Curious Notions

Last weekend, for one last night of birthday festivities, some old coworkers and Neville treated me to Kenichi, a sushi restaurant that’s been holding its own in the Warehouse District of Austin for quite some time now. We had reservations at nine but did not get seated til 9:45. A lot of people were complaining. A few points off for that. It’s a pretty bumping place, people dressed to the nines, grabbing drinks and sushi before a night of partying, I’m sure. So our dinner party was the ONLY mixed ethnic party, which we found kind of funny as we were in an Asian restaurant. Lily and I were the only two Asians. When we were finally seated, it took a long time for us to even get our drink orders in and then much too long to receive them. Service was pretty bad. We hardly got any attention. They forgot the energy drink Neville ordered with his vodka, and also gave Lily’s order to Neville and then charged us twice for it. Luckily, we were in good spirits and were chair dancing to the music. The music was R&B and hip hop from the nineties. Perfect for our age bracket of 25-30. We had Spicy Edamame to start and oh my goodness that was delicious. Edamame was sauteed with Sriracha, chili oil, and Japanese spices. I don’t think I can have regular old edamame again. I ordered my usual Escolar and Unagi, and tried their Hawaiian roll. Hawaiian roll: blackened Yellowtail with pineapple, asparagus and fresno pepper, rolled in edamame paper. I’ve never had sushi with pineapple nor have I tried edamamae paper. It was pretty good. I also tried Neville’s Japanese Bagel and it’s the first sushi roll I had with strawberries! The Japanese Bagel had cream cheese in it and I can’t remember what else but the strawberries and cheese did give it a very contemporary and unique taste to it that actually works, not like the white chocolate sushi I had at Imperia. Overall, the sushi was good if you’re in the mood for something not traditional and more experimental and trendy. I am interested in coming back for maybe happy hour. It was an alright experience, Kenichi. I was just happy to be spending some time with some of my favorite people.

One of the things I miss about my previous job aside from the obvious INCOME, is my coworkers. Namely, Jamie and Lily. I miss sitting next to Lily and overhearing her crazy conversations with her boyfriend. Being her neighbor was such a pleasure. Jamie wasn’t as physically close to my desk but bumping into her in the hallways was always refreshing. I miss them. I met them up for lunch today. The three of us, when going to lunch during work hours, we always either went to Korea Garden or Korea House. We’ve never been anywhere else for lunch during work hours. Today it was Korea Garden. Being as our last few lunches together we opted for Korea House, I haven’t been in Korea Garden in the last 5 months. They’ve had a big change!

They’ve converted half their sitting area into a sushi conveyor belt room! I haven’t eaten off a conveyor belt yet and appreciated the novelty. It’s pretty cheap too during lunch. Each plate you grab is a flat 2.50. Hip and casual. Korea Garden has a new modern twist. I don’t know of any sushi restaurants in Austin with a conveyor belt.

We grabbed dessert at Dairy Queen. I’ve been seeing commericals on TV for their new Girl Scout Tagalog Blizzard, I had to try. It was AWESOME. If you don’t know, Tagalog cookies are peanut butter patties.

I finished the whole thing.

Jamie’s turtle chocolate waffle sundae also from DQ.

Neighborhood: Downtown
310 Colorado St
Austin, TX 78701

(512) 472-6770
www.imperia-austin.com

Last weekend we honored Sae’s graduation at Imperia, a trendy sushi restaurant in Austin. So it was extremely experimental which I usually appreciate. They had a whole menu of infused sake, sake infused with various flavors. We got the lemongrass and basil infused sake and the honey sake. Everyone who had a shot of the lemongrass and basil infused sake had a gagging reaction, so I skipped out on the lemongrass. However, the honey infused sake was pretty good. Honey with warm sake sounds good. Alan and I ordered the spicy tuna roll, our usual assortment of nigeri and we branched out with Imperia’s Zebra roll, a hamachi roll with a white chocolate pepper sauce. White chocolate pepper sauce! Intrigued, we went with it.

Zebra roll on top.

