We're a little - how should we put this - loosey goosey this week. Sure you could blame the wine, but we like to think it's our extreme love of travel bubbling over! This week we've got tacos and massages, handmade donuts and hand mixed spice blends, wine bars and martinis and honestly a lot of giggling (due to the wine). What more could you want really? Buy a plane ticket and settle in!
Los Angeles Recommendations!
SoRo’s Recs from the Episode
Grand Central Market - 317 S Broadway, Downtown LA
Pupusas and tacos and agua frescas and waffles and coffee and people watching and neon!Elios Pizza, 2517 Sunset Blvd, Silver Lake
Pop up wood fired pizza in a liquor store parking lot. Get there early, take cash, be prepared for a bit a of a line.A massage at The Now, various locations
Don’t be an idiot and get a 25 minute one, sign up for the full 85 minutes and float away.Conchita Pibil Taco at Yuca, 2056 Hillhurst Ave, Los Feliz
Tacos worth running from the bus for.Martinis at The Dresden, 1760 N Vermont Ave, Los Feliz
An LA classic. And not a bad place for a date. Or so we’ve heard.
SoMos Recs from the Episode
General Store, Lincoln Blvd, Venice (they also have a great online store!)
Jon & Vinny’s on Fairfax in West Hollywood. Get the White Lightning pizza!
Bonus Recs!
Psychic Wines - drnks.com doesn’t deliver to LA so go here for all your weird and interesting natural wine needs.
Barnsdall Art Park - A great view of the Hollywood sign/LA generally, a shady spot for a picnic, a Frank Lloyd Wright house and an amazing art gallery!
Bar Covell - No official wine list by the glass, just super knowledgeable staff who’ll ask you what you like and give you a VERY generous pour. Really good snack game too.
The Getty / The Griffith Observatory at golden hour - There are other things to do at both these locations, but honestly watching the light change and the city float in a peachy golden haze is magical and will make you fall in love with LA if the tacos and the martinis and the art hasn’t done it yet.
Ricky’s Fish Tacos - SoRo walked 40 minutes to eat these tacos and she does not regret it.
Tokyo Recommendations!
SoMo’s Recs from the Episode
Ahiru Store + Le Cabaret
Two natural wine bars with french vibes. Both within walking distance of each other in Shibuya. They have sort of 10 william street, fratelli paradiso vibes: very casual with amazing wines.Sushi Shinki in Minato City
The local recommendation you’re always hoping for. Beautiful, pristine food for very reasonable prices.Haritts Donuts & Coffee
SoMo found this Found this in Luke Burgess and Michael Ryan’s book “Only in Tokyo”. The sweetest little doughnut shop made out of the first floor of a little japanese home. Come for handmade donuts in delicious flavour combos.Fuku Yakitori in Yoyogi Uehara
Sit at the bar, watch the chefs work and let them hand the yakitori straight to you. Smokey and dark and glam and good for a date! We also really rate Yurippi in Crow’s Nest for something closer to home.Yagenbori Metro Shop
SoMo got this tip while on a food tour . The shop started in 1625, and they’ll hand blend you your own blend of shishimi togarashi. A perfect place for gift buying (for your friends or just for yourself).
SoRo’s Recs from the Episode
Vintage shopping in Koenji! There’s so many places you could spend an entire day there (SoRo and Al did). Start at Safari and pick up a little map in store. Or this online guide is a good introduction.
Inokashira Park - The Studio Ghibli museum is here as well if you’re into that, but SoRo liked it for the swan paddle boats, the buskers, the people pushing their dogs in prams, the beer and snack kiosks and the feeling that you were experiencing a slice of real Tokyo life.
Bonus Recs!
SoMo and her family stayed at this AirBnB.
Gyukatsu Motomura - a tiny (like, 8 seat) wagyu katsu spot which you sear yourself over a hot stone. So small, so cool.
Daikanyama T-Site - Tokyo’s best book shop! You can spend HOURS in here. A great selection of mags too.
Shirube -If you’re travelling in a group (or even if not), Shirube is a fantastic izakaya that’s lots of fun and full of atmosphere, it’s also very well priced.
Maidur - In Japan, creating display food for restaurants out of rubber and plastic is an art form. SoMo bought a rubber tonkatsu here that looks 100% like the real thing. The best gifts!
Kama-asa - For incredible hand-forged Japanese knives at Kappabashi (it only took us two seasons to get you this recomendations).
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Thank you to Messina for sponsoring this episode! Head in store in Sydney or Melbourne and mention Highly Enthused to get your first bottle of Messina Milk half price.
Valid at all Messina stores in Sydney and Melbourne apart from Circular Quay or the Star as they don’t sell milk there. Offer expires 31st December
Thanks as always to our sponsor drnks.com for their continued support of Highly Enthused. They have a new website! And as always entering HIGHLENTHUSED at checkout will get you 10% off your order at drnks.com
Go on a date!
Love S&S