Lunch @ZPizzaHawaii w/ @MarkTRC & @Melissa808

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Yesterday, after an appointment with Mark, we headed to Z Pizza for lunch. We tweeted up with Melissa there around Noon because @ZPizzaHawaii (http://twitter.com/zpizzahawaii) had tweeted me, enticing me to have pizza there again.
I had the Mediterranean Rustic Pizza. It has roasted artichokes, olives and pili pili oil. I don't know what pili pili oil is because I haven't Googled it yet, but I'm sure I'll know soon enough. I love this pizza because I love artichokes and olives!
Mark ordered the Thai Chicken Pizza and Melissa ordered the Tuscan Pizza. We also had a couple of little samples brought to our table. It's always a bonus to eat at Melissa's table! (http://twitter.com/Melissa808).
Anyway, Mark (http://twitter.com/MarkTRC) is fresh to the blogging world. His first Foodie post is about this Z Pizza experience so I'll let you read the details there- http://theangrychinaman.posterous.com/zpizzahawaii. Go check it out and give him the experience of how it is to maintain a blog! Let's see how good he is at keeping up with the hard work! Hehehe.
Ps- I'm sending this from the new Posterous for Android Application. I don't think I care for it. No save as draft options. It's just a fancy email skin. :P
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Lunch @LilihaBakery - Hamburger Steak

Today I stopped at Liliha Bakery after dropping by the bulk mail center of the post office to help Mark (http://twitter.com/MarkTRC/) and some other Lanakila Pacific (http://LanakilaPacific.org/) volunteers finish up a bulk mailing task. 

I brought my friend Craig with me to help out because I was at Kahala Mall where Craig's office is (he's a loan officer at Pacific Access Mortgage).  Originally, I planned to just see if he was available for lunch, but Mark asked if I could go help them because he felt like there was another couple of hours of work with just the four of them.  Anyway, Craig said he had a couple hours for lunch and he didn't mind helping out so we headed there with bottled water and a requested Cinnabon to help them hold out until a late lunch.

Once Craig and I arrived, there wasn't that much left to complete.  With the six of us there the job was done in about 15 minutes.

We then all headed to Liliha Bakery (http://twitter.com/LilihaBakery/) for lunch.  We arrived at about 1230p and managed to get seats for the six of us in 2 groups (4 & 2) at the diner counter.

I had a hamburger steak with a butter roll and their famous florescent pink jelly (ok I played with the photo a little).   

Here's another photo I tweeted while I was there. http://picplz.com/z1wK

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Our Potted Christmas Tree (@KanuHawaii #SimplifyTheHolidays)

This year I suggested we get a living potted Christmas tree from Helmano Farms in Wahiawa.  It is partly my effort to support http://KanuHawaii.org/ with their "Simplify the Holidays" commitments and the fact that I like trees (see my bonsai posts http://nakama-m-photos.blogspot.com/2007/10/art-of-bonsai-with-master-walter-liew.html#uds-search-results/).  I selected several items to commit to and created a profile that can be found here- http://www.kanuhawaii.org/member/?id=1290712931576401/.  OK, I haven't really done much to my profile yet, but one of these days I will and I will post a journal in my profile too.  It's just taking me a little while because I need to work on it from my computer.  I can't just email it in like on Posterous.  ;)
Here is our potted Christmas tree.  Kelli decorated it and made it all nice! 
http://ricknakama.posterous.com/our-potted-christmas-tree-kanuhawaii-simplify
More information about Helemano Farms can be found on their website- http://www.helemanofarms.com/.
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Sunday Breakfast at Cinnamon's w/@NaneaKalani #FB

This past Sunday we met up with @NaneaKalani and her family in Kailua's popular Cinnamon's Restaurant.  I checked in with the hostess at about 825a and was asked if we'd prefer indoor or out.  I wasn't familiar with the restaurant because this was my first time there so I asked what she recommended.  She recommended I be on the list for either.  This is probably to avoid the long waits that I have heard about, but I barely waited 5 minutes for a table outside in the courtyard area.

