#i almost always eat fried shrimp sushi i love it so much

[count-alucard-tepes]

Your fav OP Hotties reaction to when their S/O’s fav food is the OP Hotties least fav/hated food

So I know that Oda has already given their favorite and least favorite food but I'll try and elaborate based on my opinion of them and western and eastern cuisines.

Kizaru✨

He likes tempura quite a bit even though it's not food for anyone's health really but he does enjoy it from time to time. Especially if its shrimp! Have this prepared for him and he will tell you all the naughty secrets of the marines. He dislikes anything too spicy but sometimes he tries Akainu's cooking and then he's in pain for a couple of hours later. So when he finds out his S/O likes spicy food, he doesn't mind at all and would usually go to a restaurant where both of them could enjoy their favorite meals.

Akainu🌋

He has a sweet tooth and tends to always have something sweet after his lunch as he can over indulge at times. His favourite dessert is an speculaas tart with almond filling which was introduced to him when he was travelling as a young marine, its not too sweet but it just hits the spot for him. If you ever want to calm him down and make him happy, bring him a large tart and he won't burn you. He dislikes durians and can't get over the smell, it's too much for him. He would lecture his S/O about only eating the fruit outside of the house because of the smell and to brush their teeth immediately after.

Ryokugyu🌱

He loves good Southern spicy fried chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes. This is something he would eat when he breaks his fast and he's gonna eat all he can! He dislikes chocolate muffins, they make his teeth ache. He would lecture his S/O about how much sugar is in the muffin and how bad that is for their body.

Sir Crocodile 🐊

He loves creamy chicken Italiano and eats this on a weekly basis out of his regular diet. He enjoys pasta from time to time but is pretty strict with his health and does not indulge too much. He dislikes any dish that has a tomato based sauce despite liking tomatoes, it gives him heart burn. He wouldn't really mind his S/O eating it as long as he doesn't have to eat it.

Doflamingo Donquixote🦩

He likes all kinds of seafood and enjoys having fresh oysters for breakfast every morning with a bit of hot sauce and freshly squeezed lemon juice. He never truly feels awake until he has his oysters. He dislikes fried chicken as he thinks it's way too heavy for him, he likes to keep his sexy body all year long. He would tell his S/O that it's not healthy for the body and that they should find alternative healthier options.

Benn Beckman🔫

He enjoys sushi and sashimi. He usually goes somewhere he could enjoy a meal by himself as there was a time where he didn't know how to eat wasabi and almost saw Kami-San. Shanks never let this down so he now just goes alone. He dislikes coffee ice cream and thinks it's an abomination. He would watch his S/O with a frown before commenting that it looks like baby's poop just to piss his S/O off.

Katakuri Charlotte🍡

He loves having barbecues with his brothers and sisters and of course he's the one in charge at the grill. He makes burgers, hot dogs and lots racks of ribs which he marinates by himself. He could eat barbecued meat forever and be content. He dislikes matcha flavoured desserts, he thinks they're gross. He would cringe as he watched his S/O eat but wouldn't comment or anything like that.

Killer🔪

He enjoys a full Scottish breakfast with eggs, bacon, baked beans, black pudding, scones, tomatoes, mushrooms and haggis all with a nice cup of tea. Usually after eating all of this, he goes into a food coma but he's happy as ever. He dislikes any kind of cheese, he's lactose intolerant. He would make gagging sound when his S/O eats it and would say they have cheese breath.

Kaido🐉

He likes a good helping of tonkatsu with rice and curry as well as an omelet over it. It is his comfort food and he could eat it several times a week. He dislikes edamame and if anyone serves him this would never hear the end of it. He would glare at his S/O and tell them to eat it somewhere else because it smells terrible.

King👑

He really loves eating crabs, especially crab legs. He usually has it with a spicy sauce and rice. When ever Queen wants him to approve something, he treats him with several kilograms of crab legs and he gets the approval he needs. He dislikes cheesy sauces, he thinks its gross on seafood and just doesn't generally like it. He would look at his S/O in disapproval but wouldn't say anything in case he got them mad for something they liked.

Queen 👑

He loves eating roasted pork belly with all the condiments he can have. He doesn't really care much about his health so he tends to eat large amounts of it all the time. He dislikes fruity desserts, he doesn't like fruits in general. He would laugh and say things like, 'you don't need to watch what you eat, love! You're perfect!'.

#ooc #one piece #akainu sakazuki #one piece akainu #sir crocodile #donquixote doflamingo #crocodile one piece #one piece kizaru #kizaru borsalino #one piece crocodile #doflamingo one piece #ryokugyu one piece #aramaki ryokugyu #benn beckman #katakuri one piece #katakuri charlotte #kaido one piece #killer one piece #king one piece #queen one piece

[intothewings]

Hi! Sorry if this is annoying, I’m shy and didn’t want to come off anon.😭 but I’be been following you for so long and love your blog. I’m going solo to Hawaii in February and I’m curious about what foods you think I should try? Thank you in advance. 🌴

Hii! You are not bothering me, thank you so much for following my page!<3 I will just share the things I like to eat and you can keep what sounds good to you. :)

I mostly eat Borinki food at home, which is Puerto Rican-Hawaiian fusion cuisine. I have some favorite fusion restaurants, but I'd rather not publicly disclose their names. If you're interested, I can share them with you privately!

Other than that I like

Manapua: steamed bun stuffed with filling, you can get pork, chicken, fish, sweet beans, veggies, sweet potatoes, or a mixture. My favorite are the spicy chicken and sweet potato or the plain vegetable from Sing Cheong Yuan, it’s a Chinese bakery in Honolulu.

Spam Musubi: spam sushi!! It’s two pieces of fried spam, usually teriyaki flavor, with sticky rice in the middle and wrapped in nori seaweed. I go to Musubi Cafe Iyasume, they have a few locations on Oʻahu and a variety of flavorful spam marinades and condiments from scratch. I get the teriyaki spam with avocado, they are $3 each!

Huli Huli Chicken: chicken marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup and pineapple juice. Really good and flavorful, most times this is the chicken that goes into the Manapua with veggies. I like it best that way.

Hawaiian chow mein: regular chow mein with light teriyaki sauce. I eat it with pickled pineapple and coconut shrimp. You can get it at almost any food truck on Hawai’i for 10-15$, they give a big serving with lots of vegetables. I always have leftovers.

I also like Lo’i Feke, which is Tongan🇹🇴, not Hawaiian but you can still get it on Hawai’i.😋 It’s tender chunks of octopus that get made with coconut cream milk and red or white onions, then cooked in an umu, which is a Polynesian earth oven. It’s often served with sweet potato or yam and I get a tortilla.

Furikake Mix: You can get it at snack shops and sometimes 7-11. It’s a sweet and salty baked mix with chips, cereals, pretzels etc and tossed with soy sauce, butter, and furikake rice seasoning (fish flakes, salt, herbs and seaweed)

Sweets

Fruits!!!: lots of fruits that you can’t really find on the mainland. It’s probably like 50% of what I eat, I’m obsessed with Haleʻiwa Bowls too when I have time to get there, or else I just make my own smoothie bowls. For fruits I love starfruit, abiu, dragonfruit, lychee, longan, mangosteen, passionfruit, star apple. Most fruit stalls/groceries have regular fruits too like apple, tangerine, banana, mango, plum and pear. I make korean hwachae once or twice a week if I’m home, which is a bowl with chopped fruit, milk and a carbonated drink. I do strawberry or banana milk+wild bill’s cream soda and put in lavender and hibiscus flowers for antioxidants! It’s my favorite thing to eat!

Fruit Sandwiches: I go to Mana and get the strawberry banana Oreo sandwich or blueberry marmallow sandwich. I eat them on the beach all the time.

Shave ice: Like a snow cone but 100 times better. I’ll eat any flavor any time any day lol. It was started by Japanese immigrants but there’s so many varieties now because all of the different ethnic groups. My favorite is my grandpas recipe from Puerto Rico, it’s made with Coquito, cinnamon, sweetened condensed milk, fresh strawberry syrup and a sweet Polynesian spice blend!

Haupia: coconut jelly pudding dessert or coconut cream jello bar. It’s a firm jello texture and served in a square.

Butter mochi: like a Hawaiian blondie with butter and coconut.

If you're on Hilo side, go to Three Ladies mochi! They make the cutest mochi and they taste better than in Japan in my opinion.

This is just stuff I like to eat. I rarely eat fish or red meat. I don't advocate for the consumption of raw fish, like poke, oysters, squid, or sea urchin like uni/kina, as it tends to make people unwell. Personally, I avoid ingesting raw meat, fish, or sea creatures myself because of parasites and intestinal worms. 😬

You'll discover way more cuisine from Polynesia and Asia once you get here! I suggest trying hole in the walls or food trucks for the most enjoyable meals, they’re often more affordable than upscale establishments and a great way to support locals.

I hope this helps. Please be kind to the land and wildlife, good luck on your trip!<3 :)

[lewierre]

idk if this counts as a food crime but ive met so many people that hate seafood and think its gross but i just love. all types of seafood sm like if its a little creature stuck to a rock in the sea ill probably eat it

I LOVE SEAFOOD 🥺

shrimps and mussels esp <333

#asks #tw food #i almost always eat fried shrimp sushi i love it so much #nsfr

[normal-thoughts-official]

See I think the problem is sweden is just.. cold amshnsdhdj we can’t really grow spices here so throughout the times it’s just been salt and pepper (until we started importing spice from the colonies like we thought we were the brits lmao) but traditional swedish food is like??? Potatoes and meatballs with lingonberry jam and sometimes you make the sauce out of the fat you fried the meatballs in and it’s gross. I’ve never been to Germany actually but that restaurant sounds disgusting I’m so sorry what are they doingggg. THANKFULLy we have so much food imported from pretty much everywhere that most people’s favourite foods is almost always something that didn’t originate here. Like tacos!! It’s a staple in pretty much any household here, at least where I grew up, and one of my friends is obsessed with Indian food, specifically vindaloo which is so so spicy but so good. As for the cream cheese sushi, at the restaurant here they put it in the maki rolls with veggies and a piece of omelet, i cannot stress how good it is ahaha. I love food so much!!! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything Brazilian specifically, but since we’re talking about it I’m really curious. If you have a specific dish or anything you think I should try let me know!! I’m gonna ask google but it’s always fun to get tips from someone who is living with the culture behind it and everything!! - salmon anon (salmnon? salmanon? Swenson? I actually wrote swenon but my phone corrected me so I’m leaving it skhdkshd)

aaaa okay so when it comes to brazilian food you gotta understand that there’s...... so much stuff. our cuisine is super varied and rich and there’s just... a lot. so it all depends on what strikes your fancy. but i have a few suggestions, although keep in mind that again, brazilian cuisine is varied and rich and it’s a big country, so i have the mos contact with food from my region (the southeast), although i’ve been to the northeast, north, and south as well

so the basis of culinary in most brazilian households is the rice + beans + farofa combo. farofa is basically cassava flour with spices, it is made to add Big Crunch to the meal. we eat that in every meal, except for breakfast. it’s kinda the foundation/pillar of the plate. i do recommend trying it, absolutely. the most likely version of that for you to find is feijoada, which is a little stereotypical as far as brazilian dishes go, but i doubt you’d find regular rice beans and farofa around in a small town in sweden. in feijoada the beans come with pork parts, and it’s black beans, not regular beans. it is also traditionally served with kale and orange slices. it’s really good, personally i love it

[image ID: a plate with kale, rice, farofa (which is sandy-colored and has a grainy consistency), orange slices, and feijoada. end ID] 

another great dish worth a try is moqueca. moqueca is (usually) fish/shrimp, coconut milk, dendê oil, bell peppers, and other spices. it takes cilantro so if you are a little bitch, i mean, if you don’t like it, you might skip that one. it is also usually served with farofa or pirão, which is essentially farofa but moist 

[image ID: a pot of moqueca. it looks soup-like and has very vibrant colors, particularly red, yellow, ad green. you can see pieces of bell pepper and chopped cilantro in it. end ID]

i do recommend trying anything palm-heart related if you haven’t. palm heart pies are one of my favorite things. and okay i know that you probably won’t be able to find this but i doubt you’ll be able to find most things i’m talking about so i’m just gonna dream big here: catupiry is this kind of brazilian... cream cheese, except it’s creamier and tastier and just superior in general. we love putting it on shit, and when it comes to stuffing, palm heart + catupiry or chicken + catupiry are my favorites

i also love bobó de palmito na moranga, which is essentially palm heart inside very creamy squash. the most common version actually takes shrimp instead of palm heart, but i don’t like shrimp and they’re not super accessible in my city anyway lol

[image ID: a carved pumpkin with shrimp swimming in a creamy mixture of squash, coconut milk, and catupiry inside. end ID]

escondidinho is another great dish. it means “little hidden one” in portuguese and it is cassava puree with dried meat inside, gratinated. there’s also a version with mashed potatoes, ground beef, and tomato sauce, but cassava is better. honestly just go for anything cassava. it’s the basis of native brazilian culinary and it’s fucking delicious. fried cassava, roasted cassava, cassava puree.... if you’ve never had them, they’re like potatoes, but better in every way. and don’t get me wrong, cuz i love potatoes

anything from the state of minas gerais FUCKS and is highly recommendable. tutu de feijão might look bad for a gringo but i promise it’s worth a try. feijão tropeiro is amazing, and chicken with okra is one of my fave brazilian dishes. it’s also easy to make so you can make it at home, even. just don’t forego the rice beans and farofa. my eastern european friend had never seen okra so if you look it up, no, that is not pepper. it’s not spicy. seriously i know yall are afraid of everything but it’s not

as for snacks! one of the greatest institutions in brazil is coxinha. coxinha is a potato-based batter stuffed with chicken (and usually catupiry as well although coxinha without catupiry is also commonly found) and deep fried. you cannot have a kids party and not serve it, it is absolutely essential. but it is also eaten as a regular snack commonly. it is super good, everyone loves it, and i highly recommend

[image ID: a plate of coxinhas. they are round-ish thingies with a “beak” on top, making it look almost like a pyramid. they are orange-golden in color and have a distinctly deep fried texture. end ID]

another great institution is pão de queijo, which i’ll admit i’m not a fan of because i don’t like cheese (catupiry doesn’t count) but i can’t just forego mentioning it. it takes polvilho, which is tapioca (which is a derivation of cassava, i’ll get there in a minute) flour, with cheese, basically. it gets a fluffy consistency that is hard to describe and that many people love. it is most traditional in the state of minas gerais, but you can find it all over brazil and also in other places in south america although recipes vary

[image ID: a bowl of pão de queijo. they are small, round, and white-ish. they have a very thin hard-looking layer on the exterior, but it also has cracks that make you able to see that the inside is fluffy. end ID]

tapioca! you might have heard of tapioca as the bubbles in bubble tea are made of it. it is a kind of cassava flour, but it’s very different from the cassava flour used to make farofa. it is white in color. you just put that motherfucker in a frying pan (no oil needed) and the grains stick to each other, making a sort of... taco-like thing? it doesn’t taste like a taco but it looks slightly like one. then you just stuff it with Whatever You Want. can be savory or sweet, personally i prefer savory but the "classic” one is coconut and condensed milk. another good stuffing to try is what we call romeu e julieta (literally “romeo and juliet”), which is a cheese that we know as queijo minas, but if you have contact with mexican food you might know as queso fresco, and guava paste. i know it sounds weird which is why it has the name as these two things are not supposed to be together but they go WELL together. romeu e julieta is a common dessert and the basis for thousands and thousands of other recipes in brazil

[image ID: a plate with tapioca. it has the form of a taco, but the “batter” is thinner and white. the inside is coconut and condensed milk. end ID]

speaking of tapioca, DADINHO DE TAPIOCA (tapioca dice) is where shit’s at. it is tapioca flour with cheese rolled into a dice format and fried, served with pepper jam, altho you can forego it, but i DO recommend trying it with the pepper jam. it is not super spicy and so so very good. don’t waste an opportunity to try it

[image ID: dadinhos de tapioca. they are small cubic snacks with a golden color and granulated-looking texture. there is also a little bowl with pepper jam in it. end ID]

and an ESSENTIAL brazilian institution: pastel and caldo de cana. pastel is a flour-based batter with a bit of cachaça (sugarcane liquor) stuffed with Whatever You Want (most common tho are ground beef, and cheese. but personally i’m always a slut for palm heart and there’s a local pizza place near my home that also makes pastel with whatever flavor you could possibly want and broccoli with catupiry pastel? PEAK) and deep fried. it is kinda big for a snack but bro it is so very good. and then we usually have it with caldo de cana, which is sugarcane juice. now, caldo de cana is very sweet, so personally i like to put a little bit of lemon in it, which is how we usually make it in the state of São Paulo, but other states lowkey look down on that (brazilians as a whole have a sweet tooth, many of our desserts are Really Sweet) but they are wrong and we are right. anyway, pastel and caldo de cana are usually served at street markets, so once you are done with your groceries, you can sit down and enjoy some. highly recommended altho again i’ll be surprised if you can find any in sweden. but pastel is not hard to make! caldo de cana is tho, you have to have kind of a machine to extract the juice from it

[image ID: pastel and caldo de cana. pastel is a long, golden-colored, thin rectangle with, in this case, cheese inside. caldo de cana is of a brownish-green with a regular juice consistency. end ID]

onto desserts! an all-time brazilian favorite is brigadeiro. that is condensed milk, butter, and cocoa with chocolate sprinkles, essentially. i recommend using dark chocolate as it is otherwise really sweet but it depends on your tastes. do try it tho

[image ID: brigadeiros. they are little balls completely covered in chocolate sprinkles, each places in a smal paper holder. end ID]

romeu in julieta as i already mentioned is very popular and seriously, give it a try

if you’re into sweet stuff, try rapadura, which is our version of piloncillo. it is like 90% sugar tho so seriously, you gotta like sweets

pé de moleque, which literally translates to “boy’s foot”, is rapadura and roasted peanuts, and it’s one of my all time favorite desserts

[image ID: a plate of pé de moleque. they are thick rectangles with almost entire roasted peanuts parts stuck together by a rich brown sort of batter - rapadura. end ID]

paçoca is also grounded peanuts with a little bit of salt and sugar, usually coming in a cork format. they are absolutely amazing and i can’t recommend them enough

[image ID: paçoca. it literally just looks like a small cork, even the color is similar. looks like something totally underwhelming but i promise you it’s so so very good and worth a try. end ID]

and okay i think that’s what i have!! at least off the top of my head (yeah that’s just what i came up with off the top of my head. like i said. brazilian cuisine is RICH) sorry for the gigantic answer that is probably not very helpful, but welp, now you know what to look for, at least lol also if you’ve followed me for over a year you should have known i would do this. BITCH I’M LATINO FOOD MATTERS TO ME

#brazilian food is delicious i promise promise promise you that you won't regret trying it #if you do try it let me know what you tried and your thoughts!!! seriously it is so rich and good it's impossible not to find something #you'll love #ask #long post #food #swenon

[helgaw321]

Takeru’s 155 Q&A

To start off things, let me share (again) one of my most satisfying works from last year, that is Takeru’s Q&A section from his 30th birthday anniversary book. Looking back, I think I worked on this one for almost one week, and It felt really satisfying to finish it on Takeru’s 31th birthday ❤️

Once again, enjoy!

