Meals with Mark: Go Cro!

When they closed the St. Marc's cafe in Megamall, we were bummed. Where do we get our yummy choco cros now?

That's why when we saw that there was a St. Marc's cafe outside our hotel in Makuhari, we already knew where we'd have breakfast.

It's so good to be able to share a choco cro with Mark again.

Luck is Standard

I'm so thrilled that we decided to stay in Makuhari on our last day in Tokyo.

Aside from the fact that there's the Mitsui Park Outlet just outside our hotel - literally, it was outside our hotel - there's also the Aeon Mall which was just 1 train stop away.

That mall is one of my faves because of these 2 shops:

Luck Rack is always a great place to hunt for off-season Japanese brands, while Standard Products can really give Muji a run for its money.

I'm super happy with my haul from these 2 stores.

FMM: The Others

Back in 1993, there was a song that enjoyed a lot of airplay, and it also enjoyed a lot of on-air play. I'd see the official music video on shows like MTV, and being danced on TV shows by popular dance gorups.

It's a song from a duo called "The Other Two." The English husband and wife team, originally from New Order, tried it out as a duo and came up with this hit song.

"Selfish," has that new wave vibe that also has a bit of a slow dance feel. It's that combination that makes this song such an ear worm.

Let me be selfish and play this song on repeat.

Always the best time

Back in the early 2000s, the tagline of Wendy's in the Philippines was: "It's the best time for Wendy's."

While they're not and have not used that tagline in decades, it still remains to be my favourite one.

With that, this is the best time to post about Wendy's in Tokyo.

Hands down, the fries in Wendy's Japan is top tier. That's why it's also one of the "must-visits" when I'm there.

It's the best!

Breakfast with a view

At The New Otani Hotel in Akasaka-Mitsuke, you have 2 venue options for the breakfast buffet. You can choose between a garden view and a city view.

Mark and I were deciding where to go, and we eventually decided to just go with the city view restaurant at the 40th floor.

Boy, was it a good choice! We were treated to this view while having breakfast:

Mount Fuji!

This view made our breakfast even more special!

Meals with Mark: Happy habits

From the early 2000s until now, one of the "must-visits" when we're in Japan has to be Saizeriya.

This "Italian-by-way-of-Japan" fast food place is like a second home for us. You might even call it a habit. The comfort food  the drink bar, the vibe - it all adds up to make every visit a satisfying one.

In our many, many times of eating here, this is the first time we're ordering their French onion soup.

Gosh! It's so, SO good! Why didn't we discover this earlier?

This is now going to be part of our regular orders from here on in.

Year end. Bookend.

Mark and I started our travel year in Japan.

Last January, we went to Makuhari in Tokyo,  and had a grand time there.

Now, we're back for our last international trip for the year.

Makuhari never disappoints. And Makuhari will always be one of our go-tos in Japan.

LFLTAT: Color of the Year

So, Pantone announced the 2026 colour of the year - Cloud Dancer.

It's basically a variation of white.

This reminded me of a LFLTAT from my previous Japan trip.

The culottes are from GU, while the top is from Uniqlo. They're both in various permutations of white, and they blend together seamlessly and perfectly.

It's a look that'll bring you to Cloud Nine!

Smells like Pinoy Spirit

Since we're on the subject of Pinoy Pride and proudly Pinoy products, here's a recent discover that can be filed under that subject.

It's a locally made perfume!

The packaging alone is a great reason to buy it. The box is elegant, aesthetic and posh. The perfume itself is equally good - long-lasting, good projection, and it really reminds me of Tom Ford's Oud Wood.

Take notes, local brands. This is how it's done.

FMM: Another one bites the Dusty

Dusty Springfield has one of the most fascinating voices in music. She had a mezzo-soprano voice that could pull off both classic and modern sounding songs.

Her career started in the 60s, but my first exposure to her music was through this 1987 collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys.

"What have I done to deserve this," was an often played song back in the 80s. Not only was it all over the airwaves, it was also all over parties and get togethers. Whenever it was played, my ears were always waiting for her to come in with those iconic lines: "Since you've been away, I've been hanging around, I've been wondering why I'm feeling down..."

These lines made the song for me.

That was the magic of Dusty Springfield.