Harajuku crêpe.

This is the filling of a stuffed crêpe, obtained in the Harajuku district of Tokyo.


Fresh strawberries, strawberry pudding, whipped cream, and rice dumplings. I wolfed this puppy down, and then I craved another. Are ichigo (strawberries) sweeter in Japan?

They just do some things a little better here.

Things eaten in Japan I just can't get in the States.

McDonald's McFlurry (makkufuruurii) with real strawberries and crushed Oreos.


Makku also cooks eggs perfectly -- as in: soft to medium, and not rubbery and overcooked -- for their breakfast sandwiches. Yes, I went there. So?

Thick and luscious mango gelato in a waffle cone from 7/11.



EDIBLE -- and delicious -- chirashi-zushi bowls from your local supermarkets and convenience stores.


Balls of fruity sorbet from Circle K.



As much as I love food back home, I know I'll seriously miss this stuff when I return.

Nishiki Market in Kyoto.

Biking allows for fantastic exploration. In Kyoto, I rented a bike and decided to find Nishiki Market, which I read about in my travel book. Tucked away between residential alleyways, the market takes up a couple blocks and, according to the book, is where chefs and cooks go for fresh ingredients and supplies.




I could totally imagine myself living in Kyoto and biking to this market regularly.

By the way, you know the scene in Kill Bill when The Bride gazes lovingly at Hattori Hanzo's collection of katanas, while angelic music provides the soundtrack? That is similar to what I felt looking at these knives.

As I was wandering around, I passed by a vendor selling various yakitori and fried things on sticks. They pulled me aside, quite forcefully, for a sample of fried unagi (eel).

I was so glad they did.

Umakute Bikkuri.

I'm not sure what this is. The box says umakute bikkuri. All I know is that I waited 15 minutes in line for them and it was worth it.


I determined that they were pancakes filled with mung bean/azuki (red bean), with a roasted chestnut in the middle of each.


They were delicious, sweet, and warm, and drew a consistently long line. I picked them up at the lower level of Kyoto Station's vast food market. I had been trying to figure out what to eat and I think I made the right decision.

Hidden okonomiyaki.

After today, I've noted to myself to continue tagging along with Sensei, who can chat it up with shuttle bus drivers who tip us off to hidden okonomiyaki restaurants and drop us off there instead of at the intended stop at the train station.

The tiny restaurant was tucked away in the middle of a narrow alleyway in Kyoto -- we as gaijin (foreigners) would never have been able to stumble upon this ourselves without the help of locals.

Okonomiyaki with buta (pork) and soba noodles, cabbage, fried egg and sweet and spicy sauces.


One of my classmates got it with ika (squid), which I liked better. But both were oishi katta (delicious!).

Bakeries at Tokyo station.

There are too many bakeries here. I need to try my best to not stop at all of them, because I'd seriously get so left behind.

Stella's Kitchen.


Andersen Bakery.


Sesame bun with Gruyere and French toast.


Fairycake Fair.

Airplane food.

Yes, I'm even documenting the airplane food. Wow.


Unagi-don (eel over rice), served with cold soba noodles and dipping sauce, a piece of California roll, seaweed salad and shrimp.

As much as I enjoyed it, I hope it's only the least interesting meal of my trip.

Sayonara, and um.. bon appétit.

(How do you say that in Japanese?)

I've been keeping a secret: I'm headed to Japan tomorrow for about three and a half weeks.

But this actually is good news for this blog, because I am taking my laptop with me and plan to post here as I eat my way through Japan. I am sure to be inspired as Japanese cuisine is probably my favorite.

Japan, HERE I COME!

Corn bliss.

I waited way too long to check out Mil Jugos in Santa Ana since reading this review on Food Frenzy/Gluttonista. What was wrong with me? Because these arepas -- little stuffed corncake sandwiches -- are just too good to miss out on.

The reina papeada arepa comes warm and crispy around the edges, overstuffed with tasty chicken potato salad and avocado. A squirt of the zingy green dressing that accompanies this, and it is good to go. Straight into my belly.


