buffy

What fantastic news! Where will you be going on this trip?

This week's Freakonomics podcast is very interesting. It's titled "Should tipping be banned?" It mainly focuses on the data collected over years by a Cornell professor. Very interesting listening.

My early favorite is that Lobster Cracker Jack!! That looked so delicious.

Wow, minas! Thanks for that link. Never seen that site. Missed a couple of the new season and was at a loss on where to find them.

Last week's episode featured Chef Hamada and was battle Kagoshima Beef. Chef Hamada's team just placed 3rd in the Bocuse d'Or. His dessert was amazing. It was a Mont Blanc, but the inside was beef filet and foie gras. http://www.fujitv.co.jp/ironchef/records/130125.html

Reading this thread has me wanting to get a pressure cooker asap! Does anybody have an opinion on t-fal pressure cookers? The clipso series seems to be the ones being sold at the biggest discount on the Japanese Amazon site.

Thanks for the updates! I am heading there in August. Got at least 4 places to try at the Cosmo now.

Yes, I have experienced that before in a yakitori restaurant here in Hiroshima. No menu or prices, either. Good question on what to call it, but I think omakase does fit the bill. How many kushi did you eat before you asked the chef for the bill?

I also recommend Hiroshima and Miyajima. You should try Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. Oysters are also a speciality here. To the north of here on the other coast is Izumo which is famous for Izumo-soba. It also has one of the most beautiful shrines in Japan, Izumo Taisha. Not sure if you will be on a train pass or not, but Kurashiki is easily done as a day trip from here. If you want an island experience, check out Shiraishi Island in Okayama Prefecture.

McDonald's fries dipped in a shake, preferably chocolate, but strawberry is good as well. Fritos on a ham and American cheese sandwich with French's mustard. I absolutely love Fritos and stock up on them whenever I go back to the USA. I guess it's a good thing I don't get over there very often these days.

Wonderful idea! And to think I just stumbled upon this thread while searching for a new recipe for egg salad. Now have to go find some decent bacon.

That is one of my favorite drinks!! I haven't noticed the blood orange one, I'm going to have to check it out. I have really been enjoying the blood orange hi-chu. ← Haven't seen the blood orange down this way yet, been looking for it since I saw the post. I have to agree with you both, the grapefruit is awesome! The wide top kind of reminds me of drinking Mickey's Big Mouth beer, too.

The Quarter Pounder finally arrived in Hiroshima. Looks like it will be nationwide soon. Sad thing about the quality of burgers in this city is that the QP is now the best burger in town. Got to get working on opening a burger joint here!

Hiroshima has great okonomiyaki, very different from Kansai-style, and is also famous for oysters. If you are on a rail pass, you can do an easy day trip from the Kansai area if you don't feel like staying the night.

my local supermarket hasn't had butter for weeks. it is beginning to piss me off. have had to go to upscale markets and either get French butter or top quality Japanese butter like the Trappist butter from Hokkaido (delicious but not cheap).

For old Tokyo atmosphere try the Old Imperial Bar at the Imperial Hotel. Designed in 1923 by Frank Lloyd Wright and preserved from the original Imperial Hotel. They also have some signature drinks that capture the essence of Japan.

Anyone ever been to La Colina in Tokyo? I read in this article that Princess Masako got grief for going there and having a 13 dish menu for 10,000 yen. El Sol looks good! Nothing remotely Mexican in this part of Japan.

I totally agree with you about expanding....but why not think outside the box and expand internationally....Hiroshima to be exact. It is very painful for me to read this thread, and to top it off, the pictures make me want to cry. I so miss a good burger. I have been following this thread for a long time and I think it is fantastic what you are doing.

Hi, Higashihiroshima, or Saijo as it is known, is one of the most famous places in Japan for sake production. You just missed the annual sake festival. If you are into sake, I am sure you can find many restaurants or izakaya that serve great Hiroshima sake. However, Saijo is only about 40 minutes away from Hiroshima by train. Lots of great food. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is not to be missed and oysters are also a local specialty. There is a good website with lots of dining options in Hiroshima here. Feel free to contact me with any specific information. I can not give you any specific information as to what is around Saijo station, but Higashi Hiroshima is a university town so many of the places cater to students.

I don't know if you have found your sausage casings or not yet, but I recently saw them for sale by The meat guy. They have both natural lamb and pork casings. They are towards the bottom of the page I have linked to. sausage casings

I have had suppon liver sashimi before. It was served along with a sake glass filled with the raw blood mixed with sake. Interesting, but not one of my favorites. The suppon was pithed and gutted right in front of me and the blood was drained directly into the glass. Information on suppon

That is an interesting question. Down here the 8 slice is almost non-existent. Whenever I want 8 I have to go to a bakery, buy an unsliced loaf and ask them to slice it into 8. The 5 slice loaf is also very popular here.

I remember a number of years ago suddenly those black sodas were very popular, then suddenly the were gone. I doubt they are any better now, either. My mission today is to find some of those magnets!

Congratulations Reefpimp. Sounds like it will be exciting. Please keep a blog, or at least post here from time to time. I am anxious to live vicariously through you! I have been on a few cruises, had tours of the galley, but would love to hear firsthand what it is like.

I second Irishgirl. Thailand has wonderful beaches, great diving/snorkeling and fantastic food. It is easy and cheap to get around, accomodation in all price ranges is readily available. If you want a break from the beach, great trekking is in the north. I think you could have a great experience in 3-4 weeks in Thailand. Did I mention the food? Wow!