Going by Singapore's logic of, "Where there's queue, the food is good", I found myself at
bills Omotesando. bills Omotesando is a popular Australian breakfast place in Tokyo loved by many Japanese. Located on the seventh floor of Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku, right opposite Harajuku Street, bills Omotesando is usually crowded with people and you an expect to queue up to five hours without table reservations.

Address
Japan, 〒150-0001 Tōkyō-to, Shibuya-ku, 渋谷区Jingūmae, 4 Chome−4−30−3

Opening Hours
8:30am to 11pm daily

Phone Number
+81 3-5772-1133

Reservations
ikyu.com (Website is in Japanese)

Nearest Tokyo Metro Station 
Meiji-jingumae 'Harajuku' Station
Chiyoda Line (green) and Fukutoshin Line (brown)



I arrived between lunch and dinner time, at 3pm, and waited only about 30 minutes before it was my turn. I was initially assigned an indoor seating but requested for the outdoor table so I could watch the sun set.


Although I was on a budget and bills Omotesando is on the pricier end of a meal in Tokyo (just a cup of coffee can cost up to SGD $10!), the brunch restaurant was dubbed the best breakfast place in Tokyo. I can't say I spend a day in Tokyo if I walk away without trying bills Omotesando!

The sun began setting as I waited for my order

After glancing through the menu, I decided to skip the fluffy pancakes bills Omotesando is known for because I'm not a fan of bananas, and ordered the Full Aussie Breakfast instead. Served with bacon, chipolatas, toast with butter, mushrooms, scrambled egg and roast tomato, the Full Aussie Breakfast set me back a whopping ¥1800 (SGD $22.50).

bills Omotesando's scrambled egg was smooth, buttery and soft. The mushroom went well with the scrambled eggs. The bacon and chipolatas were flavourful. Best brunch in the world? Maybe. The brunch was great, but most food in Japan tasted amazing. It was delicious compared to brunch in Singapore but how would bills Omotesando fare compared to Japanese brunches? I've yet to find out. But one thing for sure, bills Omotesando's brunch wasn't worth the hefty price tag.



I did enjoy bills Omotesando's atmosphere though. Because I wasn't there during peak hour, I got to enjoy my brunch at a leisurely pace. The seats beside mine were empty too, with most people preferring to dine inside bills Omotesando during the brittle winter.


After finishing my brunch at bills Omotesando, I continued watching the sunset at Tokyu Plaza, which overlooks some of the busiest parts of Tokyo. It was surreal watching cars race each other and tiny humans dressed in black crossing the roads briskly while I sat back and enjoyed my vacation.











Beneath bills Omotesando lies a Starbucks with beautiful outdoor seating. As darkness falls over Tokyo, the fairy lights turn on, making Tokyu Plaza's Starbucks a perfect dating spot. When it got too cold, I packed up to a walk around Tokyu Plaza, where I discovered thift stores selling vintaage Prada bags for as cheap as SGD $200!



Then, it was almost time to make my way to JR Osaki Station, where my bus would pick me up and send me to Narita Airport. I made my way back to Shinjuku to collect my luggage left in a locker near JR Shinjuku Station.

One final look at Tokyo before I left

Although I didn't quite enjoy Tokyo like I did with the rest of Japan, it was a good experience seeing the buzzing city that Singaporeans love with my own eyes. I'm a city girl but when it comes to holidays, I prefer an escape for my tireless mind. I'd definitely love to return to Tokyo again, but for the outskirts of Tokyo like Hakone, where it's more peaceful.


Walked past BAKE Cheese Tart in Shinjuku Station and of course, I couldn't resist. At that point, BAKE just hit the shores of Singapore, bringing the cheese tart craze to our sunny island and people actually queued hours to buy a box of BAKE Cheese Tart home!

Having tasted both BAKE Cheese Tart in Japan and Singapore, I'm glad to say that there's not much difference between the two. Only that savouring a piping hot cheese tart in the middle of winter is way more comforting. The cheese oozed out as I bit into the cheese tart, bringing an air of familarity (although misplaced, because BAKE Cheese Tart is originally from Japan) as I recalled how much my mom enjoyed cheese tarts. I had been away for 8 days then and was starting to miss home.

BAKE Cheese Tart (Shinjuku)

Address
Lumine Est 1F, 3-38-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022 (Shinjuku station)

Opening Hours
11am – 10pm from Monday to Friday
10:30am – 10pm on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays

Telephone Number 
+81 03-5925-8170

LINE merchandises are a dime a dozen in Japan and Taiwan but rare in Singapore since most Singaporeans rely on WhatsApp or Telegram.

On my way to Osaki, I struggled with bringing my luggage, which weighed almost 25kg due to the massive winterwear I packed, down the stairs of Shinjuku Station when a kind Japanese male stopped by to help me. He then approached me when he saw that I was confused by the various trains available on the platform and thankfully, he could speak English :')

We added each other on Facebook and he told me he studied English overseas when he was younger as his mother is a foreigner. That's what I love about travelling solo — the little surprises along the way, and the friendships forged from unexpected kindness of strangers.

Fun fact: I asked where was he headed to and he said his boyfriend's house, then sheepishly added, "Yeah, I'm the opposite." Makes me wonder if Singapore is as open-minded as I onc taught we were; countries like Taiwan and Japan are already so accepting of the LGBT while we're still struggling to hold Pink Dot annually.

Realised I reached Osaki a tad too early — my bus to Narita Airport arrives at 8pm and I reached Osaki at 6pm. Damn short days during winter for always making me feel like it's later than it actually is! Because I was afraid of getting lost, I spent my time loitering around Osaki Station.





Japan's Snapchat stickers are so adorable they almost distract you away from how shagged I look after eight continuous days of waking up before 9am. Have I mentioned that I'm not a morning person?


Don't ever get your nails done if you're planning to travel solo — most of the time they just chip off. Granted I had my nails for about a month then and they were expected to come off soon but trust me, it is freaking painful when gelish nails break. Just, don't.



My Willer Express bus came right on time and I got a whole row of seat to myself because there weren't many people on the bus to Narita Airport. Goodbye for real, Tokyo!

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Japan Solo Travel (January 2017)

Tokyo Summary and Getting Around Tokyo | Tokyo Imano Hostel Review | Tokyo Pokemon Centre & Shibuya Crossing | Tokyo Lockers and Shinjuku Gyoen Garden | Tokyo Harajuku (Shopping, Food, Daiso) | Tokyo bills Omotesando (Tokyu Plaza)

Hakone One Day Itinerary | Hakone Tozan Railway and Cable Car | Seeing Mt Fuji at Owakudani | Hakone Ropeway and Sightseeing Cruise | Trekking to see Hakone Shrine and Mt Fuji

9 Hours Narita Capsule Hotel Review | Tokyo Narita Airport