Spring is here and it's time for the popular event of the nation: Hanami. Hanami translates to "viewing flowers". Today we will be viewing the beautiful sakura at Kudanshita.

There are 3 lines running through Kudanshita Station namely: Toei Shinjuku Line, Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line and Tokyo Metro Tozai Line.

First, we will go to Yasukuni Shrine. The nearest exit is Exit 1. The moment you get out of the exit, you will see the HUGE black shrine gate.

When we looked it up on the internet at the end of March 2021, it's apparently in full bloom but it wasn't as full bloom as we thought. But still, it wasn't too bad. Chidorigafuchi, which is the opposite of the road from Yasukuni Shrine is also another famous place to see sakura but I think we might still be too early.

We went on a weekday morning so there weren't too many people around.

The weather was wonderful. It was a comfortable temperature so we really enjoyed ourselves snapping lots of photos. While walking around, do look around at the "normal" things because even the usual metal bars by the side of the road is of a special design.

We also visited the sakura tree that Japan Meteorological Agency had designated as the index tree in Tokyo. This tree serves as a benchmark for "kaika" (to bloom) and "mankai" (to be in full bloom). So when this tree blooms, it will be reported that sakura has bloomed in Tokyo.

Going deeper in, there is a beautiful view of different plants and a small pond. There are also Koi fishes swimming in it. The whole atmosphere is peaceful and comfortable, so different from the Metropolitan city just 5 minutes away.

After filling our eyes and senses with nature, it's time to fill our stomachs.

From Yasukuni Shrine, the Malaysian restaurant my friend recommended, MASAK MASAK is less than a 10 minutes walk away. It is also accessible from Ichigaya Station so you can also access it by the JR Line.

Lunchtime is from 11AM and we were the first customers.

The interior is simple and sleek with touches of tradition.

They even had a cute soft toy sitting at the counter seat.

We went for the lunch set and added on a drink. Both of us went for cold Teh Tarik which is a milk tea popular in Southeast Asia. Teh Tarik is literally translated to "pulled tea". It wasn't too sweet and pretty good. They'll provide you straws but I personally recommend you drink it without one for a more authentic feeling.

I went for the Asam Laksa. You can choose from two types of noodles or even have both. I went for Chinese noodles. The chicken was so, so, so DELICIOUS.

I especially love the beef ball. The other ball was yummy too. The tofu skin went so well with the creamy spicy soup because it soaks up all the goodness. The spiciness was just nice for me.

There is one side dish, acar; which is a kind of pickle. The black jelly thing on the top is dessert. It is grass jelly or the other name is "cincau". It usually has a slightly bitter taste but this one had no bitter taste. It would've been nicer if they had provided a little syrup to enjoy this with.

My friend went for the prawn noodles with both types of noodles inside. The soup was so fragrant. And then, of course, we had to go for the classic breakfast menu: kaya toast with 2 half-boiled eggs.

First, you scoop the eggs into the bowl, add soy sauce and pepper and then you dip the bread into the eggs. It's SO good. The mix of sweet and saltiness feels amazing. The amount of butter was generous but I wished they had applied a little more Kaya.

The whole shop had wonderful ambience. Location-wise was convenient and the staffs were lovely. The price was reasonable and the food was good overall and one thing I got to say, the lighting is FANTASTIC. It made everything looked extra good. I give it a 4/5.

On the way back to the station, we discovered the prettiest vending machines I've ever seen!

Do keep a lookout for it when you go there~