Sunday, May 3, 2015

#LCinUSA Apr 2015 Part 1 Singapore - Tokyo - Seattle

Second trip to the U.S.A.!!!! I was so thrilled as I'm going to a real city in United States contrary to my Las Vegas Trip in Oct 2014. I heard so much about Seattle from my fellow colleagues and I really want to see it for myself. The HQ of the company I work for now is in Seattle, Washington. Every year, the employees from all over the world will need to return to Seattle for an annual employee meeting. *Awesome* I can't be grateful enough to find such a job that fits perfectly with my hobby - travel. Moreover, my colleague LQ and I will be going to Alaska for a holiday after the meeting ends in Seattle! Can't wait to share with you all the fun we had!

17 Apr 2015, Friday SGT (UTC/GMT+8 hour)
Singapore to Tokyo (SIN-NRT)

SIN-NRT-SEA Flight Tickets from ANA (Instagram @lynne_chua; new account @lynnechua_)
Yea, it's a red-eye flight departing at 5.50am in the morning. It's my first time on ANA and I was looking forward to a great flight given the good reputation of Japan and their impeccable service standard.

Breakfast on ANA NH802 SIN-NRT
17 Apr 2015, Friday JST (UTC/GMT+9 hour)
Tokyo (NRT)

Sushi Kyotatsu
Address: 1 Furugome, Narita International Airport, Terminal 1, Narita, Chiba Prefecture 282-0004, Japan
Address (Japanese): 〒282-0004 千葉県成田市 古込1-1 成田国際空港第1ターミナル 第3サテライト
Location: Terminal 1, No.3 Satellite, 3rd Floor
Contact: +81 (0) 476-32-1777
Operating Hours: 8.30am - 9.00pm (Last Order: 8.30pm)
Website: http://www.bbande.co.jp/

I'd NEVER miss going to this sushi place next to Gate 34 at Narita Airport in Japan. My favorite dish is their Avocado Salmon Sushi (1000 Yen for 6 pieces). PLEASE EAT THIS ON MY BEHALF whenever you visit this sushi heaven.

Watching them preparing plates for other customers while we were waiting for ours

Left: Legendary 1000 yen Avocado Salmon Sushi, Right: Mixed Sushi Set at 1700 yen
Getting some vitamin + collagen (120 yen) before my next flight to Seattle

Cheesecake and Wasabi KitKat (800 yen for 12 pieces per box)
17 Apr 2015, Friday JST (UTC/GMT+9 hour)
Tokyo to Seattle (NRT-SEA)

On board ANA NH 178, Boeing 787, from NRT to SEA (approx. 9h 30min flight)

Delicious in-flight Rice ball bento for dinner

Beautiful blue sky

Breakfast A: Grilled whitefish teriyaki or B: Potato gnocchi and omelet with ratatouille?

B: Potato gnocchi and omelet with ratatouille; as I already had Japanese bento for dinner

Hello Seattle! (Instagram @lynne_chua; new account @lynnechua_)
17 Apr 2015, Friday PST (UTC/GMT -7 hour)
Seattle (SEA)

After travelling for 20 hours, I finally touched down in Seattle on 17 Apr (same date!), Friday, at about 10.30am, Pacific Time. We took Yellow Cab from the airport to the city where one of my colleague rented an apartment and kindly hosted us for a night before we could check in to the hotel that our company provided us from the next day, 18 Apr, onward.

Huge Yellow Cab for just the two of us. The person in-charge said it's the same price as other smaller Yellow Cabs
In America, you got to pay tips of around 15-20% of the total cost. The meter was USD 44 and we gave USD 50 for a ~22 minutes ride. Singapore's taxis are cheaper even with the $3/$5 airport charge plus other peak-hours/midnight surcharges. For those who are complaining about the uprising cost of taking a taxi, don't complain liao la (Singlish). =P

For those who are not renting a car in the States, do use Uber! It's cheaper than taxis and you don't have to give tips! Uber is very famous and widely used in Seattle. I did not try it but many people in my company living in Seattle use that.

Skillet Counter
Address: 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109
Contact: +1 (206) 428-6311
Operating Hours: Monday-Friday 11am to 7pm; Saturday-Sunday 9am to 8pm
Email: info@skilletcounter.com
Website: http://skilletstreetfood.com/restaurants/skillet-counter/

HUNGRY! My colleague FW and his girlfriend TS brought me to Skillet Counter at Seattle Center for lunch, while LQ went to the bank to settle her US bank account.

The tax in Seattle is 9.5%. For the prices I listed, just add 9.5% if there's a plus '+' sign behind the value.



