Singapore Airlines 'New' Regional Business Class Review (SQ638, SIN-NRT)!

👍 The large, straight-on footwell makes for a superior sleeping position.
👎 Seat is relatively narrow (for SQ), no 'double bed.'

The wife and I got the chance to try out Singapore Airlines 'new' Regional Business Class on their B787-10 Dreamliner from Singapore to Tokyo/Narita!


SQ 638 is a 6hr 35min scheduled flight, leaving Singapore at 11:55pm and arriving in Tokyo (Narita) at 7:30am. It's a perfect, albeit a little short, time-saving flight as you can work a full day, sleep in the plane, and then have an entire day of vacationing in Tokyo (or wherever else you're planning to go to in Japan).

Check in at Changi Airport as a premium passenger is, as always, an extremely efficient affair: Just a couple of minutes and you're all checked-in and past immigration. The SilverKris Lounge (for Business Class passengers) was surprisingly packed, so it might not be the best place to get some rest. The food available was far better than most of the other lounges in the airport, however!


The New Regional Business Class seat is a departure from Singapore Airlines' typical Business Class seats, in that it places the footwell right in front of you (instead of skewed to one side). This is, in our opinions, a HUGE improvement in sleeping position, and therefore is probably a superior seat for (relatively) short red-eye / overnight flights like this one. There are a couple of drawbacks though, namely:

• The seat is noticeably narrower than Singapore Airlines' International Business Class (but still perfectly fine for my 86kg frame.
• There is no "double bed" available, and even in the middle "couple-type" seats you need to lean forward quite a bit to speak to your travel companion.

Dinner was served very promptly after take off. We tried the Hanakoireki and the Seared Black Cod ala Nicoise, which were both filling and delicious. Having said that, it's a little odd to have dinner/supper on a flight scheduled to take off at midnight. Wouldn't a heavy breakfast be a better idea instead?

There was also a light continental breakfast served just prior to landing, which we chose to skip in order to get a little more shut-eye.


As is usual for Singapore Airlines, you get water, socks and slippers and an eye shade, but you don't get pajamas in Business Class. You don't get an amenity kit, either: You're expected to head to the toilets to pick up shavers, combs, toothbrushes, etc if you want them.

Overall, the flight was extremely comfortable, although it being so short (actual flight time of around 6 hours) meant that it was really just board, eat, then recline the seat to get as much (very comfortable) sleep as possible.

Look See Eat

Tokyo's Best Mid-Range Sushi: Mantenzushi Marunouchi (まんてん鮨 丸の内)

👍 Good Sushi, unbeatable value, Gaijin-friendly reservations.
👎 Expect to be in a food coma for a while after.

Stories and videos about Sushi places in Tokyo and Japan tend to focus on the high-end: How many of us don't know of Sukiyabashi Jiro or Sushi Saito? Quality comes at a cost, though, and in the case of Tokyo's top Sushi places that cost is steep, both in pricing (¥30,000 and up), and in sheer difficulty in getting a seat at the table in the first place.

If you're willing to lower your targets a little, though, some excellent sushi can be had at literally a fraction of the price. Take, for example, the sushi omakase at Mantenzushi Marunouchi (まんてん鮨 丸の内), where ¥6,480 buys you 11 nigiri, 1 hand roll, and 14 sashimi/other food items (that works out to ¥250 per morsel). Overall, the sushi is the best I've ever had at this price point, although service standards and attentiveness to detail are perhaps a little ... casual. Oh, and I guess one or two of the items are a tad bit eyebrow-raising (*koff koff enoki mushroom sushi and wasabi leaf koff koff*)


Mantenzushi Marunouchi
Anyway, I won't do write-ups of each individual sushi or food item - partially because with omakase the menu is ever-changing, but mostly because there are too many different items 😉 Enjoy the photos!


Shijimi Soup

Buri Sushi

Seared Swordfish

Cured Bonito

Abalone Sashimi

Sawara Sashimi

Hirame Sushi

Sticky, Slimy Seaweed

Aji Sushi

Tarakko and Enoki Mushroom Sushi

Botan Ebi Sushi

Nanohana (fig leaf/flower) and Picked Daikon

Mini Ikura Don

Wasabi Leaf

Bafun and Murasaki Uni Sushi

Akami and Chuutoro Sushi

Anago Sushi

Shijimi Miso Soup

Negitoro Hand Roll

Kanpyo Sushi

Egg Custard

Strawberry
Mantenzushi Marunouchi (まんてん鮨 丸の内) is walking distance from the Tokyo train station (take the Marunouchi South Exit), in the basement of the Marunouchi Brick Square building (丸の内ブリックスクエア). Reservations are essential, but easy to make thanks to their Gaijin-friendly reservations website. Do pay them a visit and let us know what you think!

