World's Best Sushi - Kyubey Keio Plaza (6 F) Shinjuku Japan ) Oct 2014

 

The rather unpretentious sign outside Keio Plaza on the 7th Floor (Kyubey entrance) 

I am a rather easy going eater. Though my wife is the connoisseur of the of the family, I am the lucky recipient of her fussy tastes. This trip some years ago to Tokyo, Japan brings back wonderful memories of our little dining escapades in October 2014.

I did some days of research and it is no wonder that Tokyo, is the epicentre of GREAT sushi (no wonder, the country of origin must have the best and most tasty, right ? Like Portuguese Egg Tarts are best in Madrid, and the Shanghai Xiao Long Bao tastes wonderful in where else, Shanghai.)     

We happened to stay in the Shinjuku district and I tried unsuccessfully to contact the restaurant. On the day we arrived, I recall, after checking into our hotel room, it was a drizzly autumn evening and I said, "lets go and try our luck".

So using the omnipresent Google Maps to guide us, we walked some 3 blocks to the nearby 5 star  Keio Hotel and went to the 6th Floor. The lift landing led us out to the courtyand and on the left there was the rather plain looking sign stating "Sushi" in English and Japanese. I guess when your restaurant is world famous, you do not need much marketing and snazzy signs or even advertisements via Google, FB. The influencers will do all the marketing for the restaurant or eating establishment !

I went up to the front counter and in my broken Japanese enquired whether they had any dining as we had come all the way from Singapore to try the world famous Kyubey sushi !

(Their Michelin starred restaurant is located in Ginza business district and this is one of their branches in Shinjuku district).

Much to my surprise they said, "Hai !, but no sushi counter table, only dining table'. Beggers cant be choosers and we were motioned to a small table for 2 near the entrance.

 

                   The Omakase Sushi Set is as shown above - 'Sensational' !  

I have never tasted better sushi before or ever since 

We ordered the Omakase Sushi Plate (Chef's special at his discretion), what you see above.

Oh my word ! One bite and I knew that this was sushi heaven. The taste of the incredibly fresh fish, the tuna, yellow tail, tuna belly octopus, Uni (sea anemone) was indescribable. The wasabi was garnished straight from the root, the light soya sauce and the ginger garnishing were all perfect.

Fresh from the sushi master's hands the taste was to me, something like Manna (food from heaven). The warmth of the sushi after being squeezed and formed just right still resonates in my conciousness. I was chuffed ! Stunned into sushi bliss.    

Whatever little reservations I had about making the effort to get to Kyubey were all thrown out the window. 

The sashimi was another masterpiece 

The sashimi and the grilled Yakitori were also truly exceptional. I recall having a nice warm Sake to dissipate my jet lag (7 hours from S'pore) and my satisfied blissful picture shows me at the point - in sushi heaven.

            Grilled Cod with Japanese Sweet Sauce and Garnishing 

If you are ever in Tokyo, MUST TRY Kyubey - do let me know your opinion ! 

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A hard run followed by extreme satisfaction ; thats the story of me.

 

Yesterday I got off work around 6 pm and proceeded to Dawson Place for a short run. I have been plagued of late by the Illiotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS), which is a strain on the ligament running to the left side of my knee. As I result,  I had to rest myself and put off my favorite activity - running - for 2 over weeks.

 It was a torture. I felt awful during those 2 weeks, out of sorts, and feeling that something was missing from my life.

Yesterday's run started at the Dawson Heights BTO flats and I ran all the way to Robertson Quay and turned back. All in all, a total distance of 5.36 km. There were all manner of people, on bicycles, running, walking, people out in strollers with their kids and even rollerbladers. I guess Singaporeans and all the residents living here are so sick of the lockdown and being cooped at home for 4 weeks. In the evenings with no where else to go, what better way to unwind than to go out for a stroll, a cycle, blade, or a run ? 

The lockdown of 4 weeks + 2 weeks of opening up + another 3. 5 weeks of lockdown was pretty stifling and mind numbing. Fortunately on 10th August, we can resume dining and socialising outdoors, as the G has mandated that we are almost reaching the 80% overall vaccination threshold and can relax certain social restrictions.

Back to my run, I recall weaving in and out of people, with faster runners outpacing me, and stopping for at least 4 zebra crossings and 2 lights on each leg forward and return. 

When I stopped my Polar recording I was pleasantly surprised with the findings. 

In the 5.36 km which I did, with my pushing all the way, I  am really satisfied with the result, and this run perfectly sums up my attitude  and effort put in to my life - in short, push hard, play fair and never give up. 

It will be a nice reward at the end,as seen in the results from my handtimed run pacer Polar watch. 

      

Very fast 1 km run start

For me, at this stage in life, I still am pushing hard, playing fair, feeling the strain and never giving up. At the end of this - I hope to find, like my short run yesterday, immense satisfaction that I had indeed seized the day. 