Fresh, sweet papaya juice is a delicious way to wash it down (and attempt to mask the potent green sauce breath).


But most importantly, at Mil Jugos I've learned that cachapa means 'corn heaven.'

Well, not literally. But to me, it does. The cachapa con queso blanco:

Corn, pancake, cheese, fresh cream. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

I need not say anything further to convey the love I feel for this.

* * *
Mil Jugos
318 W. 5th Street
Santa Ana 92701
714.836.4601

Korean BBQ instructional.

Korean BBQ connoisseurs: Please feel free to bypass this post. I am not one of you, and I will be the first to admit that.

That doesn't mean I don't absolutely love Korean food. I SO do. I just needed a little instruction from the server when she set down 4286-or-so dishes on the table at Shik Do Rak Korean BBQ in Irvine.

I have to give myself a little more credit. No, this was not the first time I've had Korean BBQ. I already knew those little plates (see above) were various side dishes you eat prior to or alongside the BBQ, called banchan -- kimchi (spicy pickled cabbage), fish cake, seaweed salad, pickled cucumbers, spicy pickled daikon, pickled bean sprouts, etc. Oh, and more pickled things.

But there were other components to the meal that required a step-by-step tutorial. In the past, my family and I would just eat the BBQ meats with steamed rice and ignore these. We are rice eaters and that's how we do. But I wanted to find out what the heck these other things were, finally.

So now, I'll share what I learned from the very patient server:

The lettuce mix. At other Korean BBQ places, you might see a bowl of pajori instead -- a green onion/green garlic salad. But I like the way they do it at Shik Do Rak.


Pickled daikon radish sliced super thin. It's cool and slightly vinegary, and it doesn't overwhelm -- it enhances. Other places might offer leaves of bibb lettuce.


Rice flour sheets/rice paper. But it's not like paper at all. The texture is closer to a wonton wrapper.


The meat. In this case, it is unmarinated deckle, aka chadol baki, aka thinly sliced brisket. There's also short rib, sliced pork belly, and various marinated meats like bulgogi.

Deckle sounds like the name of a Pokémon character.


Here's where the fun begins.

Get the meat going on the grill.

Note that deckle will cook quickly because it's sliced so thin.

Here's what you do with all those components I just laid out.

Step 1: Take one slice of daikon and put it on your plate, and pile on a little of the lettuce mix.


Step 2: Take one of the rice sheets and lay it on top of the lettuce. I like stacking it in this order because the rice paper weighs down the lettuce a bit and makes it less likely to fall apart on you when you try to pick it up later.


Step 3: Grab a piece of meat from the grill. These two standard condiments are usually offered: a spicy chili paste and sesame oil that's got a bit of salt and pepper in it. They're dip-friendly ways to season your meats. So dip as you please.


Step 4: Take your meat and place it on top of the nice little stack you've got goin'. Almost done!


Step 5: Pick it all up, pinching two ends of the daikon together and folding it up like a taco. If you are adept, you can use your chopsticks for this, or you can be like me and say "f-you chopsticks!" in frustration and hunger and just grab the damn thing with your fingers.

Yeeesssh. Come to me...

Needless to say -- Step 6: EAT and repEAT.

You still get steamed rice, but it comes toward the end of your meal, to fill up your belly the rest of the way if it's needed. It does not come at the beginning WITH the meats, though my family usually demands this.


But I so much prefer eating it the other (REAL) way now. When I think about all those times I ignored this method, I am just shocked at myself. And appalled.

Oh, and as if there wasn't already enough going on, they also give you a boiling hot bean curd/miso soup at the end.


The end!

* * *
Shik Do Rak
14775 Jeffrey Rd.
Irvine 92618
949.653.7668

P.S. My party and I ordered a combination meal at Shik Do Rak -- there are other things on the menu that may not require so much instruction. Also, Wikipedia's entry on Korean barbecue really helped me with the Korean spelling in this post!