YUCK! We had a piece and it tasted like orange chocolate with a white chocolate aftertaste. It passed it along the table and it was like a replay of the lemongrass infused sake. Only one guy liked it, however he likened it to ice cream. So there you have it. If you want sushi that taste like ice cream, order the Zebra from Imperia.

My final impression of Imperia is that may be a little too experimental, which usually isn’t a bad thing for me since I have a pretty adventurous appetite. With such a consistent streak of bad reactions from our big party, I wonder if they test out their concoctions?

I partook in happy hour both Monday and Tuesday this week (We needed the drinks!) with some coworkers.

Monday, I went with Jamie and Anna and chatted up life over Kenobi lemonade and sushi. I’ve only been there once before and it was for my 25th birthday dinner closer to when the restaurant first opened. Jamie and Anna BOTH were suppose to come for that dinner as well but they both floated the river that day. I didn’t remember if I was impressed by their sushi but nah, I decided it was okay on Monday. I do really enjoyed their alcoholic lemonade and their ambiance. It’s a great place to escape to when you can’t leave the city.

My plate from Monday. It’s was a’ite. The drink was potent and delicious. The 2 dollar happy hour dumplings are tasty.

A handful of my coworkers and I went out to McCormicks for 2 dollar calamari and 3 dollar cheeseburgers last night. I love happy hour. I guess work has been tense for us so it was nice to just unwind over cheap food and drinks. Our ultimate treat though was to walk over to Viva Chocolate. Lily’s seen it at the Domain (I’ve never noticed it before) and wanted to try it. It’s been here a year and it’s next door to Macy’s.

I want to maybe try their pistachio carmel and ginger flavored gelato. Karah says ginger gelato is delicious? I didn’t try since it is a chocolate shop and I felt I needed to nibble on their chocolates first.

I was a little overwhelmed so I had some help from the staff. I went for the popular pieces from dark chocolate lovers.

Got this one. I ended up only having room for one piece and this one is still in a box waiting to be eaten. Only two of us got desserts, the other two just sat stuffed from the burgers.


And this one got eaten. I liked it. Rich. Bitter. Yum. One piece ended up being enough for me.


Comes in a cute box.

January
- Kim came up for New Years. We celebrated downtown with Alan’s couple of friends and Jon and the boys.
- Kim and I wrote on two balloons on New Year’s Day. One balloon of our regrets and things we’re letting go. The other balloon our desires for 2009. Then we ever so poetically, released them on my balcony.
-I went to San Diego for the fourth time. I made it to the zoo and stayed at the same hotel as Jon and Kate plus Eight when they went to San Diego on their way to Hawaii.
- Made Jambalaya for the first time.
-Ate a lot of food with Jon while he was visiting Texas.

At Paradise Pointe Resort in San Diego.

February
- Spent my favorite holiday with Jamie.
- Did my own taxes for the first time
- Found a new hair stylist of of Sixth Street after asking her for a kiss for Bing for his birthday.
- Sent out Valentine cards and packages.

Celebrated Bing’s birthday on Sixth Street. The night I met my hair dresser.

March
- Watched a lot of movies and cooked a lot of dinners with Alan.
- Cindy came up to visit. Introduced her finally to Flip Happy Crepes.
- I got about 3 hours of sleep a night.
- I go to San Diego for work yet again and stay at a hotel that had sex toys in their mini bar available to purchase.
- I search for a Madam Mam’s replacement. (Never found it)
- I celebrated Brandi’s birthday with Jessica. This is the 2nd time in 2008 we managed to spend some time together. We went downtown for her birthday and ate at Hula Hut.

With my girls, celebrating Brandi’s birthday. I wish this year we saw each other more. There was a time a year or two ago we saw each other once a week at least.

April
- I go to Second Chance Prom with Neville. Sweet since I didn’t have a date to my highs school prom. Well.. Liz was my date :)
- I meet my little and take her to celebrate Earth Day at Republic Square.
- I take a fabulous vacation to NYC (originally suppose to include Boston too and visit Mary Ellen but her paper got accepted into a conference). I got to see the Jennifers and Jon. Jon was my lovely host. (entry, entry, entry, entry)
- Had my first Brazilian Wax. Yikes.
- The father of two of the kids I’ve babysat since both of them were born, died.

