Reina savors Japan’s top-grade wagyu; Li Fangyu screams “SOGA!” during her birthday trip

▲ Li Fangyu’s birthday trip in Japan included tasting famous Reina matsutake crab and wagyu.

Text & photos / Li Fangyu

I’m always super busy around the transition from summer to autumn because I was born at the end of August—so every year, my entire August is packed with birthday parties. This year, the highlight was definitely when my bestie gifted me an amazing birthday surprise: a four-day, three-night Tokyo Disneyland birthday trip!

Every time I go to Japan, I end up gaining a few kilograms by the time I come back because the food is just that good. But this time was especially special—I got to try high-end Japanese cuisine. The first place I visited wasReina in Roppongi,where I had matsutake crab and Japanese wagyu. I’d tried wagyu before at a famous yakiniku spot in the East District, where one slice cost NT$6,800. I didn’t know if it was the price or the taste that made it so amazing, but I was completely blown away at the time. However, the wagyu I had at this restaurant in Japan truly made me exclaim, “SO GA, SO GA!”—this is what real Japanese wagyu tastes like.

▲ Li Fangyu (right) and friends at Reina’s main branch in Roppongi.

How can I describe it? Normally, with good beef, you shouldn’t cook it too well-done, because you want to enjoy the perfect balance between the melt-in-your-mouth fat marbling and tender fibers. But that’s not even the most impressive part. On that day, I had my wagyu cooked medium-well. The outside was seared hard and crispy, but inside it was tender. That wasn’t even the surprising part—the real magic was that the fat was hidden between each individual fiber of meat. When it hit the warmth of my mouth, the fat stored between the fibers burst out, and after chewing, my mouth was filled with this pure beef flavor. It was absolutely delicious. But does such a luxurious experience come with a high price? This meal cost 50,000 yen per person—but I thought it was totally worth it. You’ve got to try it at least once in your life!

▲ Ultra-thick slices of wagyu with rich fat hidden within the meat fibers.

The second place was located near the moat in Japan’s Imperial Palace area. It’s a Chinese restaurant frequented by government officials, ministers, and other VIPs, calledWeixin Hao (Revival Restaurant).Its location is quite hidden—you have to walk down a tree-lined path before arriving. From the outside, it looks like a high-end villa, and even the restaurant sign is tiny, so you could easily miss it. But once you step inside, from the entrance hallway to the overall decor, right down to the tablecloths and utensils, it really feels like a royal dining experience!

There, I had jellyfish head, Peking duck, and the highlight—a shark fin dish that was bigger than my face. Let’s start with the jellyfish head. In Taiwan, we’re all familiar with the QQ, chewy texture of jellyfish skin. But jellyfish head is said to be rare and expensive (see photo on the right, as there’s only one head per jellyfish), and the friend who brought me here said you absolutely can’t get it anywhere else. The texture was thinner and crispier than jellyfish skin, and it paired perfectly with cilantro. It was an entirely new flavor for me—super unique!Then came the star of the meal—the shark fin that was bigger than my face (

% Every time I celebrate my birthday, I definitely make sure to splurge a bit and treat myself!The most important goal of this four-day, three-night birthday trip was visiting Tokyo Disneyland. This year marked Disneyland’s 30th anniversary, and it was my third visit. We opted for the more thrilling rides,and surprisingly, we bought tickets at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon without waiting in line at all. But each ride still had about a one-hour wait. Still, there were tons of limited-edition decorations around the park that you could only get in the 30th-anniversary celebration, perfect for taking tons of photos. The gift shops also had a bunch of 30th-anniversary exclusive merchandise, and I ended up spending quite a bit too!

Every time my birthday comes around, I make sure to go all out and reward myself—so worth it!

The main purpose of this four-day, three-night birthday trip was going to Tokyo Disneyland. This year was Disneyland’s 30th anniversary, and it was my third time visiting. We chose to go on the more exciting rides. Surprisingly, we bought tickets at 2pm on a Sunday without having to queue at all, but each attraction still had around a one-hour wait. However, many of the park decorations were exclusive 30th-anniversary editions, guaranteeing tons of fun photo ops. The souvenir shops also launched numerous 30th-anniversary limited items, and I ended up spending quite a bit of money too!DISNEY SEAThis trip to Japan coincided with the tail end of the seasonal discount season, with discounts of 70–60% everywhere. Because I had limited time, I picked the Shibuya 109 area, the popular shopping district locals frequent, as well as Yurakucho, and the newly opened Skytree (

This trip to Japan happened to be at the tail end of the seasonal discount period, with stores offering discounts of 70%, 60%, etc. Due to limited time, I chose the area around Shibuya 109, the spots locals like to shop at such as Yurakucho, and the newly opened Skytree (Shibuya 109Popular areas among locals include Yurakucho and the newly opened Skytree(see photo on the right, with over 100 brands)I bought lots of great stuff, like the American brand JEFFERY CAMPBELL, which is stocked at Taiwan’s Breeze Plaza and usually starts at NT$7,000 per pair. There, it was 70% off, and I got a pair for under NT$2,000. That was seriously so cheap!!!

Also, on this trip, I fell in love with Japanese draft beer. Whether at izakayas, Chinese restaurants, Disneyland, or even KFC, you can find super fresh draft beer. Usually, in Japanese restaurants, when you order draft beer, they serve it in small cups—like the ones at our bubble tea shops—because they want you to enjoy the freshest possible taste in every sip. But if you’re a big drinker, make sure to ask the staff for a larger cup!

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