(Disclaimer: All translations are done by myself, pls don’t repost without permission, thank you!)

===========

These are the questions sent by fans through Takeru's official LINE account. Thank you for all of your participation!!

1. Is there anything you would like to do or achieve in 2019? I'd like to do anything good for my body

2. If there is one day you're not Satou Takeru anymore, what will you do? Go to sauna

3. If there is one day you become a girl, what will you do? Sing Sheena Ringo's songs in the original key

4. If you can travel back in time, when would you go? Middle high school

5. If you are being reborn, do you want to be yourself again? Not really

6. If there is an "Anywhere Door", where would you like to go? The world's best views

7. Do you think aliens exist? Not in this solar system I think

8. 10 years from now, what kind of father do you want to be? I want to avoid using weird emoji

9. If you move abroad, which country would you choose? Maybe America or Canada

10. If you got the chance to direct a film, what kind of film and who are the casts? Horror. Because it seems difficult to explain, I'll do it myself.

11. If you have to become one of the characters you've played before, who will you choose? Shishigami Hiro

12. Among of the movies created in the past, is there any movie you like to have acted in? (Anything from) Ghibli

13. Who would you like to meet the most right now? And what will you ask him/her? Hanyu (Yuzuru)-kun. "Do you want to join Amuse (Takeru's agency)?"

14. Anything you want to overcome in this year? Coughing out when sleeping

15. If you can go with your mom on a trip, where would you like to go? I don't know. I'll go where she would want to go

16. When you see food with the name you see for the first time, do you dare try? Or you tend to play safe? I tend to take the challenge.

17. If you can meet your 20-year-old self, what would you like to say? Nothing in particular

18. What kind of present you would like to receive in last year of Heisei-era? Speakers that can be used in bathroom

19. Where would you like to go on honeymoon? The world's best views

20. What would you like to do in your last day of your life? I don't want to know that day is the end of my life

21. If you can take a long holiday, what would you like to do? Watch movies. Escape room games.

22. I love Takeru-kun's singing voice. If someday you get to sing in your next project, do you want to do it? I don't mind

23. If you weren't in the entertainment world, what would you do? I imagined myself to study something related to science-field in university, but I don't know what to do next

24. What else you like in sushi other than Kohada (gizzard shad)? Between tuna and salmon, which one do you like? Tuna. I also like squid and uni (sea urchin). And also button shrimp

25. If you become an invisible person, what would you want to do? State secrets investigation

26. Favorite movie? Kimi no Na wa (Your name)

27. Do you like sweets? I like it but I rarely snacking

28. Favorite smell? Morning forest

29. What do you like in osechi (traditional Japanese new year food)? Kamaboko (fish cake)

30. Favorite manga? Tenshi na Konamaiki (Cheeky Angel) (note: he said in Yakai before that his first love is the heroine from this manga XD)

31. Do you like to go to onsen? Yes

32. If you have your own favorite/most disliked body parts, please tell us! I won't say because it's embarassing

33. Favorite color? Navy blue

34. Favorite kind of noodles? Cold soba

35. Favorite season? Winter

36. Do you like horumon (cuisine made from pork or beef offal)? I like it more than average people

37. You went to lots of places during filming or doing promotion for movies, do you have favorite region? Also please tell us if you have a must-eat food there! Hitsumabushi in Nagoya

38. If i remembered correctly, you've said that you like your home, is there any other place you like? I also like hotel

39. Any recommendation for foreign drama? Friends

40. Favorite novel? Shigatsu ni nareba Kanojo wa (also titled April Girlfriend - by Kawamura Genki)

41. What do you usually add when you eat medamayaki (fried egg)? Salt and pepper or Shoyu

42. What do you usually add when you eat freshly cooked white rice? Karashi (spicy) mentaiko

43. Please tell us your order of eating sushi! Omakase (literally meaning "I'll leave it up to you", a special course when the customer leaves it up to the chef to serve)

44. What are your memories of doing Kamen Rider? Commuting in a crowded train

45. Please tell us a happy episode from filming Den-O! We sometimes would go to Jojoen near Oizumi Studio

46. Who is your favorite Imajin from Den-O? Ura(taros)

47. If you act as (Nogami) Ryoutarou right now, what kind of person you think he will be? I think people will not change that much

48. If you have a child, what name will you give him/her? I think 2 letters would be nice

49. Among the actors-actresses you haven't co-starred with, who would you want to work together with? Fukatsu (Eri)-san

50. Among all of your projects, which role is the most fun/memorable? Rookies was fun

51. Do you still continue to learn English? Yes

52. Among all of roles you've played, was there a moment when you think it resembles yourself? Probably no

53. Is there any place inside Japan you want to go? Never-visited islands

54. Is there anything you want to learn right now? I want to learn to dance

55. When you first meet a person, what is the first thing you will look at? I got this question a lot and until now I don't know the answer. I wonder what I will look at first

56. What role you want to try this year? As a runaway child

57. Among all of your projects, is there anything you wouldn't want to watch? Basically I don't want to watch it. I don't watch most of it.

58. If you can do a sequel, is there a work you want to do? Rurouni, Kanouso, Gibomusu

59. Is there any villain role from movie/drama/manga/novel that you want to do? I'd like to if there's any (interesting roles)

60. Before you do a crying scene, how do you usually spend your time? Depends on the scene

61. What is your description of "Kakkoii"? Taking the initiative in what people hate, and don't show off your action

62. You said that you didn't like saba no misoni (mackerel with miso), was it because you didn't like mackerel itself? When I saw "saba no misoni" in school lunch menu, I would be very dissapointed. I like mackarel though.

63. If you got an offer for main cast in Taiga drama, will you take it? I like that kind of question where you don't think "If it's the main cast for Taiga I'll definitely do it"

64. Something to do to keep you healthy? Sleep 12 hours

65. Do you have any actor friends? Everyone that gave their comments in this book

66. How do you feel when you work in Rurouni Kenshin kiri (` ・ω・‘) (note: this is the actual answer (i only changed hiragana to romaji/alphabet), kiri/kiru is to cut/slash in japanese, so maybe he just felt like slashing ppl all the time XDD)

67. Something that makes you feel "I can die peacefully after doing this"? Become Ajin

68. What is the scariest thing in the world? Please see video original version of "Ju-on"

69. Have you seen Aurora? No

70. When you take a bath, what part of the body you washed first? Head

71. In what moment do you usually can be yourself the most? I am myself mostly everytime

72. If fans reach out to you in your private time, how far can we go e.g handshake/photograph? It'll be embarassing to take a photo, so only handshake is good

73. We always see Takeru-san in the acting side, do you ever think of creating a movie? If I create a movie, I also want to act in that movie

74. You showed us for a short moment in Horoyoi ads, but I want to hear more of your singing voice! Recently, is there any song that you will definitely sing in karaoke? Marigold, no I'm lying. I don't have such song.

75. You always give your best during promotions for dramas/movies, but was there any tough times? Ehh you're so kind.

76. You said that you want to take a break in this year because you've worked hard in last year, did that feeling change? It's not like I want to take break, but I think my exposure level is decreasing compared to last year

77. In Kanouso, during the moment when you weren't supposed to cry but tears suddenly fell down, how to control such emotion? I looked at her (Riko) face

78. Is there any actor/actress you admire? If I tell you, you will be more aware of that person, so because I don't want you to have such thought, I won't tell you.

79. How did you spend your time during 2019 new year? I watched Unnatural with my family at home

80. What is your special skill? Othello

81. Do you use perfume? I don't usually use it but because we're making it (as anniversary goods) this time so I'm using that.

82. When thinking about Takeru-kun, your image is strongly tied with solving riddles, how did you get into it? Also how much time did you spend in 1 day? My first time was when my friends invited me to play escape games. As long as time allows me to do it, I can do it all day.

83. Among all of Hanbun, Aoi cast, who is your best friend? Kan-chan (Suzume's daughter)

84. If you meet a person that you want to befriend, are you the type who reach out to him/her, or wait? Reach out

85. Regardless of gender, what kind of person you're not good at? People who makes mistakes

86. What is your decisive factor when choosing a project? Whether I want or I don't want to do it

87. By any chance, is Takeru-san the type of genius person with photographic memory? I'm not that kind of person

88. What do you sing when you go to karaoke? Radwimps

89. Do you do any muscle training? I do but depends on the timing

90. When you go out with somebody you like on a date, in what situation do you like? Autumn leaves

91. Has anybody said to you that you resemble someone (in entertainment world)? Shouhei's wife (Kiritani Mirei) (note: why he won't say her name directly XDD)

92. Do you have any age restriction for marriage? I'd like to do it in my 30s if I can

93. Why do you become "a man lost in love"? What a good word to express it. Love is not something you experience several times, isn't it?

94. What kind of hair type do you like for girl? I like natural, not shaped ones

95. In what moment do you think girls are cute? When you see they are excited when I choose her in SUGAR

96. When you found a girl you like, do you actively "attack" her? Of course if I like her

97. Do you like a woman who will casually do body touch, doing upward gaze, and sort of the aggresive type? I don't like it at all

98. In what moment you think you can't help but liking a girl? When she casually do body touch, do upward gaze (note: so which one do you actually like LOL -- refer to Q97)

99. Between older and younger woman, which one do you like? I like both

100. What kind of girl do you like? Girls with narrow "strike zone"

101. What is the minimum requirement for your partner to marry you? I no longer have such requirement

102. As a man, what do you think of a man who keeps looking at his phone, keeps looking at the clock when dating a woman? It's not a good thing to do, it's like he doesn't care about his partner.

103. What do you think about a fun and easygoing girl? Girls with good sense of humor are good

104. When you have a girlfriend, what kind of homemade food will you make for her? Miso soup

105. What kind of make up do you like for girls? As long as she doesn't overdo it

106. I have a person I can't forget even after so many years, Does Takeru-kun have that kind of experience? Yes for a few years, but I don't know what will happen for 10+ years

107. I called my nephews and nieces with nicknames. Does Takeru-kun have any nicknames you want to be called with? I like Takeru-san rather than Takeru-kun

108. What sound do you use as your alarm ringtone? Default settings

109. You have a really beautiful skin. Do you have any advice for it? Moisturizing

110. Any activities you've been into lately? Alternate baths (also called contrast bath therapy) (note: a kind of bath therapy where you alternate between hot and cold baths.)

111. Where do you usually go? Most recent is gym

112. Do you still hate caterpillars? Sorry, but yes

113. Do you cook? Do you have any specialities? Nope

114. Where and how you usually memorize your script? I usually memorize it with my costars moments before shooting in the set

115. For Takeru-san who loves reading, how do you usually choose books to read? I'd usually pick friends' recommendation

116. When you sleep do you prefer to turn on or off the lights? Turn off. I can't stand even the lights from humidifier

117. In what moment do you think it's nice being an actor? When people are being nice to you

118. Things like clothes, bags, shoes, is there anything that you have to make sure it's in good quality before you buy? Towel

119. If you have one full day with your beloved cats, what will you do? Cuddling its cheek

120. If you are being reborn as a cat, who do you want to take care of you? Do you want to play together with Kochirou and Puchirou in Satou's family house? Yes. (note: Kochirou and Puchirou are his beloved cats currently living in his parents' house)

121. If you can have one more cat, what name will you give? At least not names in katakana

122. Are you a dog person? Cat person? Cat

123. As a cat-lover, which part of a cat do you like? Face

124. What is your favorite Kochirou and Puchirou's pose? When they become rounded like a ball

125. If you can have a dog, what kind of dog do you like? Shiba-inu

126. Beside cat, do you have any other animals you'd like to have? Dolphin

127. Where do you want to live? Shiodome maybe

128. Have you give your mom presents from home bakery? Yes. I think you can also make mochi with those

129. If you're doing a solo trip, where will you go? Canada

130. How do you get along with Nobu-san (from Chidori)? We were working together in a variety show and I ask for his phone number

131. You were famous among the older people from long ago, what do you think about that? I don't really care about the age as long as I still got the "waa" and "kyaa"

132. In what moment do you feel happy? When I solved a riddle

133. What is your favorite song from Takahashi Yuu-kun? Hachigatsu Muika (August 6) (note: he sang this song in his 30th birthday event)

134. If you have to give a score for your acting career up until now, how many points out of 100? 60

135. In the future, can you create an event where fans can meet you directly? Yes

136. You've said before that because you can't tidy your room up so your mom had to visit your house to tidy things up, is it still the same now? I've become independent now

137. I'm still a kid, an elementary school student. When I talk about Kamen Rider, there are some kids who get along with me, but there also kids who call me weird. Is it alright that I still love Kamen Rider? Please tell me. I was also called weird by my friends in my school days so it will be alright

138. Do you plan to go to Kyoto in this year? I already go there few times

139. In what moment do you feel the happiest? I can't decide between the moment when I saw at Ruroken's (sales) performance or when I managed to clear an escape game challenge, or when I was in elementary school when I got into Yu-Gi-Oh, I got Summoned Skull from a booster pack.

140. Was there a moment when you cried while watching a movie? Usually I cried watching touching movies

141. Between the roles you've played almost simultaneously, such as Ritsu in Hanbun, Aoi, Mugita in Gibomusu, and Kazuo in Oku Otoko, which one is the most difficult to play? Kazuo

142. Recently, is there a moment when you laughed so hard? I was hitting my knees laughing while watching Aiseki Shokudou (Chidori's show) at home

143. Please tell us an episode from Kouhaku! When I hesitated to wave my penlight, but then I saw Nomura Mansai-san was waving his so I decided to follow

144. Please tell us your recommended places to visit from "Rurouni-hon Kumamoto e". Nature is always recommended. Negative ions are good for the body. (note: "Rurouni-hon Kumamoto e" was a book about Takeru doing a trip in Kumamoto, promoting places especially those which were affected by Kumamoto earthquake. A portion of the sales were donated to support Kumamoto recovery)

145. You said in the past that you couldn't sleep for a long time, how is it now? Hm it's complex but I think my internal body clock feels off

146. When telling our thoughts about your movies/dramas, do you have any preferred ways that makes you happy? When you shared it in the internet

147. My son is telling me that he wants to be a voice actor and wants to go to a vocational school. As a parent, should I support him? Did Takeru-kun get your parents' support when you want to be an actor? My parents had no objection at that time. It didn't cost me any money. By the way, do professional voice actors learn in vocational schools? I support him to become a voice actor, but I'm not sure if it's the right decision to enroll in a vocational school to become a voice actor.

148. Among all the places you've visited during your work or private trips, do you have any recommendation for us? Salar de Uyuni (note: he went to this place for X photobook)

149. When you watch a movie, do you prefer to read the original story first or straight to the movie? If I want to enjoy the movie, I'd watch the movie first. If I want to enjoy the book, I'd read the book first.

150. Can I hug you when I meet you? Maybe no

151. Do you use washing machine for drying your clothes? What will happen to your clothes after that? Wrinkled

152. What is the most important thing or person to you? People who put their faith in me

153. Are you looking forward to expand your career overseas? Rather than wanting to work in a Hollywood movie, I prefer to think more on how to make Japanese movies more visible to the world.

154. Is there anything you'd like to do in your 30s, any target or resolution? I have a few in mind, but I'll tell you when I manage to accomplish them

155. Please tell us about your vision of living your life from now on! I hope I can do more of what I want to do.

(pic: https://satohtakeru.amuseblog.jp/blog/2019/03/30th-anniversar-1c47.html)

#Q&A #can-we-have-more-of-this-pleasee #30th-anniversary-book #photobook #佐藤健

[zip001]

i was thinking of the graphs and data that @ladytp shared regarding what she has been eating ac (after coronavirus 19).

and although i did not keep detailed notes or made any graphs, i think that during spring, we ate out significantly less than we did bc (before coronavirus 19). we would eat out at least twice a week (approximately 3 meals - one brunch on Sunday, one lunch on Saturday and one dinner on Sunday) bc and i think we ate out mayhaps once or twice every month in spring (picking up only from finn thai, ledos pizza, and contactless delivery from pupusa express).

only this month did we start eating at a restaurant, but we still ate outside maintaining at least six feet distance from anyone else but the server (it was actually a pretty chilly afternoon so there were almost no one in the patio enjoying tasty dimsum at han palace).

i know that it is probably a lost cause but i am trying to frequent my fave restaurants (giving 20 percent tips), hoping that they will survive. the restaurant business is tough with tight margins even bc and now it seems another restaurant bites the dust almost on a weekly basis. i know some would say that this weeds out the bad or badly managed restaurants. i push back on that big time!

