Cordially Jess

Seattle in 3 Days

Day 1: 

We arrived around 10am at SeaTac Airport, picked up our car rental with Dollar Car Rental, (great deals guys!) and then made our way to Pike Place Public Market Center. Plan to spend 2-4 hours here guys. Great place to just walk around, explore, and try different foods/drinks. I recommend checking out Pike Place Chowder for the best New England Clam Chowder your tastebuds will experience! Also check out Piroshky Piroshky Bakery, just the aroma will draw you in! Highly recommend the Smoked Salmon Pate there! They have both savory and sweet baked goods, satisfying every need. Within that same strip is the ORIGINAL STARBUCKS for all you Starbucks lovers. This Starbucks feature drinks and creations that no other Starbucks has (so try something new)! 

We then stopped by Pioneer Square and rented little electric scooters to explore this area. Pioneer Square’s known for their bars, hello daytime drinking! 

We finally checked in at the Hyatt House around 3-4pm. I highly recommend staying here. This hotel was central to every other place we explored while in Seattle. It’s literally right next to the Space Needle – save on parking ;). 

After settling in and freshening up, we checked out Chihuly Garden and Glass. Seriously guys, such beautiful art and glass sculptures. We then made our way to the Space needle around 6pm. I highly recommend going around this time as this time slot blesses you with daytime, sunset, and nighttime views. Grab a glass of wine and head out on the observation deck, sip on wine, and embrace the Seattle views. Combo Chihuly Garden and Space needle tickets can be found here for $49 per person. 

We then went to Din Tai Fung at Pacific Place  for dinner. They’re known for the Xiao Long Baos aka steamed pork soup dumplings. SERIOUSLY, so good guys, give it a try if you can! They have little instructional cards educating you on how to eat the Xiao Long Baos, it was a fun learning experience. Take a stroll around this area following dinner – for digestion 😉

Day 2:  

We got excited and had bought fresh seafood from Pure Food Fish Market at Pike Place the day before, so we had Alaskan crab leg, Dungeness crab, and shrimp for breakfast. Really guys, it was the best Alaskan Crab Leg I’ve had in my life! You’re in Seattle, so you’ve got to try the SEAFOOD! 

We then packed up and headed for our Snow Lake Hike! This hike was beautiful, although not for beginners, the view is 100% worth the trek! It took us about 2 hours to get to the lake, spent about an hour taking in the gorgeous views, then trekked back down. I’d say we spent about a total of 4.5 -5 hours there. I highly recommend hiking boots though! I found some great ones for my boyfriend and I at Cabela’s for only $30, and they supported us throughout the whole hike and are still in great condition! Also, highly recommend packing a snack, we were so hungry after reaching our view, luckily we had a couple of apples with us. So pack protein bars, WATER, and dress in layers to accommodate for the changing elements.

Following the hike our stomachs were growling for food. We decided to hit up The Third Place (7844 NE Leary Way, Redmond, WA 98052) in Redmond for dinner. This Korean BBQ restaurant totally hit the spot! They have really great pan chans (complimentary side dishes) here. Highly recommend their K BBQ wings, ugh drooling about it now, thinking about them. 

Following dinner we stopped by Kerry Park and Bailey Park for nighttime views of Seattle. 

Day 3: 

We started our day off with breakfast at Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge. If you’re up for something new and interesting this cajun-creole inspired restaurant has got you covered! The food was excellent, honestly, one of the best breakfasts I’ve had! 

We headed over to Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. Check out Uwajimaya, a large Asian Supermarket, they’ve got a great selection of ready-to-eat/to-go foods and sake/soju to take home as gifts/souvenirs. Also, inside of Uwajimaya are little restaurants (kind of like a food court). Try Beard Papa’s cream puff for the best cream puff ever! The last time I had this was in Tokyo, and didn’t think they’d have a store in the US! Also, check out Kinokuniya Bookstore, it’s a cute Japanese-inspired 2-level book shop, fun to look and shop around! Right outside of Uwajimaya was Bean Fish Taiyaki food truck. If you’re in Seattle, try to look for this food truck! Taiyaki is a Japanese fish-shaped waffle. They have both sweet and savory fillings! 

We then headed to Capitol Hill, and here, checked out the huge Starbucks Reserve Roastery, this place is humungo guys, if you’ve ever been to one, they’ve got food, pastries, alcoholic beverages, teas, and great espresso-based creations! I got myself an affogato! For a snack we stopped by Taylor’s Shellfish Oyster Bar for fresh chucked raw Oysters. Like I said, you’re in Seattle, they’re known for seafood, so indulge! This place was great, we got a sample platter featuring 6 different types of Oysters with 3 different sauces. The oysters are literally still in the tank, chucked fresh upon order you guys, can’t get any better than that! 

For dinner, we headed to Wasabi Sushi & Izakaya. The service, food, drinks, and ambiance here were great! I’m a a big sushi connoisseur, and this sushi restaurant did not disappoint 😉 Also, stopped by Ivar’s for a late night clam chowder soup, this place was okay. 

