Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
That’s me and the main man, Takashi Murakami outside of Hishinuma. It has the infamous Michelin rating of two stars. Not bad since not too many get stars period. Two stars means you’re pretty good, and this place is decent. Yet it could have been better. I got there early. Not too early, but early enough. The head waiter, perhaps manager could have been cooler. He even ran as if 1) he had a turd in his pants – yes, I saw him run to the toilet 2) he also for some reason ran with one hand up almost like a raised hand. Maybe he had a turd in his hand instead. 3) Maybe it was because I wasn’t wearing a suit that he didn’t seem to give two shits about me, but in my life, I realize, that clothing means nothing. Look how Takashi’s dressed! Even though that’s probably a couture t-shirt with a inside print, and the shorts are probably high end with silk lining, the sneaks could be Visvim, a casual observer might think he spend $10 on it (and I kid you not, maybe he did). Takashi’s the main man. Always has been. When you really don’t need to care about what others think, then you’re in great shape. He’s probably there in that category, even though I’m sure he cares. He’s an artist. A special celebration with pop star Ken Chu (Zhu Xiaotian) and Takashi Murakami. Who let McCain in? Tofu with uni and a tiny drop of wasabi. The tofu was handmade, with a texture that you’ll never see unless you try this. That’s the menu. It’s long in explanation, but simple in execution. This looks like a mouthful, but really, it’s just a guide. Sorry the pic on this went mad. Under the leaves is fish, some edamame, yuku with ikura, and some vegetables. That’s my sake cup. Can you say Matsutake? Matsutake is not a pitcher on a baseball team, but if you had to buy it, you’d think he is. Anago in a simple sauce with seaweed. Yes, hand me the bags. It’s how I like to go out. The food was decent, and I’m not sure what’s really worthy of two stars in the Michelin guide, but this wasn’t the normal meal. Of course Takashi hooks you up with the best he can, and this is a good call. I’d still pit my mom against the food here.
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See the Riceballs? Imagine, it's not all rice, it's actually rice and potato. That red thing? Some pickled something. It was tart. This isn't really Nepali. It's some kind of hybrid, which exists even among the Nepali! The owner is a Nepali dude who looks interesting, and speaks with an accent. The tea tasted Turkish. It was sweet and nice. The food, great. Saultee Mode is a great place in Ebisu. 
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See the Riceballs? Imagine, it’s not all rice, it’s actually rice and potato. That red thing? Some pickled something. It was tart. This isn’t really Nepali. It’s some kind of hybrid, which exists even among the Nepali! The owner is a Nepali dude who looks interesting, and speaks with an accent. The tea tasted Turkish. It was sweet and nice. The food, great. Saultee Mode is a great place in Ebisu. That’s the main dish. Chicken, rice, we poured the soup on the rice which is the way to go. there’s pickled fish and vegetables. Pakora! They’re also from Nepal. The cool thing is that when you order food here, you hear chopping. It’s because everything is made the second you order it. It’s a tiny spot, and there’s also a full bar, so there are regulars. It’s weird seeing a guy come in wearing a suit sitting in front of a Nepali dude who’s still learning English. That’s the inside. Simple and nice.
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After reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in fifth grade, I have always had this dream of going on a river raft adventure down the Mississippi River. Since moving to Asia I still kept the dream but wanted to do it down the Yangtze or the Yellow river. Wouldn’t it be fun to build a raft out of bamboo and just cruise, letting the river take you down it’s path to wherever it goes?Well I haven’t done this trip yet and quite frankly haven’t thought about it for a long time but a few days ago I was in Wu Yi Shan, Fujian province to film a scene for this new film I’ve been working on and I was reminded of ol’ Huck Finn. Wu Yi Shan is famous for it’s majestical mountains and dreamlike scenery. On the day of the shoot, we arrived at the bank of the “9 Corner River” where you could see row after row of bamboo rafts waiting to be set in the water to take tourists down through the rocky terrain. I was immediately reminded of Huck. The rafts were simply lashed together with wire and made entirely out of bamboo. Even the seats were made of bamboo. They didn’t look that sturdy but once they were set in the water I realized it wasn’t going to be a problem. Our boatmen skillfully manuevered us to the locations we needed to get to and we spent the morning shooting and enjoying the awesome views. I think the footage we shot is gonna look really cool. After taking this short raft ride, I’m convinced that my dream of a river adventure is possible. I’m not really sure if it’ll be down the Yangtze or the Yellow River. I think all the industrial waste and the huge shipping boats may make it a bit life threatening but I’m sure I will be able to find a nice river somewhere that will allow me to cruise for a couple of weeks. Hopefully I will get to do this sometime…keep the dream alive!
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David Foster Wallace RIP
The writer hung himself in his home. I won't lie and say I read everything he's done but he'll be missed. Here's one article I'd suggest. There's another tennis essay short as well that's amazing. This one on Federer is worth reading as well, check it out and see what more you'd miss.
Tennis
LA Times
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The writer hung himself in his home. I won't lie and say I read everything he's done but he'll be missed. Here's one article I'd suggest. There's another tennis essay short as well that's amazing. This one on Federer is worth reading as well, check it out and see what more you'd miss.
Tennis
LA Times