[[MORE]]

i want to send my kudos to these awesome establishments!!

1. finn thai: their wild pig (aka boar), pad eggplant, green curries makes me feel like i am in thailand. my nephew adores their pad thai! their takeout operations are so tight - the food ordering over the phone is so efficient, they tell you how long it takes (takes approx. 15 to 40 minutes), and their estimates are always on point (i never have to wait), the food is piping hot and nicely packaged in these huge containers (which i reuse - i am my mother’s daughter).

2. ledo pizza: i love your unorthodox square thin crust veggie pizza which is so flavorful, tangy sauce, stringy gooey cheese, chock full of veggies, that even my brother in law (whom i thought was a meat eating cave man and the missing link) chowed it down.

3. alta strada: i love their pastas (their fun mushroom pasta has so much funghi), appetizers (meatballs, anything with cheese), sandwiches (eggplant is amazing!) andtheir take on shrimp on grits (with creamy fried polenta taking place of the grits and perfectly poached egg atop the yummy dish)!

4. slapfish: this poor restaurant has been hurt badly by covid. i hope more people check them out - fish and chips are amazing, poke bowl has such fresh fish, fish tacos are so good, etc.

5. reston kabob: best chicken koobideh i ever tasted (and its white sauce is to die for)! my late mum ate my meal that my sis bought for when i was working late and felt no guilt - it was that good!

6. kisuna: great fusion sushi bibimbap, yummy ramens, their tator tots with pork belly are out of this world

7. pupusa express: i love all their pupusas! the loca has everything - pork, cheese, beens, squash, loroco (flower). they also deliver.

8. ching ching cha: an oasis in georgetown. amazing teas, wonderful ambiance, yummy sweet snacks!!! i also buy their silver needle if they have it in stock.

#fave restaurants

[unfortunate-waitress]

Who Hurt This Lady?

I work at a rather popular all-you-can-eat sushi place. It’s table service, with no buffet, so people can be extremely demanding, and we earn the absolute crap out of our tips. The all-you-can-eat deal is super cheap for lunch but $20 per person for dinner, and management demands we make the dinner switch IMMEDIATELY, which disappoints a lot of last-minute lunchers. We also have the weird, anxiety inducing policy of allowing guests to order Truly Anything in any amount, but we surcharge them for their leftovers and any take-home food. It sucks. Management harshly enforces it, customers hate it, and they tend to suck the surcharge cash directly out of whatever tip you might have gotten, as if the charge was a personal slight. The other day I had a lady come in by herself for the first time, hankering for the endless meal. Usually I love first-timers - they act like kids on Christmas - but this lady came in with an ATTITUDE. She was 40 minutes late for the lunch special, but she scoffed at my apology for her having to pay for dinner, and interrupted several times as I explained how things were gonna go down. She really wanted some sushi with shrimp tempura, and I happily pointed out 9 basic rolls that have it. She muttered angstily about all of them. Eventually she ordered a sushi roll modified from a basic menu item and asked how long it would take. ME: “We work pretty fast here! Customized rolls take slightly longer but we’re dead today, haha, so not too long! HER: (with zero humor) Ok, yeah but how long is it gonna TAKE? ME: ... Really not long. 3-4 minutes tops! I smile and take off, but I’m desperately flagged down by my only other table, 2 ladies and their daughters who were polishing off dessert and ready for the check. Now, these nice, confused people barely made a dent in the excessive food they ordered, so several minutes earlier I politely encouraged them to accept a discounted surcharge rate so they could take home the extra food. (I almost always charge less than what management prefers; if I adhered to their standards, 45% of parties would leave screaming in fury.) However, the ladies were confused; they thought we didn’t charge extra for leftover ENTREES, only sushi. They were, of course, wrong, and I spent about 90 seconds re-explaining our policy. It wasn’t a huge problem and I was JUST on the verge of reaching an agreement with the ladies when the original woman barks, “Um, ExCUSE me. If you’re gonna talk to them for 5-10 minutes, you should put in my order first.” Now, I’ve been working here over a year... and I’ve got 1.5 more years of restaurant experience under my belt... in NONE of that time has a customer been so balls-out rude as to demand I stop talking to another party who waved me down. Drop everything NOW and put in the order you took 2 minutes ago, which will take 3 minutes to complete. I squirm before gently responding, “I just need to help these ladies here and I’ll get you started right - “ HER: “No, I was served first, so I should get service first. If they’re gonna be a problem you should put my order in!” Keep in mind she is YELLING. The ladies are 4 feet from her and can hear loud and clear. Also consider that she had asked for a soup, 2 sauces that had to be retrieved from 2 different places, and a drink that I had to bring myself before her roll could arrive. So she’s forcing me to delay this family’s day for her absurdly entitled 1-toppyness. (I greeted her within 15 seconds, too; she had experienced zero wait time so far.) My mind is breaking, but I fire off an obnoxiously chipper “OKAY!!!” and race off to blast her order in and grab half of her sauce. “I will bring you the rest in just a minute but I REALLY need to help these nice ladies,” I tell her through gritted, grinning teeth. It takes 20 more seconds to finish with the ladies, 20 more seconds to update their bill and close them out, then 1:40 to grab water, soup, and sauce... and guess what? SUSHI ROLL ISN’T EVEN READY YET. I bring it out when it’s done with the fulzl accoutrements. The lady *instantly* rolls her eyes and scoffs. “Ok, this is 10 pieces. The menu said 8. Why is it 10.” I blink. Indeed, the sushi chefs make custom rolls slightly larger; this is because guests like to reorder their custom meals and are occasionally charged extra for complicated mods, so the chefs prefer to just get them as much as possible on the first try. The lady... cannot FATHOM an innocent explanation. HER: “Is this for the leftovers thing? Are you guys trying to trick me into not finishing?” ME: “No, of course n - “ HER: “I ordered 8 pieces. I’m not eating 10.” ME: “And ma’am, I wouldn’t dream of charging you for 2 pieces. The chefs just did it for your convenience. Hope you enjoy!” I whirl away to do some side work. I’m so baffled. Not a scrap of positive feedback from this woman. Is she pretending to be a secret shopper? We don’t have those. Is she a food blogger? Is she a vengeful banshee spirit? Whatever the case, I check on her quickly, expecting (and receiving) trouble. HER: “WHERE is the shrimp tempura???” I am currently staring directly into a sushi roll with naught but shrimp tempura and cream cheese. She removed everything else. ME: “It... is... right here in the middle, ma’am!” HER: “THAT’s your shrimp tempura? Why is it like that?” I have no clue what she means. People are addicted to our shrimp. ME: “I... don’t...” HER: “I just don’t know why it’s LIKE that. And I wanted it on top. Which of your rolls have SHRIMP TEMPURA?” There is no way in hell our chefs could make a sushi roll with our crispy, long, irregularly shaped shrimp somehow nestled on top. Keep in mind that she is now asking for a roll with ONLY cream cheese inside. Once again I indicate 8 other shrimp tempura rolls for her, but I gently reassure her that we can’t put shrimp tempura on top... though we do have nice shrimp nigiri if she’d like a nice non-fried non-roll option - Nope. Out of the question, (IDIOT, she implies). Fried shrimp only. She sighs raggedly as I inform her it’s not an option, and then she picks forlornly at the present piece. HER: “And do you guys use LOW-quality RICE??” ME: “I’ve... always enjoyed it myself...” HER: “I mean, you know it’s supposed to be sticky rice, right? I’m dumbfounded. I think back to the dozens of pots of obviously extra sticky rice I’ve seen working here. This woman will strike me dead. Miraculously, she makes it through the sushi roll (except those last 2 pieces!) and she’s even content through an entree AND one more roll. Though she did almost throw a fit about us not having brown rice. I bring her some ice cream and the check and I just know she’s looking for one last thing here... HER: “Why do I have this filthy cup?” This woman is an expert at leaving you speechless with a lump in your throat. Our plastic glasses are beaten up. The dishwashers are extremely reckless, and management holds on to them as long as possible before throwing them out and buying new ones. They are thoroughly cleaned, but they almost always have water spots, and they often have what the lady is showing now; about a dozen white imperfections in the rim of the cup from wear and tear. Besides, what a crazy thing to say at the VERY END of the meal? ME: “We... would never serve you anything dirty ma’am. I can gladly get you a different glass, but I promise those marks are just from the back of house beating up the merchandise a bit, haha - “ LADY: “Well that’s ridiculous. Why don’t you buy NEW ones!” ME: “We do... We just go through them quickly... I’m sorry. Sorry. May I?” She wrangles this awkward, upsetting double apology out of me, says nothing, and I zoom off with her check, then wish her a lovely day. She sat for about 20 minutes with no food left, then took off, leaving... 20% tip! That blew me away. I was sure from her attitude that it would be zero plus a nasty complaint to the manager. Despite that measure of decency, though, the damage to my day was done. As she left I felt like my chest was released from a vice grip. Why, why, WHY would someone subject a minimum wage/ tipped service worker to this torture? What kind of personality disorder makes one do the things she did? I’m gonna be stuck thinking about it for days, weeks... The mystery of the woman who hated every second in our restaurant.

[hoseokutie]

Market Boy pt.2

Part 1

Words:

Warnings: Eating squid, Super Fluffy!Jungkook, Kissing 

                           ____________________

Jungkook was currently in his shared apartment with his brother, he was currently getting ready for his date tonight.

"Hey do I look okay? Is it too much or too little?" He asked his older brother.

"I think you're freaking out way too much and definitely need to chill the heck out. You said it yourself that she's not the person to care about appearance so who cares?" he asked ruffling his fluffy hair.

"Yeah I guess you're right. By the way can I borrow some money? I don't get paid until the end of the week. Please I'll cover one of your shifts with no back talk" Jungkook begged him.

"Yeah, but don't spend it like a dumb ass okay? Buy her dinner and dessert and maybe buy her a cute bracelet or something, I don't know what you kids are into." He says handing him $50.

"Hyung this is perfect. Thank you so much for everything. I love you so much." Jungkook gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"Ew stop, get the hell out of here you weirdo" he said gently slapping the younger boy's face.

"I'll see you when I get back!" Jungkook announced as he left the house and began his walk to the market.

On the other side of town, you were also getting ready for your tonight. You did a double take before leaving your apartment, and making your way to the market. You also decided to walk there since it's not that far.

You stood by your shop as you waited for Jungkook to arrive. In all honesty you forgot what time he said he wanted to meet up, so you decided to stand there and wait for him.

"Hey Y/N! You're here a few minutes early" he commented and you checked the time on your phone.

"I guess I am a little early, huh?" You mentioned as you looked back at him in slight embarrassment.

"Let me guess, you forgot what time we were supposed to meet, so you decided to just wait here?" he asked.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't" You said crossing your arms.

"Okay yeah I did, you caught me, I'm guilty" You confessed chuckling a little.

"That's okay, you said it yourself that you weren't the best when it came to timing things." He nudged your shoulder.

You gently hit his arm and held his hand in yours.

"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty hungry and excited for some seafood." You told him as you began to swing your hands back and forth.

"Well then let's go get some food shall we?" He asked enthusiastically.

You let him lead the way to the seafood restaurant located in the back of the market.

"Oh look, it's the love birds of this place. We were wondering when you guys were coming to see us!" Stephen, the owner of the restaurant, exclaimed when he saw you and Jungkook walk inside.

"How did you know we were gonna be here tonight?" You asked walking over to a table and sitting down across from Jungkook.

"Jungkook's mother told me that you guys would pay us a visit, and that I needed to take good care of you and watch out for you" he said and you frowned.

"Does his mom not trust me?" you asked slightly offended.

"No, she trust you. It the little Kookie monster across from you that she doesn't trust." he commented and you laughed loudly and covered your mouth.

"What! I'm innocent and have done nothing wrong in at least a week!" he said crossing his arms.

"You are so cute when you're upset Kookie." You told him to try and tease him.

"Yeah, but you're cute all the time."He raised an eyebrow at you.

"Someone is feeling flirty I see." You raised an eyebrow back at him.

"I can't help it when I have a beautiful woman sitting right in front of me."

This boy is trying to kill me, you thought to yourself.

"What do you cutie pies want to drink?" Miranda, Stephen's wife, asked the two of you.

"I'll have a mango lemonade" You said smiling up at her.

"And I'll have a beer" Jungkook said full of confidence.

"I need to see your ID" she said smirking at him.

"On second thought, I think I will have coca-cola" he said smiling up at her.

"Smart choice" she said walking to the back.

"Trust me, beer isn't that good anyway" You told him looking at the different food items on the menu.

"I forget that you're older than me sometimes. How does it feel to be twenty-two years old?" he asked and you simply shrugged your shoulders.

"I'm older than I was last year, and I'm still the same old girl, so I feel the same. Nothing to be excited about" You told him honestly.

"And what can I get you two to eat?" she asked.

Jungkook perked up at the mention of food.

"Can I get the salmon sashimi and the tempura sushi please with lots of wasabi. Oh! And the white radish please on the side. I like the crunch" He smiled over at you waiting for you to order.

You looked at him in surprise. The only remotely Japanese food you knew about was fried calamari. Grabbing the menu you did your best.

"I uh. Can I get the shrimp o-ni-gi-ri and um the California Roll please" You closed the menu looking away from the both of them knowing you sounded like a complete fool.

Jungkook tilted his head looking at you confused.

Why is she so reclusive all of a sudden? Did I do something? He thought to himself in compete and utter confusion.

"If it helps I thought your pronunciation was kind of cute" he told you and you smiled while still covering your face in embarrassment.

"Oh come on, show me that pretty face that I've been waiting to see. I've wanted to take you on a date for months and now and you're covering your beautiful face. It makes me sad" he leaned over and moved your hands from your face.

"There you are" he mumbled looking at you with a look that you have never seen before.

"You are so beautiful to me." he said sitting back in his chair.

"Oh please, I'm sure the girls back home are a lot cuter than me" You told him as you sipped my lemonade.

"I mean, not to sound like an asshole or anything, but for the time that I was in Korea none of the girls there caught my eye like you did when I first saw you." He confessed and you nearly choked on your ice.

"Jungkook wow I um. I'm flattered. I don't know what to say. I've never had someone say such nice things like that to me before." You simply chuckled and played with your nails.

It's an annoying habit of yours that you have been waiting to die out for a while.

"You don't have to say anything until the end of our date." he said and you raised an eyebrow up at him in confusion.

"What does that mean?" You questioned.

"You shall see cutie pie. Look at that our food is here!" he announced as Stephen and Miranda brought you both some more food and refills for your almost empty glasses.

"This looks absolutely amazing!" You commented a little too loudly.

Luckily for you and Jungkook the restaurant was empty, well except for Jungkook, Stephen, Miranda and, well of course you. Which is oddly strange considering the fact that this place doesn't close until 9:00 and it's only 7:20.

"Do you want to try the tempura sushi?" he asked holding it up to you.

"I don't know, I'm not a big fan of wasabi" You told him and he frowned.

"Please for me? Just a tiny little bite. You won't regret it, I promise!"

Damn this boy really knows how to be convincing.

"Alright fine, just for you Jungkook." You leaned over and bit into the food and was actually surprised at the taste.

"Wow that's really- Jesus Christ that's spicy!" You exclaimed quickly drinking half of your lemonade again.

"I know and that's what makes it great!" he said smiling as he stuffed two pieces into his mouth.

"Jungkook I'm calling the police and telling them you tried to murder me." You jokingly mumbled fanning your mouth reaching for one of your own wasabi free sushi rolls.

"Well I'll just tell them that you attacked me first with your good looks!" he retorted back.

You threw a napkin at him and playfully crossed your arms in defeat. You don't know who this boy learned to flirt from, but damn he's good.

"You can't beat me no matter how hard you try Y/N, I'm always six steps ahead of you"

"I'll say two steps ahead. Six steps is taking it a little too far."

You said as you stole some of his salmon sashimi.

"It's juicy isn't it?" He questioned looking at you with hooded eyes smirking slightly taking another bite of his tempura.

"Jungkook I want to go home." You said jokingly.

"Alright, so then you're paying for the bill?" he asked grabbing his jacket and you swear that it took about seven angels to hold you back.

"No, I'm just kidding. Please don't hit me." he reached over and held your smaller hand and you playfully rolled your eyes.

"Very funny Jeon, very funny. You almost had me there" You said pointing your chopstick at him.

"Hypothetically though, if I did just so happen to lose my brothers money that he gave me, what would you do?" he asked and you got nervous again, once again you pray to Jesus almighty above that this better be another one of his silly tricks.

"Well obviously I would pay for the bill and have you take me on two more dates until I feel better." You answered and he pulled out the money smiling widely.

"Well thank God I didn't lose it" he chuckled and you shook my head.

Suddenly Stephen walked over with a bowl of something.

"Stephen why is something moving in that bowl?" You asked moving to the other side of the table behind Jungkook.

Before Stephen could answer Jungkook rushed over closer to the bowl pulling you along with him.

"Ojing-eo!" I haven't eaten this since my 13th birthday party. My dad had fished it up for me." He smiled fondly at the memory and took his chopsticks taking the squirming tentacles out putting a dollop of wasabi on it before stuffing it in his mouth.

"It still tastes amazing"

You didn't even know what to say or do. Stephen chuckled nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"You two have a good night"

He grabbed the bowl and turned on his heel walking back to the kitchen.

"Did I do something wrong?" Jungkook asked looking at me as he sucked up the rest of the tentacle into his mouth.

"Not necessarily, but I will say I also wasn't expecting to see that." You said trying to hold in your laugh.

"Do you want to try this?" He asked holding the tentacle up to you.

You stared at it as it moved before looking back at him and shaking your head.

