GodAtum

What country did the lady asking for a photo from?

chongl

After our last breakfast at the Conrad Osaka, we enjoyed the last of the city views and packed our bags. While Kyoto was a decent distance away, the metro was still a great option with the exception of an ill-advised exit that would be perfect for those without luggage. After lugging multiple bags up the stairs, I had a brief break before following the river towards the Ritz Carlton Kyoto





A carriage by the entrance





We were given a quick tour of the premises and then seated for a welcome drink and snack. Given that our room was ready, we were given the option to move there for an even more comfortable check-in process







Up to the 2nd floor



We were given a small upgrade to a garden view room










Garden views





Anniversary snacks









And some decent internet speeds



The Pierre Hermes will have to wait for tomorrow�







Since we had a lot of laundry, I found a convenient self serve shop just across the river that had all in one machines to dispense, wash, and dry in an hour. Heading across the river only took a few minutes





I returned an hour later to grab the clothes so Mrs. ChongL could do some folding and organizing. Dinner would be in the room again with the wife opting for some Japanese beef curry



Gyu-don for me





Fried chicken for the boys



The following morning, we opted for the western breakfast in the restaurant downstairs





Welcome drink



A la carte menu



First platter of fruit, yogurt, and cheese





Buffet of wonderful and delicious croissants









Benedict



And the heavenly French toast!



Afterwards, we hopped into a taxi to the Arashiyama bamboo forest













Morning snack time





Karrage



Fried cheese



Continuing our walk





A bright Lotus Elise to match the sunny day



Ice cream shop





Pickles?



Surprisingly refreshing







Time for a nap for the kiddos, so we went back to the hotel, picking up some macarons on the way up to our room



Dinner was at a much-anticipated yakiniku restaurant just a few blocks from the hotel. I specifically picked this spot due to their use of charcoal for the extra flavor it imparts into the meat









Yessss�the good stuff!





A mind-blowing truffle rice with egg that paired with some lightly seared beef perfectly



Next up: Fushimi Inari and packing up for the Park Hyatt Kyoto

chongl

This time, I wasn't exactly sure...they were Asian, but regardless it was a bit of entitlement on their part

GodAtum

Thanks for the photos. I'll be in Kyoto soon! What's the Google Maps link for the yakiniku restaurant please?

chongl

https://maps.app.goo.gl/SEKcEsrFLfNV1T1p6

GodAtum

Thanks! Would you say this place is foreigner friendly?

chongl

Yeah, just make sure you have reservations as with most places. You can order off an iPad with menus in multiple languages

chongl

The next morning, we opted to have breakfast in the room. This allowed us to try the Japanese breakfast offering which could later be compared with the one at the Park Hyatt. The door knock came right on time



On top of being a great visual presentation, the food was delicious with many intricate flavors exciting the taste buds





From there, we checked out and had our luggage forwarded to the Park Hyatt so we wouldn�t have to return to lug the bags across town. Today�s stop would be Fushimi Inari



Street food vendors lined the blocks, serving a multitude of options



We head towards the shrine, deciding to come back later to sample some of the food











On the way up





There were less crowds on the way down, and if you waited for an opportune moment, could even get some pictures sans people







Almost back to the bottom



And to our first poor choice for the day, this imitation crab meat stick









Karrage is always welcome





Some very long fries



And a small dessert



Having burned off most of the morning, we head back towards the train station



But one last dessert first! At first glance I thought it was gelatin and expected a soft bite. Rather, it was a hard coating of sugar around the strawberries that made it taste like candy



We decided to walk the rest of the way to the hotel which was a leisurely 20 minute stroll through the heart of Gion











Finally arriving at the Park Hyatt Kyoto, which is nicely tucked into the surrounding area. After getting our details, we were led to our room for the rest of the check-in process









Looking towards Yasaka Shrine



We were upgraded to a corner room with a garden view. The nice thing was that we could actually go outside into the garden here unlike at the Ritz Carlton











Stepping outside to enjoy some fresh air



Internet speeds not so hot here



But we quickly forgot about that as a set of anniversary snacks were delivered to our room





After a short rest, we walked around the locale, stopping for some small bites







Having not seen any dinner places that interested us, we decided to go back to our room. Spotting an Integra Type R



And an R8



We once again opted for In room dining, and ran into some service issues. After having ordered the food and having the order repeated to us, we still hadn�t received our food after 45 minutes. When following up on the phone, there was no record of our order and likely to do a language barrier, was told that there had been no order placed. After getting everything sorted out, the F&B manager on duty personally called to apologize and came up to deliver the food. We had some delectable fish and chips, Japanese style with some yuzu tartar sauce



A tonkatsu bowl for the kids and the wife had more Japanese curry



The F&B manager also came by with a gift as part of the service recovery





With that, we called it a night. I was eager to sample the breakfast the next morning, but I must say it fell far short of expectations. With limited buffet options and a mediocre a la carte menu, it did not match the caliber of the hotel in my opinion



















A la carte menu



French toast




The weather was cooler and I couldn�t pry the wife out of the room until lunch time. We found a local mom and pop ramen shop that was well priced with decent food





Mini-Chongl #2 had fallen asleep during the wait, so I had to hold him with one hand and down my ramen with the other. Once finished, I got him back to the stroller and we decided to just head straight back to the hotel to let him rest rather than explore. Another round of food in the room, but without any of the issues from the prior night







