Category Archives: Food & Drinks

Nago Food: So Much Taco Rice, So Little Time

22 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Okinawa

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As I’ve gone over previously, Okinawan cuisine is quite different from the food in the rest of Japan. Even though I knew this coming in, nothing could prepare me for the Okinawan fascination with tacos. In fact, taco rice, which is taco flavored beef served on a bed of rice, is a typical school lunch meal. Mr. Selfish and I, of course, had to try it for the sake of posterity.

King Tacos: The Originator of Taco Rice

Even though Mr. Selfish and I didn’t really enjoy the Kin Kannon-do Temple, we rather relished the idea of eating at King Tacos, the originator of taco rice, which is located nearby in Kin.

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We ordered a taco platter, as well as the traditional taco rice with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and salsa. As odd as it sounds, I found it pretty tasty and definitely a bit like comfort food (even though I had never had it before). I mean – I love rice and I love tacos. Why not combine it? If you’re in Kin, I would definitely check out Taco Kings!

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Nom Nom: Eating in Naha

18 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Okinawa

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Due to the strong Chinese and American influences and the tropical climate in Okinawa, Okinawa cuisine is unlike typical Japanese cuisine. We didn’t really see much sushi, ramen, or curry around. Nevertheless, Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed the eclectic food in Okinawa – from the pork belly to the soba to the chanpuru.  Here are some of the yummy bites we had in and around Naha.

Blue Seal Ice Cream: Born in America, Raised in Okinawa

Even though Blue Seal was conceived Stateside, it was brought to Okinawa in 1948 along with the American soldiers. It wasn’t until 1976 that Blue Seal opened stores outside of the American bases and on the island proper. I enjoy Blue Seal’s tagline – “Born in America, Raised in Okinawa.”

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Blue Seal ice cream is creamy (supposedly the way Americans like it), but the flavors are distinctly Okinawan. In particular, Beni-imo, which is purple sweet potato, is quite popular.

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Mr. Selfish and I tried a variety of flavors. I really liked Beni-imo and Ube (sweet purple yam), and Mr. Selfish loved that you could have scoop ice cream with softserve on top. I highly recommend Blue Seal if you visit Naha. Mr. Selfish and I probably went three times during our four days in Okinawa.

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Navigating Naha: Shuri Castle, Shikinaen Garden, and Higa Distillery

17 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan, Okinawa

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Mr. Selfish and I had originally planned to visit Okinawa to go diving. Unfortunately, when we were there, the wind was too strong, and our dive trip was cancelled. Fortunately, Okinawa has many diverse lovely sights to behold. Here are the sights that we visited in Naha.

Shuri Castle: The Palace of Ryūkyū Kingdom

Shuri Castle was the official palace of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, which ruled the islands that currently make up Okinawa from the 15th to the 19th centuries. The castle is made out of wood and burned down multiple times. The last time it burned down was in 1945 after an American battleship shelled it for three days during WWII. In 1992, Shuri Castle was reconstructed.

The grounds are quite extensive, and it is free to wander around.

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Satiating Our Sushi Lust in Fukuoka at Uotoku

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Fukuoka, Japan

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Ever since feasting on the freshest and best sushi we’ve ever had in Kanazawa at Otomezushi, Mr. Selfish and I have been a bit shy to eat sushi. It’s all relative, and we know that most sushi won’t stack up to Otomezushi. We’ve mostly stuck to eating rolls instead of actual sushi since you don’t have to be as concerned with freshness.

On our trip back to Japan, we figured that we would get our fill of  sushi. We had read rave reviews of a sushi restaurant named Uotoku (17-14-1 Imaizumi 1-chome, Chuo-ku) in Fukuoka, particularly about the sushi chef who had worked in Hong Kong and New York. We made a reservation for lunch, which is always cheaper for sushi, and had high hopes for sushi.

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We opted for the chef’s selection and gave him a budget of about $35 USD per person. It’s always a good idea to trust the chef to choose the freshest and best sushi of the day.

The first item served was snail. I wasn’t really expecting it, but it was pretty good and tender. Mr. Selfish and I each received two snails and a toothpick to pry them out.

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The Selfish Guide to a Ramen Run in Fukuoka, Japan

14 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Fukuoka, Japan

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Mr. Selfish and I remember the days when we were ramen newbies and could genuinely enjoy most ramen bowls. Those days are long gone, and we’re now ramen snobs. It was bound to happen. If you keep eating something over and over again, you start to develop a palate for it. Unfortunately, once this happens, your discerning palate knows when a ramen bowl isn’t up to snuff.