"I would like to politely decline your offer if that's okay with you." You said picking up some more of your own food before eating it.

"I'm sorry, that was kind of gross wasn't it?" He blushed in embarrassment and looked down.

"Not gross, because it's a cultural thing, but very different. But if you enjoy it then who am I to judge." You smiled at him and wiped the side of his face with a napkin.

"Yeah, we are definitely going on another date in the future. You are perfect holy crap." He said.

All you could do was chuckle and nod in agreement.

Once the dinner was over, Jungkook paid Stephen, and the two of you left the restaurant.

"What do you want to do now?" He asked, taking your hand into his.

"Well it's not too late to get dessert." You guys stopped in the middle of the market and just held hands.

"I've got the perfect dessert right here in front of me." He said looking down at you.

You both went silent before you both burst into laughter.

"Yeah that was cringy and I apologize." He shook his head and sighed loudly.

"I'm the worst."

You took this as an opportunity to lean in and place your lips onto his waiting for a reaction from him. You relaxed when he wrapped his arms around you and kissed back slowly pulling you closer to him. The owners of the restaurant clapped behind you two and you pulled away from his lips and giggled.

"You got your salty tears in my mouth!" you exclaimed and he smirked at you

"Jungkook if you say anything remotely pervy I will slap you and not look back" you warned him pointing at him.

He just shrugged and leaned in this time taking the initiative to kiss you slowly gliding his tongue across your lower lip.

"Alright Jungkook that's enough! I know who your mother is and she would not be proud of you right now!" Stephen said and Jungkook kissed your lips again before pulling away but still holding you close to his chest.

"I had a lot of fun tonight Jungkook, I really did." you mumbled rubbing his cheek with your thumb.

"Good, because I planned on taking you out again this week, if it's okay with you." he said rubbing your back and you nodded your head.

Suddenly Thinking Out Loud  started playing and you two looked over to see Stephen and Miranda dancing in the middle of their shop. Jungkook stood back and bowed in front of you.

"Can I have this dance with a beautiful lady such as yourself?" He asked you and you curtsied him.

"Yes sir you may" you granted him permission and he walked back over and held your right hand in his and placed his left hand on your lower back.

"Tonight is truly like a fairy tale" you said

"The only thing we're missing is fireworks." he said and you both jumped at the sound of fireworks.

"Well what do you know?" He said and you both looked outside.

"Oh hey guys!" Namjoon, your neighbor, said waving at you guys from the outside of his shop

"Hey Namjoon" you and Jungkook said chuckling as you both looked at each other and finished the night with more dancing and kisses.

#jeon jungkook #jeon jungkook scenarios #BTS #bts scenarios #fluffy scenario #bts fluff #jungkook scenarios #crying #squid #kpop scenarios #interracial scenarious #sushi #ambw scenarios #sushi date #first date

[suckitsurveys]

1. What’s the last thing you ate? Overnight oats with peanut butter and banana.

2. What’s your favourite cheese? Goat and cheddar.

3. What’s your favourite fish? Catfish, if crab doesn’t count as a fish.

4. What’s your favourite fruit? Pomegranates, watermelon, pineapple, bananas.

5. When, if ever, did you start liking olives? I don’t remember? I never liked the Kalamamamamama olives they have in greek salads, but I love black olives and green olives with pimento. That was always on my dad’s go-to tray of appetizers when we’d have Christmas at our house. 3 kinds of olives, some cheese, and salami or whatever. I always ate the green and black olives from there. I also like green olives stuffed with other things too, like bleu cheese or garlic.

6. When, if ever, did you start liking beer? I only like some beers really. I think I’ve been conditioned to like it at baseball games because my dad does, haha.

7. When, if ever, did you start liking shellfish? My whole life dude. When my parents would go out to dinner with us when we were little, they always just gave us stuff from there plates to eat. So if someone had lobster or crab legs or shrimp I would too.

8. What was the best thing your mom/dad/guardian used to make? My dad makes KILLER bleu cheese dressing. I could eat that shit with a spoon it’s SO GOOD. He also makes amazing spaghetti sauce and is pretty good at getting popcorn perfect everytime. My mom used to make really good beef stew, and her famous potatoes and eggs fr dinner. She also made the BEST potato salad, and that recipe has been handed down to me. Everyone claims it’s amazing, but I still think she made it better.

9. What’s the native specialty of your hometown? Deep dish pizza, hot dogs, beef sandwiches, caramel and cheese popcorn.

10. What’s your comfort food? Everything.

11. What’s your favourite type of chocolate? Milk chocolate. With caramel. 12. How do you like your steak? Medium rare.

13. How do you like your burger? Medium rare.

14. How do you like your eggs? In omelet form.

15. How do you like your potatoes? I ain’t got no type.

16. How do you take your coffee? I don‘t, really.

17. How do you take your tea? Green.

18. What’s your favourite mug? The one I use most often is just a plain red one that I got from Home Goods because it came with a tea infuser.

19. What’s your biscuit or cookie of choice? Sugar cookies. My favorite ones are actually those Pillsbury pre-made-dough ones you break off and bake. I also love Oreos.

20. What’s your ideal breakfast? Lox and bagels.

21. What’s your ideal sandwich? ^. Or tuna on any bread.

22. What’s your ideal pizza: Very saucy, lightly cheesy, with pepperoni and black olives.

23. What’s your ideal pie (sweet or savoury)? Cheesecake. <– Same, and it’s been waaaay too long since I last had a good piece of cheesecake. <----CHEESECAKE IS NOT PIE YOU HEATHENS, IT’S CAKE. Anyway, pumpkin pie has been my go to since I was a baby.

24. What’s your ideal salad? I don’t really have an “ideal” salad, but I like spinach salads with various toppings.

25. What food do you always like to have in the fridge? Hmm. Eggs, soy milk, condiments and marinades, sriracha, pickles, olives, cheese, water.

26. What food do you always like to have in the freezer? Ice. :P And frozen dinners for Mark. We don’t buy a ton of frozen stuff.

27. What food do you always like to have in the cupboard? Oatmeal, Ramen and other soups, pasta, rice, flour, breadcrumbs, olive oil and other oils, tea.

28. What spices can you not live without? Celery salt, red pepper, and cilantro. And of course salt and pepper.

29. What sauces can you not live without? Sriracha.

30. Where do you buy most of your food? Jewel-Osco. We might start shopping at Aldi for boxed and bagged goods. I don’t trust meat and produce from there though.

31. How often do you go food shopping? Twice a week. Once on Sunday to get lunch things and snacks for the week and dinners for that night, Monday, and Tuesday, and then Wednesday just for dinner things for that night, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

33. What’s the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own? I mean, probably the fridge or stove? We don’t really own those though? Sooooo the food processor?

34. What’s the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen? It’s been a while since we’ve actuall bought something for the kitchen. A lot of our stuff is hand-me-downs or wedding gifts. So probably something from when we first moved in and needed basic things like plates and silverware.

35. What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without? Probably most of them? Like we need the fridge and stove for obvious reasons, so I guess next to that, the microwave?

36. How many times a week/month do you cook from raw ingredients? We try to almost every night.

37. What’s the last thing you cooked from raw ingredients? Chicken and spinach last night, unless overnight oats count, which I made shortly after that to eat this morning.

38. What meats have you eaten besides cow, pig and poultry? I’ve had lamb, duck, goat, alligator, buffalo, and ostrich. Well I guess duck and ostrich are poultry?? Oh and a shit ton of seafood too since that wasn’t listed in the question. Way too much to name.

39. What’s the last time you ate something that had fallen on the floor? Yesterday. I ate a chip that fell in sand oops. Haha.

40. What’s the last time you ate something you’d picked in the wild? Uh, I mean, we have a veggie and herb garden in our yard. I packed some cucumbers and tomatoes from there for lunch today.

41. Arrange the following in order of preference: Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Sushi – Sushi, Thai, and Mexican are tied for first. Then Italian, Indian, Chinese.

42. Arrange the following in order of preference: Vodka, Whiskey, Brandy, Rum – Rum, Vodka, Whiskey, Brandy.

43. Arrange the following in order of preference: Garlic, Basil, Caramel, Lime, Mint, Ginger, Aniseed – I have no idea what aniseed is, but the rest are all tied.

44. Arrange the following in order of preference: Pineapple, Orange, Apple, Strawberry, Cherry, Watermelon, Banana. – Watermelon, pineapple, banana, strawberry, orange, apple, cherry.

45. Bread and spread: Um. My favorite bread is garlic bread, if that’s what you’re asking.

46. What’s your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order? Popeye’s. I get chicken strips and Cajun fries. If they are having some promotional thing with the strips I’ll probably get that.

47. Pick a city. What are the best dining experiences you’ve had in that city? Any city and any restaurant that has crab legs is a good dinning experience in my mind.

48. What’s your choice of tipple at the end of a long day? What the hell is a tipple?

49. What’s the next thing you’ll eat? Lunch. I made tuna and have cucumbers and tomatoes to eat with it. I brought bread too but I probably wont end up eating that.

50. Are you hungry now? I’m a little hungry.

51. Do you eat your breakfast everyday? Yes. I have oatmeal or cereal every day.

52. At what time do you have breakfast? When I work, it’s sometime after 7am. On weekends, it’s whenever I get up.

53. At what time do you have lunch? 11:30am on weekdays, whenever on weekened.

54. What do you have for lunch? I mentioned this above.

55. At what time do you have dinner? around 7.

56. What do you have for dinner? Obviously different things every night? Tonight’s dinner is up in the air because my cousin is coming in from Hawaii and we are staying with my dad so my he will most likely order takeout.

57. Do you light candles during dinner? No.

58. How many chairs are there in your dining room and who sits in the main chair? We don’t have a dining room in our apartment. We have a kick ass coffee table that pulls up to dining-table height and we eat on the couch at that.

59. Do you eat and drink using your right hand or the left one? I eat with my right and I don’t have a hand preference with my drinks.

61. Mention the veggies that you like most: Spinach, asparagus, zucchini, butternut squash.

62. What fruit and vegetable do you like the least? Apparently fennel is a vegetable, so that. And water chestnuts if that’s a veggie too. My least favorite fruit is blackberries and raspberries.

63. You like your fruit salad to have more: Watermelon.

64. You prefer your vegetable salad to contain more: Uh. Cucumbers, I guess? Is a vegetable salad just raw veggies thrown together?

65. What’s your favourite sandwich spread? Peanut butter, I guess?

66. What’s your favourite chocolate bar? Butterfingers.

67. What’s your favourite dessert? Brownies or cheesecake.

68. What’s your favourite drink? Root beer. Preferably Barq’s.

69. What’s your favourite snack? Chips and guac or salsa, popcorn, Goldfish crackers, Cheez-its, Chex mix.

70. What’s your favourite bubble gum flavour? WATERMELON BUBBLICIOUS. I haven’t had that in a hot minute.

71. What’s your favourite ice cream flavour? Salted Caramel Butter Pecan. Only one brand makes it. I haven’t seen it in a while though.

72. What’s your favourite potato chip flavour? Sour cream and cheddar.

73. What’s your favourite soup? Potato. Egg lemon. Lobster bisque.

74. What’s your favourite pizza? Deep dish from Lou’s, thin crust from Marie’s, and 8-corner pan pizza from Jet’s.

75. What’s your favourite type of dish? Seafood dishes.

76. What food do you hate? I’ve kinda mentioned these throughout this survey. There’s not much I dislike.

77. What’s your favourite restaurant? Any place with crab legs.

78. Do you eat homemade food, food delivered from outside? Both.

80. Who cooks at home? Mark usually.

81. What kind of diet (e.g. low-fat, high-fiber, high-carbohydrate, balanced diet etc.) do you have? I try to balance it.

82. How do you keep yourself fit? I work out every day. I’m by no means “fit” yet, but I am getting there.

#surveys #food

[cake-faceshawty]

If you read my last post, you know I loved Punta Cana! It has already secured a spot on my “must visit” list for the Caribbean (you already know Jamaica is clearly numero uno!).

Now that you know everything you need to plan your perfect Punta Cana vacay, I’m here to tell you how to make the most of your trip. This is the ultimate guide on what to do, where to go, what/where to eat and what to wear (or really, what I wore).

WHAT TO DO

GO TO THE BEACH As someone who lives on an island, you’d be surprised how infrequently I visit the beach (it really is a shame!). Whether you stay at a hotel or a villa, there’s bound to be a private beach somewhere.

We enjoyed our time at Juanillo Beach! The beach itself was clean, the water was clear and the staff was polite. Unlike some beach spots, chairs/loungers were free of cost once you can get one (the staff will assist in this). There’s also a restaurant right there on the beach, but I’ll get into that later on…

Some other great beaches to check out include Macao Beach, Playa Esmeraldo, Montaña Redonda and Bavaro Beach.

GET A MASSAGE! Punta Cana is well known for their top notch spas! Take full advantage of your vacation and get a little rest and relaxation in a calming, beautiful atmosphere. Some recommended spots are Sanctuary Salon & Spa, Secrets Spa by Pevonia, SM Wellness, solaya-spa, and Tiara Cap Cana Barbor Spa

DAY TRIP TO SAONA ISLAND If you checked out the PDF document I posted in my last blog, you’ll see that this day trip was listed as one of the activities. I’m going to try not to scandal the company that pretty much screwed us over didn’t allow us to book this excursion, but whenever I go back to DR, this is a must-do!

https://bestvacationstours.com/en/producto/isla-saona-punta-cana-bavaro/

You can pre-book the excursion online (check TripAdvisor or Expedia), through your hotel or at various shops in Bavaro. They usually include transportation from your hotel to the catamaran. The catamaran then takes you to one of the largest Dominican islands, where you can relax on the white sand beach, swim in crystal clear water and feast your eyes on the various flora and fauna on the island. The trip will also include a Dominican buffet lunch on the island.

I feel like I need to hurry and plan my next trip just to experience this.

SCAPE PARK AT CAP CANA

http://puntacananow.com/juanillo-vip-cap-cana-day-by-scape-park-juanillo-vip-cap-cana-day

Scape Park is Punta Cana’s natural theme park with various adventures, activities and entertaining experiences. For $149 USD (includes transportation), you can experience the Hoyo Azul Eco Tour, Zip line, Saltos Azules, Cultural Route, Cave Swim, Iguabonita Cave, Iguanaland, a Domincan buffet and so much more!

  This was such an amazing experience! You can stay there all day, but we really only needed a few hours to get our money’s worth. We visited Iguanaland (omg I touched an iguana! See below), did the ziplining from a cliff (this is a whole workout – you have to literally hike up a hill – but it was my first time zip lining and such an awesome experience), zip line eco splash, the cultural route (learn about the discovery of DR and check out some cultural artefacts), and the cave swim (the water was freezing but it felt so good – such a relief after all that physical activity). We also saw some tropical birds and monkeys!

The only downside is that you have to pay for all your pictures. Despite the warnings, we were allowed to take our cameras in and snap some pictures, but pictures with the monkeys and on the zip lines must be purchased (for ridiculous prices!)

Be sure to carry cash to tip the tour guides and to purchase fresh fruit popsicles. Those were so yummy and refreshing in the heat.

COCO BONGO We didn’t have space for this on our itinerary but I regret not fitting it in. After already having locations in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Coco Bongo can now be found in Punta Cana. It is a mix of a night club experience and a variety show production that provides entertainment to a wide range of audiences. You can buy the tickets in advance from their website, which gives you options for seating, inclusive drinks and area access.

https://www.puntacanatickets.com/product/coco-bongo-disco/

IMAGINE NIGHTCLUBThis club did make it to our itinerary, however, it seems we overestimated our youth lol. We opted to go to sleep instead of clubbing after dinner but from what I’ve heard, this is definitely a hotspot in Punta Cana – it’s a night club in a cave for goodness sake! They’re open Thursday to Sunday with a different musical theme for each night and various drinks-inclusive options. Be sure to check it out!

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147293-d1448068-Reviews-Imagine_Punta_Cana_Disco-Punta_Cana_La_Altagracia_Province_Dominican_Republic.html

INDIGENOUS EYES ECOLOGICAL PARK AND RESERVEThis is another spot that didn’t fit into our schedule, but is a must-visit if you love nature or just enjoy swimming in fresh-water lagoons (they have 5 you can swim in!). You can learn a lot about the reserve’s various projects, explore the exhibits and take a rejuvenating dip in the gorgeous, clear water. For more info, check out their website.

  WHERE TO EAT

As a foodie, I’m always scouring websites trying to figure out where has great menus before going to a new spot. I love Hispanic food so I was very excited to see what DR had to offer. I can safely say they love pasta dishes with pink sauce, plantains and sushi – we saw these items on almost every menu.

I had a ridiculous list of places to try out that I narrowed down for my itinerary, so I’ll list and give my feedback on the ones we actually went to, and suggest some others that didn’t make the cut.

VALE VALENTINA 

This was the first restaurant we tried (literally out of buck-ups because we were too tired to go elsewhere after a day of traveling) and it was so good we went back for breakfast on our last day. Found in Punta Cana Village, it is a great spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The service was great, the food was delicious and the ambiance is lovely! For dinner, we tried the Crispy Shrimps (appetiser), hot chicken vodka pasta, pepperoni pizza, bacon roasted chicken pesto pizza and the Valentina roll. Everything was delicious – especially the Valentina roll! Sweet plantain on a sushi roll?! Everywhere should do this! We also had huge glasses of sangria that were super yummy.

The portions are big and the prices are pretty affordable too – all that food and cocktails came to about $120USD! And we all went home with leftovers 😁. You can check out the menu here.

On our last day, we wanted to experience real Dominican breakfast, and it was clearly destined for us to return to Vale, because as we walked around the village, another tourist highly recommended we check them out for breakfast. We definitely didn’t regret it!