While we waited for our table, I was offered self-service coffee from a coffee station set up next to rows of seats that the people waiting for tables can sit on.  I thought this was a nice touch although I am not sure if it's complimentary or added on to your bill if you start drinking while waiting.  I didn't try the coffee from this station, but I did have coffee at the table which was described as 50% Kona Blended coffee.  If the same coffee is used in the coffee station, I'm sure it's not free because it's $2 something a cup on the menu.

For breakfast I had the Portuguese Sweet Bread French Toast with Ham and 1 Over Easy Egg.  The French Toast was light with a crisp outer layer.  The ham was very tender I barely needed to use the knife to slice it.  My over easy egg was a little more than over easy; probably more like plain over, but it was ok.  I found I had to use a lot of syrup.  I don't know what kind of syrup it was, but it seemed watery and lacking sweetness.  And, I'm usually not one that prefers sweet things.

I also took some photos of everyone else's food, but I didn't try them all.  The other dishes are Half Order Traditional Eggs Benedict, Blueberry Pancakes and a giant omelet!

Cinnamon's Restaurant is found on the web at http://www.cinnamonsrestaurant.com/.

Thanks for the breakfast treat Nanea! 

PS- if you enjoy keeping up with news discussions, follow http://twitter.com/NaneaKalani.  She is a reporter for http://www.civilbeat.com/ (http://twitter.com/civilbeat/).

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Flat Bread Lunch at Mix Cafe on Alakea w/@PrincessTara459 #FB

I headed into downtown for lunch today because I needed to get an address change form into the DCCA (licensing office).  Since I was going to have to be in the downtown craziness, I decided to have lunch with a downtown friend, @PrincessTara459. 

I parked my car at Iolani Palace for $1 an hour paid by quarters into a parking meter.  This is a photo I tweeted at the beautiful Iolani Palace - @RickNakama: just posted a pic: (@ Iolani Palace) http://picplz.com/z0CM/. 

Anyway, @PrincessTara459 took me to eat at one of her favorite downtown spots, Mix Cafe.  We got there a little later in the lunch hour (about 1245p) so the selections were slim.  There was a choice of a portobello sandwich, chicken sandwich or the flat bread with pesto tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.  We both had the flat bread.

The flat bread is toasted on a hot stone oven. It's nicely browned in a couple of minutes and served with cool mixed greens and a balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing.  Very delicious and not overwhelmingly filling; perfect for lunch!

Here is there website. http://mymixcafe.com/

When I walked back to my car I still had about 40 minutes left in my meter so I decided to take a look at the Honolulu City Lights Christmas display.  If course this was in the early afternoon so the sun is brightly shining and I can't see the lights,  but it's still interesting.  Here's the photo I tweeted- RT @RickNakama: since I'm across the street may as well do my Honolulu City Daylights Tour (@ Honolulu Hale) http://picplz.com/z0CN/.

I also took a photo of the YWCA (@YWCAOAHU) because I seemed to have just missed a couple of tweeps (@TrulyJoannies & @Melissa808) that were right there when I was so near by!  Here is that tweet- RT @RickNakama: .@trulyjoannies here's a pic of @ywcaoahu for you. ;) hehe (@ YWCA of Honolulu) http://picplz.com/z0sL/.

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Tacos from @EatGogi Korean Taco Truck #FB

Today, the Korean Taco Truck Eat Gogi (@EatGogi) Tweeted a special.  The special was "Tweet a pic of the truck and get 2 free tacos!".  Since I saw the tweet, I thougth it would be a good opportunity for me to finally check out what a Korean Taco Truck is all about.

 

Here were my tweeted pictures to qualify me for the 2 tacos:

"RT @EatGogi: Tweet pic of truck get 2 free tacos! Today 1637 Kapiolani Blvd 11:30-2pm! #FB /"

"@eatgogi RT @RickNakama: just posted a pic: http://picplz.com/zx1Q "

 

Yes, I sent out 2 photos and tweets.  May as well since I got 2 free tacos.  They did this promotion to try to reach 1000 followers on their Twitter account.  Doesn't look like they reached it just yet so I wonder if another promotion may be coming up tomorrow?

