Restrictive diet! How will I cope in Tokyo?
Feb 28th, 2013, 09:58 AM
#21
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mrwunrfl,
I think your suggestion to try rice prepared in a Japanese restaurant is a good one when I'm feeling a little braver.
There are a couple of Japanese restaurants nearby so I'll have to try both!
ileen, I'm not fond of bananas even when I'm healthy!
I think your suggestion to try rice prepared in a Japanese restaurant is a good one when I'm feeling a little braver.
There are a couple of Japanese restaurants nearby so I'll have to try both!
ileen, I'm not fond of bananas even when I'm healthy!
Mar 6th, 2013, 08:06 AM
#22
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It's good that you're staying at a worldwide hotel brand. They will be able to help with your dietary requests. Since you are staying many nights at Hyatt properties, might I suggest the Hyatt credit card before you go? There are no foreign transaction fees and you would rack up a lot of points if you are dining in their restaurants too.
You can find any food you need in Tokyo, but definitely plan ahead for your trip to Hakone. It's a more rural area, but again, the Hyatt should be able to assist you.
You'll have a great time. Japan is wonderful. It's a great feeling to walk down a street at night and not worry about being mugged.
You can find any food you need in Tokyo, but definitely plan ahead for your trip to Hakone. It's a more rural area, but again, the Hyatt should be able to assist you.
You'll have a great time. Japan is wonderful. It's a great feeling to walk down a street at night and not worry about being mugged.
Apr 26th, 2013, 10:14 AM
#23
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We're back and we loved Japan!
Still processing all the fabulous experiences along with some of the weird and difficult food hassles (literally!).
I now have a greater respect for people that have severe food allergies. One several occasions I was assured my food restrictions could be accommodated and that the food I ordered was 'safe' for me to eat only to find that the 'steamed' fish was fried in garlic! Or the plain chicken with no pepper or chilli was coated in black pepper!
To be honest sometimes the language difficulties were the main problem. That and the Japanese wish to avoid the word 'no'...
Still I survived and the worst food I had was at Boston Market on the way home from Logan (mashed potato with more black pepper than actual potato).
The 7-11 in the basement of the Hyatt Regency was a lifesaver. I pored over tubs of prepared salad noodle bowls, carefully scrutinising the ingredients and then took them back to my room and rinsed off any suspicious seasonings and removed any forbidden items.
All the waiters at the Hyatt Hakone were very helpful.
The breakfast buffet was amazing and I could pick out several foods to eat each day. I admit I was really tempted to cheat here and did so with mixed success. The walnut and fig bread was delicious; absolutely to die for and my stomach confirmed that I might die if I ate any more of it.
They also adapted a couple of things on the dinner menu to suit my needs.
The breakfast at the PH Tokyo at Girandole was also excellent and by the end of the trip I had added a few more items to my 'can eat with gay abandon' list including melon, noodles but still no rice.
Away from the comfort of the hotels I struggled more but the concierge at the Hyatt Regency researched 'baked potato' for me and found that they serve them at Wendys!!
So we combined a trip to the Meiji shrine with lunch at a near by Wendys.
I did try a sweet potato dessert. I think it was billed as 'cheesecake sweet potato' made from Kintoki sweet potato and served in the purple skin. It tasted like a slightly fibrous vanilla cheesecake, quite delicious but unfortunately my stomach rejected this offering violently.
Overall we had a fantastic time and my husband has already been invited back so we might try to join him again possibly in November. He visited Nagoya on this trip and will probably need to revisit the university.
Oh and we did see cherry blossom and even hanami in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. The later flowering varieties were in full bloom along with the azeleas.
Still processing all the fabulous experiences along with some of the weird and difficult food hassles (literally!).
I now have a greater respect for people that have severe food allergies. One several occasions I was assured my food restrictions could be accommodated and that the food I ordered was 'safe' for me to eat only to find that the 'steamed' fish was fried in garlic! Or the plain chicken with no pepper or chilli was coated in black pepper!
To be honest sometimes the language difficulties were the main problem. That and the Japanese wish to avoid the word 'no'...
Still I survived and the worst food I had was at Boston Market on the way home from Logan (mashed potato with more black pepper than actual potato).
The 7-11 in the basement of the Hyatt Regency was a lifesaver. I pored over tubs of prepared salad noodle bowls, carefully scrutinising the ingredients and then took them back to my room and rinsed off any suspicious seasonings and removed any forbidden items.
All the waiters at the Hyatt Hakone were very helpful.