Traditional Dominican breakfast, El Criollito, consists of mangù de plátanos verdes y guineítos (Dominican mashed green plantains with butter topped with sautéed pickled red onions), fried cheese and Dominican salami. It was a bit salty for me (a lot of Dominican food seems salt-heavy, especially the cured meats – saltiest bacon I’ve ever had), but it was still delicious.

We also got great cappuccinos that come with a cute heart-shaped sugar cookie – highly recommend. They also offer continental breakfast options such as avocado toast, pancakes, eggs and bagels. We each got the same thing (el criollito, a side of bacon and a cappuccino) and the total was about $60USD. Once again, be sure to check this spot out!

TACO’S TRUCK

I love tacos, like loveeee tacos, but this place is no bueno! While it wasn’t on the itinerary, we chose the stop there after scape park for something to tie us over until dinner time (it’s located at Sanctuary Cap Cana in Juanillo Beach) and we really could’ve missed this. First of all, dem tief they are ridiculously overpriced – $25USD for 6 small tacos! Secondly, both the chicken and beef tacos were so bland, I was wondering if they forgot to add seasoning. The only good thing was the salsa they serve with a little chips on the side – and we had to fight over that because they give you a half a teaspoon of salsa 😠. This is definitely an overpriced, overrated tourist trap – 2/10, would not recommend.

CITRUS RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE

First of all, Justine-Renee and I are still waiting on our pumpkin bisque to come…

After reading great reviews about this place, I chose it for our Friday night dinner spot despite being a whole 40 minutes away from Cap Cana (it’s in Bavaro). Upon entering the restaurant, which was cute – live music going and a great ambiance, we were blatantly stared down like this isn’t a tourist area (but I understand everyone ain’t ready for the staycation vibe). To start, we ordered soup – Christine and Tami got the pumpkin bisque; JRJ and I ketch hype ordered the lobster bisque. The lobster bisque smelled awful (think of that raw scent out by backroad Portmore) and if that taste had a smell – it was in the bowl in front of me. Usually I can just suck it up and eat it but no – this soup was bad. We sent the soup back and it was apparently the worst thing we could’ve ever done. Even the chef came out to ask what the problem was and tried to tell us “it’s a man’s soup” – whatever that means. We then had to deal with other staff inquiring as to why the soup was sent back – one big fuss. We then ordered the pumpkin bisque to replace the lobster mess: the chef even gave us tiny spoons to try the pumpkin bisque at the table. Listen… ALL NOW THE SOUP CANNOT REACH. It’s like they said “screw y’all” and threw the whole soup order away. We waited and waited until all that was brought to us was our entrees. No bueno. Anywho, I had the chicken breast stuffed with plantains and cheese, and a sushi roll topped with plantain (still delicious). The food was meh – not bad but not a must-try, and the service was not good at all (except our clearly frighten waiter – he was sweet). The cost isn’t bad – food and cocktails came to about $110USD. 6/10 from me!

  API BEACH

This spot was actually recommended by our host, Carlos, and I’m so glad it was. We went for my birthday brunch 🎉 instead of the spot on the itinerary because it’s actually in Cap Cana and the other place was 45 minutes away.

First of all, the view of the beach is beautiful to look at  hile you eat. The staff were also really pleasant and helpful, and the food and cocktails were delicious! For appetisers, we had the crispy shrimp, api fingers and arepas. For entrees, we had the API burger, the Monty burger and the Bondi burger. I started drinking before we even got there (birthday lituation) so I can’t remember what cocktails we had but they were also wonderful! Everything here was great! It’s a little pricy (the bill was like $250), but it is a touristy spot so we weren’t surprised. You can check out their menu here.

MONTSERRAT MANOR

Found at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, this was our fine dining splurge restaurant for the trip. We celebrated my birthday with dinner at this beautiful Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant. The restaurant is very chic and stylish, and the staff were amazing! We loved every second of this dining experience! For starters, we had crispy shrimp and beef tacos – hello! delicious! For the main course, I had the lamb chops with pumpkin puree and vegetable fried rice.

Like all fine dining restaurants, the portions were relatively small (but filling) and pricey $$$$. Their cocktail menu was a bit too much for me (the drinks are overwhelming mixes with peppers and plantain syrup – too much for me), but you can order any regular cocktail despite it not being listed – I had a mojito. They also brought out a little birthday treat with chocolates and sang me happy birthday in Spanish and English. 10/10 – would highly recommend!

LITTLE JOHN AT JUANILLO BEACH One perk of going to Juanillo Beach is this delicious restaurant. I actually wish I went there on an empty stomach to have been able to try more things on the menu. The staff is friendly, the food is reasonably priced and it’s delicious! We had great pizza and chicken fingers here. The only issue I had here was the Pina colada – it was a bit too sweet for me. Definitely recommend checking this place out!

JELLYFISH RESTAURANT I would love to tell you about the delicious seafood we had here and the beautiful view of the ocean, however, despite making a reservation before we even left Jamaica, and driving 40 minutes to this place, we were informed at the gate that they couldn’t let us in because there was a private function – thank you, NEXT.

BALICANA ASIAN CUISINE

After being denied entry by Jellyfish Restaurant, this Asian, Thai, Indonesian restaurant came to save the day. The atmosphere is great there – nice lil’ island vibe. Our servers were welcoming and the food was affordable and tasty. To start, we had an appetiser platter with chicken satay, vegetable spring rolls, shrimp spring rolls and tempura vegetables.

For the mains, we had sesame garlic chicken, beef oyster, Malaysian coconut curry fish and pineapple fried rice.

Just a heads up, this is not like Jamaican Asian food – the dishes are actually individual, not large plates to share, so keep that in mind. And just like most Asian foods, we were hungry again by bed time 😭.

EL BURRITO Because of proximity, we spent a lot of time at Punta Cana Village. After drinking way too much tequila and rum, I decided I wanted to get tacos before dinner. I did not regret checking this place out! We got take-out, so I can’t comment too much on the staff or atmosphere, but it all seemed great. The food was delicious! I had the spicy shrimp tacos (three tacos with refried beans, cheese, lettuce, pico de Gallo, guacamole and sour cream) and refried beans and rice. Everything was so yummy and perfect to soak up the alcohol 😂. I definitely recommend this place.

LA CASITA DE YEYA

For our last meal, our host recommended we check out the authentic Dominican food at this place (yes, back to Punta Cana Village for the third time in one day). The food was okay, but we were a little disappointed. The prices were moderate and the servings were huge. We tried the arepas, empanadas, nachos, fish in coconut sauce, steak salad, pork chops and plantain stuffed chicken breast.

The atmosphere is nice and the waiter was pleasant but the food was so-so. We all woke up with stomach issues the next morning- so just a heads up 🙃.

OTHER RESTAURANTS TO TRY…

BREAKERS (breakfast/brunch)

DELICES FRANCAIS (breakfast)

SAFFRON

LA YOLA

LA PALAPA

ISABELLA STEAK & BISTRO

TOC BEACH BAR

LA CAVA KITCHEN

BACHATA ROSA

WHAT I WORE

Finally, here are my slaycation outfit details…

Airport outfit – Fashion Nova Remedy For Everything Romper (Black), Fashion Nova On the Prowl Hooded Jacket (Mauve), Nike Free RN (Black)

Scape Park outfit – Fashion Nova Calling all Angels Bikini (Emerald), Denim shorts (Style Savvy), Custom white T-shirt, DESIXQUAY HIGH KEY Aviators (Blk/Fade)

Dinner outfit – Hot Miami Styles Wine Long Sleeve Knotted Skirt Two Piece Set

Birthday brunch outfit – Miss Lola Venetian Dress (Yellow), Miss Lola Adventuress (Nude)

Birthday swimsuit – Jae Jolly ”Paraque” Tropical

Birthday dress – Fashion Nova Open Up to Me Dress (Green)

Beach outfit – Fashion Nova Calling all Angels Bikini (Black), Bon Voyage Tunic (Black/White), DESIXQUAY HIGH KEY Mini Aviators (Rose/CPRFD)

Dinner outfit – Fashion Nova Brighten My Day Skirt Set (Neon Pink)

Poolside swimsuit – Fashion Nova Party At My Cabana Swimsuit (Red)

Sightseeing outfit – Grass-Fields White Off Shoulder Shirt, Miss Lola Press Your Luck Skirt (Nude)

ALL EARRINGS WERE FROM TCG & MORE!

Enjoy Punta Cana!!!!

If you have any questions about planning your trip, check out my previous post here.

Be sure to follow me on my other social media platforms:

@tiffanysamantha_ (blog)

@beatsbytiff_ (makeup artistry)

@cakefaceshawty (Twitter)

@tiffsamlaw (Snapchat)

Travel Guide: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic If you read my last post, you know I loved Punta Cana! It has already secured a spot on my "must visit" list for the Caribbean (you already know Jamaica is clearly numero uno!).

#black girls who travel #blog life #caribbean #Dominican Republic #DR #Lifestyle #lifestyle blog #Punta Cana #travel #travel blog #travel blogger #travel tips #vacation #vacation style

[instantdeerlover]

Our Three Favorite Spots For Everything (During Quarantine) added to Google Docs

Our Three Favorite Spots For Everything (During Quarantine)

In the beforetimes, when Corona was just a beer, we launched a recurring feature called Our Three Favorite Spots For: Everything, where we wrote about the very best spots for very specific dishes - from gluten-free pastas to big ol’ chicken parms, and everything in between.

Well, things have changed a bit since then, but even during quarantine, we still get cravings. Luckily, most of our favorite dishes can now be delivered right to our doorsteps. And as restaurants shift to takeout, we’ve discovered even more meals to obsess over. So here’s a brand-new, shelter-in-place version of our Three Spots guide. We’ll be updating it regularly, so check back often. (And let’s be honest; it’s not like there’s much else going on).

All restaurants featured on The Infatuation are selected by our editorial team. Our Three Favorite Spots For: Everything (During Quarantine) is presented by Uber Eats. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, supporting our local restaurant community has never been more important. Uber Eats customers can now give directly to the restaurants they love at checkout. 100% will go to the restaurant. Order now to support. See app for details.

THREE SPOTS FOR: TACO TUESDAY (SINCE EVERY DAY IS TUESDAY NOW)

Listen: LA Editor James Montgomery has come unstuck in time. If you got that reference, yes, he’s spent quarantine re-reading Slaughterhouse-Five. (Also, how’s that English degree working out for you?) If you didn’t, you can at least understand the sentiment: Every day is the same. So you might as well lean into the monotony - and discover some of LA’s overlooked gems - by making every day Taco Tuesday.

Los Cinco Puntos $ $ $ $ Tacos ,  Mexican  in  Boyle Heights $$$$ 3300 E Cesar E Chavez Ave 8.3 /10

Quite possibly my favorite taco spot in all of LA, this deli and market in Boyle Heights is known for their carnitas (for good reason), but my favorite things here are the crispy, crackly chicharron tacos. Though, to be honest, their thick, chewy tortillas are the perfect vessel for just about anything.

 Jakob Layman My Two Cents $ $ $ $ Southern  in  Pico Robertson $$$$ 5583 W Pico Blvd 7.8 /10

An Infatuation reader (Hi, Mallory!) let us know that this fantastic Southern spot has turned to tacos during COVID, opening a side hustle called Tacos Negros. And I’m glad she did - their turkey tacos (smoky, spicy, and served in a deep-fried shell) are fantastic. Don’t worry, you can still order their stupendous shrimp and grits, too.

 Order delivery   Jakob Layman Coni'seafood $ $ $ $ Mexican ,  Seafood  in  Marina Del Rey $$$$ 4532 S. Centinela Ave. 8.5 /10

Yeah, it made our Best Tacos In LA list last year, but IMHO, there may not be a more underappreciated taco in town than the marlin taco at Coni’Seafood. Stuffed with smoked marlin spread and cheese, it’s simple, savory, satisfying, and certainly not the kind of thing you’d see on your Instagram feed - but what good taco is?

THREE SPOTS FOR: CURED MEATS

Since quarantine started, Staff Writer Brett Keating has been unabashedly riding the sourdough train, and now that he’s perfected his loaves (or so he says), he’s been eating a lot of sandwiches. Here are his favorite places to pick up cured meats to put inside of them.

 Roma Market Italian Deli $$$$ 918 N Lake Ave

Roma Deli in Pasadena serves my favorite sandwich in LA. It’s an Italian cold cut sub on crispy bread, it only costs $5.50, and it’s perfect. But they’ve also got the city’s best Italian cured meats, from prosciutto di Parma and capicola to mortadella, salumi, and bresaola. I always pick up some Calabrian chili and fresh bread, too, to make an extremely professional-looking (amateur) cheese board.

 Jakob Layman Gwen Butcher Shop $$$$ 6600 Sunset Blvd.

Gwen in Hollywood makes all their charcuterie in-house, resulting in some excellent (and occasionally surprising) cuts, like cold-smoked duck speck, coppa secca cured with garlic and chilies, and incredible duck and pork ’nduja.

Sahag's Basturma $ $ $ $ Sandwiches ,  Armenian  in  East Hollywood $$$$ 5183 W Sunset Blvd Not

Rated

Yet

This Armenian market in East Hollywood is my go-to when I’m making basturma sandwiches. Their basturma - salty cured beef - is sliced so thin it literally melts in your mouth, and goes great in a sandwich with some pickles and tomatoes.

THREE SPOTS FOR: WHEN YOU MISSED OUT ON THE N/NAKA KAISEKI BOX (AGAIN)

There are two types of people in this world: Those who have tried the n/naka to-go box, and those who haven’t. Editorial Assistant Kat Hong is, unfortunately, the latter. Here’s where she orders from when she (inevitably) fails to snag one the prized bentos.

 Jakob Layman Holbox $ $ $ $ Mexican ,  Seafood  in  Downtown LA ,  South Los Angeles $$$$ 3655 S. Grand Ave 8.7 /10

If Tock refuses to let you ball out at n/naka, then it’s time to console yourself with some of the best Mexican seafood in the city. Holbox’s new at-home taco kits come with three different kinds of tacos - Baja-style fish, octopus, and scallops - as well as their excellent mixed ceviche, black beans, rice, and pico de gallo. Sure it’s “meant for two people,” but just like my continued, naive optimism, that really means nothing.

 Jakob Layman Tokyo Hamburg $ $ $ $ Japanese ,  Bar Food  in  Koreatown $$$$ 600 S New Hampshire Ave. 8.0 /10

Why the hell are there such a limited number of sets available? Can’t they just... Anyway, if it’s incredible Japanese food you’re after, I can’t recommend this little spot in Ktown enough, specifically their chicken katsu curry plate, which comes with an Olympic pool-sized container of thick, gravy-like sauce.

 Order delivery   Jakob Layman The Tam O'Shanter $ $ $ $ American ,  Steaks  in  Atwater Village $$$$ 2980 Los Feliz Blvd 7.8 /10

Sometimes the highest form of self care is to just say f*ck it and order a quart of creamed corn. The Tam O’Shanter gets it. The Tam O’Shanter always gets it.

THREE SPOTS FOR: DISCOUNTED SUSHI OMAKASE

As restaurants started to pivot to takeout-only a few months ago, Editorial Lead Brant Cox figured he’d have to put his love for sushi omakase on hold for a while. He was wrong. Some of LA’s best sushi bars have reopened for takeout - many for the first time ever - and are offering their iconic omakase at prices that won’t completely terrify you.

 Jakob Layman Sushi Note $ $ $ $ Wine Bar ,  Sushi  in  Sherman Oaks $$$$ 13447 Ventura Blvd 8.8 /10

Over the weekend, I picked up Sushi Note’s Half Note omakase - one of my favorites in town - and it was almost as good as eating there. Eight pieces of premium sushi (including their legendary gravlax), two appetizers, and a roll for only $45. I’ll be back this weekend.

 Order delivery   Holly Liss Sushi Park $ $ $ $ Sushi  in  West Hollywood $$$$ 8539 W Sunset Blvd #20 9.5 /10

The fact that Sushi Park is doing takeout at all is monumental. The fact they’re doing a ten-piece omakase for only $65 is borderline insane. I was worried it might not be that much food, but I was quickly proven wrong. The sushi is huge, the variety is immense, and I was extremely sad when it was over.

 Jakob Layman Matsumoto $ $ $ $ Sushi  in  Beverly Grove $$$$ 8385 Beverly Blvd 8.7 /10

I’m quarantining fairly close to Matsumoto, so it’s become a biweekly pit stop for me. There are several different omakase options on the menu, ranging from $55-150, so whatever you (and your wallet) are in the mood for tonight, they’ll have you covered.

via The Infatuation Feed https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-takeout-delivery-la-quarantine-covid Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://trello.com/userhuongsen

Created May 20, 2020 at 11:42PM /huong sen View Google Doc Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xa6sRugRZk4MDSyctcqusGYBv1lXYkrF

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Not necessarily a “must-try” post (although you definitely should have a go at poutine), but more an overview of some of the restaurants we tried during our stay. Spoiler: none of them was disappointing.

Vancouver has an impressive food scene. Entirely in line with Pacific Northwest-style cooking, the BC focus is on local and sustainable food (and seafood as a whole, of course), but usually with plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Very good street food is available via many trucks and stalls as well, but we resisted the urge to try them as well.

On Granville Island, we had lunch at Granville Island Brewing (1441 Cartwright St, www.gib.ca) and sampled pretty much their whole range of beers (6 regulars and 4 seasonals: Vienna Fassbier, Big Day IPA, Watermelon Lager and a West Coast Saison), with their West Coast IPA and Northwest Pale Ale as our favorites. For food, we had some tasty burgers, served with a side salad(!), tempura vegetables, and made our first acquaintance with a Canadian food icon: Poutine.