Jon and I in NY.

May
- My brother graduates college! My parents came up to see him walk.
- Alan and I didn’t renew our lease and I started to mourn the apartment. I was in love with our location and view.
- Continue to babysit for the boys who lost their father. Started with the night of the memorial service and then the funeral.
- Selina asked me to be her bridesmaid.
- My brother turned 23. Making me feel old.

Our view.

June
- Go to funnest book signing I’ve been to with Si Nae and her boyfriend. We went to see Chuck Palahniuk promote Snuff. He threw out blow up dolls.
- I worked a lot.
- I saw a lot of movies with Alan.

Si Nae, her boy, and Chuck Palahniuk!

July
- Alan and I moved out and stopped being roommates :( But it was a good move for us :).
- Went to Florida for the first time to get Mary Ellen married. Flew in a few days early and I joined her clan in cooking, building, bitching, bonding, all in the name of love and the most beautiful wedding I’ve been to yet. It was pretty much a DIY wedding and you can see the labor of love in everything. The baby food jars around the garden sheltering tea light candles, the fireworks/crackers, the dance floor her uncles and aunts built, the cascading fruit basket one of her uncle fashioned at 3 in the morning the night before the wedding, etc. SO many details that were not only beautiful on its own, but also in the labor and thought and love that it represented.
- I take a Thursday off of work and Brandi and Jessica and I hang out for the third time this year. They treated me to a trip to Schiltterbahn for my birthday. Last year it was Sea World.
- Turned 25. Jen T who normally only comes once or twice a year happened to be in town for my birthday :). Si Nae dropped by flowers. I had a pretty birthday cake in the shape of a snow globe. I celebrated with friends. Felt special. Alan took me out to a romantic dinner and bought me a cell phone. It was a good birthday. Though I hate that I’m now 25.

Birthday celebration.

August
- Lily teaches us to make sushi.
- Alan introduces me to Mikados. I mention this because now we go here fairly often for sushi. I’ve yet to take him to Musashinos.
- Cindy comes and stays with me for almost 2 months for her pharmacy school rotation.
- I take my little to her first play. Jack and the Beanstalk.
- Nisreen and Nino get engaged and Nisreen asks me to be one of her bridesmaids.

Sushi making night

September
- I take my certification test and am now certified in clinical research.
- I go to the Domain with Nisreen to study for that test. We go just looking around for her wedding dress and we actually FIND it at St. Thomas.
- I fly to Orlando for work, wishing Alan had gone.
- I take my little to her first UT football game.
- Cindy and I try to learn about football.

So it wouldn’t just be for me why I wanted Alan in Orlando with me. Lookit the golf course!

October
- To my surprise, I’m taken by UT football. Really taken after watching OU game. I thought I had burnt out on football forever, but it’s really quite addicting.
- Alan takes me to see UT/Missouri game.
- Alan had a birthday.
- I dress up as a Hula girl for Halloween.

Kissing Meatwad.

November
- Ran my first 5k with Nisreen, Katambra, and Melissa.
- Jessica has a birthday, so the three of us (Brandi, Jessica, and I) reunite for the fourth time this year. FOUR times. That’s so sad. We go to Pete’s Dueling Pianos with plans to go to ren fest again but Brandi got struck with hives.
- I practically live at work.
- My brother breaks in his apartment by hosting a Thanksgiving meal. He makes his first turkey. Delicious!
- I take my little to the Paramount theatre for the first time. We see The Hungry Caterpillar. Then I have a mini high school reunion.
- I take Thanksgiving week off from work and spend a week in Houston.
- I see fireworks with Kim and kind of Chris.

Nisreen pours everyone a double shot of bourbon at my brother’s Thanksgiving dinner.