Creme Caramel Cake at ESSE DUE (エッセドゥエ) - Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman Episode 10

If you're reading this then you're probably a Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman fan like we are. And like us, you might be thinking of paying a few of the shops a visit on your next trip to Tokyo. To help you a little in your quest, today we bring you a short write-up of the Creme Caramel Cake (Caramel Pudding) at ESSE DUE (エッセドゥエ) from episode 10 of the show!


Follow this link to go back to the master list of all the other dessert shops / cafes.

🍨 I guess Creme Caramel needs no introduction - it's a really popular custard dessert topped with a layer of soft caramel. What's a little different about ESSE DUE's version is that it's served as a slice of cake and topped with whipped cream. Aesthetics aside, though, it's superbly executed: the custard's smooth, jiggly but firm, and the caramel has been cooked/burnt just long enough to impart the perfect amount of bitter. Divine.

🍴 Unlike many of the other shops on Kantaro's list which are dedicated dessert joints, ESSE DUE is first and foremost an Italian restaurant. During our lunch visit we shared a pizza lunch and salad lunch (there's also a pasta lunch option), which comes with pizza, salad, and your choice of cold or hot coffee/tea.


Ultimately, we thought that the food was mediocre/subpar, so ask for the dessert menu if you just want cake!

👥 Crowd: We visited on a Friday lunchtime, and the ground floor dining area shop was around two-thirds full. Do note, though, that ESSE DUE is firmly in the middle of office territory, so it's possible that they are less crowded on weekends.

🚄 Access: As always, directions via Google Maps rarely ever fail me in Tokyo, but if you won't have Internet connectivity then the restaurant is a few minutes walk from exit B6 of the Akasaka Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line).

Tabelog Link for your quick reference on opening days / hours. Reservations not accepted.

Bavarian Matcha Cream at Kinozen (紀の善) - Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman Episode 6

If you're reading this then you're probably a Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman fan like we are. And like us, you might be thinking of paying a few of the shops a visit on your next trip to Tokyo. To help you a little in your quest, today we bring you a short write-up of the Bavarian Matcha Cream at Kinozen (紀の善) from episode 6 of the show!

Follow this link to go back to the master list of all the other dessert shops / cafes.

🍨 Bavarian Matcha Cream is an East-meets-West sort of dessert: The Bavarian Cream itself originating from somewhere in Europe (Wikipedia seems conflicted whether it's of German or French origin), and the Matcha (green tea) and Anko (Red Bean Paste) originating from Japan.

If you don't want to ask for an English menu, the Japanese name of the dessert is "Matcha Babaroa" (抹茶ババロア). There's also a Chestnut Bavarian Cream ("Kuri Babaroa," 栗ババロア), which was unfortunately not in season when we visited in the winter.


As is somewhat standard with most (all?) Japanese dessert shops, the waitresses give you hot green tea and sometimes some small snacks once you're seated; Here at Kinozen (紀の善) the snack is a somewhat vaguely cat-shaped Senbei (rice cracker).


We asked for two orders of the Bavarian Matcha Cream / Matcha Babaroa / 抹茶ババロア. The dessert was really good: The green tea flavour profile accompanying perfectly the red bean paste. We weren't so sure about the whipped cream, though - Bavarian Cream is after all primarily a thickened milk-and-cream mixture, and adding more whipped cream on top of that was a tad bit much on the dairy. In hindsight perhaps we should have shared two different desserts.


👥 Crowd: We visited on a Friday afternoon, and the two-storey shop was around 80-90% full. If you visit on a weekend, it's probably pretty likely that there'll be a queue.

🚄 Access: As always, directions via Google Maps rarely ever fail me in Tokyo, but if you won't have Internet connectivity then take exit B3 or B2a of the Iidabashi Station (JR Chuo-Sobu Line; Tokyo Metro Tozai, Yurakucho, Namboku and Oedo Lines); Kinozen is a a minute or two walk away.


Tabelog Link for your quick reference on opening days / hours. Reservations not accepted.

Mamekan at Akasaka Sagamiya (赤坂 相模屋) - Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman Episode 3

If you're reading this then you're probably a Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman fan like we are. And like us, you might be thinking of paying a few of the shops a visit on your next trip to Tokyo. To help you a little in your quest, today we bring you a short write-up of the Mamekan at Akasaka Sagamiya (赤坂 相模屋) from episode 3 of the show!


Yes, we're nerdy like that
Follow this link to go back to the master list of all the other dessert shops / cafes.

In episode 3, Kantaro tried to execute the "Mamekan Triathlon," eating three bowls of Mamekan from three different shops. We didn't have the time (or the stamina) to do the same, so we picked Akasaka Sagamiya, the third shop, as it was the most conveniently located for us. If you recall, however, Kantaro actually had take out, and ate the Mamekan at home, because ...