 

Anyway, on to the tacos...  I tried one of each taco.  They have four varieties of tacos on their menu and each taco costs $2.  They are, obviously, Korean flavored ingredients: Beef Short Rib (Kalbi), Spicy Pork, Chicken and Tofu.  They definitely all tasted somewhat Korean-ish.  They were not really spicy; even the Spicy Pork.  Each taco is about 2-3 bites worth of taco so four tacos was just right for my lunch.  

 

It does take a little while to get your food because each order is made when placed, but the truck still appears to have quite a following.  I was probably at the truck for about 20 minutes and the crowd eventually grew to about 15 people standing around for their lunch.  Interestingly, most of them didn't seem to know about the "Tweet a pic" special or maybe they just didn't want the free tacos.   

 

Thanks for the two free tacos to go with my two paid tacos! 

 

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Jose's Mexican Cafe and Cantina - Spinach Burrito

Last night we had dinner at Jose's Mexican Cafe and Cantina in Kaimuki.  We eat here every month or so when we're craving for some Mexican food.  The location is convenient for us because they are at 1134 Koko Head Avenue and we are usually able to find free parking on Koko Head Avenue in the evenings.

I was in the mood to try something different last night and I saw the Spinach, Mushroom and Water Chestnuts Burrito ($13.95).  It sounded a little strange for a Mexican dish so I asked the waitress what she thought of it.  Of course she said it was one of her favorites!  I went ahead and ordered it.  It was really delicious!  It actually tasted like Mexican food without any meat.  I liked it because it didn't leave me feeling super bloate like I feel after eating the ground beef burrito or other meaty selections.

Kelli had the Taco Salad with Ground Beef ($11.95).  She orders this quite often and it is a good taco salad. 

I'm looking forward to going to Jose's again for that Spinach Burrito!  Sorry, Jai's Burrito, my other favorite!

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Bella Mia in Kaimuki, Honolulu Lasagna #FB

Today I met up with a bunch of Twitter people at Bella Mia, an Italian restaurant in Kaimuki.  It was my first time there and I wasn't sure what to try.  I decided to go with the Lasagna ($10.95).

The lasagna was served nice and hot out of the oven.  A nice perfectly charred layer of cheese encrusted the top of the baked-in dish.  As I cut into the lasagna, it appeared a little wet under the crisp top layer.  The flavor resembled a meaty pizza for some reason and not so much a lasagna.  Perhaps it has to do with the blend and proportions of the cheeses uses that makes it taste more like pizza.  The serving is large!  I managed to eat the whole thing along with about 3 of their complimentary fresh baked bread rolls, probably because I didn't eat anything all day until this lunch.  The excess moisture in my lasagna didn't matter too much because the seasoning was balanced and it didn't taste watery.

I like the setting of this restaurant and I'm sure I will be visiting again since it is in my neighborhood.   I may try the Eggplant Parmesan next, as recommended by my friend @NaneaKalani.  Too bad I ordered before checking what was just tweeted at me as I was deciding what to order.  I definitely enjoyed the restaurant and the group that invited me to join their lunch.  I had a chance to try someplace new and meet some new people at the same time over lunch.

Thanks @TrulyJoannies, @Hawaean, @TheChickenBus, @RSuenaga, @JNoblezada, @MarkTRC, @Legendjy, @Knyghtingale, @Keith_Sato and @SMurata for letting me join your lunch today!  :)  It was nice seeing/chatting/meeting and having lunch with you all.  Here's a photo of our table courtesy of @JNoblezada's iPhone & Plixi post: http://plixi.com/p/58914116/.  Thanks to our waitress who offered to take it.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

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Bale in Hawaii Kai Shopping Center

For today's lunch a few of us from the office went over to Bale.  I go there a few times a month since it is just a few minutes away from our office.

Today I had the Won Ton Noodle Soup.  This noodle dish doesn't come with the white rice noodles.  It is served with the yellow thin noodles.  The broth is also richer than the broth their pho is served with.  I like these noodles and the slightly sweeter flavors of the broth.