December
- I finish paying off my car :) One of my New Year’s Resolutions. I bought in July 2007. Not bad, if I do say so myself.
- I spend Christmas in Houston.
- On the 26th of December, Kim and I for the 2nd time release balloons for New Years. We’re stunned that this time around, we do not have any regrets to write on that regret balloon. Instead, we write what we want to stay away from. Good times with Ms. Kim.
- I get to see my best friend, Mary Ellen. Second time this year. First time being for her wedding in July.
- I go back on Saturday (today) to get some work done and to spend NYE in Austin. With friends and beau.

Our balloons. Purple = wishes. Pink = what we’ll stay away from. Since we didn’t have regrets this year.

It’s been a good year. I read 10 books, ate a lot of Pho, and laughed a lot.

I go home from work feeling beaten everyday this past month or so. It looks like this is how it’s going to be for at least two more months. I developed a lingering cold and the malaise actually muddles my pain.

Today, I received a belittling email from a third party senior and the words chosen were needlessly condescending. I responded to the email very diplomatically and apologetically, conjuring up advice my supervisor passed on to “never be right.” I finally finished How to Win Friends and Influence People recommended to me by Will and Kym and sometimes I wish people I have to interact with (I.E. aforementioned third party), would read and brush up on their people skills. The book opens up (if I remember correctly, it only took me 2 years to read) that you can never win an argument. Even if you’re right, you lose. My supervisor in training me to be a supervisor, told me to give up being right. She implies that when your goal is to be right, you’re essentially making someone else wrong, thus breeding resentment. As third party picked on “my” mistakes, she left herself open for goofs as well and instead of responding in kind, like I so wanted to, for the sake of our future relationship, I had to apologetically own all miscommunication. Yuck. I don’t mind a few bites of humble pie every now and again, but this one had a strongly bitter aftertaste.

You know what would rid that bitterness aftertaste from my palate though? Tomo’s Tina’s Handroll. Alan and I last week finally tried out Tomo’s. It used to be called something much longer.. it’s still on their credit card machine but I’m too lazy to check my statement for their former name. My boss first told me about this place in early 2007 when it still had its old name and I hadn’t gotten around to finding the place/trying it out til last week. Sae recommended Tina’s Handroll (shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, spicy crab, avocado with soy paper) and my goodness, that roll was the best handroll I’ve had. So good. I didn’t have my camera on me but we ordered one to go for Sae. That big palm in the picture isn’t mine, by the way. I have more delicate hands.

The place is in a mini mall close to Cool River on Parmer lane. Once you go in, it’s very tiny. Reminds me of NYC hole in the walls. Could sit maybe…20 people? Best to go off peak hours or make reservations. They have an aquarium with FAKE jellyfish floating around. I didn’t catch on that they were fake til a little late. Delicious sushi :) And down the street from where I live!

I’m so sushied out. Today was making sushi night (see previous entry) and yesterday I went on a date at Mikado’s. My long overdue first time there. We had three rolls, my favorite being the White Tux and the Crunchy Kazi. The White Tux tasted clean and fresh.. smooth. Enjoyed the fried onion fakes. They sprinkle just enough to give you a hint of that fried onion flavor.

The one with the eel and crunchy yellow things is the Crunchy Kazi. Tasty.

And the delicious White Tux.

I also tried sea urchin for the first time. It reminded me of a lesser version of raw oysters. I wouldn’t try it again. But I do like Mikados better than Musashinos, but I’ll still be firecely loyal to Musashinos soley for their Avocado Kama Evo (#1 on my Top 3 orgasmic foods)

Tonight, Lily took Jamie, Maryanne, Courtney and I under her wing and showed us the way, the way of making delicious sushi. I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking.

Our host :)

Cut up avocado, cucumber, and shredded imitation crab

Some of the fish fillets. I think this tray was Esoclar and Tuna. (Also had Salmon, White Tail, Red Snapper.

You can get Unagi in a package. You can also get rice vinegar in powder form (used to season the rice).

Yummy. We used measuring cups as dipping dishes for the soy sauce. How resourceful are we?

Last weekend, I tried out three restaurants.

