Musings of a Food and Travel Addict
I’ve heard of multinational companies, but this is absurd! Check out my bag of potstickers.
Pretty straightforward, right? Now check out the name of the company that makes these taste treats…
Yup. A company from Southern California (City of Industry) with an Irish sounding name that makes Chinese food.
The mind wobbles… (Kelly Bundy)
So baseball has spring training, football has pre-season and I’ve got the “it’s not raining anymore so let’s haul out the Weber” season.
Ergo, it’s the first BBQ of the season! We all decided to BBQ some chicken parts (Ivan), angus steak (me) and, erm, a Pork Log (Andy).
As the “master of fire”, I fired up the coals and started up the grill. Dun worry, I was supervised every step of the way.
Continue reading “First BBQ of the Season”Part of this blog is supposed to be about food. So I’m going to share with you some snaps from my kitchen. Click on the thumbs.
How about some udon?
Or maybe some stir-fry?
How about some soup?
Mmmmmm.
One of the things that I would miss (besides good Mexican food) when I eventually go overseas is In & Out Burger.
They rock! Why, you ask? It’s hard to explain in so many words. Ask anyone who hails from Southern California. Over the past 10 years, I&O has made it up to Northern California where there are two opinions; either “they rock” or “what’s the big deal, it’s from LA”.
The normal ritual for me when I return from overseas is: Get out of the airport. Go to In & Out.
Before, that meant going all the way to Serramonte. Now, there’s one in Millbrae, 5 minutes from SFO!
Wah! That’s just like the I&O just outside of LAX! 5 minutes away!
And they make money too! Yum!
Sapporo brews a special malt beer called “Yebisu”. It’s delicious!
Except they stopped importing it to the US in 2004. Can’t find it ANYWHERE!
Except in Japan, of course. There’s a Yebisu Bar, a Yebisu Limited brew, a dark beer called Yebisu Black and they’re available all over Japan from Kyushu to Hokkaido, from vending machines to combini to your favourite izukaya.
Just a tad thirsty today, that’s all…since it IS St. Patrick’s Day today!
Well actually from the Chinese place near my house. This is for Shu_en who’s coming out of a rough patch.
Kanna think of cheery stuff to write now, but this is ngau yook jin mein. Mmmmm!
Although you’d usually have bok choy instead of gai-lon but I’ll deal. Been cleaning the house all day for CNY and this is my first real breather.
Whew!
Made it to Fukuoka yesterday about 1900 or so.
That�s Hakata to all of us commoners. It�s the terminus of the Sanyo Shinkansen.
Although Fukuoka is the official name of the city, everyone calls it Hakata because it was once called that. They merged the two cities a while back. JR calls the city Hakata too.
There�s a Hyatt Regency Fukuoka here. I�ve extra Gold Passport points, so this is a pit stop of sorts and a free place to spend the night.
It�s an older hotel (12 years) designed by Michael Graves of Tar-jay fame, prior to his obsession with things egg shaped.
The service was very good. High speed internet (via an ADSL modem they bring to your room) was quick and didn�t have many hiccups.
Since we got in late, we explored close by the hotel. There is a big big Yodobashi Camera store which is actually a deepato for guys. Cameras, computers, A/V equipment, watches and pens, keitai and oh yah, a floor full of restaurants.
Many of Japan�s deepato have food floors. Went to Genki Sushi for dinner.
It’s a Y100 (Y105 with tax) zaiten sushi place (that means the maki comes out on a conveyor belt) and the sushi was pretty good, albeit with a limited selection.
Here’s a question. Which one is the one you do NOT put on food despite it being green colored?
Yup, the stuff in the canister was NOT powdered wasabi. It was green tea powder that you add hot water to. This is what wasabi looks like here as it comes around on the belt in a green bowl.
Heh heh….Good to know for next time…
Why is it that I can make an excellent Filet Mignon dinner for two (last Saturday) but yet botch making frozen pizza (last night)?
Needed a long sleeve shirt to fight off the cold. Went to Den Den town to go shop at Muji. Great store, BTW.
Wanted to putter and see Gilco Man. Off to Dotenbori.
Got hungry. Ate at Ramen Stand. They had these platforms with tatami and little tables. You sat on the tatami that are on the platform. Slurp.
Got thirsty. Went to Kirin Beer Restaurant. Had a sampler.
Like I need instructions on how to drink beer…
Got tired. Went back to Kyoto on the limited train. Sleepy time.
Today (Monday) is Japan’s Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday.
Everything official was closed but everyone was out to enjoy the scenery that Kyoto is famous for.
I went to a famous soba restaurant that has been around for about 300 years in the same location. Yummy but pricey…
After lunch, I took a stroll in the Eastern part of Kyoto in the big park and toured some temples.
And as soon as I left, the skies opened up. Rain and rain and rain.
When I got back to J-Hoppers, there wasn’t a lot to do because it was raining. Myself and two others wound up going to a Sento (public bath), grabbing dinner and ending the evening with shochu and beer at 0300.
That’s not good because I have to get up early on Tuesday to visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Getting up early….brrrrrr.
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