The breakfast buffet was amazing and I could pick out several foods to eat each day. I admit I was really tempted to cheat here and did so with mixed success. The walnut and fig bread was delicious; absolutely to die for and my stomach confirmed that I might die if I ate any more of it.
They also adapted a couple of things on the dinner menu to suit my needs.
The breakfast at the PH Tokyo at Girandole was also excellent and by the end of the trip I had added a few more items to my 'can eat with gay abandon' list including melon, noodles but still no rice.
Away from the comfort of the hotels I struggled more but the concierge at the Hyatt Regency researched 'baked potato' for me and found that they serve them at Wendys!!
So we combined a trip to the Meiji shrine with lunch at a near by Wendys.
I did try a sweet potato dessert. I think it was billed as 'cheesecake sweet potato' made from Kintoki sweet potato and served in the purple skin. It tasted like a slightly fibrous vanilla cheesecake, quite delicious but unfortunately my stomach rejected this offering violently.
Overall we had a fantastic time and my husband has already been invited back so we might try to join him again possibly in November. He visited Nagoya on this trip and will probably need to revisit the university.
Oh and we did see cherry blossom and even hanami in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. The later flowering varieties were in full bloom along with the azeleas.
Apr 27th, 2013, 06:22 AM
#26
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Thanks Kathie,
It did go better than I originally expected, partly because I was feeling much better by the time the trip came around and partly because I was reassured here that my diet could be catered for.
It did go better than I originally expected, partly because I was feeling much better by the time the trip came around and partly because I was reassured here that my diet could be catered for.
Apr 27th, 2013, 07:56 AM
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Also happy here that everything worked out for you and you had a good time.
How did you like Meiji Jingu? Where there any weddings being held the day you went? Did you stay at the Hyatt Regency in Tokyo and the Park Hyatt Tokyo? Isn't the onsen at the Hyatt Hakone wonderful? Hope you had time to give it a try. Love the Hakone area and are returning for a short visit this fall to show Bob and Karen a little of the sights.
Aloha!
Hope by the time you hit Nagoya in November you will be free of your dietary restrictions.
How did you like Meiji Jingu? Where there any weddings being held the day you went? Did you stay at the Hyatt Regency in Tokyo and the Park Hyatt Tokyo? Isn't the onsen at the Hyatt Hakone wonderful? Hope you had time to give it a try. Love the Hakone area and are returning for a short visit this fall to show Bob and Karen a little of the sights.
Aloha!
Hope by the time you hit Nagoya in November you will be free of your dietary restrictions.
Apr 27th, 2013, 08:35 PM
#28
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Glad to read you had a fabulous time and managed your dietary restrictions well. You are probably now encouraged to travel more!
Did you take your knitting project? How did that go--any problems with the knitting needles?
Curious to know how was souvenir shopping? Did you find some really unique and exciting items. I love shopping in Japan as everything is so beautiful and often so delicate. Above all, their gift packaging is just so charming.
Have a relaxing weekend.
Did you take your knitting project? How did that go--any problems with the knitting needles?
Curious to know how was souvenir shopping? Did you find some really unique and exciting items. I love shopping in Japan as everything is so beautiful and often so delicate. Above all, their gift packaging is just so charming.
Have a relaxing weekend.
Apr 28th, 2013, 10:31 AM
#29
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HT, We really enjoyed our visit to Meiji Jingu.
We went on a sunny weekday around lunchtime and there weren't any weddings but many small groups of school students were visiting. At first we thought they were from the same school but on closer inspection we realised the very similar uniforms had subtle differences. All were in dark colours and the girls all had 'sailor bows' according to my daughter. The bows varied in design, colour and size.
The hand washing before prayer was fascinating to watch.
The big trees either side of the shrine were being trimmed. Ah, so that's how they maintain their perfect symmetry!
We also visited Sensoji on a weekend and it was very busy. Throngs of worshippers and tourists milled around. We saw some pretty girls dressed in kimono wafting the incense fumes onto their clothes for good luck and others rubbing parts of a buddha statue to ease their pain.
Yes we stayed 5 nights at the Hyatt Regency, 2 nights in Hakone and then 1 night at the Park Hyatt then our last 2 nights were at the Sheraton @ Disneyland.
There was a wedding at the Hyatt Regency while we were there and we saw many immaculately dressed guests arriving but we left before the bride and groom arrived. We also saw a bride and groom having photos taken at the Sheraton.