The following morning, I head out just before sunrise to get some photos in. Come to find out, some others had the same idea as well







We came back to have our Japanese breakfast, which was served in the same area as the western breakfast. This had to be ordered the day prior, and I was hoping for the best since this meal was prepared by their Michelin-starred restaurant



Starting with some tea





Rice was done cooking once the fire goes out





Also a beautiful presentation. However, I felt I much preferred the flavors experienced at the Ritz Carlton









For the rest of our final day in Kyoto, we went out to do some more eating and exploring





Come dinner time, we were really craving some beef, a theme that would carry on in Tokyo as I had already booked 2 yakiniku restaurants for our 2 nights there









Then some ice cream and croquette to finish off the night







Next up: Heading to Tokyo

eightblack

This is a staggeringly good TR. I am literally amazed at the sheer amount of effort you went to with all the pics. Loved the resort in Bali and the pics from Osaka bring back memories of when I went there last summer with my own kids. All I can say is you got style my friend...keep up the good work.

bigdog2

I concur. chongl trip reports are top notch. excellent photography. i always look forward to reading them.

GodAtum

How long did it take to foward your luggage between the Ritz-Calton and Hyatt? What yakiniku restaurant did you go to in your last post?

chongl

Thank you. High praise from the FT legend eightblack himself!

I appreciate the kind words, bigdog2. There are times when I wonder whether to put in the effort and whether people read them or not

As long as you drop it off by 10AM, it gets delivered same day. The luggage was already waiting in our room by the time we checked in

We just stumbled across the shop as we were walking. Looks like it's next to this place: 2 Chome-222 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0862, Japan

chongl

After finishing our breakfast in the morning. Our airport transfer was ready and waiting downstairs. It was a longer drive back to ITM, which took us through a series of highways and tunnels



We got dropped off curbside and proceeded to get checked in





Our ride to Tokyo had not arrived yet, as it was slightly delayed due to the traffic caused by a closed runway from tragic incident just a few days earlier. I took my time gazing at our neighboring 787 until our plane pulled up



Just a short while later, boarding was called and down the jet bridge we went



I swear it said business when I booked the seats with Avios, but they turned out to be more like PE? I suppose what was upfront was probably domestic first and we were indeed in a domestic business class. Either way, any seat on this plane would have been sufficient for the very short hop to Tokyo









Once we had arrived and collected our bags, we hopped on the metro to our favorite place to stay



While we were in Kyoto I had browsed for rooms and saw what I thought was a lower award rate for the room. I was mistaken in thinking the phone was quoting the full stay’s price rather than each night, even though it is shown quite clearly. I ended up booking a larger room, only to realize my mistake minutes later. The base room never returned to inventory, so I couldn’t revert to my original arrangements



Nice suite thanks to my error











Some better speeds here



As mentioned prior, I had 2 yakiniku restaurants already booked in Ginza. The first night we had a nice private room to enjoy the wonderful wagyu to our stomach’s content









A visit to Jule’s whisky library in the basement of Ginza 6 let us burn off some calories. After my big Japanese whisky score back in 2017, I haven’t been actively hunting for bottles as much. But it was still a sight to behold some of the bottles on display here







A wall of Chateau Mouton Rothschild



Always great car spotting in Ginza



The following morning, I awoke early and was treated to a beautiful sunrise since we were facing the bay



Once everyone else was awake, we head downstairs for breakfast

















Benedict from the a la carte menu



We head out mid-morning for our ramen stop knowing that arriving early would mean a shorter wait time. With Tsuta being closed for the holidays, we decided to try a spot that had been on my list for years. It’s tucked into a non-descript alleyway, but you immediately know you’re in the right place when you spot the queue



Browsing the menu



Ginza Kagari uses a chicken-based broth, which is quite different than most of the pork-based versions many places use





Finally seated, with a view of the 2 large pots of constantly simmering chicken broth. The batches are constantly being skimmed to keep the broth as pure as possible





And the bowl awaits



A wonderfully thick and creamy soup clung to the noodles with each bite. Other than the richness, the sweetness of the broth is what really stuck out to me



More car spotting



They closed up the street in Ginza in the afternoon that allowed for back and forth strolling



Mrs. ChongL found her cake dispensing machine





When the kiddos went down for their afternoon nap, I ventured out again to Rimowa to get our luggage repaired. A nice treat spotting a Lotus 2-Eleven out in the wild!



In the evening, we went to the nearby Donki and loaded up on snacks, Boss coffee, and small gifts before heading to dinner



Until a shiny chrome Bugatti Veyron decided to drive by leaving my jaw on the floor





The police getting ready to open the street back up



One last shot down the middle of the street



Our second yakiniku restaurant was at 777 Ginza. It was coincidence, but was just above the 777 Liquor Mountain store that we’d been to a few times





The meats





Cooking over charcoal



Dessert



And a pleasant evening stroll back to our hotel



With the 488 and the R8 being the last few supercars before we got back to our room





Next up: JAL First Class to head home

benjahman

Another amazing chongl trip report always makes the Tuesday mid-afternoon in-the-office blues go away. Thanks for sharing. I'm loving the food and car pics.

bigdog2

high quality trip report contributions like yours are some of the best parts about this forum.
the last picture of the cars is just such a beautiful shot with the colors. Well done again.