Tokyo

I am on my way to a conference in Hanoi. Since I was already in San Diego, I booked my flight on United Airlines out of the city for convenience. I have never flown in or out of San Diego International Airport and I found the airport easy to navigate with little fuss. The United Club appears recently renovated with modern furnishings. There is a very white theme which reminded me of the Clubs in SFO. The service was very attentive. I landed in SFO and had about five hours to kill before heading out to Tokyo for my second layover. The United Club in the International Terminal allowed me to unwind and the afternoon snacks were tasty.

United Club San Diego Airport

 

Upon arriving in Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), I checked into the Sheraton Miyako Hotel. This layover would be for 10 hours and I didn't want to stay in the ANA Lounge overnight. I met up with a colleague in SFO who has never been to Tokyo. Since it was about midnight, went out to the Shibuya area and had a bowl of ramen before turning in for the night. I was surprised to learn that the taxi ride from Haneda to the Sheraton was $85. I wondered if renting a car would have been a better option. The trip only took 40 minutes and most of it was highway. At least the return trip was cheaper at $50.

Sheraton Miyako King Room

Upon returning to Haneda the next morning, I went in search of baumkuchen cakes. I watched Unique Sweets on the Cooking Channel while in SFO and was intrigued by an episode featuring Denver. One of the highlights was that this bakery owner had visited Japan and enjoyed the cake so much that she was making them too in Denver. It is thinly layered cakes cooked on a rod and has an appearance of tree rings. I learned that Japan made it a staple when a German POW shared the recipe.

After googling for the best, I found that one brand was sepcifically sold in a Tokyo prefecture or the Haneda airport. After much searching, I figured out that the shops outside of security in the international terminal did sell these cakes but not the Nenrinka brand. After sampling the cakes in the shop, I still purchased a variety to bring back home. The versions I have seen in the U.S. tended to be dry. These were moist and tasty. The shop I was in was also tax free but the catch is you have to spend at least 5400 Yen. 

Went to the ANA Lounge after getting through security and customs. The lounge was nice but I didn't see any lounging seats for napping. It ended up being a good decision to stay at a hotel rather than overnighting in the airport. The food was very good with made to order ramen/udon and curry. There were a good selection of booze as well as pitchers of juice and procari sweat. The lounge was recently renovated in March 14 and the service was very efficient and friendly.

The final leg of my trip was on an ANA flight and I was surprised to see that a Boeing Dreamliner was the plane equipment. I didn't think there was a lot of demand but what do I know. I was glad I had eaten in the lounge as the food on the plane was ok. Even though I went from Business to Economy, it was still a pleasant enough experience that I wasn't in withdrawal.