MomOfLittleFoodies

If you want the lowest possible fat and calories in food, don't trust a restaurant to make it for you. Period. Most people go to restaurants because they want tasty food, not chicken jerky, steamed veggies and dry bread. The only truly unhealthy sushi I can think of are tempura rolls, or rolls that are doused in mayo based sauces.

There is a tempura fish cake that my mom buys that has gobo in it. It's really good. She puts it in her yakisoba. I love kinpira.

The chocolate part was gross. There was absolutely no chocolate flavor. The gummy thing inside was good though.

Hiroyuki, Some of the stuff on the website you posted looks vaguely familiar. My grandma brought back a bag of stuff like that one of the times she went to visit her sisters in Kyoto when I was young. I remember chocolate cigarettes, which I thought were cool because we could only get sugar or bubble gum ones here.

Speaking of Japanese candy, I picked the following up at the pan-Asian market Men's Pocky, Pocky G, Strawberry Pocky, Banana Pocky, Marukawa Strawberry Gum, assorted Kasugai fruit Gummies, Botan Rice Candy, Strawberry Hi-Chew and Meiji Gummy Choco Strawberry. Whoever said that the Men's Pocky and Pocky G was good is right... I think I'm going to have to hide those ones from my kids. Cheryl

My favorites seem to somen and udon. I'll eat udon in any way it's put in front of me. The Buddhist temple my DH's family goes to here in the Bay Area has a yearly udon feed... mmmmmm. I like yakisoba and ramen as well. The last year I was in college (in SoCal), there was this little ramen shop that opened up down the street from my dorm, and I ate there a lot. I just bought 6 servings worth of fresh yakisoba noodles (UFO brand) when I went to the big pan Asian market. Cheryl

I'm in Central Contra Costa County, and I think I've seen Meltykiss at either County Square Market in Pleasant Hill (almost in Pacheco) or Golden Bay Market in Concord. I can double check next time I go if you'd like. I went into a Marukai for the first time when I was visiting my family in Diamond Bar last Christmas. All I can say is "wow". Mom usually goes to the Nijiya instead though. My favorite Japanese candies are botan rice candy, morinaga milk caramels, marukawa gums and pocky. The strangest I've tried were honey hard candies (hated them). The ones I like the least at muscat gummies. My husbands favorite Japanese candy are those whistle candies. Cheryl

You can substitute plain yogurt (without any stabilizers) 1 to 1 for buttermilk too.

That purin daifuku looks slimy. I like ohagi, slightly chilled. I like it with half mochigome and half regular rice in the center.

Their Snappea Crisps/Saya are good too, although the original flavored ones are better than the Caesar ones, IMO.

My favorite Japanese snacks are the crunchy little fish, seasoned and shredded dried squid and babystar ramen. Oh, and Calbee Shrimp Chips.

I grew up in Southern California, in the East San Gabriel Valley, and my mom and grandparents both grew shiso. Once we got it planted, it grew like a weed, no special handling. My grandfather also has fuyu kake and pomegranate trees in his backyard, and grows sato imo and nasubi in his garden.

Not including fast food places, most recent at the top. Fresh Choice (Walnut Creek) Carrows (Visalia) Kevins Noodle House/ Pho Hoa Hiep (Concord)

My husband can cook. He makes better scrambled eggs and fried rice than I do. He can't bake to save his life though, unless he gets help from the refrigerated baking aisle.

I had to give up nuts a couple of years ago when my oldest son was diagnosed with life threatening nut allergies. The only nuts I miss are almonds and pistachios. I never did care for walnuts, and will only eat glazed pecans.

That double L sound in Allez does not exist in Japanese. AFAIK. Despite 51 years in the US, my grandmother still can't pronounce words with the LL correctly

Wow that's pretty harsh. I always give my kids a cookie or small bagel. My Shop Rite gave me a kids club card that entitles the kids to 1 cookie while shopping. I find it really helps when we are waiting in the checkout line. (PS if my daughter wants a bagel instead of a cookie, I pay for it). At the grocery stores I frequent, they give free cookies to kids who are there with their parents. My kids also get offered sliced of deli meats or cheese at the deli, and occasionally potato wedges or chicken fingers from the hot deli... the stores we go to are very family friendly.

My current favorites are Philly Swirl Stix, Jello Pudding Pops, and Mochi Ice Cream. I really miss kintoki though, which is a Japanese thing were they serve sweet red beans on a bed of shaved ice. Yum!

My absolute favorite "weird" chip flavor are Japanese shrimp chips... I grew up eating those. The brand we always got from the local Japanese market is Calbee. These days, I also like their SnapPea Crisps. At the local Asian market, I've seen everything from Caramel Corn flavored chips, to BBQ chicken and Ham flavors.