Day 4: 

Departure day 🙁 We got up and checked out around 11am. Headed to Sip House at University District for our daily dose of caffeine! Please please please try the fresh mint iced mojito coffee if you go here! I’ve had it once before in California, but this place has got it down to the T! I loved it! We then walked to Mee Sum Pastry because I was craving a Chinese BBQ Pork Bun, and guys, it did the job 😉 Then stopped by Tea Republik to wash down and cleanse our palettes, they have great tea here! We were close by the University of Washington, so we walked there real quick and explored its beautiful campus! Ugh wish I went there for undergrad haha, its such a GORGEOUS campus! 

Okay, a few more hours ’til boarding. We made one last stop to Alki Beach Park, and am so glad we did! Of course, food first, we grabbed some bites at Marination Ma Kai highly recommend the fish tacos and pork sliders here guys! If I had to pick one though, it’d be the fish tacos ;). We grabbed our food and sat down at a picnic table overlooking the beach (ugh reminiscing now)! Following, we did a quick stroll in the area. If you have time, take a ride on their water taxi (really wish we could have done this, but we had to head to the airport!)

Overall guys, literally, the BEST domestic trip I’ve been on to date. I love love love SEATTLE!

Nakameguro

Okay, so this one’s for all my coffee/espresso fans! When I found out that there was a 4-story Starbucks in Tokyo, me being a coffee addict & lover myself, I just had to check it out! Feature in this post: Starbucks Reserve, Tokyo Roastery, 2-19-23 Aobadai Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-0042. So just a heads up, there’ll probably be a wait, but, lets face it, good comes to those who wait (it’s well worth it, you’ll see)! When we got there, we had to check in, were given a number, and were told to return in a couple of hours. No problem; being in Nakameguro, I just took this as an opportunity to explore the district! Nakameguro is lined with cute little boutiques and restaurants, but moreso, if you go during the Cherry blossom season, you’ll find the Meguro River lined with darling Cherry Blossoms (a picture perfect spot)! So take some time to explore the area! Fast forward 2 hours, I was finally welcomed to pass through the double doors of what became known to my heart and soul as Coffee lover’s paradise. Upon entry, you’ll be amazed by the beautiful architectural design of this place; my jaw dropped as the scanning of my eyes quickly landed upon the remarkable shiny copper cask resembling the Japanese Sakura trees of Nakameguro. This structure is rooted from floor to ceiling, and can be appreciated at various angles throughout all 4 floors of the building. The first floor features the main bar; grab a seat and enjoy the talented baristas’ espresso creations. Also Pricini Bakery is grounded on the first floor, I highly recommend grabbing a cheesy pizza and sweet treat here! The 2nd floor features aromatic teas, there’s a tea tasting area on this floor too so make sure to take a taste test here! The 3rd floor features the Arriviamo Bar; grab a cocktail, and head out onto the balcony for a scenic view of Nakameguro district; its quite romantic at night with all of its illuminations. 

TEA in Tokyo

My first feature is on Sakurai Tea House (櫻井焙茶研究所), 5 Chome-6-23 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo, 107-0062, Japan . This tea experience was honestly one of the highlights of my trip. Although a tad bit on the pricier side, (we paid $50/person) it was 100% worth it. Because really, when will you ever have the experience and opportunity again? Imagine stepping into a wooden/cooper room, passing by fresh roasted tea atop burners, and a smoking, boiling clay pot of water, and as you’re kindly seated, you glance over, and are met with the most perfect view of the city. Then embarking upon an hour journey of artful tea making by a Master Tea Maker, the elegance, the art, the experience, the show, the tastes, smells, sights, its all absolutely 100% worth it. Entranced by the delicate movements of the Master Tea Maker, you’re invited to experience his works of art freshly made one after another, all paired with well thought out sweet delicacies in between tastings. Here, tradition meets modern day practices seamlessly. I highly highly recommend this experience.

You’re free to check out the site here (however, its in Japanese): http://www.sakurai-tea.jp/

My 2nd feature is on (more affordable) Aoyama Tea House, 5 Chome-3, Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan, This place is remarkable, it’s like stepping into a fairytale dreamland surrounded by bold, vibrant, and beautiful flowers and greeneries. Its truly a relaxing and aromatic environment; there’s extra O2 here too (being surround by the plants and all)! It’s a nice place to just sit and catch up over tea and/or dessert, or just to come to work, relax, and/or read a book.  It’s cozy and comfortable, yet, invigorating at the same time! I don’t think I could ever become tired of this inviting environment; I truly wish I had a teahouse like this to go to in my hometown; I’d literally be studying and hanging out here all the time! Aoyama Tea House offers a variety of aromatic teas, delightful desserts, and even savory dishes. I tried 2 different types of teas here; an oolong-based, and a green-tea-based one. Both were quality teas! I highly recommend pairing your tea with their 3 petite tea-cookies (strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate), they’re light and delicious, and pair so well with the tea!

Check out their site here next time you’re in Tokyo: http://www.afm-teahouse.com/

Where to next?