Another guy that went with us ordered the Crispy Noodle Chicken.  I don't know what it tasted like, but it looked so massive I just had to take a photo of it!

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Hagensborg Mocha Truffle Pig

Yum yum.  And... it has little cute pigs on it!

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Pulehu Rubbed Grilled Chicken @OnoToGo Lunch Truck #FB (add photo)

*Re Post - well my Gmail for Android application has failed me again and dropped my attached photo.  Here's my second attempt.*

On Nov 23, 2010 12:11 PM, "Rick Nakama, R GRI" <ricknakama@gmail.com> wrote:

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Pulehu Rubbed Grilled Chicken @OnoToGo Lunch Truck #FB

Yesterday after completing my Monday Meals on Wheels route with Mark's assistance (again) we did the usual lunch to feed ourselves.  We have both heard and read a lot about Ono to Go (http://twitter.com/OnoToGo/) so we were anxious to check out their lunch truck.

Ono to Go is usually found in a parking lot on the corner of Sheridan and Makaloa Streets, near Sam's Club's driveway.  Their truck is brightly painted in a street art fashion so it should be easy to spot.  They may occasionally be spotted in other locations so it is best to follow their Twitter account, @OnoToGo. 

I had the Pulehu Spice Rubbed Grilled Chicken plate for $7 plus I opted for the $1 up charge to have brown rice "genmai" instead of white rice.  It was very tasty and I will be trying to make my way to this truck for more lunches!

You can also find their information at http://Facebook.com/OnoToGo/.

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Happy Hour at The Counter Burger

Before going to our free movie screening of Fair Game tonight (courtesy of Ryan http://twitter.com/Hawaii/), we dropped into The Counter Burger in Kahala Mall (http://www.thecounterburger.com/honolulu/).  We made it there at around 5pm and their happy hour specials are until 6pm.

We had the Mini Cheeseburger Trio for $4 and the Mini Locomoco for $5.  We also ordered a "Fifty-Fifty" (half sweet potato fries and half onion rings) for $6.75.

The happy hour specials were a great bargain!  The locomoco didn't seem like a mini at all!  The fries were just way too much for two people.  I sent a tweet to Mark (http://twitter.com/marktrc/) asking him to come help us eat the fries because I knew he was also coming to the screening, but he didn't come to The Counter in time. 
Well, we're standing in the line for Fair Game right now.  We'll see how it is.

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Pongo's Kitchen (@PongosKitchen) Mini Tofu Steak Plate #FB

Yesterday, I did my Meals on Wheels route for Lanakila Pacific (@LanakilaPacific) with the help of my friend, Mark (@MarkTRC).  After delivering the meals to the seniors, Mark and I stopped at Pongo's Kitchen (@PongosKitchen) for lunch. 

 

Last week, I had my blood tested for cholestorol levels a the HMSA HealthPass Tweetup (@HealthPass).  More about that on Mike's blog (@MikeSumida) found here http://mikesumida.blogspot.com/2010/11/healthpass-tweetup.html/ or my past post about it here http://nakama-m-photos.blogspot.com/2010/11/bangga-bangga-spicy-poke-bowl.html/.  Since my reading was borderline high, I've been attempting to make better choices when out eating.  I have to eat out frequently for lunches and dinners and it is not easy to always find healthier options on all menus.

 

At Pongo's Kitchen, I decided to go with the Tofu Steak.  The slab of tofu is seasoned and seared then topped with the "drizzle" of choice.  My choice was the shoyu and green onion drizzle.  It is all about the "drizzle" at Pongo's Kitchen.

 

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Kakaako Kitchen Veggie Tofu Patty Plate

Today I had my second lunch out after learning that I had borderline high cholesterol levels.  You can read more about that here.  

I tried the Roasted Veggie and Tofu Patty with Olive Tapenade.  Tasted good, but I was hungry again within a couple of hours.  

