prasantrin

OK, I don't get to watch Top Chef, and I won't get to until this summer (if I'm lucky), but anyone want to PM me about who went home? I won't mind the spoiler, really!

Sunday's event was posted here.

Beef jerky (and other beef products) from the US and Canada are prohibited in Japan, except by specially authorized and inspected companies. From Japan Customs And from The Animal Quarantine Office Which brings another point to mind--check what is and isn't allowed. I know beef and pork products are generally a big fat no, as well as fruits and vegetables, but there may be other products I've forgotten about. If your son's friend takes decongestants, psuedoephidrine (sp?) is a big big no.

I don't know if this is it, but on their website, they have a recipe for soft-boiled egg udon from Perhaps it's Chikusei? (That recipe was from the November 2007 edition, so it may not be the one to which is being referred. Their website sucks, as an aside, or at least it does on my computer.) I found a blog that talks about udon in Takamatsu (and it's in English!), and they talk about Chikusei, too. It's a bit difficult to read (the font is grey, and not even very dark grey!).

I think, but am not sure, that in France when you want a rare steak, you're supposed to order it "bleu". I could be wrong, though, as it was not a French person who told me that. Your meals sound wonderful. The dinner at La Regalade has be drooling--do they leave the pork and liver pate on your table during the entire meal? I could see myself eating it all at once, if I thought they might take it away eventually... At Astier, was the cheese table "all you can eat"? Or did you only go up once to choose your cheeses, but never again? I can't imagine being able to eat much, anyway, but just the thought of all that delicious cheese...it's hard not to imagine myself being greedy!

I'd buy it and send it to you if you wanted. I'd have to find it, though, and that might be a problem! Or you (or I) could order it from the site and have it shipped to my place, then I could ship it to you. You wouldn't even have to order as much, since it could probably be shipped "Small Packet" if the volume isn't too great (weight for small packets is up to 1 or 2 kgs, I think, but there's a size limitation, too).

Looks almost equidistant to the restaurant from either the airport or Evanston on the map (about 30 minutes from O'Hare, 40 from Evanston). O'Hare to Evanston is almost a 40-minute drive (according to Yahoo Maps).

I'm in! +1 Thanks for getting everything together! Your hard work is much appreciated!

You may already have found this, but Japan Lite is written by an American woman who lives on the island. I'm not sure if she still lives there, but no harm in trying to send her an email or comment to ask for information. From her blog, I assumed the very small grocery store was open all year. There are about 700 people who live on the island all-year round, and they have to get their food somewhere, too! (She still writes, and she has another blog, but I can't access it while at work, so just check her site for detailsl.) I'll get back to the pantry list a bit later.

I think you should be able to manage with a few days of supplies. I read there's a small grocery store on the island, so you should be able to find some things there (even if only canned vegetables and the like). If you bring at least a few days of supplies, should you not be able to find locally-grown vegetables or freshly-caught fish (fishing is one of the main sources of income out there), you'll at least have enough to tide you over for a bit until you can make that round trip ferry ride to the city. For what to bring, I would suggest root vegetables and beans. Maybe some fruit that isn't too delicate, so it won't get banged up on the way there. Canned tuna if you're worried about not getting enough protein out there. Snacks. Even in the boonies, snacks will make everything better.

Is there any other information about where he'll be staying? Not just area (rural vs urban, large city vs small city), but what kind of host family (rotary club types, average Japanese family, etc.)? In my experience, it's difficult to know what type of gift to give unless you know the above. I very rarely give my neighbours (urban Rotary Club types) food gifts, for example, as they get so many of them from others that most are re-gifted. For them, I tend to buy wines that might be difficult to buy in Japan (since I'm Canadian, I often buy ice wine and I pack it in my check-in using special wine carriers I got from BevMo), or niche-brand candies (last year it was chocolates from LA Burdick's). When I lived in a more rural area, I gave a lot of coffee (ground, not beans, as many don't have coffee grinders, and they prefer dark roasts, in general) and locally-made jams. Whatever he gives, the more attractively wrapped the better. Just to add, whatever he gives, the family will be very appreciative, and it will be heartfelt. So really he could give anything and it would be well-received.

Mint lemonade. Did someone mention that one already? Especially nice when made as a blended ice drink.

What is the soup in bottom right corner of the top righthand picture? And what is the soup in the bottom righthand picture? Is the top one tom kha gai, and the bottom the house soup? The soup bases look similar (coconut-based), but the bottom picture has a piece of shrimp in it, so I assumed it wasn't the tom kha gai (but I could be wrong). They seem to use a lot of filler in their soups. One wouldn't normally find carrots in Thai soup, especially ones cut as prettily as the one in the bottom soup (and is that a cucumber in that one, too?).

Has anyone taken his place? I vaguely remember reading something about some problems at Gluttons, but since Ono left, how is the restaurant doing? Is it still worth keeping on my "Places to Dine" list? (There are still a number of restaurant on the list I haven't tried, and Gluttons is one of them.)