A sandwich shop that’s apparently a Southern chain. Firehouse Subs. I wanted to grab a quick bite before heading to Ikea with Jennifer and Deesh met me up here at the Braker location. He recommended the Engineer, a turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese and sauteed mushrooms. It was delicious. The mushrooms are a nice touch, the bread perfectly toasted. The place itself is kind of cute. They had Firemen uniforms hanging on coat racks and Dalmatian spotted tables. Each cup has a firemen bio on it. Nice break from Quizos, Subway, and ThunderClouds.

Kenobi
New sushi restaurant in the Arboretum. I had my group birthday dinner here last Saturday. With exception of Deesh and Brittany, it was a new place for everyone. What’s most striking about the restaurant is its decor. Very trendy, dark, grandiose, beautiful, reminds me of Vegas. The sushi tasted fresh and they had our table sectioned off so it felt intimate. Food was good. I do feel you’re paying a little bit more for the ambiance. Overall the experience was pleasant :) I’d try it out again.

Gumbos
On my actual birthday, I was treated to a really nice dinner at Gumbos. I’ve heard about this place for a couple of years now and never gotten around to trying it. Had the spicy calamari and the crabcakes for appetizers. I think it’s the best calamari I’ve ever had and I think it’s due namely to the seasoning. Then I had the Spinach, goat cheese, pecan salad and my date had the Caesar salad. He ordered a steak (the Robert) and I had Shrimp Victoria. Blackened shrimp on artichokes and cherry tomatoes. My mouth is watering typing this out. There’s a picture of his steak on the website.

The restaurant is located on the ground level of a historical brown building (can you tell I read the website? haha) and I fell in love with the host.Maybe 70 years old? He was struggling with one of those china markers that was pulled and unwound until a tiny little nub.

“How do they expect me to write with this thing?”

He kept us updated on his status when I went to the restroom and then when we left. He must have liked us too since he seated us on the second floor and we pretty much had the floor to ourselves despite many more tables on the more bustling first floor. I found the seating romantic. Overall, I definitely recommend Gumbos.

My last new thing of the week, I joined a writing club! They just had their second meeting last Sunday. Ink Spots meets the last Sunday of every month. So far I love the dynamic and the personalities. One girl wrote a 150 page fan fiction for the Twilight series. Another girl wrote journal entries that pondered everything from her lotion bottle being easily excitable and her love handles. So the rules are you can write about anything you want and there are optional prompts. This next month’s prompt is embarrassment.

My problem with writing is that I can’t make shit up. I can document the shit out something and flesh out a memory but it’s never fictional. Maybe I can strengthen my writing muscle with Ink Spots’ help.

Last Friday, tried out Catfish Parlour . I’ve been meaning to try this place for months now. It’s always crowded. They have all you can eat catfish which was delicious. Right amount of breading (light) and fresh as can be. As soon as you walk in, you can’t help but smile. It looks like an old school PARLOUR. Someone greets you and offers you a cold beer instantly before you’re even seated. The music was at the perfect volume that facilitates private conversations at tables without having to raise one’s voice. We were pleased. Overall, a down to earth place dripping with Southern charm. The jalapeno tartar sauce was delicious. I’d go back.

They make their own hush puppies. Yum.

Then on Sunday before seeing Wall-E , a group of us had Suzi’s Sushi. Unbeknown to me, they’re known for their Chinese food. They cut their sashimi a little oddly. I guess they’re trying to be creative and artistic but it was a bit awkward to eat. Doesn’t taste very fresh and we agreed their sushi was mediocre. It didn’t bother me much, was nice to be in good company over food. We just know better now. I guess I’m willing to go back to try their Chinese food some other time. I took a quick phone snap of our food.

* * *

Oh. Wall-E was adorable in the lovey dovey cutsey way.

Last night watched The Orphanage at Bing and Deesh’s. I highly highly highly recommend this movie. I only screamed once which is pretty good for me since I scare easily. The plot was pretty good. Reminiscent of The Ring. A little bit. Check out the link. http://www.theorphanagemovie.com/. I liked it for its plot, its acting, and its lack of cheap scary movie tricks. It is not a horror film, not gorey and is more suspenseful than anything.