191102-Ikinari Steak

We spotted this restaurant while walking up and down this street. Felt that we need to try out Japanese Beef. So visited here during non peak hour for lunch.

Japanese Beef will be more more expensive. To order, we need to proceed to the counter where the chef are, to our our beef and what kind of done-ness. For vegetables, we will order from the table.

This is our most expensive meal this trip. I guess our most expensive meal for all our trips in Japan.
The verdict, the Japanese Beef is the winner.

  

191102-Hamada Shopping District, shopping in Aomori

I do not see any recommendation on shopping when I search the internet about Aomori. I found Hamada Shopping District while looking for GU. This is good news for shopping crazy people like us. I manage to get the bus information and time table to get to this place from

Hamada Shopping District
A place where you can shop in Aomori

We trace this place down specifically for GU store.
GU is a sister company with Uniqlo, but the cheaper range.
You cannot find GU in Singapore, which is why I will make sure I shop at GU while in Japan

Ito-Yokado, house a big departmental store and a 7 Eleven supermarket 

There is also a food court inside Ito -Yokado

Affordable food found in the food court. We chose to have these as we were not too hungry that day.

You can shop at Don Quijote here. We got some discounted items which were really worth buying.

ABC Mart which sells all the sports shoes

We have a short coffee break here. Pastry were hard and not fantastic. We were also disappointed that the coffee place is not smoke free. So you find the coffee place rather smoky. Paid 1133yen for the above. No cheap too.

How to get there
Please check with tourist information counter on the bus timetable from JR Aomori Bus terminal.
We got the time table from the Hotel staff and thus this time table operates from Hotel Select Inn Aomori.

We need to look for bus with this signage and wait for the bus using the above time table at bus stop number 3. 

Bus will stop in front of Ito-Yokado and we can come back to this bus stop to take a bus back to our hotel.

This is the time table from Shopping District back to Aomori Station.
I have now make it a habit to find out the bus time table for return trip once I reach my destination. With this time table, we can plan ahead which bus we want to ride back thus, allowing us how much time to shop.

GU, Don Quijote and ABC mart are tenants of Dream Town Ali Aomori.

According to Google map, its address is at 3 Chome-1-1 Hamada, Aomori, 030-0843, Japan

Anyway, I checked with Hotel Staff on how to get to GU Aomori and she got the answer for me.

191101/02-Tsugaruji, Aomori Japan

191101 - Our dinner at Tsugaruji cost us near to 3000 yen and made us tummy happy.

191102 - Our dinner here again. This is the first time we try the small clam noodles. Taste like wantoon soup for the clamp noodles. 

I really want to mention this restaurant to everyone. The wonderful people here that design this menu. Because of this menu, we have dinner here twice. After all, they served different kind of Japanese food and taste good though nothing to shout about. 

Look!!! They inform you how noodle was cooked. So if you have any allergy on any kind of noodle, do not eat.

All menu has a picture. Next to a picture, they will indicate items that may be your concern. For me, I am allergic to prawns family. So this menu came as gift to me. I need not guess what is being used for seasoning or enhance the flavor. I usually ordered food that I thought do not have any prawn related ingredients in the food but ended up having allergic symptoms. With this menu, I just choose the food I like which do not have prawns in them. How nice.

Where is this place located ?
You will not miss this restaurant. It is located at JR train station. So convenient.

191030-Ramen Ajinon Sapporo, Aomori Japan

Honestly I was so tired that I just followed by hubby to this restaurant without double checking, which was a blessing in disguise. I wanted a hot bowl of soup ramen as my stomach do not feel that well that night. He thought the white piece of butter on top of the noodles shown in the google maps were tofu. (He hate butter by the way). Upon seated, we realised this is a curry ramen eatery. Luckily the chef and his wife are very patient. I managed to pick the noodles with the clearest soup possible. For him, the chef willing to omit the butter. This is such an relief.
I am not able to comment what are the noodles called. We ordered based on pictures put up.
The taste were awesome. Mine (noodles with clear soup) taste like the malay mee soto. His, taste like curry noodle. This is our first time having this and the impression can last a long time.
On the next day, while watching a Japanese food show on TV, we then realised the shop we patronized was a popular Ramen shop specialised in Hokkaido Curry butter ramen.
There is one more popular store selling the same thing and closer to our hotel. Well, we never go there, so do not know which is better.

Where is Ramen Ajinon Sapporo

According to Google map, the address is : 1 Chome-11-23 Shinmachi, Aomori, 030-0801, Japan

It is located on the ground floor of Hotel Alaska, right at the back.

