Tonkatsu and Sashimi Dinner

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

こんばんは。How’s it going?

A friend of ours brought back fresh hamachi (yellowtail) from Hawaii and my wife, along with several other lucky people, received some nice cuts. She prepared some sashimi for us, and also cooked some of the fish in a wonderful miso soup. It was delicious!

But that’s not all, because she also prepared tonkatsu (breaded and fried pork cutlet), served with cabbage and tonkatsu sauce. We also like to have it with karashi (hot mustard). It was pretty nice to have both karashi and wasabi (for the sashimi) out on the table. What a yummy meal!

"Katsu" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO3200
“Katsu” Cedar Park, 2019

I hope you had a nice Sunday!

またね~

Hot Dry Noodles in Houston

"Hot Dry Noodles" Houston, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO800
“Hot Dry Noodles” Houston, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

When I visited China in September, we spent a couple days in the city of Wuhan (武汉). I learned later that one of the food specialties of the city is Hot Dry Noodles (热干面), but since we had already left the city when I learned of them, I was a bit sad. A missed opportunity for sure.

Fast forward to a couple months later and someone I work with (native Chinese) mentioned that she found a place in Houston that served Hot Dry Noodles, and that they were awesome. I bookmarked the restaurant and made a note to try it the next time I travel to Houston. And happily, that day was today!

I had to pick up Koa and a couple of his friends from a band camp in Baytown this afternoon so I went a couple hours early which would give me enough time to visit Jing 5, which is in Houston’s Chinatown area off Bellaire Boulevard.

When I ordered the Hot Dry Noodles, I was asked if I wanted it mild or spicy and of course, I said spicy! The noodles were very good, with the pickled vegetables adding some nice tang and crunch. I’d rate the spiciness level only a 4, which was a little disappointing, but maybe the cook went easy on me. 😆

The “dry” part of the noodles comes from the fact that they are thick but with very low moisture. I’m not sure how to describe it. They were very soft but resisted soaking up any moisture such as the oily broth at the bottom of the bowl, so it was a strange experience.

I’d rate the dish a 6.5 out of 10, which might seem low, but I’ve heard that Hot Dry Noodles are a bit of an acquired taste. I bet the next time I try them, I’ll rate them higher. Actually, thinking about them now, I’m sort of craving Hot Dry Noodles again!

"Jing 5" Houston, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO800
“Jing 5” Houston, 2019

Along with the Hot Dry Noodles, I ordered Salted Duck Neck. It’s also a special dish, and one that I’ve never eaten before so, why not? They were actually pretty good, but nothing out of the ordinary (other than being neck). They just tasted like duck meat, which is a good thing.

"Duck Neck" Houston, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO1600
“Duck Neck” Houston, 2019

If you are in Houston and want to try the signature Wuhan Hot Dry Noodles, make sure to stop by Jing 5.

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

Found Wasabi Nori Snacks

"Nori Wasabi Snacks" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Nori Wasabi Snacks” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

When I was in college, I had a friend from Japan who brought back some amazing wasabi-flavored nori snacks. She said they were hard to find. Since then, I’ve been keeping my eye out for them and I finally found some! I’ve seen the nori-chips around but not with wasabi, so when I spotted these at the market in California I bought them immediately. I love them! And happily, Mariko and Bay both think they are too salty, and Koa is away for the weekend, so I have the whole bag to myself!

It’s the small things in life that bring the most joy… 😆

I hope you had a nice Saturday!

またね~

Donburi Night at Home

"Garlic Steak Donburi" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Garlic Steak Donburi” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going? Tonight, Mariko made a steak donburi with a sweet sauce and toasted garlic. It tasted as good as it looked. 😄 Over vacation, we ate a lot of food at each meal, so it was nice to enjoy a smaller portion.

And Lani was excited at the possibility of getting some some home-cooked scraps:

"Hungry Dog" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Hungry Dog” Cedar Park, 2019

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~