Fried Chicken Sammy USD 12+ and Poutine (hand cut fries, gravy, cheddar, herbs) USD 3+

Fried Chicken Sammy (USD 12+)

Love drinking out of a glass bottle

The burger was good! And the fries was so sinful! So, this was my first meal in Seattle as recommended by FW. =)

Seattle Center is located near the famous Space Needle, an icon of Seattle. We took a stroll after lunch and relaxed at a clean grass patch facing the Space Needle, while waiting for FW & TS's friend, M, to join us.




Some dance practices on the stage, next to the Space Needle


Laying on the grass, back-facing and taking a selfie with the Space Needle (Instagram @lynne_chua; new account @lynnechua_)
When the fountain ceases (for a minute), people will run towards it, touch it and run off before the water spurts out again


Cherry Blossom

<3
After lunch, we headed back to the apartment to wait for LQ to return. And took some nap as we were really tired from the journey to Seattle and terribly jet lagged (it's already 8am, the next day 18 Apr, Saturday in Singapore while it's still the Friday evening here).

Miyabi 45th
Address: 2208 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103, United States
Operating Hours: Mon-Thu 5pm-10pm; Fri 5pm-1am; Saturday 5pm-12am; Sunday: Closed
Contact: +1 206-632-4545
Website: http://www.miyabi45thseattle.com/

Not many restaurants in Seattle open till late. TS googled for nice food places and decided on Miyabi 45th, a Japanese restaurant, as our dinner destination.





Famous Uni Shot (USD 7+ each)

Famous Uni Shot (USD 7+)

Chyashu Nanban (jiro recipe chyashu pork, leek, marinated egg), USD 15+

Hot noodles in hot broth, great for cold weather. The dish was okay, given that it's not made by Japanese. 

Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream
Address: 1622 1/2 N. 45th St, Seattle, WA 98107
Operating Hours: 12pm - 11pm
Contact: +1 206-547-5105
Website: http://www.mollymoonicecream.com/

Molly Moon's has 6 outlets in Seattle at Wallingford, Capitol Hill, Madrona, Queen Anne, U Village and Hello Robin. They have many special and interesting flavours such as Maple Walnut, Peach Goat Cheese, Balsamic Strawberry, Salt Licorice and Vegan Coconut Chunk. I'd recommend you to give Molly Moon's a try!



Hot guys serving you ice cream? WHY NOT?!

Honey Lavendar with Waffle Cone, USD 4.80+

Happy me with my ice cream cone

Cozy swings outside the ice cream shop
It was below 10 degrees Celsius that breezy night and we were eating ice cream at the outdoor. SO AWESOME! It's nicer to eat ice cream in the cold! The ice cream won't melt that fast and it definitely gonna chill you down.

Supermarket shopping:

Ben & Jerry's, Häagen-Dazs and Dreyer's Icecreams are SO CHEAP in the USA! Same goes for alcohol.

USD 4.29+ a pint for Ben & Jerry's

USD 3.79 a pint for Häagen-Dazs

USD 3.79 a pint for Dreyer's

USD 14.99 for 12 bottles of Stella Artois/Heineken

USD 9.99+ for 6 bottles of Hoegaarden


Where to view Seattle Skyline at night? We went to 2 different places to see the gorgeous night view - Gas Works Park and Kerry Park.

Gas Works Park
Address: 2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103, United States
Contact: +1 206-684-4075
Website: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=293

Direction (credits to the website above):
BY CAR
From I-5:
Take 45th St. Exit.
Go West on NE 45th St.
Turn LEFT on Meridian Ave. N.
Merdian Ave. N ends at Gas Works Park.
Turn RIGHT on N Northlake Way to turn into parking lot (on LEFT).

Seattle Skyline

Abandoned plant that manufacture gas from coal - later converted to crude oil.
Kerry Park
Address: 211 W Highland Dr, Seattle, WA 98119, United States
Operating Hours: 24 hours
Contact: +1 206-684-4075
Website: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=342

Seattle night view from Kerry Park (iPhone 6)

Seattle Night View from Kerry Park (Canon S100)

Seattle Night View from Kerry Park (Canon S100)
Seattle night view was beautiful and breathtaking, especially with such cool weather. I've fallen in love with the city since I landed here. Also, Marijuana a.k.a. Weed, was legalized in Seattle. We did not smoke it but we could smell it in some places in the city. That's all for day 1, a longggg day 1.


#LCinUSA posts

2016 Seattle-Arizona (Blogging soon)
  • Apr 2016 Part 1 Seattle
  • Apr 2016 Part 2 Arizona Road Trip
  • Apr 2016 Part 3 Arizona Road Trip
  • Apr 2016 Part 4 Arizona Road Trip
2015 Seattle
2014 Las Vegas

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