191030 to 191103 - Hotel Select Inn Aomori

Hotel Select Inn Aomori, the hotel that we put up for the next four days.
We were very surprised to see .... this is the hotel. There is a convenience stall Daily Yamazaki located at the ground flour. Hotel reception is located on the 4th floor.
It has its laundromat and drink vending machine located on the 5th floor.

The rooms were not decorated properly

There is this long narrow space at the foot of the Bed. Actually not too bad, we used it for our luggage. Ended up, we feel more spacious because of this extra space.

Very dated room but with the basic needs.

Disposable toothbrush was provided but no comb

Still using the card system

You can see the switches were broken and it will have a screechy sound halfway midnight. I need to bang it a few time to keep it quiet. Luckily, I can sleep well. So I will go back to sleep after I bang it.

The extremely small bath and toilet area. 

View was good. We can watch sunset, as... the sun moving down.... beautiful.

The stained glass door for the really old Inn. 

Standard Japanese Buffet Breakfast for Day 1

Breakfast included for Day 2

These were always included in our daily breakfast.

Day 3 breakfast

Day 4 breakfast

Hotel also provide free coffee and bread, snacks from 3pm to 10pm. So nice of them.
We have a love hate relationship of this hotel. While their facilities were old and cranky, they provide laundromat with a reasonable charge for us to wash our clothing so that we can travel light.
They provide yummy breakfast and snacks so that we will not go hungry. Staff were humble and cheerful which makes our day.
However, there is this very important factor that keep us in alert mood whenever we stayed in the room. There are no CCTV in the rooms corridor. This is so insecure. We paid $137.70 per night here.
We have a wonderful stay here because of the food and the staff service here. If only they improve on their security here, it will be a wonderful place.

Where is this hotel
Listed in google map : 2 Chome-9-1 Furukawa, Aomori, 030-0862, Japan
It is a little out of the shopping streets and happening area.

191030-Sushi Bar ASUKA Shinmachi shop

Sushi Bar ASUKA Shinmachi shop, located at the ground level of Alaska Hotel.

1 Chome-11-22 Shinmachi, Aomori, 030-0801, Japan
It is really not easy to find a decent sushi restaurant without smokers. 

Best thing about this place is, there is a I-pad for your to order. The staff know that you do not converse with them. When we wave at them to order, they show us the I-pad.

The egg has a special taste. Very refreshment and fragrant.

We spent about 3200 yen dining here. Still better than we dine at Aomori Nokkedon. We wanted to have another meal here on the last day of our trip but failed to do so because there is a long queue for it. Too bad, recommended to come during non peak time for a meal. 

191030-Aomori Town

Aomori JR Train and Bus Station. Annex is a shopping mall. There is a Japanese restaurant located at the ground level of Aomori JR Train station.

Aomori Nokkedon
Like all tourist, we need to pay a visit to the famous Aomori Nokkedon. You get coupon like ¥1500 and you go around look for the ingredients you like. It's a no no place for me to eat here as I cannot stand the fishy smell the minute I step in and I don't find it cheap. Also, it's a wet market area, so some floor are wet where the tables are.

The place is full of tourist. I walk one round and get out of this place.

In search of another sushi place for lunch, we pass by this place.
 新鲜市场 

At 新鲜市场 a huge indoor dried seafood retail place in one part of the building. The other part is a sushi place. Also for tourist and very expensive. From ¥2000 or more onwards. No no for us.

Our search continue and spotted another restaurant selling sushi and this time, the price is reasonable. Sushi Bar Asuka. Located at Alaska Hotel.

Weather at Aomori is very windy due to its location, just next to the sea. Imagine the gingko tree lined next to the sea has already turn to autumn yellow, while those lined towards the inner lane is still green.

The Aomori Tourist Information Centre. There is a lounge for tourist to rest here. We can view the seaside from here.

 

The building house mostly tourist related departments. There is a viewing gallery at 13 level. 

The view from the tourist lounge.

The tourist lounge. 

We can purchase coffee from the vending machine and have a rest here.

It is nice to take a stroll next the the seaside towards A Factory.

So much was mentioned about A factory in all the tourist forum. It is actually a retail outlet selling all apple products from Aomori. Nothing more than that.

Nebuta museum showing floats from their festival. We did not enter the museum as we think the entrance fee is too high and we have no interest in it. Like more than ¥600... ?