NIKKEI VIEW: The Asian American Blog

Bits of pop culture, media and politics from a Japanese American’s perspective by Gil Asakawa

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Entries Tagged as 'food'

Garrett’s Popcorn, a Chicago treat now available at O’Hare

August 1st, 2008 · No Comments

A Chicago institution since 1949, Garrett Popcorn Shops make incredibly tasty cheese popcorn and incredibly crunchy-sweet caramel corn. And, they sell the two flavors as a “Mix” (the first mashup??) that’s a bagful of heaven. OK, somewhat expensive heaven, but hey, did you think the pearly gates would come cheap?

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Tags: food · places

Lunching at the Bagel Restaurant & Deli, Skokie Il

July 22nd, 2008 · No Comments

The Bagel is a boisterous, old-fashioned kosher deli in the Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, where Erin and I eat every time we visit Chicago. I always order an egg cream, a soda fountain fave from New York that I’ve never been able to order in Denver. Erin’s favorite is the Mish Mash, a gigantic [...]

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Tags: food · places

The legacy of Rocky Aoki and his Benihana restaurants

July 19th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Erin, Jared and I ate at a Benihana restaurant recently, and then learned just a couple of days later that Rocky Aoki, the founder of the Benihana chain, had died.
I wrote about my experience growing up eating at Benihana for special family occasions, and how in recent years, the restaurant only has one connection [...]

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Tags: asian american · baby boomers · food · japan

Dining at Denver’s Korea House BBQ restaurant

July 19th, 2008 · No Comments

Erin, our friend Joe Nguyen and I dined the other night at Korea House, a popular restaurant in Denver (actually, Aurora, the eastern suburb, where the Korean community is concentrated). The dinner was part of an arrangement by Korea House to advertise in Asian Avenue Magazine, and we were there to write a preview of [...]

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Tags: asian american · food

Japanese energy drink is a “beer” for children

July 1st, 2008 · 1 Comment

Considering that many — if not most — Asians are allergic to alcohol, it’s amazing how much the culture of alcohol is part of society in Japan. I guess it’s the same all over the world, but since I’m very allergic to alcohol, I’m just out of the loop when it comes to booze.
You’re [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · japan

Asian Americans abound in second season of ‘America’s Best Dance Crew’

June 7th, 2008 · No Comments

Dance MTV User =About Me= Video - video powered by Metacafe
We happened upon a two-hour special tonight for the final auditions before the second season debut of “America’s Best Dance Crew,” and got entranced by the amazing moves by the groups from all over the country that tried out for the series. These crews compete [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · places · pop culture

Who should an APA Heritage Month celebration be aimed at?

May 17th, 2008 · 2 Comments

We just snuck out after a couple of hours of Denver’s annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration, an event sponsored by Colorado’s APA umbrella organization, Asian Roundtable. This free event has been going on for over a decade, and it’s held every May in a community auditorium at the Well Fargo Bank building in [...]

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Tags: asian american · food

How the Japanese fortune cookie became a Chinese food icon

May 9th, 2008 · No Comments

We had dinner last night at the venerable Denver Press Club with Jennifer 8.Lee and learned about Chinese food. The dinner was Chinese takeout, of course, from a DU-area eatery called “Hong Kong Cafe.” It was pretty good. The dinner was organized by John Ensslin, president of the Colorado chapter of the Society of Professional [...]

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Tags: asian american · baby boomers · food · japan · pop culture

Lunching at Japantown in San Francisco

April 20th, 2008 · No Comments

I just had a great meal at our favorite restaurant in San Francisco’s Japantown, Iroha. It’s a noodle house that serves up a great deal: A lunch combination special of ramen topped with a couple slices of pork, and gyoza dumplings on the side.
The restaurant is more crowded than usual, and filled with lots of [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · places

Noodling Around

February 10th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Hot stuff: Orochon Ramen lets you choose your level of heat. I opted for #3 and it was pretty damned warm.

