Malia Yoshioka is a freelance Food & Travel Writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii. She's slowly eating her way around the world, 43 countries and counting so far! Get behind the scenes news, travel tips and the best food stories from around the web in her weekly Savor the Journey newsletter.
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π₯ A Breakfast with a Waitlist in Tokyo
Published 4 months agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
π Konnichiwa from Tokyo!
I have just started settling into the rhythm of the city and trying to stop my brain from reaching for Turkish phrases every time I need to say something in Japanese.
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It's been wild how many Hawaii people are traveling in Japan these days! Last week over Thanksgiving dinner in Honolulu, my friends Melissa, Laurie and I realized we were all headed here on the same flight, yet a day apart!
Of course wherever Melissa goes, amazing foodie experiences follow! Yesterday morning we got to visit a famous little spot in Asakusa called Benitsuru known for their souffle pancakes cooked up on a teppan griddle. They've gone viral thanks to celebrity visitors like Justin Bieber and Katy Perry, but I dare say it's worth the hype.
Same-day reservations are taken for only 120 plates daily and people start lining up as early as 5:30am to pay a deposit in hopes of coming back to get one. Actress Amy Hill was also in our group and they were thrilled to have her add her signature (with "Tutu" of course) to the wall of fame. β If you go, I highly recommend the savory option with slices of thick-cut bacon and eggs layered between the ever-so-slightly sweet pancakes, piled three high then topped off with a rich hollandaise! Wash it down with fresh apple juice made with a homemade compote, which tastes like the perfect apple slushie. β You have to love how places in Japan specialize in one thing and just do it so well. I look forward to many more amazing food experiences in the next two months, but this was a fantastic way to kick things off!
π Have you ever queued up for a dish that's gone viral (whether through social media or good fashioned word-of-mouth) and what did you think? Was it worth it?
β¨ A unique opportunity
The inaugural cohort of the Trusted Creators program in Fall 2025 including yours truly!
We trained in core journalism skills like vetting sources, using public records, fact checking, interviewing, beat reporting and more. It's been eye-opening to discuss how we can apply these skills in our various niches and platforms and to do our part to combat misinformation online.
It has helped me become a more responsible, research-driven storyteller in my travel and food writing.
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Destination Inspiration β
In Tokyo, festive illuminations are up around the city and I saw the tree lighting at Rockafeller center in NYC. Here are some Christmas traditions from around the world. Whats a holiday tradition near you?
I recently contributed a piece for the Why Visit Now series on Fernwayer, about my soulmate city, Istanbul. I miss it all the time!
For something fun, my What's Your Foodie Travel Style? quiz is officially in βbeta modeβ and Iβd love your feedback! Take the quiz, see your personalized result, and let me know if it matches how you travel.
When you travel, what kind of spot are you happiest to discover?
Enter for a trip for 2 to New York City to see Liberation on Broadway and meet Sara Bareilles! Enter by 12/30. Details here.
Turn your dream bucket list restaurant reservation into reality for you and three friends courtesy of Fine Dining Lovers and Pellegrino. Create your list and enter by 12/31. Details here
HGTV is offering a chance to win $5000 cash in their $5k for Holiday giveaway. You can enter once per day until 1/7. Details here.
The Meal-a-Day Method shows you how to use one meal a day as your language practice anchor, with a short video and printable guides you can use on your next trip. Just $5 for newsletter readers.
Thereβs something about ink, paper, and faraway postmarks that feels like analog magic, don't you think? If youβd like a handwritten postcard from Hawaii, just reply with your mailing address and Iβll add you to my list. β¨π
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π Hi, I'm Malia Yoshioka!
I'm a freelance food and travel writer and guidebook author from Hawaii, slowly eating my way around the world and sharing the flavors with you in these weekly updates and on ShoyuSugar.comβ
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Malia Yoshioka is a freelance Food & Travel Writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii. She's slowly eating her way around the world, 43 countries and counting so far! Get behind the scenes news, travel tips and the best food stories from around the web in her weekly Savor the Journey newsletter.
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