YES - we did!
After trying a couple different cafes for coffee, I quickly realized that Starbucks was BY FAR the best option in Tokyo. Peter and I quickly got into a routine where I would wake up before him, get ready (I get ready pretty quickly in the morning), and go to Starbucks to get Coffee. This worked out well because he took longer to get ready, and I need coffee to function.
This was the Starbucks I went to - near the south terrace exit of Shinjuku Station. I spent a lot of time sitting there inside by the window, people watching. Makes me a little nostalgic to look at, actually.
Next to that Starbucks there is a Krispy Kreme. Often it had a huge line. I have NEVER been to Krispy Kreme in the US - we used to sell them for girl scouts back in middle school, so I think I probably have had a Krispy Kreme plain doughnut then, but I don't really remember much about it. Being a Concannon's fan since birth (sometimes I dream about their pretzel doughnuts), I never really sought out other doughnuts. They just aren't worth it. Go Muncie!
Anyway, this place was pretty packed sometimes. One night on our way back to the hotel Peter said he wanted to go and I agreed, I mean, the hot and ready light was on (I know what the hot and ready light means, even if I've never responded to it previously).
They were actually giving out free doughnuts! Free Hot and Ready doughnuts! So of course I couldn't turn that down, and then I had a cherry something? Cherry cake doughnut?It was definitely edible, but Concannon's still has the gold medal. Sorry Krispy Kreme!
The best confession is for last, and I think this will be a shocker to my family members.
We went to McDonald's. Yes, I ate at McDonald's! I have gone a handful of times this year to get coffee there, but the last time I ate a sandwich at McDonald's was in Moscow in 2006.
This one wasn't even Peter's idea - it was my idea! I suggested it, It was all me. We had had sort of a rough rainy day, I just wanted to eat, and we were right next to a McDonald's (though, you are sort of always near one, I suppose).
I had a double cheese burger, which I have never had before. And I have to say, it was delicious.
Junk food is delicious. I usually lie to myself and tell myself I don't like it, and say I never get fast food because it's gross. But lets be real here - fast food is delicious, deliciously horrible and I could eat it in one form or another everyday if I let myself. OK - now I must go back to telling myself I hate it, before I start destroying my insides with whoppers and curly fries.
2 comments:
You dined at McDonalds?!?! I'm stunned.
I haven't eaten at McDs in so many years.. I don't like the smell anymore. I've only been in one twice here in Japan. Once, my manager won a bet and so I had to buy her french frys. Another time a friend convinced me to go buy some of their coffee. I didn't like it and ended up pouring it out. It tasted like smoke. (like all but Starbucks here, McDs allows smoking)
I did have a student buy me McDs once. I ended up giving it to my manager, stunning all present because I'm American... yet I don't like McDs. It's kind of fun breaking stereotypes.
It's funny that that Krispy Kream in Shinjuku is so popular.It was featured on the news daily for like a week leading up to its opening. When it finally did open, people lined up for hours beforehand, as if it were a concert or something. I think I read the line was at least a multi hour wait. But then again, people in Japan famously like new things and also waiting in lines. It's often joked that if a Japanese sees a line, they will go and stand in it even if they have no idea what it is for. A lot of comedy here makes fun of this.
I haven't tried Krispy Kream (I think the only location is that lone Shinjuku one. Nothing this far south of Tokyo), but I have tried Mr Donuts a few times. Every time they get in their matcha donuts (maybe once or twice a year), I get in line to get some.
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