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~

Tremble All You Want 勝手にふるえてろ (2017) – Movie Review

Plot: 24-year-old office worker “Yurika”, awkward, offbeat, and still carrying a torch for cool and popular middle school crush “Ichi”, tries to locate said crush and meet up, while fending off the advances of an uncool co-worker “Ni”.

Okay, so the story doesn’t seem special, but the “awkward and offbeat” nature of Yurika is the reason that Tremble All You Want 勝手にふるえてろ turns out to be a good movie. Specifically, it’s Matsuoka Mayu‘s (松岡茉優) portrayal of Yurika which is notable. I’d seen her in supporting roles in a few doramas over the years, but she amazed me with her range in the starring role.

************ SPOILER ALERT *************

As I mentioned, the plot was standard romance fare, but the interesting twist is that Yurika lives in a semi-fantasy world, imagining conversations with people that acquaintances real life. At the beginning of the movie, these seem like normal conversations with friends or close acquaintances, but we soon suspect that she doesn’t have any real relationship with these people and is just imagining the conversations.

This fact is made clear to us towards the end of the film with a wonderful scene in which Yurika actually sings her feelings to the audience, looking directly at the camera. It’s pretty amazing and she pulls it off without skipping a beat. She doesn’t have a great singing voice, but that just makes it feel more real and engaging.

The end of the movie, unfortunately, wasn’t very satisfying as there were many loose ends that I would have liked to see resolved. For instance, does she mend her friendship with Kurumi? Will she ever get found out about impersonating a classmate? Does she open up more to the real people she had imaginary conversations with? Also, it seems a little unbelievable that after carrying a torch for 10 years, that flame could be extinguished instantly, especially since Yurika and Ichi had a seemingly magical connection when they finally met. Thinking about it some more, a sequel or continuation would be welcomed! 😄

Unresolved plotlines aside, I think Tremble All You Want 勝手にふるえてろ is well-worth your viewing time. I’m really looking forward to more films with Matsuoka Mayu in the lead role.

My rating: 7/10

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~

Mirai 未来のミライ – Movie Review

Tonight I went to see Mirai (未来のミライ) at the local theater, and I loved it! Mamoru Hosoda’s latest film is kind of a slice-of-life type anime, mixed with a bit of fantasy. The story itself centered around a young boy named Kun, and how his family’s life changes after his sister, Mirai, is born.

****** SPOILERS FOLLOW ******

That fantasy portions of the story were a bit of a mystery as to why they were happening, and no explanations were given, which is fine. Actually, I was happy that no effort was made by the film-makers to try to rationalize how these time travel sequences (and other fantastical details and characters) existed, and that was kind of the magic of the film for me. We get to travel in time and to amazing places without the burden of things needing to make sense. I suppose that is why animation is so special. We are already removed from the real world because of the artwork, and so the leap to the fantasy world is very natural.

As a parent, I felt like I had a special connection to the film because a lot of the story revolved around the mother and father and their domestic roles, and we get to see scenes from their own childhoods. It brought back a lot of parenting memories when my kids were small as well. So it was nice to see a lot of screen time devoted to the parents. Not only that, but we get to see the lives of Kun and Mirai’s great-grandparents as well. My favorite parts of the movie were these scenes from the past, where Mirai explains that a person’s efforts can have a huge impact on the future. It gave me a lot to think about. These lessons from the past make me want to take care of the present day because who knows how it might affect the future?

"Kun-chan" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.2, 1/125 sec, ISO1600
“Kun-chan” Cedar Park, 2018

If you get the chance to see Mirai in theaters, I would recommend doing so! But if you can’t, then be sure you rent it when it is available. I am planning on buying the Blu-ray for my collection, especially because I want to study the character designs, specifically the father and mother. Plus I need to see the motorcycle scenes again. Those were so cool!

I give Mirai (未来のミライ) a 9 out of 10.

またね~

Close-Knit 彼らが本気で編むときは (2017) – Movie Review

The Japanese movie Close-Knit (彼らが本気で編むときは) was on TV Japan the other day, and it looked interesting (and is subtitled) so I watched it, even without knowing much about it. I just knew that a Johnny’s member was portraying a transgender person in it. Today happens to be Transgender Day of Remembrance, so I thought I would write a bit about it.

Well, I will start by saying the movie was excellent. The acting, plot, dialog, and overall feeling was sensitive and heartfelt. The story is told through the eyes of Tomo (柿原りんか), an 11-year old girl, who is forced to move in with her uncle, Makio (桐谷健太), and his girlfriend, Rinko (生田斗真), who is transgender. Over the month that the three live together, a wonderful relationship develops amongst them and many issues are discussed. There aren’t any plot twists, but the story doesn’t need any. It’s straightforward and compelling without needing to resort to gimmicks.

It was refreshing to see issues that many people often wonder about being asked and discussed so openly and without taboo. Maybe it’s because the 11-year old girl is at an innocent age where she hasn’t been influenced so much by grown-ups and can look at people with a more open mind. Her inner questioning of the beliefs of others is palpable, and she ponders on what makes something “wrong” and what makes something “right”. And because of this, I felt she was one of the wisest people in the story. Maybe it’s important to keep a young, non-judgemental mindset throughout life.

************* Possible spoilers below *************

Another important part of the story was about Tomo’s classmate, Kai, and the struggles he has when he realizes he is gay. The discrimination and teasing from his classmates were sickening. One of the most powerful scenes was when he talked to Tomo about what he was feeling and how he didn’t understand it all. It was so moving! There was a similar scene in which a young Rinko also breaks down as she deals with being a girl in a boy’s body. But the difference between the two was that Rinko had a completely supportive mother (田中美佐子), while Kai’s mother (小池栄子) is threatened by “strange people” and Kai fears coming out to her. It’s kind of simplistic situationally, but I imagine that these are common scenarios.

Lastly, the story brings up the subject of child abandonment, since Tomo’s mother doesn’t come home for a month, which is why Tomo moves in with her uncle Makio and Rinko. The mother (美村里江) is set up to be the villain, but in one of the climactic scenes, we find out a little about her own insecurities and flaws, and the strong bond that exists between mother and daughter, however strained the relationship might be. When she broke down, I just about lost it! 😭 That was an incredible scene. I have to point out that the acting was superb in the film, of course from the starring roles, but also the supporting cast like Tomo’s mother.

You know, I admit not really thinking much about transgender issues in the past, but I’ve always been supportive of equal rights for all people. I guess I haven’t given it much thought because I think people are people… I don’t care about gay, straight, transgender, etc. People can be good or not-so-good, whatever their lifestyle. However, watching Close-Knit just reminds me that people deal with issues that might not involve me personally, nor be readily apparent, but that I should try to be empathetic towards everyone.

If you have the chance to watch Close-Knit, I recommend doing so. I for one gained some insight into the struggles of LGBT people, and transgender in particular, and I think I have become a better person for it. I think you will too.

My rating: 8.5/10