Day: The Sixth...

Day 6 - a funny (and true) story...

Last Monday (President's Day), Brienne and I decided we needed an adventure.  The only thing on the plan was a trip to The Wood Connection...but that would come later.  First we needed lunch...

We ended up at Ichiro Buffet, just for giggles.  It was awkward at first, but we decided to give it a go.  There was a nice looking salad bar and a few veggie rolls...and a WHOLE bunch of random mochi.  I drank my tea, Brie her Pepsi while eating everything with chopsticks.  It only got better when... 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' came blaring on the radio.  I snotted wasabi!  Not to be stereotypical or anything, but 1) It WAS an English song and 2) we WERE in a Japanese place...so...

I did a bit of looking and found some FUNNY reviews about Ichiro at Urban Spoon.  PLEASE check them out!

After lunch and a very intimidating bill paying experience, Brie suggested a trip to VINH Long, our local Asian market.  I've been told repeatedly that I shouldn't go alone-or without a man-but we were feeling brave...and I was out of Sriracha (a kick booty, amazing, hot, chili-garlic sauce that I put on EVERYTHING!) and I was feeling adventurous (and brave) so we decided to go for it...

The first thing that hit me was a very scary smell...a big time sensory overload that was full of spices, pickled somethings, and fish.  To keep from gagging (I *was* being a tad over-sensitive...) I kept repeating, "It smells like the Dutch store...it smells like the Dutch store...it smells like the Dutch store..." (Which, incidentally smells funky to me too, but I tough it out, you know, because of the chocolate, gouda and cassis...)  Anyway, I grabbed a basket and headed down the spice isle.  We found curry spice, soy sauce, my sriracha, other stuff I couldn't make out, and lots and LOTS of this:

Was IS that? You're wondering?  Why, it's just your typical bag of DRIED TUNA FLAKES.  Yep.  Dried tuna flakes.  It was sitting there along with this:

(Yes, that says "Prepared Rolled Squid" up there...) and some random bags of dehydrated mini shrimp with their tiny eyes attached still...

Further down the isle, we found lots of odd, pasty, muted (and some hot pink) colored jars.  Most of the labels were in Chinese and Japanese but a few were in English.  Enjoy and don't gag:

Yeah...

That seriously was enough to do me in.  Gagging happened.  Dry heaving happened.  And yes.  I threw up in my mouth.

We hurried a bit faster after that...and kept finding surprises around every corner...

Preserved turnips.  Yep...

Vegetarian Chop-Suey in a can...

(They also had "Fried Gluten-Mock Pork" in a can.  I bought that...)

Random Mochi Balls...

And SOOOOO Scary Kewpie Mayonnaise.  It jiggled when I poked the bag...

We found some good stuff too, though.  I picked up some soy bean pudding, some dried yam snacks, awesome rice bowls, and we made a friend with the lady at the cash register.  She had drawn-on eyebrows that looked very...quizzical.  She told me the fried gluten was good with rice...and left us with a sage caution:

"No text and driving.  You  go to jail TWO day!"

(Yes.  "2 day!")

 

 

Much Love,

 

j