I had very little energy most of the time so in Hakone we more or less hung out in our rooms and relaxed. We walked around the beautiful garden in Gora one morning but the hillside setting wore me out! Luckily there were many benches to rest on.
ileen, Shopping was also very limited as I was only able to walk around for maybe 2 hours or so each day and I really wanted to sightsee but I did bring back some lovely stationary, envelopes, notepads, writing pads, folders and some matching pretty seals.
I did take some frozen soup on the plane with me and was told they didn't have a microwave to heat it. I think they might have been able to help as I later saw a flight attendant eating some hot food that she'd heated in a foil container. Perhaps my plastic pot was the problem!
Oh and I was in business class so I'd hoped for a little more help.
Anyway I forgot about the soup and found it on arrival at the Hyatt Regency!
They didn't have a microwave for the room but sent someone up to pick up the soup, heated it and returned it to the room within 15 mins. We weren't even charged for this service.
We went on a sunny weekday around lunchtime and there weren't any weddings but many small groups of school students were visiting. At first we thought they were from the same school but on closer inspection we realised the very similar uniforms had subtle differences. All were in dark colours and the girls all had 'sailor bows' according to my daughter. The bows varied in design, colour and size.
The hand washing before prayer was fascinating to watch.
The big trees either side of the shrine were being trimmed. Ah, so that's how they maintain their perfect symmetry!
We also visited Sensoji on a weekend and it was very busy. Throngs of worshippers and tourists milled around. We saw some pretty girls dressed in kimono wafting the incense fumes onto their clothes for good luck and others rubbing parts of a buddha statue to ease their pain.
Yes we stayed 5 nights at the Hyatt Regency, 2 nights in Hakone and then 1 night at the Park Hyatt then our last 2 nights were at the Sheraton @ Disneyland.
There was a wedding at the Hyatt Regency while we were there and we saw many immaculately dressed guests arriving but we left before the bride and groom arrived. We also saw a bride and groom having photos taken at the Sheraton.
I had very little energy most of the time so in Hakone we more or less hung out in our rooms and relaxed. We walked around the beautiful garden in Gora one morning but the hillside setting wore me out! Luckily there were many benches to rest on.
ileen, Shopping was also very limited as I was only able to walk around for maybe 2 hours or so each day and I really wanted to sightsee but I did bring back some lovely stationary, envelopes, notepads, writing pads, folders and some matching pretty seals.
I did take some frozen soup on the plane with me and was told they didn't have a microwave to heat it. I think they might have been able to help as I later saw a flight attendant eating some hot food that she'd heated in a foil container. Perhaps my plastic pot was the problem!
Oh and I was in business class so I'd hoped for a little more help.
Anyway I forgot about the soup and found it on arrival at the Hyatt Regency!
They didn't have a microwave for the room but sent someone up to pick up the soup, heated it and returned it to the room within 15 mins. We weren't even charged for this service.
Apr 29th, 2013, 09:55 AM
#30
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Greetings sassy_cat, I am relieved to hear you managed your food problems, especially your luck at finding baked potatoes as I confess in our own ramblings, we never came across potatoes except at McD where of course they were fried. Elsewhere we found rice and pasta a plenty, but potatoes, less so.
I hope the cause of your malaise is soon rooted out and cured, as it sounds really dreary to be kidnapped by one's stomach, as it were.
I hope the cause of your malaise is soon rooted out and cured, as it sounds really dreary to be kidnapped by one's stomach, as it were.
Apr 30th, 2013, 04:45 AM
#31
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Hi Sue,
Luckily for me potatoes popped up in unexpected places! I found them on a restaurant menu at Disney, served with breakfast once or twice at our hotels and perfectly steamed in the JAL lounge at Narita airport.
I also found hard boiled eggs that I could eat at the 7-11 and thought it best to take a couple with me to Hakone. I sent my daughter to buy them for me just before we left and the ones she picked up were in a different package. I thought nothing of it until I needed a snack and lo and behold these were raw eggs!
Thanks for the well wishes.
Luckily for me potatoes popped up in unexpected places! I found them on a restaurant menu at Disney, served with breakfast once or twice at our hotels and perfectly steamed in the JAL lounge at Narita airport.
I also found hard boiled eggs that I could eat at the 7-11 and thought it best to take a couple with me to Hakone. I sent my daughter to buy them for me just before we left and the ones she picked up were in a different package. I thought nothing of it until I needed a snack and lo and behold these were raw eggs!
Thanks for the well wishes.
