Mariko had a few friends over for a birthday dinner, and the food was super delicious. It was a mix of Korean and Japanese, which meant I had to hold myself back from eating too much. But I’ll be honest, it was difficult.

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Even though today is National Burger Day, Mariko requested Sticky Asian Ribs instead. It’s a family favorite ever since we found it on Just One Cookbook. The recipe is really easy to make, and it’s delicious with rice. Mariko also made several veggie side dishes to really level up the whole meal.

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I made an Aperol Campari Spritz in one of the glasses we brought back from Mexico. I love the color combination so much. And then the pen is my beautiful new Zento Signature. Just for fun.

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My son requested burgers for dinner today, and that’s one request I’m always happy to fulfill. Bacon mixed right into the patties, and Mariko made homemade buns from scratch. We piled them high with pickles, jalapeños, lettuce, and onions. Then we settled in for the night with Raiders of the Lost Ark, which is one of those movies that just never gets old. It was a good holiday evening.

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Someone got into the sushi today. The cover was knocked off the plate and the damage was done by the time we noticed. I have my suspicions. Anko is playing it cool, but she’s not fooling anyone.

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La Capilla has been one of our go-to Mexican restaurants for decades. It’s a family favorite, and tonight five of us went out for dinner. Every single one of us ordered something with carnitas. Our waitress noticed and said, “you guys sure love carnitas!” Yes we do. Yes we do.

The second photo is me doing what I always do at the start of a Mexican meal. A chip with beans. It’s a silly tradition I have no plans of breaking.

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I met up with a friend for lunch today at Go Go Curry in the Gardena Tokyo Central. It was my first time trying the chain, and I have to say, it held up pretty well. I’m still a CoCo Ichibanya person at heart, but Go Go Curry is not bad! I’d go back.

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We had dinner tonight at Matsui Japanese restaurant, and it did not disappoint. The food was genuinely good and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. You could tell just by looking around the room. Most of the diners were older, Hawaiian-style Asian, lots of flip-flops and casual clothes, the kind of crowd that knows where the real value is.

I went with the Manager’s Special, which turned out to be a popular call. I spotted at least three other diners ordering the same thing. It came with delicious tempura, several pieces of nigiri, a nice salad, and I chose soba over udon for the noodles. It was a lot of food and all of it was solid. Definitely a place to return to.

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I picked up a tin of sardines while we were in Italy. No surprise there. I tend to seek them out wherever we go. This one came from a Coop supermarket in Venice, so nothing fancy at all.

But these sardines were so plump and flavorful! I had them over rice with some crispy jalapeño on top. Simple and so good.

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Mariko made homemade pasta noodles the other day, and she put them to good use tonight with a shrimp dish that turned out absolutely delicious. There’s something about fresh pasta that store-bought just can’t match. A little taste of Italy, right here at home.

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