'd go every summer. The city changed *a lot* between '05 and '15, but it slowed down '15 to '20, and basically if you've been right before the pandemic, not a huge amount has changed. For such a big city, Shanghai's surprisingly easy to get around, and you'll mostly be sticking around Jingan and Huangpu Districts (I recommend getting a hotel in one of these two).
In terms of food, my top recs:
老虎春 for the best local pan-fried dumplings
裕兴记 for crab noodles
仁和館 for traditional Shanghainese
Ultraviolet, the only 3 star Michelin in China, if you can go before they close for good
For things to do:
Nanjing Road in the evening is a classic, touristy but still good
INS is a bar/nightclub complex where all the young people go to hang (Sober Company is my favorite bar)
M50 for more of a Brooklyn-esque warehouse gallery experience
XC273 to shop SSENSE-type clothes
张园 is an outdoor mall with modern shops, food, etc
上生新所 is also an outdoor mall
Tokyo Notes
Tokyo is a sprawling city with at least a dozen distinct neighborhoods. If it’s your first time in Tokyo, it’s worth going to:
Tsukiji — For the fish market.
Harajuku — For all the vintage shops and animal cafes. I personally like Ragtag and Kindal (which is more on the Shibuya side).
Shibuya — The Times Square or Midtown of Tokyo. For food, Nanaya Aoyama is the best matcha ice cream you’ll ever have (comes in 7 different varieties), Yakitori Tsukada Shibuya is superb, and Ganso Kujiraya is worth a visit if you want to try whale sashimi. Flipper’s Shibuya is touristy but still good. Ryan has great soba and sashimi, reserve day or two in advance.
Omotesando — The Soho / Weho of Tokyo, it gets crowded during high season but still worth walking around. Drop by Sakurai Tea for a serene tea experience, grab some wagashi from Higashiya Man. NeMo is amazing French-Japanese in this area too.
Ginza — Also Soho-like, but more crowded and comercial than Omotesando. You’ll see tons of lines for random food shops, ie Tsujihan, but if you walk up to Nihombashi you get to skip all that. I recommend the Tsujihan in Nihombashi, and wander a bit in that area to find great confectionery shops.
Asakusa — Check out Senso Ji of course, and the random little food stands around it. I personally haven’t spent too much time there but it’s nice if you beat the crowds.
I personally prefer to avoid Shinjuku, but if you’re into crazy crowds, go for it.
If you’re a more seasoned Tokyo visitor or you have more than 5 days on your first trip, consider visiting:
Nakameguro (where you’ll usually find me) — Go during the day and browse the shops along the little river. Onibus Coffee is nearby, Miyabian has the best warabimochi in Tokyo, and Gen Nakameguro has amazing cold Hokkaido soba. The Sato Sakura Museum is also underrated.
Daikanyama — Very close to Naka, visit Daikanyama T-Site (book store with food) and do some shopping there too.
Ebisu — Best area for both cocktails / izakayas in the evening, and close to Nakameguro.
Azabujuban — Where all the expats are and where you’ll find fancy spots like Crony, more lowkey hidden gems like Une Pincee, and top cocktail bars like Gen Yamamoto. Tofu Ukai is near there if you want to try a traditional tofu-based lunch.
Shimokitazawa — More of a rock and thrifting scene. Also good jazz kissas. Ogawa Coffee Lab is here.
Shanghai Notes
My family's from Shanghai, so growing up I'd go every summer. The city changed *a lot* between '05 and '15, but it slowed down '15 to '20, and basically if you've been right before the pandemic, not a huge amount has changed. For such a big city, Shanghai's surprisingly easy to get around, and you'll mostly be sticking around Jingan and Huangpu Districts (I recommend getting a hotel in one of these two).
In terms of food, my top recs:
老虎春 for the best local pan-fried dumplings
裕兴记 for crab noodles
仁和館 for traditional Shanghainese
Ultraviolet, the only 3 star Michelin in China, if you can go before they close for good
For things to do:
Nanjing Road in the evening is a classic, touristy but still good
INS is a bar/nightclub complex where all the young people go to hang (Sober Company is my favorite bar)
M50 for more of a Brooklyn-esque warehouse gallery experience
XC273 to shop SSENSE-type clothes
张园 is an outdoor mall with modern shops, food, etc
上生新所 is also an outdoor mall
Tokyo Notes
Tokyo is a sprawling city with at least a dozen distinct neighborhoods. If it’s your first time in Tokyo, it’s worth going to:
Tsukiji — For the fish market.