When Erin and I were in LA last month, we ate dinner with her cousin Lisa Sasaki and her brother Eric and his wife Leah, at a very popular ramen shop, Daikokuya. The restaurant is [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · places

The ongoing conversation: authenticity in ethnic cuisine

February 2nd, 2008 · 1 Comment

Erin and I went out to eat tonight at Thai Basil, a very popular restaurant in southeast Denver. We had eaten there a couple of weeks ago with friends and enjoyed the food, so we decided to give it a shot on our own. The food was fine once again — we had chicken coconut [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · pop culture

Potions, powders and pills, oh boy

January 1st, 2008 · No Comments

I’ve been drinking something that tastes like dirt. I’ve also been drinking something else that tastes like weeds. Both are supposed to be good for me.
It’s an Asian thing — there’s a cultural fascination in with potions and powders and pills outside of “Western” medicine and healthcare. I don’t doubt that a lot of Eastern [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · japan

Strange flavor combos

December 1st, 2007 · No Comments

In the U.S., snack food manufacturers in recent years have become creative, and come up with a variety of flavor combinations beyond the old barbecue-flavor potato chips or the nacho cheese flavored Doritos. Now you can get black pepper and olive oil Triscuits, or chili-lime flavored corn chips.
But American palates probably aren’t ready for some [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · japan · pop culture

Hawaiian Eye - Pt. 9 (Aloha, Hawaii!)

October 14th, 2007 · No Comments

We ended the week with a flurry of shopping at the famous Flea Market at Aloha Stadium.

Sat. Sept. 22
It’s our last day in Honolulu, but we’re now slowing down. It’s jam-packed, with a trip to the fabled Flea Market that Erin has been raving about since we’ve been planning the trip. It’s a sale that’s [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · places

Hawaiian Eye - Pt. 8 (Researching the past)

October 14th, 2007 · No Comments

We didn’t see many geckoes during our visit, but here’s one tiny one we saw next to a sculpture of a gecko, outside Richela’s front door.

Friday, Sept. 21
Another big food day. We’re eating our way across Oahu.
It was also a day of hunting history.
We began the day with Richela, who joined us in a [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · places

Hawaiian Eye - Pt. 7 (Laughing with Bill Rose)

September 30th, 2007 · No Comments

Tamashiro Market, a jam packed shop on a busy street corner. Bill took us there for corn flake cookies, which were, as promised, fantastic.

Thursday, Sept. 20
This was a food and friendship day. We got up and had a leisurely morning, hanging around Richela’s condo. Then Erin and I drove past downtown to meet up [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · places

Hawaiian Eye - Pt. 6 (Coasting with Richela)

September 27th, 2007 · No Comments

One of the beaches Richela drove us to along the eastern shore of Oahu.

Wednesday, Sept. 19
It was sad leaving Laura and John’s in Mililani – it’s a beautiful and comfortable home, and they were so gracious and generous, it felt like we’ve known them all our lives.
At the same time, we were looking forward [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · places

Hawaiian Eye - Pt. 5 (A day with Regine)

September 24th, 2007 · No Comments

Hawaiian specialites at Helena’s: (from foregournd, left to right) poi, kahlua pork, a bit of Hawaiian seasoned salt, lau lau, lomi salmon, fried ahi tuna, haupia (with sliced onion, which we ate with the salt), tofu, beef stew and more lau lau.

Tuesday, Sept. 18
We spent the day with Regine, Laura’s twin sister, and the evening [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · places

Hawaiian Eye - Pt. 4 (Family tour)

September 21st, 2007 · 1 Comment

We had heavenly shave ice at the Waiola corner grocery, which was just a block from where my grandfather had his home and business. The spot now has a high-rise apartment or condo on it, and the location of the Honolulu Stadium next door is now a park.

Monday, Sept. 17
This day was one of discovery [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · places

Hawaiian Eye - Pt. 3 (The Reunion)

September 20th, 2007 · No Comments

Joy and Hiroshi kicked off the reunion with a taiko performance. Joy is the cousin who came up to me at a book signing in San Jose, and dropped the bombshell that I have an entire branch of relatives that I never knew about.

Sunday, Sept. 16

The Hanzawa-Sakuma family reunion was a Sunday brunch, held at [...]

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Tags: asian american · food · places