... except that he didn't, really. We ended being a casualty of the non-literal translation, because what Kantaro actually said - "赤坂相模屋には、残念だがら、イートインのコーナーはない" - literally means "Unfortunately, Akasaka Sagamiya does not have any eat-in corner (area)," i.e. you have no choice but to order take out. Oh well. Anyway ...

🍨 Mamekan is a Japanese traditional dessert not too unlike Anmitsu (which we blogged about a few days ago). It has the same base of Kanten (Agar Jelly Cubes) and Kuromitsu (Dark Syrup), but instead of having red beans and fruits, it concentrates on Kuromame (Sweet Black Soybeans).


Before we continue, apologies in advance for the aesthetically-challenged presentation. If you are a resident in Tokyo I'm sure you'll have no problem, but as visitors to the city staying in a business hotel, we had to improvise by using coffee mugs in place of bowls, and crudely chopping up the Kanten with a plastic coffee stirrer borrowed from a Family Mart downstairs. Aesthetics doesn't change the taste (much) though, we hope!

Oh by the way, the two mugs pictured below make up half of the "three person portion take-out pack" (¥1200).


The dessert ended up to be quite delicious, if perhaps a little one-dimensional. Unlike Anmitsu's variety of flavours, Mamekan really is all about the sweet soy beans, so your enjoyment of the bowl will probably depend a lot on how much you like (or don't like) them.

👥 Crowd: As mentioned, this shop is take-out only so there shouldn't be any problem with crowds.

🚄 Access: As always, directions via Google Maps rarely ever fail me in Tokyo, but if you won't have Internet connectivity then Akasaka Sagamiya (赤坂 相模屋) is within walking distance of either the Akasaka (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda line) or Akasaka-Mitsuke (Tokyo Metro Ginza, Marunouchi Line) stations. It's also a short walk from Esse Due (episode 10), which has decent Italian food and a killer Creme Caramel Cake.


Tabelog Link for your quick reference on opening days / hours. Reservations and credit cards not applicable.

Fruits Parfait at Kajitsuen (果実園 リーベル/東京駅) - Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman Episode 4

If you're reading this then you're probably a Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman fan like we are. And like us, you might be thinking of paying a few of the shops a visit on your next trip to Tokyo. To help you a little in your quest, today we bring you a short write-up of the Fruits Parfait at Kajitsuen Libre (果実園 リーベル) i.e. the fruity peach ice cream that appeared on episode 4 of the show ...

... except not really. We went to Kajitsuen Tokyo Station (果実園 東京駅). And we had Strawberry and Musk Melon parfaits instead of Peach 🤷🏻


Follow this link to go back to the master list of all the other dessert shops / cafes.

We did try to go to the actual Libre (リーベル) outlet in Shinjuku, but we sort of forgot that it was a Sunday afternoon, and lo and behold a 29 table, 76 person waiting list greeted us at arrival ...


... so we hopped back on the train to try our luck at the Tokyo Station (東京駅) outlet instead. The queue here is way more manageable, and we thankfully were seated after about 20 minutes of waiting.


🍦 At Kajitsuen, the Parfaits really have their fruits firmly entrenched as the stars of the show. Peaches are only in season in the summer, unfortunately, so we settle for the winter specialties of Amaou Strawberry Parfait and Musk Melon Parfait (¥3900 for both). As you might notice in the photographs below, the parfaits are really almost all fruit, with the ice cream and whipped cream seemingly there only to serve as putty to hold the fruits in place.

The Amaou Strawberry parfait was divine (Amaou is a type/brand of Strawberry from Fukuoka which is known for being sweet, large, and delicious), each bite of strawberry being moist, juicy, and sweet (with just a hint of tartness). The melon on the other hand was just so-so, having none of the overwhelming juice, sweetness, nor hint of musk that you normally expect from Musk Melon.


👥 Crowd: As we mentioned above, the Libre (リーベル) outlet in Shinjuku has a really long queue on weekends, so either turn up early (close to opening time), or visit any of the other outlets most convenient to you. I mean, the fruits should be all sourced from the same central kitchen/supplier, so each parfait should be the same at any of the locations, no?

🚄 Access: As always, directions via Google Maps rarely ever fail me in Tokyo, but if you won't have Internet connectivity then the Libre (リーベル) outlet is a few minutes walk from the Shinjuku station, across the main street from Shinjuku Lumine 1 (not Lumine est, which is the opposite direction!), whereas the Tokyo Station (東京駅) outlet is somewhere in the Kitchen Street.


Tabelog Link for your quick reference on opening days / hours. Reservations not accepted.