The poutine originally hails from Quebec and consists of French fries covered with cheese curds and a slathering of gravy. So you have crunchy and slightly soggy fries, squeaky cheese curds that start to melt from the heat of the usually quite salty gravy on top. It could very well be one of the best late-night/hangover dishes ever… No wonder it goes down so well with a couple of beers! Artery-clogging and unhealthy stuff, but strangely addictive, so we tried quite a few poutines during our vacation. Some were excellent, but like pizza’s, even half-decent poutine is still pretty tasty. I loved poutine, the kids didn’t like the cheese curds all too much, and Chantal really dislikes soggy fries so always stole my crunchy ones.

Poutine definitely is a staple dish and you will find it on the menu of the bulk of Canadian menus. There are even quite a few restaurants in Vancouver that actually only serve poutines and get creative with various toppings. These “loaded” poutines are definitely getting traction elsewhere too as we have seen them ranging from meaty (like pulled pork, braised beef, taco mince, donair) to crunchy fried tofu.

With Vancouver’s population consisting of about 40% Southeast Asian ancestry, the quality of that type of food is also amazing. After having walked from East Vancouver to West End, we had a great lunch at Dinasty Dumpling House (1719 Robson St, dinesty.ca) where we saw dumplings being hand-made in the open-kitchen window while waiting for a table.

Dinesty is renowned for their steamed Xiao Long Bao, the soup-filled pork dumplings. We sampled the regular ones as well as those with XO sauce, and they were deeply gratifying, as were their signature Pan-fried Pork and Shrimp Potstickers. As the Green Vegetable and Egg Dumplings were sold out, we sampled the Chinese Toon Buns and Springrolls as vegetarian options. Also, a Chicken Wonton Soup was ordered. These were all good, but not as remarkable as the XLBs and potstickers. We washed the food down with some excellent Pale Ale and IPAs by Four Winds Brewing (Delta, BC) and while the kids had some refreshing, albeit slightly sweet, fruit teas delivered to order from next-door’s YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea.

For delicious woodfire pizzas, I can recommend Nicli Antica Pizzeria (62 E Cordova St, niclipizzeria.com). We tried the classic Margarita, the Cavolo Nero e Funghi (black kale, mixed mushrooms) and the Pesto (house-smoked bacon, tomatoes, pesto, fresh basil) as pictured below. Very tasty, thin, and crispy bases and high-quality toppings. No cutlery for pizzas here; just a pair of scissors to get creative!

No pictures, but an honorable mention goes out to Donair Dude (164 W Hastings St, www.donairdude.com) which has several outlets in Vancouver. To ease Koen, Erica, and Madouc into their jetlag, they dropped by at our Gastown AirBnB for some drinks. Not feeling like going out for dinner after a 10-hour flight, we decided to get take out. We ordered (lamb and chicken) donair as well as falafel pitas from almost next door’s Donair Dude. Overall, high-quality ingredients and freshly made, they were delicious. However, the thing that surprised us most was the size of their pita bread. At approx 25cm /10″, it is basically twice the size of pita bread ordinary in the Netherlands and also somewhat thinner. Our smaller pita bread is cut open at the top and filled to the brim and therefore hugely messy as the sauce trickles down and spills from the cracks in the bread at the bottom. These larger ones are brilliant because after applying the requested filling and topping to about 1/3rd to halfway, they fold one of the sides of the pita bread over the mixture and then roll it all into a snug parcel. This multilayering avoided spills despite the generous amounts of garlic and tahini sauces that were applied. Obviously, big pitas = big servings, so we had also secured some tasty leftover snacks for later on.😎

As our kids craved sushi and noodles (when do they not?), our last dinner in Vancouver was at nearby Momo Sushi (375 Water St #6, momogastown.ca). The multi-level Sushi/Japanese/Korean restaurant has a pretty basic interior (and limited storage space as we were sitting next to a couple of cases of Asahi beer), but the fresh food was very tasty and affordable. As starters, we had crispy, not fatty, vegetable tempura, garlicky chicken kara-age nuggets, and nigiri with big slabs of salmon. Then came huge bowls of chicken katsu and beef ramen noodle soups.

And my chicken katsu which was served on a searing hot cast iron pan, which gave a nice caramelization of the shredded cabbage underneath the super crispy chicken:

Around the World – British Columbia road trip​ (2019) – Vancouver – Wh​ere to Eat Not necessarily a "must-try" post (although you definitely should have a go at poutine), but more an overview of some of the restaurants we tried during our stay.

#Blog #Dinasty Dumpling House #Donair Dude #Gastown #Granville Island #Granville Island Brewing #Local Drinks #Local Food #Momo Sushi #Nicli Antica Pizzeria #Poutine #Restaurants #Review #Sushi #Travel #Vancouver #West End

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The Ultimate Vegan (and Vegetarian) Survival Guide for Japan.

Mission frickin impossible. That’s how a fellow traveller described my quest to spend a month in Japan, exploring the country beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and the regular tourist trail – as a vegan.

I took that warning seriously and got to work: A Japanese cafe owner in Bangkok helped me write in the Kanji script how to politely ask for vegan food, a friend whipped up homemade energy bars, I packed a ton of healthy vegan snacks and spent days researching the local cuisine. I was determined to make my mission possible – and I’m thrilled to share that I not only survived as a vegan in Japan, but the journey also led to some incredible local food, beautiful friendships and unexpected culinary secrets across the country!

Also read: Why I Turned Vegan – and What it Means for My Travel Lifestyle

Does Japan have any vegan roots?

Vegan Japanese bento from Evah Macrobiotic Dining in Fukuoka.

On my second night in Japan, I braved the cold of Matsumoto (in Nagano prefecture) and landed up at Itoya Izakaya, thanks to the HappyCow App. The cosy traditional wooden bar turned out to be the home of 60+ year old Itoya San, who spoke a bit of English and had handwritten several cards explaining what local Japanese dishes she could make vegan or vegetarian. Over an immensely satisfying meal of oshoyu-no-mi (black soybeans with rice mould), jaza chizimi (potatoes with wild leeks), soba gaki (kneaded buckwheat with soya sauce) and warm homemade sake, we chatted about Japan, the mountains and her love for cooking.

When I asked why she offers vegan options unlike most other restaurants in Matsumoto, she said that during the Edo period, before Japan succumbed to western influence, their traditional diet was largely plant-based and meat-free! It was only in the late 1800s that people started consuming beef, horse meat and all kinds of marine animals in huge quantities. Both Buddhism and Shintoism, practiced for centuries in Japan, promote compassionate eating.

In fact, many Japanese rulers had banned the rearing of cattle and consumption of meat, because they couldn’t afford to lose more forest areas to practice animal agriculture. I later read that in January 1872, an emperor called Meiji ate meat publicly for the first time, encouraging the rest of the country to follow his lead. Rumor had it that eating meat would let the Japanese become big, buff and blonde like the Europeans! Thus began the Meiji era.

Although plant-based eating has now become an alien concept in most of Japan, the Japanese still say “ita daki mas” before every meal – an expression of gratitude towards the animals and plants whose lives were sacrificed to fill one’s plate.

Also read: Why Visit Japan? Because Everyone Who’s a Friend Was Once a Stranger

What to expect from vegan / vegetarian food in Japan

Yam and tofu based vegan Japanese food at 2F, Yakushima.

I spent my first week in Japan exploring the island of Honshu on assignment for Japan Tourism; we had a fixed group itinerary, and my guide and translator went out of their way to make sure my vegan diet was catered for. However a couple of restaurants – a small izakaya and a soba restaurant – had nothing for me when we arrived, apologizing they could do no vegan food. Through my translator, I explained that I could eat anything with tofu, veggies, soya sauce etc, and within minutes arrived a small feast of dishes at the izakaya, and zaru soba at the soba resto. Lesson learnt: I had to modify my note asking for vegan food in Japan to include what I CAN eat.

Over the other 3 weeks in Japan, I travelled independently – partly with my partner and partly solo – spending most of my time on the islands of Kyushu and Yakushima, and exploring the Kansai countryside. Here’s what I learnt about being vegan in Japan:

It’s not mission frickin impossible, though it helps to be well-researched and well-prepared. Let this post be your guide!

In popular tourist cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Fukuoka, there are plenty of restaurants offering vegan / vegetarian options of local dishes. Get the HappyCow App to map what’s near you.

In smaller, less-visited villages on the Japanese countryside, most restaurants and izakayas only have Japanese menus and hardly anyone speaks English. During this time, I found it really helpful to have a written note explaining what I can’t and can eat. You’ll find the note below.

Since Japanese cuisine is mostly raw, I happened to eat mostly raw vegan food for an entire month and could feel the effect on my mind and body. In retrospect, I’ve never felt more energetic and creative as I did in Japan.

It’s worth engaging in conversations around veganism when locals get curious. When I checked in to my ryokan-style guesthouse in Tokyo, the host told me he wasn’t familiar with vegan food and lamented that he couldn’t offer me any breakfast. But the next morning, as I was stepping out for breakfast, he said he googled for ideas and had whipped up a vegan tofu steak and miso soup made with seaweed dashi (broth) for me! He was so stoked by his little experiment that he decided to add a vegan option to his breakfast menu.

Also read: How to Travel as a Vegan and Find Delicious Food Anywhere in the World

How to ask for vegan food in Japan

Mochitsuki – the tradition of pounding to make mochi, in Nara.

STEP 1: Begin with telling the staff, watashi wa begetarian des (I’m vegetarian) even if you’re vegan. The point is to convey that you can’t eat most of what they’re going to offer. This will likely leave them very perplexed.

STEP 2: Use a written note explaining what you can’t and CAN eat. The Japanese language and Kanji script are complex, and Japanese culture demands that any requests be made with utmost politeness. With the help of a couple of friends, I came up with a note (photo below) that had nearly a 90% success rate for me – for it politely explains that I can’t eat meat, seafood, dashi made with bonito / katsuo (fish), milk products, eggs or honey, but that I CAN eat vegetables, mushrooms, soy beans, seaweed, cereals like buckwheat, wheat, rice, tofu, soya sauce and fruits. At this point, the staff member will usually call other service staff to understand the note, maybe even the chef if it’s a small restaurant, and give you an idea of what they could make. Accept it with a smile!

STEP 3: Whip out some basic Japanese phrases to express gratitude for the meal. Arigatou gozaimas (thank you very much) and oishikatta des (that was delicious) went a long way. I listened to the Japanese – Survival Phrases podcast to learn some conversational Japanese before my trip, and found it super helpful.

Also read: Why Travelling in Japan is Like Nowhere Else in the World

Vegan Japanese food to try

Bento box

If I could go back to Japan and eat only one thing the whole trip, it’ll be the delicious, wholesome, colorful bento boxes, packed fresh for train travellers every morning. I ate them even if I wasn’t getting on a train! My favorite, hands down, was the vegan bento box at Evah Macrobiotic Dining at Hakata Station in Fukuoka. The bento shop near platform 8 at Tokyo Station has a vegetable bento box too. Show them the note, just to be sure.

A vegan Japanese bento box at Tokyo train station.

Sushi

In Japan, I learnt that it is a misconception that sushi means fish. It simply means rice with vinegar, topped with various ingredients, one of which happens to be fish. I loved standing sushi bars (you literally stand around the table eating sushi) and revolving sushi restaurants, and each of them had vegan sushi with ingredients like cucumber, pickled radish, wild mountain vegetables, natto (fermented soybean) and seaweed. Turns out though, that even though avocado grows in Japan, avocado sushi is a California creation.

I was also surprised to learn that it is absolutely acceptable to eat sushi by hand in Japan (you need to be able to use chopsticks for everything else though!)

Homemade vegan sushi in Osaka.

Inarizushi

Inarizushi is a kind of sushi made of sweetish deep-fried tofu, filled with Japanese sticky rice and sometimes other ingredients like sesame or sakura. Often available in supermarkets, and almost always vegan. Just check to be sure, one version contains shrimp.

Miso soup

Made from grains and soybeans fermented with salt and koji (a fungus), miso is a big part of traditional Japanese cuisine, especially as a soup. It took me a while to get used to the fermented flavor; while I found the flavor in some soups too strong for my liking, I had some delicious ones, especially in local homes in Osaka and near Kyoto. The broth of miso soups typically contains fish, but I found many people willing to make a version from scratch using vegetables only.

Vegan miso soup.

Shojin ryori

A traditional Japanese meal inspired by Zen Buddhism is entirely vegetarian and largely vegan (it sometimes comes with egg, so please specify). I tried a Shojin Ryori meal in Nikko, which specializes in making dishes with yuba (tofu skin) – and what a treat it was. Expensive, but so worth the indulgence.

A shojin ryori meal (feast).

Zaru Soba, Udon noodles

Soba (buckwheat) and udon (wheat) noodles establishments across Japan serve only that, and luckily, it is possible to customise a vegan version of both, without fish dashi. Zaru soba (cold soba) noodles come without broth, typically with a garnish of spring onions and soya sauce – and although it doesn’t sound like much, it can be quite a tasty meal depending on where you eat it. Some udon places will offer a vegan version made with seaweed dashi, mushrooms, veggies, tofu and garnish – such a treat!

Zaru soba – cold soba noodles.

Oyaki

The cold weather and mountain terrain in the Nagano prefecture wasn’t conducive to growing rice so oyaki – soba flour dumplings – became a specialty. They are typically stuffed with veggies, fruits and/or bean paste, and mostly vegan.

Yuba (tofu skin)

Sounds strange to have a dish or meal made largely with tofu skin, but boy oh boy, are the Japanese creative!

Japanese curry

Pretty sure it’s inspired by the flavors of the Indian curry minus the spice, < > is a chain restaurant across Japan that serves up chickpea, vegetable and a host of other curries!

Shabushabu

My friend and famous Canadian vlogger Micaela, who’s been living in Japan for a long time now, invited us to try a shabushabu restaurant located in the basement of an obscure building – and as with all things quirky in Japan, it turned out to be quite an experience! We sat on cushions in a tatami cabin, and ordered spicy, seaweed and soya milk broths, with glass noodles, yuba, tofu and veggies. Such a feast – though you definitely need a friend who speaks fluent Japanese to be able to order it vegan.

A vegan shabushabu meal in Fukuoka.

Tempura

The Japanese version of pakoras, basically. The batter is sometimes made with eggs, sometimes without, so ask before you order.

Ramen

Noodles in a spicy broth! I only found vegan options in Tokyo and Kyoto, worth a try.

Gyoza

These half-steamed, half-fried Chinese dumplings are quite popular in Japan; if you see a veggie version, go for it.

Vegan gyoza in Tokyo.

Okonomiyaki

A popular Japanese pancake – a bit like a Swiss rosti – made with flour, oil, veggies and typically eggs and mayonnaise. My host on the Kansai countryside was sweet enough to make me a vegan version; a couple of restos in Hiroshima offer one too.

Onigiri

Japanese rice balls, wrapped in a nori sheet, typically with a tiny filling inside, like red beans, a pickled plum (that one is called an umeboshi). It was a favorite picnic snack for one of my Japanese hosts, and readily available

Natto

Fermented soy beans, available as natto sushi or as beans with rice. Super nutritious though an acquired taste, one that I never did acquire!

Koyadofu

Tofu is available in several forms in Japan, but my favorite was the koyadofu, a dried version which soaks up the ingredients it is cooked in like a sponge! Even if you don’t like tofu in your daily life, I urge you to give it a try (with an open mind) while in Japan. It’s nothing like you’ve tasted before!

Vegan Japanese snacks

Snacks sold on Buddhist temple / Shinto shrine premises: Since both Buddhism and Shintoism promote compassionate eating, many street snacks sold on the premises of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines tend to be vegan. Show the note to find out. I loved munching on rice cakes with soya sauce and seaweed on a stick, soft soyabean sweets and crispy rice crackers with spicy seasoning.

Soy milk and “Soy Joy Crispy” bars (white chocolate, macademia, strawberry flavors) – Vegan Japanese snacks available in most supermarkets.

Crispy rice cake, one of a few vegan Japanese snacks!

Vegan Japanese sweets

Mochi: A traditional Japanese rice cake, pounded with great strength in an act called Mochitsuki, available in many subtle flavors like sakura (cherry), ume (plum), horse chestnut and more. It’s a work of art – and a perfectly light vegan Japanese sweet.

Vegan chocolates in Japan: The Meiji 72% and 86% dark chocolates are accidentally vegan chocolates made in Japan, available in most supermarkets!

Mochi – a work of art and one of few vegan Japanese sweets.

Drinks

Matcha green tea: Though a hipster trend now, the consumption of matcha green tea began with traditional tea ceremonies in Japan, and attending one with a Japanese tea master was quite an experience.

Sochu: Alcohol made with fermented rice, barley and potato. Pretty potent.

Sake: Fermented rice alcohol; I liked hakuba nishi but mostly just went with the izakaya’s recommendations.

Whisky: Well, whisky hasn’t been the same for me since Japan. Nikka has me addicted, yet it’s so rare to find outside of Japan. And Hibitchi was out of stock in Japan too! Who knew Japanese whisky could give the Scots a run for their money?!

Matcha green tea with mochi – often served to welcome someone!

Also read: What I Learnt Volunteering on a Remote Island in Cuba

My favorite places for vegan / vegetarian food across Japan

A vegan Japanese meal based on fermented foods, at Hakko, Nagano.

Osaka

Macrobiotic food in the home of Naoko and Noriko San, through Airbnb Experiences – easily one of the best meals I had in Japan! Macrobiotic Japanese cooking aims to balance yin and yang. The idea is that everything has opposing energies (black-white, male-female for example) and what we eat should be a balance of the two. Vegetables and fruits are in the middle of the spectrum, while meats, seafood, dairy and soy are pretty extreme and need balancing. Over a couple of hours, we cooked together a sumptuous meal of vegan sushi, spring shiroae (traditional creamy tofu salad), daikon radish salad, seaweed avocado salad, miso soup, and khoya dofu (freeze dried tofu) and fuki (a spring vegetable) – and ate (devoured) it together in their traditional tatami room, chatting about life, food, India, Japan, veganism and Bollywood. A most memorable and highly recommended experience!

