S OOT
C
47
BEST BRUNCH
Brooklyn Parlor
(
brooklynparlor.co.jp) is a
genuine New York hangout
in the heart of Shinjuku: all
exposed brick, spacious and
warm, and serving lamb stew
or roast chicken with gravy.
OUT OF TOWN
When Kyoto is a step too
far, the ancient capital of
Kamakura
,
about an hour
south, offers some temple relief
and several beaches to boot.
ART OF PLEASURE
Inside one Nakameguro salon,
visitors may be surprised
to find an actual shipping
container occupying half the
space. And inside that, there
is a further surprise — one of
Tokyo’s most delightful and
odd art galleries. Ingeniously
titled
The Container
(
the-container.com), it’s the
most talked-about art space
since opening in 2011.
RETAIL THERAPY
Seeking to bring ecological
evolution to the city,
entrepreneurs AP Bank built
an entire hamlet,
Yoyogi
Village
(
jp), in a spirit of rejuvenation
spilling over to those who
drop in for organic soup or cotton
clothes from farms in India.
DRINK UP
Few cafés have a local feel
like
Fireking Café
(
fk-cafe.com), where rotating
contemporary art decorates
the walls and the clientele
are almost all regulars –
a mix of artisans, models
and entrepreneurs.
SHOP BY DAY
The trendiest district of the
moment for coffee dates,
brunch and cute street
clothes,
Garosugil
is also
home to the flagship Eight
Seconds shop, Korea’s latest
fast-fashion megabrand. Try
the delectable Bruni coffee at
Coco Bruni or shop for trendy
accessories at Aland.
SHOP BY NIGHT
Open until five in the morning,
Doota
(
is a
high-rise fashion mall filled
with independent boutiques
by emerging designers selling
stylish clothes, shoes and
accessories. Prime time
is around midnight
on the weekends.
YUMMY LUNCH
Popular lunch spot
Bibigo
(
serves
up bibimbap with a modern
twist – in salad form as well
as in the traditional stone
bowl. It’s healthy, affordable
and delcious.
RIVER SUNSETS
Enjoy the summer by renting
a bike and catch the stunning
sunsets along the
Han River
,
which divides the city into
north and south. The river is
also dotted with cafés and
restaurants on boats.
LOG ON
Browse
for the latest restaurant news,
reviews, festivals and activities
updates. The site even has
a restaurant review map,
so that you can check where
you are and go to the
nearest yummy eatery.
TOKYO WORDS
ROBERT MICHAEL POOLE
SEOUL WORDS
FRANCES CHA
SEEK
....
the
scoop...
....
the
scoop...
TOKYO
Recommended!
SEOUL
Recommended!
“
Arisugawa
Park is lovely.
Few people go to this
patch of greenery. It
used to be a villa so
it feels very private.”
Shanti Rasameola, 23
“
Tsutaya in
Daikanyama
isn’t like any other
DVD rental store –
lounge around in a
luxurious space.”
Yuri Nabata, 26
“
Next to
Namsan
Tower, Rufxx in
Itaewon has one
of the best views
of the city.”
Esther Oh, 25
“
Park-
daegamne
is open 24 hours
and serves the best
galbitang
–
amazing
hangover stew.”
Soon Ho Lee, 31