So when we decided to come back to Fukuoka for a couple of nights, we knew that we had to do a ramen run. Fukuoka is, after all, where tonkotsu ramen originated.

Shin Shin: Good Broth but a Little Fatty on the Pork

Mr. Selfish and I had added Shin Shin to our Google map during our first trip to Fukuoka back in April. We didn’t make it there but had read from many sources that it had some of the best ramen in Fukuoka. We made sure to go to Shin Shin this time around.

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8 Things I Didn’t Even Realize I Missed About Japan

12 Sunday Jan 2014

Posted by in Asia, Food & Drinks, Japan

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Even though Mr. Selfish and I had just spent 43 days in Japan from April to June of this year, we couldn’t resist going back to Japan during our annual Thanksgiving trip. We ended up spending 10 nights in Japan: 2 nights in Fukuoka, 4 nights in Okinawa, and 4 nights in Tokyo.

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Traveling back to Japan made me realize all of the little things I had missed.

1. How Most Signs are Illustrated

I love the fact that most of the signs in Japan have cute little drawings accompanying them.

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Yes, I even found a sewer cover that was illustrated.

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Our Brief Time in Malé, Maldives

10 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in Accommodations, Food & Drinks, Hilton, The Maldives

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This is the last of six posts on the Maldives. Check out our other posts here:

Mr. Selfish was quite delighted that Cathay Pacific opened a new route between Hong Kong and Malé, which is the capital of the Maldives. However, there is only one flight in and one flight out of Malé per day. Due to the timing of these flights, we had to spend a little bit of time in Malé before arriving and after leaving the splendor that is the Conrad Rangali.

The Cathay flight from Hong Kong arrives in Malé at 9:20 pm. Mr. Selfish and I stayed the night at the Hotel Octave, which was clean and spacious. Plus, the hotel offers complimentary pick-up and drop-off to and from the airport, as well as free breakfast. If you’re on the Cathay flight and have a night to kill in Malé, I recommend the Hotel Octave.

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The airport is on a separate island from Malé proper. You have to take a ferry that costs $1 USD per person and per way to travel between Malé and the airport.

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It’s a rather painless ferry ride, but the ferry doesn’t leave until it is full of passengers. The ride only takes between 15-20 minutes depending on whether you have the “fast” ferry or not.

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Trying to Eat Cheaply at the Conrad Rangali

09 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Accommodations, Food & Drinks, Hilton, The Maldives

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This is the fifth of six posts on the Maldives. Check out our other posts here:

When it comes to dining, Mrs. Selfish and I don’t really do expensive. If anything, we usually opt for street food over a 3-star Michelin restaurant. Unfortunately, the Conrad Rangali is a resort-style property, which means you are trapped on an island and can ONLY eat food on said property. Which means the food is expensive.

While the Conrad has many fabulous restaurants to choose from, we ended up eschewing the majority of those options for the cheapest, most Maldivian food we could find.

Breakfast at the Vilu Bar

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As gold members, Mrs. Selfish and I ate complimentary breakfast at Vilu, which is located on the smaller of the two islands. Vilu is primarily a seafood restaurant in the evening, but in the morning they give you the choice of an entree and access to the continental buffet.

The location is spectacular. Since it’s on the quieter of the two islands, it’s mostly utilized by honeymooning couples and has a cozier, more intimate feel. The other breakfast option is at the Atoll Market on the other island, which we never made it to since Mrs. Selfish and I were far too lazy to cart ourselves over there in time for breakfast.

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Enjoying Afternoon Tea at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

04 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by in Asia, China, Food & Drinks, Hong Kong

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The last time Mr. Selfish and I were in Hong Kong, we attempted to go to afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong in Kowloon, which is the 2nd tallest hotel in the world. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it because we didn’t have a reservation and it was a Saturday. This time around, we reserved window seats for afternoon tea.

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Hungry and Jetlagged in Hong Kong

03 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in Asia, China, Food & Drinks, Hong Kong

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Mr. Selfish and I spent only 36 hours in Hong Kong, and it was a whirlwind of food and lights. We ate dim sum twice and had peking duck once since Mr. Selfish was seriously craving both.

Of course, we went back to Tim Ho Wan for the baked pork buns. They are Mr. Selfish’s favorite, and we haven’t found any better in SF lately.

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A Day Trip to Sonoma

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in California, Food & Drinks, North America, United States

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Mr. Selfish and I timed it, and it took us 45 minutes to get from SF to the first winery in Sonoma. That’s right – 45 minutes. Indeed, we will be taking many more trips to wine country during our stay in SF. This post will go over our first day trip to Sonoma, which was on a Tuesday to take advantage of the Sonoma night farmer’s market.

