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First time, we ordered each of their 4 Party Trays, $200 in total. It was more than enough for our group of 12. The spread in the 4 trays cover different people's craving and the most expensive tray even had Dragon Roll in it. One of the other trays had a layer of cheese covering the rice and the cheese looks a bit grilled (or just using fire to go over it). That was wonderful.
The second time, we ordered bentos, individual sushi trays, and chicken don. I had the Sashimi & Cha Soba bento and it was so filling. For $14.99 GST, it had cha soba and sashimi (so obvious), some sushi (imagine the rice in it, of course it is filling) and also came with a miso soup. But really, other than this only one with cha soba, the other bentos and sushi trays doesn't appeal to me at all.
On the delivery itself, the menu price is before GST and there is no service charge levied. For the delivery charge, if you have their Sakae membership, it is waived; else it is $3.50. There is now Citibank promotion, so you will get a $10 voucher (or $20) with every $85 net spent (or $150). Just note that the vouchers can only be used with your next delivery order and has a pretty short (3 mths) validity period.
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So here, I would just like to talk about some useful / nice things to lookout for, if you decide to go on a F&E trip. There is totally no need to be stopped by its language, in fact, I find it easier to go to Japan F&E, then to go Bangkok F&E (at least I find almost no need to ask around for direction, when looking for my budget hotel)
(1) Hotels
www.toyoko-inn.com or http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/
- This hotel change have hotels all over Japan and I think there are hitting 200 hotels soon. Their single room charges are less than JPY7k including taxes (approx JPY 9k for twin rooms).
- They provide a Japanese breakfast (miso soup and flavoured rice balls) and internet facilities (1 or 2 terminals, some inclusive of FOC printer use) which is just right for you to double check your next day's itinery.
- For a lady guest, you sometimes get freebies like a small bag.
- Everything from TV to tea/coffee to toothbrush sets are available in the room, just that do not expect to be able to do sit-ups on the floor in the room.
- Their staff do not necessary speak good English, but I find it no-hassle to check in and check out of the hotel, as their website have everything you need to ask (they also have English and Japanese maps, so even if you need to ask about directions to get to the hotel, you have it) and the booking is online with your credit card, so the check-in and check-out is not much conversation required.
- Their hotels are usually located within walking distance from the train stations.
(2) Transport
http://transit.yahoo.co.jp/
- If you know how to read traditional chinese and have a rough understanding of the stations in Japan (see next para and point 3), you can make use of this website to help you plan out your transport route.
- One very important thing for a Chinese (as in you understand Chinese) when you are in Japan, is to not only know the English spelling and pronouncation (Japanese sound like English) of the stations that you are going, try to get the Chinese writing (Japanese pronounce these Chinese characters, Kanji, in their Japanese language which sounds like English) and you will not miss your train stops as the stations usually write the Chinese characters bigger than the English spelling.
- This is for Osaka: http://www.kintetsu.jp/english/service/index.html
(3) Transport
http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en003.html
- If you are going to move between their far-apart major cities, you would most likely take the bullet train "Shinkansen" and the Japan Rail Pass is just right. THe cost of a 7-day pass is JPY28.3k is about how much it will cost for one return trip between Tokyo and Osaka. This pass also allows unlimited travel on local trains (does not include metro/subway and other privately operated trains).
(4) Planning your destinations and travel route
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/destinations/index.html
- This website have every infor you need to go to the tourist destinations, from operating hours to which train station to recommended shopping malls.
- The best thing is that this website is in English. (But the demerit point is also that it is in English, as they do not write the Chinese characters of the train stations.)
- If you would like to go during a local festival, this website also lists down what timing of the year is for which festival or celebrations (different by cities)
- This is for Kyoto: http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/info_required/transportation/
- This is for Osaka: http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/
(5) Hard Rock Cafe
http://www.hardrockcafe.com/locations/cafes3/locator.aspx
- If you are a fan of it, Japan has 8 outlets around the whole country
I am sure many will say that they want to go to the hot spring "onsen" as Japan is famous for that. But sad to say, I have very limited infor on this, as these are usually operated by locals who tend not to speak/write a lot of English, so I find very little infor over the net. I also did not get a chance to go to something as traditional as they show on Japan Hour. Maybe if you have something to share, that would be nice. I am looking towards another trip to Japan, hopefully next year or the year after.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Wow! So detailed! Thanks for sharing your experience.
20 Jul 2008 at 9:30 pm
But later, with the budget shop closed and it's other 10c-branches slowly disappearing, I start to go to this website. Mind you, I usually print >100 (200 is not surprising) when I come back from a holiday trip. The cents make a difference.
So how much do they charge???
19c for each 4R piece and there is a mailing charge of around 1.90 for first 55 piece, $1 for next 55 piece, $1.50 for every 100 piece above 330 piece. Expresss mail have extra charges though.
Haha, I used my free entitlements (under a promotion) for the 1st try and just paid only mailing charges, thinking that I will at most lose the mailing charges if the quality turn out unacceptable. But it was acceptable to me. And the 2nd try, they happen to have a promotional price of 9c per piece and I paid only $19.40 for 140 pieces which comes to 13.8c per piece only!!.
OH!!! I just saw that they have a promotion to "Buy your prints ahead of time and save even more! Now lock in the lowest price! only 13ยข each". With mailing charges, could be lower than 19c per piece (I estimate 16c for me.)
In case you are one of those looking into sending gifts with photo-prints, this website also have things ranging from poster to mugs to albums.... customise with photo-prints on the items.
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But I find their things really REALLY expensive. From the Yen (JPY) price listed and the conversion rate now, they are quoting some 50% more!! And mind you, the Japanese language textbooks are already not cheap in their home country (I think their targets are foreigners who stay in Japan and need to learn their language), how do I then bear to buy it in Singapore at these kind of marked-up prices??
Luckily I got 3 out of 4 or 6 in the series, when I was in Japan and was just checking out to see if I can get them in Singapore, when I need the higher level ones.
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Haven't try out their read on spot rental, but I sort of remember it charges by hour, and they have a sort drinks fridge to sell you at $1 (or so). Don't worry, they have air-con (so that it is not hot such that you need to buy the drinks).
I like their member system, especially for comics, where it is at $1 per book for 1 day, so if you rent a whole series of say 14 books, you will get 14 days to read it at the comfort of your own house.
And because of this member system, it is less likely for people to rent the book home, forgot to return on time and hence end up just forfeiting the deposit and not return the book. I tried out another book store near my place before, and they do not have a lot of books under a particular chinese novel series that I like, and I suspect is because people don't return the books to claim back the deposit, since the deposit rent is approximate the selling price of the book.
The aunties and uncles manning the shop are nice too. Although you will see them do other things like eating their home-cooked meals, or taking care of a sleeping baby, while you are in the shop. A family environment (not noisy, don't worry) to read comics.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!they are closing (I think is this week?) and have not found a new place. but they have decided to sell as much of their books as possible, as their new place not likely to be the same size
30 Jul 2008 at 7:43 am