Is Japan an option for summer 2022?

[sky13]

Originally Posted by ScoopsAhoy

I got dd a Japanese snack box for her birthday and there were a lot of yummy things but some were questionable 🤢
There are so many flavours of Ramune but we especially like the original which is like cream soda and was the flavour of the Ramune candy we received.
The lychee Ramune is really good but my overall favourite is Melon.
Enjoy!

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There are so many random flavours in Japanese snacks!

I did realise that my tastebuds have changed over the years though... like I never used to like mochi when I was younger but these days I find I really like it!

[sky13]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

Well if you have questions - ask away

Friendly bunch here

Tips... ?

These are general and based on my only visit to date

MOBILE PHONE USE IN JAPAN
I think all UK mobile companies have NO roaming agreement with Japan carriers, like they do in Europe in the US.
You can use your mobile there but unless your network here has a package that helps with Japan , it will cost a lot of money.
Most people either buy a SIM with coverage there, or get a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and tether their phone to it.

I went the hotspot rental route as I wanted my current mobile number in case someone needed to call for an emergency back at home and wanted to get those texts from bank / credit card company if they queried any purchases I was doing across the other side of world.

Also the hotspot can be picked up from airport or delivered to hotel – I had it waiting for me when I got to our first hotel near Disney, and got the coach from the airport to that hotel.
We had 2 phones attached to it all day and worked a treat.

GOOGLE MAPS
It worked a treat in getting us from A to B, via trains, walking etc – god send!

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We did the hotspot thing too a few years ago! I think we picked it up from the airport on arrival, and then put it into a box (or mailed it?) at the airport when we left Japan. Fairly easy although I was so worried that we would lose the hotspot device! We did have to charge it on occasion throughout the day though but that was fairly easy to do with a battery pack.

Agree with the Google maps, I was so lost on the train system but Google maps told me which train to take!

And recently discovered how much of an upgrade there has been to Google translate and Siri translate... They can translate words in pictures and speech as well so that will be amazing on my next trip to somewhere where I can't speak/read the language!

[AntonyJ]

Last week I was in London for a show and exhibition and the final night we went to find The Japan Centre in Leicester Square - as wanted to look at what they had, buy some snacks etc.

Found it and went to the large basement area and bought some corn snacks and some sauces to cook with, dip in etc but they have a place to buy food from that they cooked there.

We ordered and the main courses were nothing special, they microwaved the gyoza and brought them over - so were horrible dry chewy things.

Very disappointed, not go there again.

Also tried bubble tea for first time to see what fuss is, do not drink tea so that will not help, but do not understand what fuss is. The tapioca balls have no taste.

Hey ho, live and learn.

[ScoopsAhoy]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

Last week I was in London for a show and exhibition and the final night we went to find The Japan Centre in Leicester Square - as wanted to look at what they had, buy some snacks etc.

Found it and went to the large basement area and bought some corn snacks and some sauces to vook with, dip in etc but they have a place to buy food from that they cooked there.

We ordered and the main courses were nothing special, they microwaved the gyoza and brought them over - so were horrible dry chewy things.

Very disappointed, not go there again.

Also tried bubble tea for first time to see what fuss is, do not drink tea so that will not help, but do not understand what fuss is. The tapioca balls have no taste.

Hey ho, live and learn.

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My dd has bubble tea every weekend but she has the popping boba not the tapioca, maybe you’d like that better as there are lots of flavours or could try the jelly pieces.

[ScoopsAhoy]

Originally Posted by sky13

There are so many random flavours in Japanese snacks!

I did realise that my tastebuds have changed over the years though... like I never used to like mochi when I was younger but these days I find I really like it!

See more...

I like the ice cream mochi but bought some mango ‘normal’ mochi and didn’t like that at all, didn’t taste of much.

[AntonyJ]

Oh - wonder if anyone here knows if this is true.

The Japanese food that is "spicy" is not spicy to us Westerners as the Japanese palate is more susceptible to spice and a little goes a long way there.

[Gill H]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

Last week I was in London for a show and exhibition and the final night we went to find The Japan Centre in Leicester Square - as wanted to look at what they had, buy some snacks etc.

Found it and went to the large basement area and bought some corn snacks and some sauces to cook with, dip in etc but they have a place to buy food from that they cooked there.

We ordered and the main courses were nothing special, they microwaved the gyoza and brought them over - so were horrible dry chewy things.

Very disappointed, not go there again.

Also tried bubble tea for first time to see what fuss is, do not drink tea so that will not help, but do not understand what fuss is. The tapioca balls have no taste.

Hey ho, live and learn.

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We used to get nice melon pan bread from there. Nearby there are two very good ramen places.

[Gill H]

By the way - check out Matsudai Ramen online. They deliver all the ingredients and you just need 5 minutes to assemble it all. Superb stuff.