Fukuoka

Evah Macrobiotic Dining: Incredible vegan food at this all-vegan establishment, located in the Amu-Est shopping area of Hakata Station. Their vegan bento box, burgers and sandwiches were absolutely delightful. I would readily travel back to Japan just to eat here!

Nagano

Hakko: Not far from the Jikokudai Park with semi-wild snow monkeys, Hakko is a local resto that specializes in fermented foods and mushrooms. A fantastic meal – though it’s better to inform them of your dietary preferences in advance, over email with a reservation.

Nara

Totingo sushi go round: Revolving sushi with marked vegetarian options on the menu, including inarizushi, cucumber, pickled radish and natto.

Hanata go: Like an izakaya but fancier. Has an English menu with some veg options. I tried the mushrooms in soya sauce (ask for it without butter), cold tofu in bamboo sieve and edamame, and liked it all.

Nakatanidou: Known for its Yomogi mochi, made of a Japanese wild plant called yomogi. One of the few places in Japan that still pound mochi by hand; watch it happen a couple of times every hour!

Aso

Train station cafeteria: What appeared to be a meagre meal of fried rice in sesame oil with pickles (an Aso specialty) and tofu turned out to be a quite a treat.

East: A small restaurant that was befuddled by my request for vegan food, but whipped up a strangely satisfying meal with steamed rice, tofu, pickles and garnishing.

Kurakawa

The Tofu restaurant: Tofu steak with sauce without meat and tofu ice cream!

Ryokan Wakaba (No 10 on the map): A delightful meal of zaru soba with soya sauce, vegan tempura, some veggies and garnishing.

Yakushima

2F, Miyanoura: An obscure restaurant on the second floor of a souvenir shop, walking distance from the ferry terminal, served up a rather creative vegan meal made mostly with yam and tofu!

Jiijiya, Anbo: A charming old house, run as a resto by the grandson of the family. He speaks a bit of English and was sweet enough to mark the few side dishes on the menu that could be made vegan. I opted for the chilli oil tofu and mushroom dish, both yummy.

Kyoto

Ain Soph: After nearly 4 weeks in Japan, I really needed some comfort food and splurged at the all-vegan Ain Soph, on the softest, fluffiest pancakes, with a side of fresh fruits, homemade jams, soy whipped cream and 2 delicious ice cream scoops!

I didn’t make a note of the other places I ate at in Kyoto, but HappyCow has 34 listings of all vegan spots in the city, so there’s plenty to try!

Tokyo

Vegan bento box: The Bento shop near platform 8 at Tokyo Station has a vegetable (vegan) bento box; make sure you get one for your train ride!

We’re spoilt for choice in Tokyo; start with HappyCow’s highest rated vegan-friendly spots in the city.

Also read: Is the Japan Rail Pass Worth it? A Practical Guide to Bullet Train Travel in Japan

Challenges of being vegan in Japan – and how to overcome them

The charming exterior of an izakaya.

Reading labels: If you’re vegan, your eyes probably hurt from all the labels you’ve been reading in supermarkets too – and Japan gives you a break from that 99% of labels and ingredients are written in Kanji – and Google translate often fails to translate them accurately. Luckily, the supermarket staff often obliged in helping me translate the ingredients in freshly packed food, especially when I showed them my note. I also found the Vegan Japan Facebook group to be super helpful in identifying which products I could buy – browse through the group, especially photos, to see the range of products identified vegan in supermarkets.

Dashi, the bane of my existence in Japan: I often came so close to getting a promising vegan meal, only to learn that the goddamn dashi (broth) was made of bonito / katsuo (fish). Why oh why? The key is to keep cool and ask if making a seaweed dashi is possible.

Small restaurants not always willing / able to customise dishes: Although people everywhere tried to help, small food stalls and establishments were often unable to tweak a dish slightly because of pre-mixed ingredients – or weirdly enough, because there weren’t sure how much to charge for a customization! Oh Japan.

An alien idea: Even though Japan might have some vegan roots, veganism / vegetarianism is still an alien concept in most of the country. My note explaining what I could eat sure helped!

Also read: Japanese Tourist Visa for Indians: Tips and Requirements

Joys of being vegan in Japan

With my hosts Naoko san and Noriko san, after a really satisfying macrobiotic vegan meal!

Despite all the challenges, I have to confess that even as a vegan, I had some amazing meals in Japan!

On average, 8 out of 10 people spent time trying to understand what I can and can’t eat – and that says a lot about the Japanese culture.

Most Japanese menus have photos of the dishes on offer, making it just a tiny bit easier to order (or point that you want tofu!).

There’s no joy like asking about a broth-based dish in Japan and hearing that the dashi is / can be made with seaweed. A joy you’ll relate to only after travelling in Japan as a vegan / vegetarian.

Also read: Secrets Behind Some of Japan’s Most Intriguing Traditions

Tips for travelling as a vegan in Japan

Comfort food – vegan pancakes at Ain Soph in Kyoto.

Get the HappyCow App: Especially in cities frequented by tourists, like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Nara, you’re sure to find some amazing food based on the recommendations of past vegan / vegetarian travellers.

Don’t lose hope if you find no vegan listings on HappyCow / TripAdvisor / Google: I was extremely skeptical of survival, but had some amazing food in / around Aso and Yakushima, even though Google returned no search results for vegan food in these places.

Keep the note handy: I can’t emphasize enough what a savior the note asking for vegan food was for me. Don’t be afraid to show it all the time and ask for help!

Join the Vegan Japan Facebook group and browse through old posts for a wealth of information on vegan food in Japan. They’re also pushing a petition for products in Japan to be labelled vegan / vegetarian, which would make life so much easier. Sign it here.

Carry some back-up food, especially if you plan to spend a lot of time on the countryside. I carried a ton of energy bars and quinoa flakes that could cook quickly in hot water, and often made my own avocado toasts with local avocados and bread from the supermarket.

Vegan-friendly places you can always find in Japan: Sushi bars, soba restaurants (order zaru soba – cold soba noodles without broth), MOS burger (order a soy patty burger without cheese or mayonnaise), supermarket food (get soy joy bars, soy milk, onigiri, chocolates).

Ingredients you can always find in Japan: Rice, tofu, spring onions to garnish, soya sauce, chilli seasoning. It doesn’t sound like much, but sometimes the most meagre meals turned out to be surprisingly delightful.

Learn from the experiences of past travellers: Some blog posts really helped me build my confidence to travel as a vegan in Japan:

Never Ending Voyage: Vegetarian survival guide to Japan

Inside Japan: Being vegetarian in Japan: A survival guide

Vegan Japanese food for breakfast at a ryokan!

To tell you the truth, even though I had a few challenging experiences in Japan during my search for vegan food, most of my food memories from the country are incredibly positive. I still yearn for the creative bento boxes, the aesthetically presented meals, the delicate flavors and the energetic, creative feeling born out of a mostly raw vegan Japanese diet.

I hope you won’t forego travelling in Japan or worse, compromise your commitment to a plant-based diet or seeking out local experiences. With some research, creativity and determination, it is absolutely possible to relish Japan as a vegan (or vegetarian). Ita daki mas!

Have you explored Japan as a vegan / vegetarian? What would you most like to try?

Join my adventures around the world on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Order a copy of my bestselling book, The Shooting Star.

My recent stories about travelling as a vegan: Travel + Leisure: A vegan trip through meat-loving countries FirstPost: How vegan entrepreneurs are changing India’s urban lifestyle

PIN my vegan guide to Japan!

The Ultimate Vegan (and Vegetarian) Survival Guide for Japan. published first on https://airriflelab.tumblr.com

[crowlentil98-blog]

Where to Eat in Austin Right Now According to Neighborhood

This definitely sounds crazy, but I’m starting to think I’ve eaten almost everywhere in Austin that I want to at the moment. That being said, the last six months have been the most exciting time in the culinary scene as I’ve seen chefs take risks and branch out to showcase what they really want to cook and eat. I’ve been most impressed by the concepts that don’t replicate any others in town and the ones that we have been NEEDING such as Uncle Nicky’s, an Italian cafe and bar with meat sandwiches, gelato, and cocktails, Bar Peached which is in the corner of Clarksville that always needs new spots to grab a nice cocktail and a bite, and Intero on the east side which changes the menu daily and uses whole animals and ingredients to prevent waste.

Full disclosure- I do need to revisit a few old school places like Fonda San Miguel which I haven’t been to since college and Vespaio, and I have only eaten LA BBQ catered. I want to try the Indian food truck Bombay Dhaba on South First, and El Dorado and Little Deli up north. Otherwise, I’ve eaten my way around the Austin sun in the last two years. People say I’m lucky or wow how do you do that. Guys, these restaurants are open to the public (YOU), and you don’t have to eat at your same breakfast taco shack 5 days a week!! The only place I frequent is Casa De Luz, the holy vegan spot when I need a healthy reboot and some home cooking! Otherwise, here are my favorite spots right now new and old in each neighborhood when you’re looking to sift through all the noise.

SOUTH AUSTIN:

(South First, South Congress, Bouldin, South Lamar)

Asian!

American!

Vegan!

Pizza & a Show!

Mexican!

Fresa’s – Who goes to a Mexican restaurant to get ice cream? Me! James Beard nominee Chef Laura Sawicki makes the best cookies in cream with fresh oreos and chocolate brownie. It’s casual and ideal for to-go or big groups when you want margaritas and perfectly cooked chicken. I also love their vegetable sides that are more creative than rice and beans like sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, beets, etc.

Matt’s El Rancho – C-L-A-S-S-I-C Tex- Mex. If you’ve been looking for Bob Armstrong dip, it’s here.

Polvo’s – I love watching them bake the fresh tortillas and the salsa bar. Fish fajitas all the way.

El Borrego de Oro – Best tortilla soup. That’s it.

Vera Cruz Al Natural @ Radio Coffee – My favorite breakfast taco in town. Only at this location. Fish tacos are good, too!

BBQ!

Bakery!

DOWNTOWN + RAINEY STREET

French!

Chez Nous – You won’t even know you are in Austin until you leave and head across the street to Antone’s. Escargot and Fish!

Le Politique – On the west side of downtown. I like best for brunch. Get the cinnamon roll and hash.

Perfect before a show!

La Condesa – The restaurant that started the 2nd street population. Great for birthday dinners in their subterranean private room.

Fareground – A food hall where you don’t have to commit. Tacos, Italian food, golden milk, matcha lattes, Monster Cookies, Sushi, Ramen, and Israeli food.

The Back Space – Perfect pizza and antipasti veggies before heading out to a show on Dirty Sixth.

Lunch!

Koriente – Not much of an atmosphere, but it’s for the healthy Asian lunch spot with rice bowls and curries. I add spicy tuna to my veggies bowl.

Walton’s – Quick sandwich, soup, salad, bakery. Get the golden egg snickerdoodle for dessert.

Holy Roller – Punk rock diner ideal before or after day drinking. I like the grilled cheese with avocado.

Second Bar + Kitchen – Something for everyone and good for business.

Nice on Rainey!

East Austin

Breakfast + Brunch!

Fun Dinner!

Il Brutto – This might be the only Italian restaurant in town that actually has a true Italian chef cooking in it! He makes 7 handmade pastas daily, pizza dough that is fermented for two days so it’s fluffy and crunchy, and their happy hour is 1/2 off all drinks from 5-7 p.m. I love the lasagna, lamb, and complimentary limoncello at the end.

Kemuri Tatsuya – This is one of the most fun places in Austin because you can’t get this food anywhere else. Think Izakaya meets Texas BBQ. Good for big groups.

Intero – They change their menu regularly and used to work at the iconic Jeffrey’s. You’ll see the same ingredients sprinkled throughout the menu because they are big on no waste and using whole animals. Their pastas are great.

Suerte – Masa, masa, masa! I love the bar here, good wine, and a fun, intimate setting. It’s bright, has flamingo wallpaper in the bathroom. The brisket tacos and carrot dumplings are my favorite.

Buenos Aires Cafe – This is one of the oldest restaurants in Austin and on the original east side! I haven’t eaten here in years, BUT they have an awesome speakeasy bar in the back called Milonga Room and the fries are dank. You have to call or text to make a reservation Thursday- Saturday. They have live music and great wines. 512.593.1920

Launderette – Chef Rene Ortiz and Laura Sawicki run the show here so it’s flawless. I love all the Mediterranean influence yet great burger and chicken thighs. There’s a reason everyone talks about the birthday cake ice cream sandwiches only served at dinner. Don’t worry the breakfast pastries are fabulous, too.

The Brewer’s Table – The menu here is quite intriguing. They brew their own beer here and use wheat and hops in some of the food. Have no fear, if you are a wine over beer drinker like me, this spot is still for you. I love the large format family style dinners and their rabbit carnitas tacos are my favorite in town. Not sure how this place can have the best tortillas but they do!

Justine’s – This is the sexiest restaurant in town. It’s one of the only super sceney yet local places where I feel like I’m in NYC again. The staff has outstanding individual style, they don’t care that you have to wait 2 hours, the murals in the outdoor tents during the winter are gorgeous, and the steak tartare and mussels are memorable. This is where I want to go on a date or with my best friends for a night out.

Easy dinner!

Thai Kun – The Asian food trucks are actually my favorite in Austin. Thai Kun also happens to be outside my favorite cocktail bar, Whisler’s. Get the Cabbage Two Ways (fried and raw) with holy basil and mint and the Khao Man Gai Thai Steamed Chicken with rice. Mmm.

Hillside Farmacy – Go for the kale salad and mac ‘n cheese. It reminds me of a cute corner spot that would be in Brooklyn. Fun for a girls dinner or a good cocktail at the bar with a date. It has old school pharmacy style seating but very chic.

Sour Duck – This is almost the definition of Austin. Casual, outdoor beer garden feel, order food at the counter. Lots of meat and some veggie options. Waiter for cocktails AND parking.

Bakery!

Paperroute Bakery – This place holds a special place in my heart. This young twenty-something baker named Aaron is a one man show waking up at 2 a.m. to start baking in his 500 square foot bakery attached to Cenote. Go for the blueberry pop tarts, bundts, and place an order for your next birthday cake.

CLARKSVILLE/TARRY TOWN/ HYDE PARK/CAMPUS

Casual Good Food!

The Beer Plant – This all vegan restaurant with a brewery blew my mind. I love that it wasn’t showy and felt just like a neighborhood spot that ANYONE vegan or not can actually eat at every night and not get sick of it. It was PACKED on a Wednesday. Get the special soup of the day because it’s served with their awesome bread and the eggplant curry. All the sandwiches looked so good I wanted to steal a bite from my neighbor when he went to the bathroom.

Texas French Bread – An Austin classic right by campus since 1981! Feels like it must have been the only bakery and place to get fresh breads in town at one point. I love their brunch and superb omelette. Great salads and easy sandwiches. Cookies for all, and best of all, beautiful lighting.

Better Half – I have all my meetings here. I’ve never seen a better place for coffee, cocktails, AND food. I also feel very Brooklyn here with the well dressed crowd. Men in real, fitted t-shirts. Go for the fried chicken salad, cauliflower tater tots, and biscuit with homemade jam.

40 North – This is my all around favorite pizza place. The crust has height, is fluffy, and holds the sauce and toppings well. It’s in a cute little house ideal for lunch or a casual dinner. The Mediterranean cauliflower and bibb salad are enough of a reason to come if not just for pizza!

Uncle Nicky’s – This tiny Italian cafe and bar in Hyde Park made me squeal when it opened in 2019 as there is nothing like it. I can get an assortment of negronis, Italian meat sandwiches on the best homemade roll in town, kale salad with truffle honey, and my absolute favorite: sardines with salsa verde and ritz!! Come here for an early aperitif or stop on your way home. Best solo or with one other person due to space.

Shoal Creek Saloon – If you are looking for a bar withe peel n eat crawfish and shrimp, here you go. Skip the gumbo and go for the fried okra.

Pool Burger – Backyard burgers served out of a food truck, tiki cocktails, crinkle cut waffle fries, and necessary soft serve.

Nicer Outing!

Clark’s – This is go-to for seafood. The only place in town where I can get a perfect bowl of ciopinno + oysters. The burger is my favorite in town,  and don’t forget they are open for brunch, and the pancakes are awesome.

Bar Peached – This menu is wild and crazy, kids! I love the cucumber vodka cocktail, and the chimichurri carrots. It’s like asian ingredients meets Texas with unique tacos and even pastas made with udon noodles. It’s situated in a cute house in Clarksville and has patio seating that feels separated.

BURNET ROAD/ALLENDALE

Easy Lunch or Dinner!

Picnik – All hail anyone looking for fresh, mindful ingredients and those we are allergic to gluten, soy, corn, or peanuts. They don’t let any of that in their kitchen! Think butter coffee, matcha lattes, breakfast hash + tacos on Siete tortillas, my favorite cauliflower steak with capers, raisins on a bed of hummus, roasted chicken, and their paleo blondie.

Tiny Boxwood – A ladies who lunch spot from Houston. Just come for the cute, outdoor courtyard and chocolate chip cookies!!!

Pacha – A tinsy coffee shop that has my favorite pancakes in town. They serve their eggs on top of them, too!

Bakery!

Kellie’s Baking Co. – Known for their ginger cookies with instagram photos pasted on the front, I prefer the brookie which is half chocolate chip cookie/half brownie/topped with mallow! It’s so gooey and doughy. I love their stuffed reese’s and twix cookies just as much!

Tiny Pies – Mini pies great to bring to a party or a birthday. I like the fruit ones best.

SUSHI 

This gets its own category because there are so few in town!

MUELLER

Source: http://www.chekmarkeats.com/where-to-eat-in-austin/

[winstonhcomedy]

“Dope A-F” - 2/25-2/27 - “Thar She Bombs!”

