walking around daikanyama and ebisu

7 weeks into our trip and we had yet to eat a single piece of western fast food.  this might be the longest stretch that i’ve been able to avoid the evil grips of mcdonald’s (maybe the #1 reason why i don’t miss on-site IT work) however in that process we’ve managed to steer clear of all burgers as well.  both of us were drooling at the thought of some greasy meat and fries so we picked out burger mania in ebisu for today’s lunch.  the daikanyama neighbourhood is within walking distance so we made a day of it in these two areas.  for 1200yen, burger mania serves up a mean avocado (yes, Yes, YES! (ascii for hands up)) and cheese burger with a small side of potato goodness.  the ground sirloin patty is wearing a piece of melted cheddar.  thin avocado slices sit on top of a juicy slice of tomato and mayo seals the deal on a dry, egg-washed grilled bun.

the five minute rule was in full effect as we were communicating via beef smiles.

i suppose i can’t complain too much about the lack of fries but i’m still going to.  why would you tease me with a full size bottle of ketchup and give me barely enough fries to feed a newborn?  i can appreciate that the svelte japanese look the way they do for a reason but what kind of person eats a burger to feel better about themselves?  give me my greasy meat!  give me a mt fuji serving of fries!  leave me the ketchup and come back in 20 minutes!  all in all, they were good fries, there just weren’t enough.  not that there ever is.

daikanyama is about a 10 minute walk from the heart of ebisu.  it’s a trendy little neighbourhood with a more boutique flavour than harajuku yet not quite as upscale as ginza.  many of the shops are independent storefronts (and not carrying the same brands as each other, a common happening in tokyo) with some big name retailers mixed in however since all the buildings are fairly small and similar to the size of an apartment, it gives off a nice neighbourhood vibe.  our sad reality is that with our miniscule bags, we can’t indulge in much of anything without throwing things away.  being our first stop and with another mild-weathered trip to korea before things get hot, i stared and dreamed that one day, i could buy a shirt without having to problem solve on how i’m going to pack it.

there was a whole lot of window shopping going around but fortunately there were a lot of windows.

and of course i can’t forget about h0w dog friendly daikanyama is.  you won’t be able to go 5 minutes without seeing a dog dressed up or in a stroller

we spent a few hours just walking up and down the maze of streets and would have loved to spend some more time in the area.  lots of great dining options and it would be lots of fun in the spring/summertime to boot around and sit on one of the many cozy patios scattered throughout.