It appears to be a Tokyo-specific product, so your best bet is a depachika (but ask, don't just look around) or a store specializing in Tokyo products (I don't know of any in Kyoto or Osaka, though). If you do make it back to Tokyo, the store seems to be closest to Asakusa Station, but it's probably a long leisurely walk from Ueno Station, too.

Sorry...when I replied I was careless with the attributions. ...Using my meager math skills, I found that the shutter speed is 0.0357 seconds. Interesting--that's faster than they've calculated (right at the top of the EXIF page, they've got 0.026 seconds or 1/38. But wouldn't you be using film rather than digital, then? Some of the professional photographers I know only use film when they want their shots to meet their "very high standards." When they, or their clients, aren't as particular about a particular job, they go with digital. Low-light features were highlighted (at least by me) only because the OP mentioned those specifically. I have to admit, however, my desire for the Fuji F100fd was based on these shots, few if any of which were low light shots. Granted, this guy is a far better photographer than I ever will be, but his comments about the camera, along his comparisons of it to other point and shoot cameras, led me to believe this was a very good camera. He also has a digital SLR, of course, but when you travel to dodgy places or when you need to travel lightly or discretely (which was part of the reason the OP was looking at point and shoots), having a small point and shoot is preferable. The camera also has aperture-priority and shutter-priority modes, giving one more control than usual for most point and shoots. I've read they're a bit of a pain to use with this camera, but if a person is in one location for a lengthy period of time (like a restaurant, for example), it's not too much trouble to set the camera at the beginning of the night, then leave the settings for the rest of the evening.

Did I say that? I don't remember, but I was probably confused at the time. Except for when I'm wrong! Thanks, and thanks for remembering that it's not my fault when things go wrong, even when it is! Yes, you must send her over while I'm still here (which means the clock is ticking!). I must prove to her that I'm not Yukari! Plus I must share some homemade yuzu caramels with her. She might like them! And some of my poundcake. I bed she's appreciate it! Humph!

The answer, in short, is no. ← feedmec00kies isn't asking for a camera that will shoot as well as a digital SLR, but a camera that will take better low light, flash-less, close-up pictures than what most point and shoots currently available will take. This shot was taken in a low-light (though not very low-light) setting, was flashless, and was a macro shot. ISO was 400. Here's another one. And I think this picture is a pretty good example of what a point and shoot can do (unfortunately, the properties of the picture aren't available for viewing). Are they as good as what you can get with a digital SLR? No. But are they good enough for what most people are using their digital cameras? I think so.

Strawberry and grapefruit is one of my favourite summer drink combinations. I use segmented grapefruit and frozen strawberries, but you could probably do it with grapefruit juice.

You and me both! I've gone through all the forums, etc. etc., and I've even played with one (until I was set upon by a Fuji salesman). One guy on the dpreview forums (or maybe is was another website) has his F100 shots up on Flickr, and the close-ups are beautiful. However, they're in full daylight, not in dim restaurants. If you do a search on "Fuji F100fd" and other permutations on flickr, you can find some low-light shots, but no close-up ones sans flash. Apparently Fuji is coming out with a firmware fix for the pink band problem (which I barely notice), so I'm thinking of getting it after that happens. Just thinking, though. I'd like the price to go down a little, too!

Teeny tiny cell phone picture (left my camera at work) of today's breakfast--six spring rolls filled with ground pork (not much too them except garlic, pepper, and fish sauce), and one filled with cheese. Fried cheese is good! Eaten with sweet chili sauce (cock brand, I think).

Someone I know likes to greet her food before eating. It's sort of like a "Hello, I'm going to eat you now, thank you [for giving your life]." She usually says it to herself, but sometimes says it aloud, too. Is that a neurosis?

What are your objectives? To eat really good Chinese food, or just to eat? Though many would disagree, there's nothing wrong with PFChang's food as food. It's neither spectactular nor horrible. If you just want a decent meal to fill your stomach, go ahead and try it. Just go early enough to avoid the wait.

La Noria is a bit more within my limited budget, but Shinta Mani looks like a good place to get info! My mother is trying to think of ideas to help people on "the farm", so we're going to visit the Ponheary Ly Foundation, and Shinta Mani looks like another good place to get ideas. We'll be in Cambodia from the 21st to the 28th, so I think we'll have time to go to Phnom Penh, but not much. I love cooking classes, but after doing the Chiang Mai one several years ago, I've been wary of doing any others. I'm in the hotel planning/fun things to do planning stage. Once I'm done with that, I'll get on to food! I still have 7 months, but I like to plan.

Where are you staying in Osaka and Kyoto? In the Umeda area of Osaka, there Berashio for shio ramen. It's supposed to be one of the top 5 (though tablelog differs in its assessment). I've been meaning to try it, but haven't, yet. It's counter-seating and not really of honeymoon atmosphere, but if you want good ramen, it's worth a try. Chubby Hubby, if you read his blog, liked it!