Time to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time sweet sweet laydees! So let’s hop right into it my sweet little pumpkins!

2/25

I got to Charlottesville a little early for this show. I met up with Colby Knight to grab a burger at Citizen Burger Bar and relax. We talked about his future career in being a pilot, what it’s like to be a comedian going to a super religious school, and all the insanity that comes from going there.

The food was good and then we headed to The Southern. I got there and everything was already set up. Which was dope because I didn’t feel like doing it that night. I go to the bar and get the open mic list started. 

Comics start to file in. We end up getting about 26+ comics on the list. I can’t believe how this show has grown. When it started it used to be like 8 to 12 comics a show, and the more experienced comics would be like 10+ minutes to work on their stuff. It’s a give and take. A lot of the time I wish I was getting that amount of time again, and other times I am just loving getting to hang out with 20+ of my friends every week. 

A lot of these comics have definitely grown a lot since I met them a year or so ago. They’ve started to go to more open mics since the scene is growing, and also a few of them have started going to Richmond to get on stage more. They’ve also been doing more booked shows, and it is starting to show. They all have a super long way to go, but honestly seeing any type of development in a scene is awesome.

We don't have any drama at this show, but during Chris hosting set this female comic named KB is heckling him. She is trying to have fun, and Chris isn’t being mean to her. He is riffing with he, but he is keeping his cool. This is mainly because he vowed to quit bullying people and not bust balls as much. Which is hilarious because it is what we do. So no more BC (bully Chris) we live in the era of PC (polite Chris). So the running gag all night is I was doing a tally of how many mean things and polite things he was doing. He handles the situation and gets the piggy back show started (this is when the comedian on stage brings up the next comedian and all the host does is work the light).

Everybody is doing ok. Nothing too noticeable or memorable about the first few sets. No one is really bombing, or killing. I am seventh on the show and I have some new that I wanted to work out. The KB lady goes up a couple before me and doesn’t do well at all. It was kind of nice to see someone who was heckling not do well. It was very cathartic to me. 

I went up shortly after her and she just spent the first minute sitting in the front row talking loudly. So I used the first minute of my set just addressing it and getting her to pay attention. She eventually does and I go into my new material. Some of it did ok. Like I needed to really work out the wording, which I was able to do with some of it. The big win was I did a joke about a rapist, and that worked the best. I think it’s a good take on it, and doesn’t punch down or mock the victims. So hoping I can work it out and build it into a bigger chunk. I’d give my set a solid C. The response wasn’t what I wanted, but it was definitely one of the more productive sets I’ve had in a while.

I then spent the rest of the night just hanging out and busting balls with my friends. Some people had some good sets though. Paige did well, so did Alex, and Sam Padgett had one of the better sets I’ve heard him have. He has come a long ways, and his work is paying off. 

Fun show and a good hang. I grab my stuff, helped clean up, and headed home. 

2/26

This was going to be a fun day. The night before I had seen Beau Troxclair and asked if he wanted to get sushi with Alex and I and he said yes. So we show up at Sushi King in Richmond (all you can eat sushi/hibachi place. Great food, reasonable price.) 

We get there and we just start gorging ourselves on sushi, fried rice, steak, chicken, shrimp, etc. This is when Beau tells us that he can’t eat sushi, and he is allergic to all fish. Which seems like a thing you should mention before you go to the sushi restaurant. Either way he isn’t worried about it, he wanted to hang, and there is enough non fish on the menu that he will be fine. 

As the meal goes on we are having a great conversation about food, comedy, women, improv, and anything in between. We are trying to figure out the order we are trying to do the three open mics that night and Beau starts to get red and swell up. He is like, “yea I think there was cross contamination. I’m going to go get Benadryl.” 

So he runs out and Alex and I keep eating. Like 10 minutes goes by and I am starting to worry that Beau died on his way to his car. Right when I mention walking outside to look for him he comes in. He had to walk to a gas station to get Benadryl. The waiter comes over and is like are you ok, and Beau calmly tells him, “I'm just allergic to fish, I probably should have told you that.” The waiters face was great. This was a dope meal. 

We go our separate ways for a few hours and then I go pick up Alex and we head to City Dogs. Which will be the first mic we hit of the night. It is usually poorly attended by comics so you can get a longer set. This was not the case tonight. There was a nice little list. There was actually a table of four cville comics who came out (Colby, Abdulla, Keaton Ray, John Marg) I was super stoked and proud to see them. 

Ben Braman runs this room and let me know he had me second. I am stoked and ready to get this thing on the road. There is a nice little audience there, but they aren’t there for comedy. They’re standing right next to where we are going to perform and could care less about comedy. Beswick goes up first and goes super high energy while working out new stuff. He basically ends up screaming his closer at the stunned audience members. It was a super fun set to watch. 

I go up next and just work on new stuff. I get some laughs from a couple in the front and the comics a little. It is weird to remember that open mics aren’t even about killing at this point. This is work, and that’s what I try to do. I try to work it out. I’d give this a D+ or C-. No real audience response, but I got to try some new stuff. Alex goes next and has a pretty good set as well. His new is good and he is really putting some bows on some great material rn.

We say our goodbyes and head over to Fallout to try and go early over there as well. 

We get there and Jesse Jarvis was hosting. He had Alex and I up pretty early. We get a good hang in and the show starts. Beswick has a pretty strong set, and I went up a few after him. I did pretty well here. I’d give it a C. I kept doing new stuff and I dug up an oldie that was on the back burner about the optometrist office. It felt good to bring it back, and try some new things. The people that were there were into it and it felt good. Beau did pretty well and so did Alex. It was definitely a productive mic. 

This was the home stretch. It was time to head to Mojos for the last spot. We get there and mic was legit about to end, but he added us just in time. There was almost no one here. Going late at mojos is tough. it is basically just working on wording. I’d give my set a D. I got maybe 2 or 3 laughs and they were in weird spots. It was just me reciting them to a couple of my friends. It was a fun bomb and didn’t even feel bad because I was getting this new done.

I then said goodbye and drove Alex back to his place before heading home. A super fun and productive night full of bombs. Nights like this is what makes you a much better comic. I got 22 minutes of stage time in front of 3 tough crowds. This was invaluable. I don’t think many people other than Alex and I managed to do all 3! Sometimes the grind just feels good. 

2/28

I got the call right after work that they needed a host for The Richmond Funny Bone. Even though it was an off night and I was going to do dinner with my family I cancelled because quite frankly I need the money. So I dropped my plans (which I felt like shit about) and headed to meet Dylan Vattelana who let me know about the show in the first place. 

I first had to go renew my membership to Costco and order some contacts. I’m glad I have vision insurance, but even with that the cost of contacts is so damn much. Like it is ridiculous what I have to pay to just be able to see. Afterwards I do my fav thing at Costco and buy myself a delicious Churro. 

I meet Dylan at Rock Bottom, which is the bar directly above the Funnybone. We talk some business stuff about comedy. Tell a few street jokes, and generally have a super fun time. We talk about some of the very real anxieties I have about the Funny Bone and comedy clubs in general. He gives some good advice, and it means a lot because Dylan is one of the comics I respect the most. When I started about 4 years ago he was already established as one of the best guys in the scene and he has just built on that. He is an excellent writer, and has a drive and determination that I try to match. I love the dude and it is so cool to be able to call him a friend and a peer. 

We go downstairs and head to the club. Dylan leaves his notebook and the bartender runs after him. I riff about how ridiculous it would be if he just started acting like she did it to get his number (I have a girlfriend, what are you doing right now?” and then we head inside. 

We are greeted by the door guy Wayne and the “voice of the Richmond Funnybone” Buz “with one z”. We shoot the shit and head to the green room until James Lawson gets there. James is a dope local headliner who also gets to go on the road. He always destroys and he has material for everybody. He has always been good to me since I started and I will always appreciate that. 

We have a pretty good turnout for a Wednesday. I’d say it was a little over half full so we had about 130+. Which is solid for the middle of the week. They only have 3 servers so people are a little on edge, but overall it looks like it’s going to be a fun night.

I go up first and do some crowd work up top. Which is something I am always scared to do here, because I doubt they want their host to do crowd work. I need to do it more often. It is my greatest asset as a host and I”m dumb when I don’t utilize it. I get some super strong pops up top for my first 5 minutes. Then the mic cuts out during the next couple of minutes and I start to lose them. I then have a lady say my fly is down (which it wasn’t) and that was an awkward situation because I was dumb and didn’t go into her (I didn’t want to set an even weirder tone for the show). I need to follow my instincts. I then closed on my Angel/Devil race joke. It gets an ok reaction and I’d give this set a C-. I did my job and warmed up the crowd, but I had stuck to crowd work I think it would have been even better. 

Dylan goes up next and does well, and then after him James absolutely murders for 50+ minutes. He was in his element. He was completely at home and won those people over to a degree I can’t even imagine doing. When someone does that well in a room that makes me so anxious it is inspiring and disheartening at the same time. I can’t picture doing that well. Like legit can not fathom it. After the show I find out I get to host Thursday and Sunday for Cash Levy for sure. This is huge. I need the money and he’s a good comic. I head out and head home to get some other work done. Solid night. I got a check, got to work a club, and got a sweet hang out of it. 

That’s it for this installment. I’ll be back tomorrow my sweet apple pies. I’ve got three sets tomorrow and will be zooming all over town. I hope the shows are good, and that I can work out some of this new shit. We shall see. xoxoxo thanks again.

#comedy #standup #race #jokes #improv #funnybone #comedy club #bomb #travel #open mic #booked show

[jenguerrero]

Hi everybody! I just spent the last two weeks down at Disney and Universal with my family. It really is a magical place. I think this was our 6th trip there, so we thought we had the drill down, but they’ve changed so much since our last visit, like 6 years ago. If you’ve never gone, you should totally rectify that!

*How* magical is it? Here’s a little story from the end of a wonderful and exhausting day at one of the parks…. We were so tired but ran to Downtown Disney for a few last things the kids wanted. I looked down and the pocket I keep my phone in was unzipped and my phone was gone. We tried Find My IPhone but there was no signal. It’s such a crowded tourist area that it has to be popular with thieves because bumping into people and having someone’s hand brush against your handbag is so common that it would dull any red flags. I was so upset thinking all the photos of the kids and my niece were just gone. A security guard on a bike asked if everything was alright. I explained and he asked if I wanted his help. Absolutely sure that there was nothing he could do, I <as politely as I could but skeptical or even cynical is an understatement> asked if that ever works. He took down a report and then walked us across all of Disney Springs, slower than turtles stampeding through peanut butter. About a block from guest services, he told me he was hopeful because there was no signal. Their procedure is to turn them off before turning them in. If there’s a signal on find my IPhone, they know they don’t have it. I thought it could also be explained by my power running out. He walked up to a guest services person and they ducked into a locked room and walked back out with a phone. Yeah, the opening picture is of Alex and Kat ten years ago in front of a Mickey topiary making mouse ears with little closed baby fists. I started crying and tackle hugged the security guard. He was beaming. I actually think fixing our problem made his day, too. Only at Disney, right?!

Off the beaten path stuff that we adore…

We rented a pontoon boat at the Polynesian resort. It’s a fabulous experience. You can turn up the radio and take a super chill ride past the Magic Kingdom monorail area (the castle’s visible!), Discovery Island (Big attraction for the teenagers because there’s all kinds of legends and stories about this abandoned island. No, you’re not allowed to set foot on land there.), the Grand Floridian resort, and the Fort Wilderness resort. There were only 4 of us but I think it can seat 6 (or maybe 8). It’s $45 for 30 minutes, but you don’t have to watch the clock. We were out for 45 minutes and they charged us for that, not an hour. You have to be 18 to drive it. They had little 2 person boats that you only have to be 12 to drive. I think those were $30/half hour. The Polynesian has a great gift shop with high end Hawaiian shirts, and there are speakers playing Hawaiian music everywhere – even the parking lots. There’s a Dole Whip stand there, too. If you don’t know what that is, pineapple soft serve (twisted with vanilla if you like), and you can get it on top of pineapple upside down cake or floating in pineapple juice if you like. There are other locations to rent boats, but this is our favorite so far.

Surrey bikes. What?! Yeah. It’s a 4 person bike vehicle with a roof. There’s a little basket on the front that our youngest used to LOVE riding in when she was tiny with a bell for them to enthusiastically ding. There’s no gears, so you get a mighty fine workout going uphill over two bridges for each lap you do. We rented one down in the boardwalk area. I think it’s like $30/half hour. If you like to get in a vacation-y workout while you’re on holiday, I totally recommend it! The boardwalk also has boat rentals, beach yoga, a running trail, and a bunch of boardwalk restaurants.

New/Modified rides…

The new Avatar flight ride at Animal Kingdom is the best thing at an amusement park ever. Really. I bet you think that’s subjective, but it’s totally factual. And satisfactual. They send you in with a warning page when you enter the line. I’m afraid of heights <not too bad, because there’s nothing I wont ride at a Disney park> so I was concerned. Are they actually ziplining us all? My bet was on no because they couldn’t efficiently get through a line of people like that. Will it be like Soarin’ and just strap us in a big porch swing as images go by? Probably not. I reminded myself that Disney was in the business of delighting people, and I would probably be delighted. I’m so glad I did! I worried for nothing. You climb on what looks like a Star Wars speeder bike. You are secured in place by safety gear wrapped around your abdomen and your lower back like a big hug, and more holding the back of your legs against the bike. Then you put on virtual reality goggles. Images and wonderful smells whiz by as you’re just sort of tilted about. But it all feels so real! I looked sideways at one point and saw that there are so many rows and columns of the bikes, kind of like the wall of doors in Monsters Inc.

The Slinky Dog coaster at Hollywood Studios actually feels like you’re riding a slinky at one point. They speed you up like you’re on a hot wheels track at the middle. It’s too fun! It’s kind of the perfect starter coaster because it decelerates on the droppy parts. Yes, that’s a technical term.

The Seven Dwarves Mine Train at Magic Kingdom is a really fun kiddie coaster. I love the safety bars on it. You know how on some rides, there seem to be predetermined clicks, and you’re trying so hard to get it to click down one more? Not on this. It’s somehow more personalized, so when you pull it down, it exactly fits you. Nice. We waited a torturous three hours to get on (they estimated 1 ½), so if you want to ride it, maybe head straight there from the gate.

We always loved the Norwegian boat ride at the Norway pavilion at Epcot, so we were a little sad to hear they were giving it a makeover for Frozen. Nah, it’s awesome.

The Kilamajaro Safari ride at Animal Kingdom has been updated to be so much more informative (super yay!), but they killed off the whole “Simba 1! Simba 1! There are poachers in the area!” (Boo!)! Three of us were sad, but my youngest thinks they’ve completely ruined it.

The Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor at Magic Kingdom. Okay, this was only slightly modified, but it’s my personal amusement. They select a bad guy in the audience each time. He used to be called “That guy”, and now he’s called “Sullivan”. My husband gets picked every time. Not even kidding. The last 4 trips. He did this time, too, and my sweet little niece got picked as the monster’s helper! Day made!

Food…

Disney does food so well. On our first night there, we headed to Bongos, Gloria Estefan’s Cuban restaurant at Disney Springs. The bacon wrapped plantains appetizer was amazing. The steak with chimichurri and fufu (mashed green and sweet plantains) was fantastic, and I had a tropical cocktail that was fabulous. They have live music in there, and people dancing, and it’s just buckets of fun. In terms of your pocketbook, it’s in the category “all your money”.

At Epcot, we ate at Le Cellier one day and Coral Reef another. Le Cellier is at the Canada pavilion. The filet mignon over the mushroom risotto is absolute perfection, and my personal fave at Disney. We got reservations this time, but on trips where we couldn’t get the reservation we’ve wanted at Epcot, we’ve had good luck running straight to the restaurant we wanted right when the world showcase opens. It seems to be the best shot of them squeezing you in. At Coral Reef, we had the salmon, and it was to die for. I had the mahi mahi on another trip and that’s glorious if you are in a tropical mood. They’re both in the in the category “all your money” category.

At Magic Kingdom, we always eat at Tony’s because my kids think the doggies sharing the spaghetti plate in Lady and the Tramp is the most romantic scene in movie history. I think it might actually be the almost kiss in It’s a Wonderful Life, but the kids have let me know exactly how wrong I am on that one. By the way, the ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta there is fabulous. Most of your money.

The second day at Magic Kingdom, we found a restaurant we’d never noticed before, Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen. If you can’t get enough of the cheesy jokes on the jungle cruise, this is the place for you! We adored it! It’s as corny as can be and the food was great, too. One kiddo had a pineapple tofu dish, I had A Lot at Steak Salad, my hub had a whole fried hogfish, and our other kiddo had the sustainable fish of the day. All were super yummy. Most of your money. There are two cheap super-popular-for-a-reason treats that you really need to consider there: Dole Whip and Orange Bird. They are both fruity soft serve deals right before you get to the Enchanted Tiki Room or Pirates ride, and will give you delicious distraction while you’re in line.

At Hollywood Studios, we ate a Mama Melrose’s. Nice Italian food. Most of your money.

At Animal Kingdom, we ate at Yak and Yeti’s. Fantastic stuff. I had chicken tikka masala, my hub had Korean fried chicken and waffles, one kiddo had honey chicken, and the other had a shrimp and scallop sriracha mac and cheese. The sushi starter was nice, too. Most of your money.

We headed back home. On the drive, we realized our favorite Po’ Boy in New Orleans would only add 30 minutes to that 19 hour drive. So worth it. I think we’ll stop for beignets on the drive there next time.

Onto a week or two of health food to atone for vacation. We bought a new saki set at Epcot, so I think I’ll get busy making sushi! Happy week, and let me know if you need any Disney recommendations! 😀 ~Jen

Family Vacay at Disney World! Hi everybody! I just spent the last two weeks down at Disney and Universal with my family.

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