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Bangga Bangga "Really Spicy Poke Bowl" (@WorldwideEd @LalaLinzy @HealthPass #HealthPass20th #FB)

After learning that my LDL cholesterol blood test results were "borderline high" at yesterday's HMSA Healthpass 20th Anniversary Tweetup (http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23healthpass20th/), I decided it was time to try to reverse the damage done by my usual diet.  I am sure that taking the blood test a week after returning from three weeks of travel and eating didn't help my results either.  Anyway my result was a 159 (borderline high), if I had a 160 I would just be considered a high cholesterol person! 

As you are out and about, it's not very easy to find convenient, healthy food at a reasonable cost.  I first looked through Shirokiya upon arrival at Ala Moana Center only to find that almost everything was fried.  This is not surprising considering that Shirokiya is primarily a place for bento (Japanese box lunch) type foods and fried foods have longer shelf life.  Next I browsed through the food court and passed places like Panda Express and The Fat Greek.  I decided to try Bangga Bangga, a place that Ed (http://World-wide-Ed.com/) first tried when I was with him.  He said it was ok so I figure I can rely on his opinion because he is always eating fish.

Bangga Bangga specializes in ahi poke (raw tuna/sashimi).  I ordered the poke bowl and was asked what type of sauce I wanted.  Again, I was faced with cholesterol damaging options like spicy mayonnaise and wasabi mayonnaise.  I resisted temptations and selected the spicy jalapeno shoyu.  I was then asked if I wanted little spicy, regular spicy or really spicy.  I wondered how spicy can it actually get considering it's only jalapeno peppers so I ordered the "really spicy".

The spicy jalapeno shoyu poke bowl is raw tuna seasoned with shoyu and sesame oil then topped with raw red onions, sprouts, sliced jalapeno peppers and Japanese cavier over steamed white rice.  It wasn't very spicy, as anticipated, and it tasted good. 

This is the first day following my eye opening HealthPass results and my attempt to start opting toward the healthier selections when eating.  It's not going to be easy and I know it's not going to be cheap, but I will see how I can do at my attempt to ear healthier.  Hopefully I can put a big dent in that number through diet and exercise because I don't want any medication for this!

Thanks HealthPass for holding that Tweetup and getting me to check my cholesterol level.  I was really surprised at my results!  I'm glad I know I need to do something fast!

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Need a little #HIasia KitKat snack before #H50 starts! http://twitpic.com/358xfz

Just tried a blueberry cheesecake KitKat.  Very tasty, but I still prefer the otona one because it's bitter chocolate!

Now time for some #H50 live Twitter commentary action!  I missed it while away on my #HIasia travels. 

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Had "New & Improved" Version of Mr. Mandoo after #MealsOnWheels delivery

Today I had help from Kelli because she offered to be the driver for me as I delivered the lunches for Lanakila Pacific's Meals on Wheels program.  After completing the deliveries that take approximately an hour with the help of a second person, it was the perfect time and area for lunch at one of our favorite spots, Mr. Mandoo.

I've posted a few times about Mr. Mandoo and those posts can be seen at these following links.

http://nakama-m-photos.blogspot.com/2010/03/lunch-at-mr-mandoo.html

http://nakama-m-photos.blogspot.com/2010/05/mr-mandoo-mandoo.html

Anyway, today we has a Kogi Fried Mandoo 9 piece side order and a Steak & Kalbi Mix Plate for about $18.  We ate there and shared the food. 

The owner told us that they've changed their fried mandoo a lot so let her know how it is after we try it.  It was delicious!  This new version seems to have a much crispier outside while also having a juicy and moist inside.  We really enjoyed, but *warning* watch out for those juices!  They may squirt out as you crunch in to take a bite!

This was my first time trying the steak and kalbi.  The steak was tender even at a medium well preparation (how Kelli prefers it).  The kalbi has a nice flavor with a slightly spicy kick to it.

Everything went well together especially with the little dish of pickled vegetables.  The pickling juices also doubled as a nice second dipping sauce for the mandoo and steak!