Best Lap (1km) of 6 : 08. Average lap of 6 : 47.6.

Not bad for an 'old guy' :)

Live each day like its your last day

                                                          My little plot in Singapore

 We are all going to die. That is a fact. When, where, how and why we don't know but the likelihood is that if we survive the worldwide pandemic called COVID-19, many of us would perhaps live till a ripe old age. 

Or so we think. I am connected by Whatsapp to 60 odd 'brothers' from my primary and secondary school and we are facing mortality with each passing year. So and so passes away.

While it is prudent  to plan for my eventual demise, I for one, need to always stay positive and not be too overwhelmed by the world around me. 

It is too much to read and comprehend about the terrible heartbreak stories of the millions (4 and counting) who have passed on from COVID - 19. Around the world, there are about 200 million who have contracted this vilest of diseases. Just by assessing the big picture, the death rate for those who have contracted COVID-19 is 2%. So that means there is a 98% survival rate.

There are the long COVID survivors. Again another terrible affliction to those who have it. My heart goes out to them

Economic desperation, suicides, peoples lives affected, health ruined, it is a tremendous loss to the world and to the millions who are afflicted by it.

Back to this post, I believe by staying positive, I can still be relevant to society and contribute in a meaningful way. The lockdowns are a tremendous upheaval to the way society and humans interact, as we are social animals.

Having written the above, I will aim to contribute some of what I have to the less fortunate, as I think that the quality of the life I live is determined by the number of lives I have touched in a good way.

It is no bloody use to squirrel away and save till that supposed date where I kick the bucket and realise that I have no clue how soon I will actually depart from this earth.

Logical ? 

Finally a Return to Running - with a Knee Brace

 

Start of run at Pandan Reservoir 

Today's run has given me a huge boost for my mood, the past few weeks had me questioning whether I was ever going to run again, and well today, the issue was put to rest that I still have a few years of running left in me. 

The trick is to rest between runs, take proper health supplements like Glucosamine Chondroitin and MSM Sulfate tablers,Nu Skin R2 day for muscle replenishment and wear the proper 'equipment' such as my ASICS Kayano shoes which provide the maximum cushioning possible for my near third age body.

I have been blessed with nary a serious injury to my joints and that has been in part due to a stretching exercise from my karate training, plus having ample rest and not overdoing things.

Exercising of my body I am mindful of 4 key elements which time and again I need to recalibrate 

1. Endurance or Stamina

2. Strength

3. Flexibility

4. Balance.

My life saver knee brace 

 On that front I give myself, a very honest opinion out of 10 for each aspect:

1. Endurance or Stamina : 9 out of 10

2. Strength                       : 8 out of 10

3. Flexibility                      : 2 out of 10

4. Balance                        : 4 out of 10 

Overall, I am a just passable 23 out of 40 or 5.5 out of 10. 

The Day After (2nd Aug)

Definately my sleep has improved after a run. The funny thing is, that only a run brings out the best sleep in me. Not karate, nor cycling or anything else strenous. Perhaps I should give swimming a try - say like 20 laps and see what kind of after effects I get.

Seize the Day, my friends. 

One Win Erases the Bitter Failures of the Past

 

Sunday Times 1st August 2021 Sudoku Completed 

Today's Sudoku in the Sunday Times comics section is no different from all other Sunday Times puzzles of weeks and years past. The only difference is the way I feel after attempting the puzzle today and clearing it without any delay, trip ups or brain fog. The fact of the matter was that the last 3 weeks' Sudoku I had made careless mistakes and ending up with an error which was very difficult to erase, as I normally write my answers in pen and once the pen is put to paper, the so called answer stays. Hence, it is with much satisfaction that I managed to clear it on the first try and in good time too.

It is the same in business, if you try in business, you will likely fail and lose money over 90 % of the time. Hence, you need to have thick skin, be very cognizant of your weaknesses and either pull out, close down, persist with smaller overheads, merge, or persevere with steps taken to avoid the same pitfalls made in the past.

Hopefully, you can recoup the capital you invested, else go and try something else or find gainful employment. This is so much easier said than it is done. 

COVID-19 has been and will be the death of many traditional businesses who had never envisaged that they would go bust. The food and beverage business, where many restaurants had invested hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of dollars in renovations, rentals, wages, goodwill etc etc has seen many foreclosures which were stalled by a once in a lifetime event. 

We need to stay vigilant in life, wear a mask when in confined spaces, get vaccinated, not go to crowded places or stadia for a long while yet, change our travel for business and leisure indefinately - the list goes on and on and is so confusing all the time. It can and is overwhelming for the majority of people who have suffered for a period of close to 2 years  with no end in sight.

We badly need a 'win' in our lives.

Hence, like my little victory in the hard to complete Sunday Times Sudoku today, I will savour it and enjoy the moment.

Then its back to the 'new normal'.

Carpe Diem.