[sky13]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

Last week I was in London for a show and exhibition and the final night we went to find The Japan Centre in Leicester Square - as wanted to look at what they had, buy some snacks etc.

Found it and went to the large basement area and bought some corn snacks and some sauces to cook with, dip in etc but they have a place to buy food from that they cooked there.

We ordered and the main courses were nothing special, they microwaved the gyoza and brought them over - so were horrible dry chewy things.

Very disappointed, not go there again.

Also tried bubble tea for first time to see what fuss is, do not drink tea so that will not help, but do not understand what fuss is. The tapioca balls have no taste.

Hey ho, live and learn.

See more...

I have a complete weakness for corn snacks (and corn soup), they are generally really good!

It's been a few years since I lived in the UK but I seem to recall that I liked this Japanese restaurant on Regent Street (other side from Japan Centre) fairly close to Piccadilly Circus but can't remember the name or even if they are still around! I also used to really like Bone Daddies in Soho for ramen, though it's been a few years since I last ate there.

Originally Posted by ScoopsAhoy

My dd has bubble tea every weekend but she has the popping boba not the tapioca, maybe you’d like that better as there are lots of flavours or could try the jelly pieces.

See more...

I love bubble tea but don't get it often. There is actually a bit of a national obsession with bubble tea where I live (when we went into lockdown for COVID one of the questions people were asking was "are bubble tea shops still going to be open")!

The bubble tea I used to go for in London was Chatime. Some of the rest aren't quite as good from what I recall.

Bubble tea variations has really exploded though, there are now so many different toppings and flavours and all that I didn't even know what to order the last time I got bubble tea because there were too many options!

Originally Posted by ScoopsAhoy

I like the ice cream mochi but bought some mango ‘normal’ mochi and didn’t like that at all, didn’t taste of much.

See more...

I find with mochi I like certain types of mochi and don't quite like other types.

Ice cream mochi - fantastic!

The fresh sort of mochi with a cream filling - really like these too

Candy type mochi (the sort that comes in a packet and are individually wrapped) - decent but I'll take the fresh/cream sort any day

Warabi mochi - this is a fairly recent discovery for me but I find that I really like this! It's actually completely different from regular mochi (made from different ingredients) and has a different texture altogether.

Also discovered mochi puffs really recently (it was in my Japanese snack box) and these are interesting... totally not a mochi texture but pretty good!

I've also found that I don't like all brands of mochi... Like with warabi mochi there are two places near me that sell this fresh. I don't like the sort that one place sells but love the sort that the other place sells, even if both of them are selling the same soybean powder warabi mochi! Same for the candy type mochi, I like some brands and don't like others.

[ScoopsAhoy]

Originally Posted by sky13

I have a complete weakness for corn snacks (and corn soup), they are generally really good!

It's been a few years since I lived in the UK but I seem to recall that I liked this Japanese restaurant on Regent Street (other side from Japan Centre) fairly close to Piccadilly Circus but can't remember the name or even if they are still around! I also used to really like Bone Daddies in Soho for ramen, though it's been a few years since I last ate there.



I love bubble tea but don't get it often. There is actually a bit of a national obsession with bubble tea where I live (when we went into lockdown for COVID one of the questions people were asking was "are bubble tea shops still going to be open")!

The bubble tea I used to go for in London was Chatime. Some of the rest aren't quite as good from what I recall.

Bubble tea variations has really exploded though, there are now so many different toppings and flavours and all that I didn't even know what to order the last time I got bubble tea because there were too many options!



I find with mochi I like certain types of mochi and don't quite like other types.

Ice cream mochi - fantastic!

The fresh sort of mochi with a cream filling - really like these too

Candy type mochi (the sort that comes in a packet and are individually wrapped) - decent but I'll take the fresh/cream sort any day

Warabi mochi - this is a fairly recent discovery for me but I find that I really like this! It's actually completely different from regular mochi (made from different ingredients) and has a different texture altogether.

Also discovered mochi puffs really recently (it was in my Japanese snack box) and these are interesting... totally not a mochi texture but pretty good!

I've also found that I don't like all brands of mochi... Like with warabi mochi there are two places near me that sell this fresh. I don't like the sort that one place sells but love the sort that the other place sells, even if both of them are selling the same soybean powder warabi mochi! Same for the candy type mochi, I like some brands and don't like others.

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There are bubble tea places everywhere!
Dd is absolutely obsessed..
We’ve so many different ones but mostly Chatime, bubbleology and Bobo tea in Manchester.
My ds and his girlfriend also took dd to a Shiba inu themed cafe in Manc and she tried brown sugar tapioca which she liked but I’m not a fan.
I did get this one on Sunday which had heart shaped jelly

Was really nice and not too sweet!