Harajuku — For all the vintage shops and animal cafes. I personally like Ragtag and Kindal (which is more on the Shibuya side).
Shibuya — The Times Square or Midtown of Tokyo. For food, Nanaya Aoyama is the best matcha ice cream you’ll ever have (comes in 7 different varieties), Yakitori Tsukada Shibuya is superb, and Ganso Kujiraya is worth a visit if you want to try whale sashimi. Flipper’s Shibuya is touristy but still good. Ryan has great soba and sashimi, reserve day or two in advance.
Omotesando — The Soho / Weho of Tokyo, it gets crowded during high season but still worth walking around. Drop by Sakurai Tea for a serene tea experience, grab some wagashi from Higashiya Man. NeMo is amazing French-Japanese in this area too.
Ginza — Also Soho-like, but more crowded and comercial than Omotesando. You’ll see tons of lines for random food shops, ie Tsujihan, but if you walk up to Nihombashi you get to skip all that. I recommend the Tsujihan in Nihombashi, and wander a bit in that area to find great confectionery shops.
Asakusa — Check out Senso Ji of course, and the random little food stands around it. I personally haven’t spent too much time there but it’s nice if you beat the crowds.
I personally prefer to avoid Shinjuku, but if you’re into crazy crowds, go for it.
If you’re a more seasoned Tokyo visitor or you have more than 5 days on your first trip, consider visiting:
Nakameguro (where you’ll usually find me) — Go during the day and browse the shops along the little river. Onibus Coffee is nearby, Miyabian has the best warabimochi in Tokyo, and Gen Nakameguro has amazing cold Hokkaido soba. The Sato Sakura Museum is also underrated.
Daikanyama — Very close to Naka, visit Daikanyama T-Site (book store with food) and do some shopping there too.
Ebisu — Best area for both cocktails / izakayas in the evening, and close to Nakameguro.
Azabujuban — Where all the expats are and where you’ll find fancy spots like Crony, more lowkey hidden gems like Une Pincee, and top cocktail bars like Gen Yamamoto. Tofu Ukai is near there if you want to try a traditional tofu-based lunch.
Shimokitazawa — More of a rock and thrifting scene. Also good jazz kissas. Ogawa Coffee Lab is here.
Shanghai Notes
My family's from Shanghai, so growing up I'd go every summer. The city changed *a lot* between '05 and '15, but it slowed down '15 to '20, and basically if you've been right before the pandemic, not a huge amount has changed. For such a big city, Shanghai's surprisingly easy to get around, and you'll mostly be sticking around Jingan and Huangpu Districts (I recommend getting a hotel in one of these two).
In terms of food, my top recs:
老虎春 for the best local pan-fried dumplings
裕兴记 for crab noodles
仁和館 for traditional Shanghainese
Ultraviolet, the only 3 star Michelin in China, if you can go before they close for good
For things to do:
Nanjing Road in the evening is a classic, touristy but still good
INS is a bar/nightclub complex where all the young people go to hang (Sober Company is my favorite bar)
M50 for more of a Brooklyn-esque warehouse gallery experience
XC273 to shop SSENSE-type clothes
张园 is an outdoor mall with modern shops, food, etc
上生新所 is also an outdoor mall
Tokyo Notes
Tokyo is a sprawling city with at least a dozen distinct neighborhoods. If it’s your first time in Tokyo, it’s worth going to:
Tsukiji — For the fish market.
Harajuku — For all the vintage shops and animal cafes. I personally like Ragtag and Kindal (which is more on the Shibuya side).
Shibuya — The Times Square or Midtown of Tokyo. For food, Nanaya Aoyama is the best matcha ice cream you’ll ever have (comes in 7 different varieties), Yakitori Tsukada Shibuya is superb, and Ganso Kujiraya is worth a visit if you want to try whale sashimi. Flipper’s Shibuya is touristy but still good. Ryan has great soba and sashimi, reserve day or two in advance.
Omotesando — The Soho / Weho of Tokyo, it gets crowded during high season but still worth walking around. Drop by Sakurai Tea for a serene tea experience, grab some wagashi from Higashiya Man. NeMo is amazing French-Japanese in this area too.
Ginza — Also Soho-like, but more crowded and comercial than Omotesando. You’ll see tons of lines for random food shops, ie Tsujihan, but if you walk up to Nihombashi you get to skip all that. I recommend the Tsujihan in Nihombashi, and wander a bit in that area to find great confectionery shops.
