It was my final night in Tokyo and I was out for one last authentic Japanese dinner and as always I chose a random restaurant.   I was greeted by this ever polite host  ‘Good evening sir how many for dinner?’  ‘Table for one’  ‘Follow me please sir.’  The place was quite busy which is always a good sign when you’re on holiday a restaurant full of people, even better when it is a restaurant full of locals because my final dinner in Tokyo would be at Hormone Hanaken, Shinjuku Kabukicho.

Once I arrived at my table sitting on it was a grill which I found odd, but I was in a different time and place.  ‘Why is the grill on the table?’  I asked, ‘is the food cooked in front of me?’  ‘No sir you cook your own food.’  ‘Excuse me?’  ‘Your server will explain everything, enjoy sir.’  And before I could ask another question he was gone. 

My server approached and with the customary bow greeted me – ‘Good evening sir, how are you tonight?’  ‘I am well thanks, how are you, ‘I am well sir, thank you sir.  Please call me Aron, I’ve been called ‘sir’ four times already and I haven’t even had a drink.’ 

Once I did finally have a drink he explained everything and that I in fact am cooking my entire meal.  The menu had meat, chicken and fish and pretty much every body part of it from the inside to the out and with a mother from the south some of them I’ve had and never will again even in beautiful Tokyo.  And while I am usually adventurous when it comes to food on this night it was strictly parts of a cow and chicken I’m used to eating.  

I ordered and moments later my food was brought to my grill, it was turned on and I was cooking my own dinner in Tokyo, Japan.  These are the moments that make travel like nothing else in this world.  And as I continued cooking my authentic Japanese dinner which consisted of burn chicken and steak you needed a saw to cut through along with rice noodles and everything else.  I had that ‘wow’ moment, I was cooking my own dinner at a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan something I never in my wildest dreams.  

And as the wine flowed I started talking with some the people around me and just had an amazing time sharing my experience in there amazing city.  And these are the unscripted moments that make travel amazing.  I could’ve picked any restaurant that night but instead I chose Hormone Hanaken, Shinjuku Kabukicho and it was the perfect way to end my six days in this absolutely amazing city.

Thank you Tokyo!!!! 

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Please share some of your amazing restaurant experiences and if you ever cooked your own food along the way.

and as always thanks for reading, Sayonara for now.