Japanese Food Porn:

                                

From Daniel Klein, 'The Perennial Plate'

Nanzan Giro Giro @ 560 Pensacola St, Honolulu Hawaii

The food in Honolulu is exciting; there's such a variety of food and culture.  A lot of it is Japanese influenced, which makes me pretty happy because there's nothing better than good Japanese food for me!  And after having a great dining experience at Giro Giro Hitoshina in Kyoto, it was fortuitous that they have another venue located right in the heart of Honolulu; near the Alan Moana Shopping Center, we were able to just stroll over to the restaurant friendly section where a lot of new and upcoming venues have popped up right next to some old favorites!

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Aloha from Hawaii!!!

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Cosmopolitan Food Crawl @ Cosmopolitan Resort, Las Vegas

Being a resident in this surreal city, (think adult Disneyland) we have so much available at our fingertips; it can be overwhelming and after a while, one can get jaded over the constant barrage of overstimuli pounding at you like a sobakawa pillow repeatedly beating your face.  But, you gotta take advantage of what's available to you, so we regularly don our armor, spray ourselves with tourist repellent and trek on over to the strip (consequently we have to burn our clothes from all the smoke)... We don't normally drink so we come up with other amusements...
So instead of a Pub Crawl, we do a Foodie Crawl; where we go to several restaurants, dine on their signature dishes and enjoy multiple ambiences... which turns out to to be an entertaining nite!!

The Cosmopolitan is the perfect destination for such a night; there's dedicated restaurant floors so each venue is in close proximity, they are as diverse in cuisine as well as ambience and there's exists a perennial, 'hipper than thou' vibe that makes it conducive people watching and casually hopping in and out of venues sans guilt...

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Short Film: "Sushi Masters vs Sea Monsters (Sushi)'

Love the production value!!!!

Starbucks Bearista Photo 6: Hawaii!!!!

Mahalo!!!

41 Degree Experience by Albert Adria, Barcelona Spain

                     

Giro Giro Hitoshina Kyoto, Japan

If you ever make you're way to Japan, the one city that you must visit is Kyoto; a breathtaking city where time stood still...it's rich in history and spirituality and wherever you go, there will always be beauty that catches your eye.  Kyoto is world renown for it's cuisine; and on the top of the list is Kaiseki: a set course dinner which incorporates traditional Japanese dishes coordinated beautifully in earthenware dishes that's artistic and experiential.

















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How to Make Sushi.....out of candy?!?!

Downtown3rd Farmers Market + Great Bao Food Truck @ Casino Center, Las Vegas

We've reviewed Downtown3rd Farmers Market before and it's worth repeating, mostly because it's another integral component of revitalizing Downtown and bringing a sense of community to the area. The Farmers Market is housed in a former Bus Station, an ingenious recycling and reuse of existing structures making it all the more reason to go and check it out.  In addition, there's a slew of food trucks parked outside for lunch and nibbles.

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Trattoria Nakamura-Ya @ W Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas

In the depths of Chinatown west of The Strip, there's a small commercial center that has sprouted several Japanese restaurants that have gained major notoriety around town.  It's become a growing 'Little Tokyo' right before our eyes which is pretty exciting to see in real time.

This restaurant hub has been a favorite place to get our Japanese 'fix', what with all the variety: Monta for Ramen, Kabuto for Sushi and Raku for Kushiyaki and late nite bites.  And we also have Italian-Japanese Hybrid cuisine: Trattoria Nakamura-Ya.  Much like here, (we have Italian American food) Japan's love for Italian has developed a hybrid, where Japanese ingredients are incorporated into the dish; the flavors are geared towards a Japanese clientele where texture and and Umami sensibilities create a 'fusion' (hate that word, but yes...) that is pretty evolved.  And while not 'authentic', it's creative and essential in a city that is continuously developing its own culinary identity.  Plus I grew up on Japanese Italian, so in a way, it's familiar and nostalgic and feels like home.

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The Burger Joint @ Le Parker Meridien Hotel, NYC

Who would have thought at Le Parker Meridien, that one would find such unexpected, down to earth, classic American Burgers + Fries. But there it was, albeit totally concealed along the depths of a narrow and dim hallway with no indication, no nomenclature but a strong perfume of oil and grease (a heavenly, unctuous vapors permeating the tall, marbled resplendent halls of hotel opulence-a decadent paradox that I could easily find refuge nestled in it's warm bosom...


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