If you think you might be interested in volunteering for the Meals on Wheels program to help get hot lunches to Hawaii's seniors, you can read more about it here: http://nakama-m-photos.blogspot.com/2010/10/lanakila-pacific-good-table-dinner-at.html/.  Or just ask me if you want to help me on a route.  :)

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Isetan Market Restaurant AGIO in Shinjuku, Tokyo #HIasia #FB

Last night after checking into our awesome hotel (not), we went for a walk around the Shinjuku area.  We decided to use the evening to browse Isetan Department Store.

When we got there, we went up to the 7th floor to check out the restaurants because we were hungry.  Most of the stuff looks like overpriced regular food, displayed attractively.  We opted for the Italian restaurant, AGIO. 

The prices at AGIO were moderate, 1500-3000 yen a dish (around $20-40 at current exchange rates :-/).  We had the AGIO pizza and the meat sauce type spaghetti.

The spaghetti tasted too much like beef stew (concentrated beef flavor) with spaghetti noodles.  It wasn't impressive at all.  In fact I don't recommend it. :P

The AGIO pizza thing was OK.  The crust was OK, but not really a pizza crust.  Seemed more like a flour tortilla with hamburger helper and cheese on it.  The cheese didn't really match the "pizza" flavor. 

Anyway, that's my experience at AGIO.  I doubt I would eat there again.  It is rather surprising considering how obsessed, for so many years, Japan has been about creating this Japanese style of Italian cuisine.  While this place isn't a Japanese flavored Italian restaurant, it certainly wasn't an authentic Italian flavored one either.

Hope we have better luck with breakfast.  We are cooped up in Starbucks right now because the typhoon changed or Disney Sea plans.  Nothing else in Shinjuku is open yet, other than convenience stores, and it's almost 9am!!  Don't really want to eat Starbucks for breakfast! :P

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Iyemon Salon Kyoto 京都のお茶カフェイエモンサロン #HIasia #FB

While we were in Kyoto for one evening, we met up with some friends.  We first had dinner at Gogyo (the post prior to this) and then we went to have tea.  お茶しょうか。(Ocha shiou ka?)  Is a common Japanese question/invitation.  It translates to, "shall we have tea?".  It is just like it sounds, have tea, coffee and desserts while socializing.

We made it to Iyemon Salon just before last call for kitchen items.  There were some unusual items on the menu and I ordered one of them, the matcha soda or green tea soda.  It was very interesting.  Slightly bitter as it is served, but tastes nice after adding some sweetener.  I used a little of the dark molasses looking syrup that came with my panna cota or custard looking thing.

It is a very nice place in the city to have tea.  The front of their store has tea and souvenirs available for retail purchases.  The rear of the restaurant has a nice Japanese garden.  I wish I could've taken a photo of it.  I couldn't because there were too many other customers sitting around that area.

Iyemon Salon is a cool place!  I hope I can go there again some day.  If you're in Kyoto City check it out.  Their address and phone number are in the photo of the receipt.  If you're in Kyoto for a longer period, I'm sure you'll have tea and dango at other traditional places near temples and such places.  Iyemon is a different setting because it's a fancy place in the city.  :)

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五行京都 Gogyo Restaurant in Kyoto #HIasia #FB

A few days ago, we met up with some of my friends in Kyoto.  My friend, Taka, suggested we have dinner at a "secret spot" in Kyoto city.  It's not really secret, but it is very difficult to find even for the locals because they can't remember which block it's on and all the street blocks look almost exactly alike.  After circling a few blocks, he finally found the place he was looking for.  It's called 五行 or Gogyo.  Taka describes it as a sort of ramen place, but izakaya (bar tavern) style because they have a special ramen, but it's a type of restaurant that you can sit around an snack on various other dishes while chit chatting and drinking.  A perfect venue for entertaining out of town/country guests like we are.

The specialty ramen is what is called a koge (burnt) taste soup.  Hearing or seeing a dish described as "burnt", wouldn't necessarily sound appetizing.  I assure you that while this ramen soup does have a burnt taste, it is balanced well and gives this ramen character.  Please try it in either the shoyu or miso koge flavors.

Gogyo not only has delicious ramen and other foods, but it provides a nice environment for chatting with your friends.  It was great catching up with Taka, Masami and Takeshi.  Thanks for taking us there!

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