Asakusa — Check out Senso Ji of course, and the random little food stands around it. I personally haven’t spent too much time there but it’s nice if you beat the crowds.
I personally prefer to avoid Shinjuku, but if you’re into crazy crowds, go for it.
If you’re a more seasoned Tokyo visitor or you have more than 5 days on your first trip, consider visiting:
Nakameguro (where you’ll usually find me) — Go during the day and browse the shops along the little river. Onibus Coffee is nearby, Miyabian has the best warabimochi in Tokyo, and Gen Nakameguro has amazing cold Hokkaido soba. The Sato Sakura Museum is also underrated.
Daikanyama — Very close to Naka, visit Daikanyama T-Site (book store with food) and do some shopping there too.
Ebisu — Best area for both cocktails / izakayas in the evening, and close to Nakameguro.
Azabujuban — Where all the expats are and where you’ll find fancy spots like Crony, more lowkey hidden gems like Une Pincee, and top cocktail bars like Gen Yamamoto. Tofu Ukai is near there if you want to try a traditional tofu-based lunch.
Shimokitazawa — More of a rock and thrifting scene. Also good jazz kissas. Ogawa Coffee Lab is here.
Shanghai Notes
My family's from Shanghai, so growing up I'd go every summer. The city changed *a lot* between '05 and '15, but it slowed down '15 to '20, and basically if you've been right before the pandemic, not a huge amount has changed. For such a big city, Shanghai's surprisingly easy to get around, and you'll mostly be sticking around Jingan and Huangpu Districts (I recommend getting a hotel in one of these two).
In terms of food, my top recs:
老虎春 for the best local pan-fried dumplings
裕兴记 for crab noodles
仁和館 for traditional Shanghainese
Ultraviolet, the only 3 star Michelin in China, if you can go before they close for good
For things to do:
Nanjing Road in the evening is a classic, touristy but still good
INS is a bar/nightclub complex where all the young people go to hang (Sober Company is my favorite bar)
M50 for more of a Brooklyn-esque warehouse gallery experience
XC273 to shop SSENSE-type clothes
张园 is an outdoor mall with modern shops, food, etc
上生新所 is also an outdoor mall
Tokyo Notes
Tokyo is a sprawling city with at least a dozen distinct neighborhoods. If it’s your first time in Tokyo, it’s worth going to:
Tsukiji — For the fish market.
Harajuku — For all the vintage shops and animal cafes. I personally like Ragtag and Kindal (which is more on the Shibuya side).
Shibuya — The Times Square or Midtown of Tokyo. For food, Nanaya Aoyama is the best matcha ice cream you’ll ever have (comes in 7 different varieties), Yakitori Tsukada Shibuya is superb, and Ganso Kujiraya is worth a visit if you want to try whale sashimi. Flipper’s Shibuya is touristy but still good. Ryan has great soba and sashimi, reserve day or two in advance.
Omotesando — The Soho / Weho of Tokyo, it gets crowded during high season but still worth walking around. Drop by Sakurai Tea for a serene tea experience, grab some wagashi from Higashiya Man. NeMo is amazing French-Japanese in this area too.
Ginza — Also Soho-like, but more crowded and comercial than Omotesando. You’ll see tons of lines for random food shops, ie Tsujihan, but if you walk up to Nihombashi you get to skip all that. I recommend the Tsujihan in Nihombashi, and wander a bit in that area to find great confectionery shops.
Asakusa — Check out Senso Ji of course, and the random little food stands around it. I personally haven’t spent too much time there but it’s nice if you beat the crowds.
I personally prefer to avoid Shinjuku, but if you’re into crazy crowds, go for it.
If you’re a more seasoned Tokyo visitor or you have more than 5 days on your first trip, consider visiting:
Nakameguro (where you’ll usually find me) — Go during the day and browse the shops along the little river. Onibus Coffee is nearby, Miyabian has the best warabimochi in Tokyo, and Gen Nakameguro has amazing cold Hokkaido soba. The Sato Sakura Museum is also underrated.
Daikanyama — Very close to Naka, visit Daikanyama T-Site (book store with food) and do some shopping there too.
Ebisu — Best area for both cocktails / izakayas in the evening, and close to Nakameguro.
Azabujuban — Where all the expats are and where you’ll find fancy spots like Crony, more lowkey hidden gems like Une Pincee, and top cocktail bars like Gen Yamamoto. Tofu Ukai is near there if you want to try a traditional tofu-based lunch.
Shimokitazawa — More of a rock and thrifting scene. Also good jazz kissas. Ogawa Coffee Lab is here.