It occurs to me that I haven’t gone on a manly-man food binge for a while. Manly-man food. You know, the kind you eat straight from the pan. The kind that smears on your shirt cuz you can’t be bothered to use a napkin. The kind that makes for good belching sessions, preferably in direct competition with other manly-men.
The epitome of a manly-man meal in Japan is two orders of gyoza and a draft beer at Osho. Osho is a nationwide chain of Chinese-ish greasy spoons, famous for their gyoza. In all truth, their food is strictly average at best, but their gyoza might rate a 7.5/10 stars at a really good branch, which is more than adequate for the 2 in the morning, after-a-long-night type of situation for which manly-man food was presumably created.
If you walk into an Osho, sit at the counter, ignore the baby cockroaches and the sticky floor, and order biru to yakigyoza nininmae, everyone will know you are a fucking man. The cooks will gladly fill your manly order. Bitches will bask in your radiating man-osity. )Obviously, I haven’t done this in a while, because now I’m fantasizing about it.)
Nam is going back to Thailand for a month this Thursday, and I’ll be spending the holidays with my bro and assorted homies. I’m sure somebody will help me remedy my currently gyoza/beer deficient lifestyle.
Raising a family in Thailand // Documenting Issan food, culture, music, and people
Ah shit, I’m looking forward to the yearly Christmas trip to Costco, when we pick up assorted ales, porters, liquors, mixers, sausages, cheese, refried beans, chicken pot pies, and other assorted Christmas food.
While we walk around we shall partake in samples and take two or three if they are any good.
Then it will be on to the next phase: The feasting upon hot dogs, pizza, chicken bakes, and drinking from the soda fountains until we are unable to move.
Moving on, we shall go to Carrefour and hopefully pick up some stuff that we missed at Costco (like apple cider and economy sized bags of Cheetos and the like), and the rejoicing shall continue.
And the Silvia, laden with our holiday stash to the point where her ass will be sagging, shall take us to some place where we can properly celebrate Winter vacation.
That’s my idea of how this vacation is going to go.
Oh, and there are two Oshos (one just a minute away) within close proximity to my apt, just in case, but that’s only a backup plan in case Jusoya is closed…
Happy Holidays, boyz. Mika and I are having a bonenkai here tonight with yakigyoza served up all crispy and hot, as appetizers. Cheers!
I too am more than happy to help you fulfill this gyoza desire. Adam should be informed that the chicken bake (tried it – hated it) is now the Pulkogi Bake (tried it – like it!). The past few times I have gone Costco has had pepperoni, but tends to disappear JUST when you REALLY want one. And hopefully I can find the business card to the place that had the best gyoza that I have ever had. It was a place only accessible by car and as we had no reservation, waited out in the cold for about an hour. Their menu? Gyoza, beer, and rice. I think those were the ONLY menu items. With lines and reservations, you know it’s gotta be good…Buy Osho is ok, too…
Where was it? Osaka?
Yes, the gyoza place was somewhere in Osaka. I remember taking a taxi with my boss becuase he wanted to go and I don’t remember seeing any train tracks in the vicinity. But, it was at night… I will look for the card.
I’ve found in Bangkok a restaurant near the emporium in a creepy building called “the Terminal”.
It sells anything you need for a manly-man food. Gyoza, suchis, eda mamae and anything else and it has the taste of Japan and the people here are all japanese! In fact I won’t know this place if a japanese didn’t told me.
I love it.
Nico, you gotta show me that place next year!