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After doing a great deal of tasting in Australia and New Zealand, I was surprised to discover that most of the wineries in Sonoma and Napa charge a tasting fee, which can vary from $5 to even $20 per person. Being the budget conscious person I am, I researched the wineries that were either free or had lower tasting fees.

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Heading West: Kitschy South Dakota Billboards

14 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by in Cross Country, Food & Drinks, North America, United States

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Mr. Selfish ended his post yesterday with the delightful eats we had in Chicago. Once we left Chicago, we were bored out of minds driving through Wisconsin and Minnesota. Luckily, when we hit South Dakota, it was fun spotting the kitschy billboards. I didn’t realize that South Dakota had so many hokey attractions. Here are the three attractions that lured us in with their billboards: Corn Palace, 1880 Town, and Wall Drug.

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Heading West: Eating our way Across the Rust Belt

13 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by in Cross Country, Food & Drinks, North America, United States

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After leaving Virginia, Mrs. Selfish and I headed north through New Jersey, Pittsburgh, and Chicago, heading west for South Dakota. While admittedly not the most direct route to San Francisco, it did take us through the Badlands and the Big Sky Country in the north.

Along the way we ate plenty of Subway and granola bar breakfasts, but we also met up with friends and family. Here’s some of the better meals we enjoyed on our way west.

Jersey-Style Cheese steaks: Gaetano’s

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The less popular cousin of the Philadelphia cheese steak, the Jersey-style cheese steak doesn’t get much love. This is unfortunate, since it is the objectively superior cheese steak – and doesn’t get much better than it does at Gaetano’s (224 Penny Packer Drive) in Willingboro, New Jersey.

The bread is fresh. The steak is tender, and best of all they use real cheese. It’s also quite a bargain at $14 for an 18” large – which is enough food for dinner for two!

While I normally order the plain cheese steak, this time Mrs. Selfish and I decided to splurge with the “Mr. Gee’s Cheese Steak”, which is a cheese steak with mushrooms, peppers, and pepperoni. Amazing.

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None of that cheese whiz crap here!

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Heading West: A Long Stop in Virginia for Nostalgia

12 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by in Cross Country, Food & Drinks, North America, United States, Virginia

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Before heading west on our cross-country tour of the States, Mr. Selfish and I stayed in Virginia for a couple of weeks primarily to see my family and friends in the area. Since we are both originally from Virginia, we didn’t do much there other than hang out. So, here are some of the food highlights from our long stop in Virginia.

The Green Leafe: The Best Happy Hour Special Ever!

Mr. Selfish and I met during undergrad at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. Since the campus is only about half an hour away from my parents’ place, we visited a few times during our stay in Virginia. We stopped by the Green Leafe (765 Scotland St., Williamsburg, VA), which is a pub very close to campus.

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We discovered that the Green Leafe still has an outstanding selection of draught beer. We were also happy to learn that the Green Leafe currently has an amazing happy hour from 5-9pm, during which all draught beer are 50% off! You can’t beat a pint of good beer for $2.

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Aroma’s: Roasting Marshmallows and Making S’Mores

Since we were already in Williamsburg, we decided to stop by Aroma Café (431 Prince George St., Williamsburg, VA) to make and eat some s’mores. They’re not the best in the world but it’s one of the few places in the area that you can roast marshmallows and make a s’more sandwich.

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Stop Drooling: The Selfish’s Top 20 Eats

06 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by in Africa, Asia, Best Of, Europe, Food & Drinks, North America, Oceania

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Mr. Selfish and I had a lot of amazing food during this selfish year. It was incredibly hard to narrow it down but here’s our top 20 eats in no particular order:

Banh Mi in Hoi An

It cost under $1 USD for a deluxe Vietnamese sub (banh mi) at Tiem Banh Mi Phoung in Hoi An. Mr. Selfish was so obsessed with it that we ate over 10 banh mi during our five-day stay in Hoi An. We were able to identify about 10 ingredients in the banh mi, but we lost track after we hit the double digits. Needless to say, it was absolutely delicious.

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Indian Food at Tayyabs in London

Tayyabs is located near White Chapel, which is close to Brick Lane in London. Although there is always a crazy line out the door, Tayyabs is completely worth it. It is by far the best Indian food we’ve ever had.

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Sisig from Gerry’s Grill Near Manila

During our stay in the Philippines, Mr. Selfish and I became fixated on sisig, which is made from parts of pig’s head and liver, usually seasoned with calamansi (a type of lime) and chili peppers. It isn’t the best for you, but man, is it tasty! The best sisig was from Gerry’s Grill, which is near the Taal Volcano close to Manila.

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