Freezing Weather and Frozen Yogurt

"Frozen Yogurt Toppings" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: motorola moto g(6), 3.95mm, f/1.8, 1/20 sec, ISO435
“Frozen Yogurt Toppings” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today the weather dropped to near freezing temperatures, and we even had some sleet. It wasn’t enough to cause any school closures, but it was still way colder than I like. I could never survive in a place that has a long winter!

Even with the frigid temperature, we went to get frozen yogurt this evening at the local Froyoz. Actually, it was just Koa who got anything. I’m always surprised how many choices there are for toppings at the frozen yogurt shop – there’s the regular items like sprinkles, crushed Oreos, and gummy bears, but also some newish toppings like marshmallow creme, kiwi boba, and cheesecake bits. It’s like a candy store!

We rarely go out for ice cream or frozen yogurt, so I didn’t mind taking Koa this evening. Just hope it doesn’t turn into a habit!

I hope you had a nice day.

またね~

Kimchee Nabé (Hotpot) on a Chilly Evening

"Kimchee Nabé" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/80 sec, ISO6400
“Kimchee Nabé” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

A really nice dish to eat when the weather turns cold, as it’s doing right now, is Nabé, or Japanese hotpot. Tonight’s nabé was Korean-style, with plenty of spicy kimchee and sliced pork. The greens were nira, and we also had mushrooms, sausage, onion, cheese, and instant ramen noodles.

"Before Cooking" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/75 sec, ISO500
“Before Cooking” Cedar Park, 2019

It was so delicious that I ate way too much. But it warmed me up and left me with a nice feeling of contentment. It’s funny how some foods can do that! 😌

I hope you had a nice day!

またね〜

Early Ehōmaki 恵方巻 for Setsubun

"Ehoumaki" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Ehoumaki” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Setsubun is tomorrow but we ate our celebratory ehōmaki 恵方巻 this evening because of Super Bowl Sunday. We aren’t really doing anything special for the Super Bowl, so I’m not too sure why Mariko wanted to make ehōmaki early, but who am I to complain? (I also think she may have mentioned a reason but might have had a senior moment) Anyways, this year’s lucky direction is N/NE, so we each ate our ehōmaki roll in silence while facing the lucky direction, as dictated by tradition.

Actually eating without talking, and just thinking about the taste of the sushi, is really great. It’s a special experience, but one that we can have all the time if we choose to just be mindful. I wonder if it would be possible to institute a one-minute of silent eating to begin each dinner? Hmm….

"Sushi" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/125 sec, ISO2500
“Sushi” Cedar Park, 2019

I hope you had a nice Saturday!

またね~

Trying a New Restaurant: BurgerIM

"Duo BurgerIM" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO2500
“Duo BurgerIM” Cedar Park, 2019

Tonight my family and I tried a new burger restaurant that opened near our house. It’s called BurgerIM, and the special thing about this chain is twofold. First, their burgers are sliders, which means they are smaller than normal, perhaps half the size of a normal burger. Secondly, you can choose from several different types of meats and topping combinations. This is really what I found interesting at BurgerIM. For instance, there’s Wagyu beef, Marguez beef, dry-aged beef, lamb, etc. The website also lists fish, but I don’t think they have added it to the local menu just yet because this location is so new.

"BurgerIM" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO1600
“BurgerIM” Cedar Park, 2019

I got the Wagyu beef and the Marguez beef, and both were tasty, but the Wagyu was definitely better. I also tried the dry-aged which was yummy as well. Next time, I’ll go for the lamb and something else since there are so many choices to try!

Besides the patty, you can choose from several topping combinations, including a traditional American style, a “California” style with avocado, of course, a spicy style, etc. I thought the variety was pretty good and varied. We also tried the fries and onion rings. The fries were the coin-shaped style and yummy, while the onion rings were nothing special, but not disappointing.

"Trio BurgerIM" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO4000
“Trio BurgerIM” Cedar Park, 2019

While the food is good, the prices are a bit on the high side for burgers, but probably typical for gourmet burgers. It was $6.99 for the two slider option and $9.99 for three slider option. Add another $3 for fries and a drink (or $3 for a side of fries), and the bill adds up quickly. Also, for the Wagyu beef and a couple of the topping combos, an additional $0.79 is added. When the cashier rang it all up and I saw the total, I was honestly a little shocked. I suppose it was because the restaurant looks like a fast-food place so I was expecting fast-food prices.

Once I got past the sticker shock, I enjoyed the food (and they have beer on tap!) and spending time trying a new restaurant with the family. I also have to add that although these were sliders, two of them left me with a surprisingly full stomach.

"BurgerIM" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO2500
“BurgerIM” Cedar Park, 2019

We have plenty of burger options near our house, ranging from the higher-end Hopdoddy to the wallet-friendly In N Out, and BurgerIM fits in right below Hopdoddy. It’s nice to have another option rather than a third McDonalds or Wendy’s.

"Wagyu BurgerIM" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO2500
“Wagyu BurgerIM” Cedar Park, 2019

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~