On cover of Japanese mini tupperware like container, I didn’t notice until I was eating my lunch the other day. I can’t figure out if this was a mistake and they meant to have “KITCHENWARE” and it got by spell check since its valid words, or if they really meant “KITCHEN WAR”. You can never tell. Sounds like an anime show. Don’t laugh, a few seasons ago there was Library Wars. And yes, it really was about special forces librarians battling an evil purple oppressive nazi looking government faction. The military hardware and action was actually pretty detailed. Almost believable if it weren’t for the pretty silly premise. I don’t have a problem with the information controlling regime, I have a problem with that regime and these library forces are supposed to be both sanctioned government branches of the same country, and that aside from this conflict, the lifestyle of the populace seems quite normal. Anyway, the same country that presented Library Wars made this container, so look out oppresive mass produced prefabed food outlets, the forces of home cooked packed lunches are valiantly battling to uphold the virtues of cooking with freely grown local produce! No preformed chicken blob for me, homemade daikon, carrot, and kuuri amamsu sumono for me! (Yes, that’s what I had in my Kitchen War container)
Monthly Archive for February, 2009
Page 2 of 3
Got a new set of “Asian Fit” nosepieces for my Oakley Half Jackets to replace the set I lost one of. They’re for the Straight Jacket, but they are exactly the same. These newer ones are a lot more rigid than the original ones I had, but those originals were from the first prototype production run – my Half Jackets are so old there was no such thing as “Asian Fit” at the time! Oh yeah, they’re the wrong color, but who the F cares!
The direct successor to the original HL-EL400/410 LED headlamp (top, in left photo), the new HL-EL450 (bottom, in left photo) utilizes a single high-output LED instead of three standard ones. The light output is cleaner, brighter, and more focused. The apparent brightness is around twice that of the older model. The packaging says “400 candlepower”, whereas the HL-EL410 was rated at 180 (the HL-EL400 was only 90 candlepower). Against a Surefire M2 with a P60L 80-lumen LED module, the apparent brightness is around half to a third, so I’m guessing the element is in the 25 to 40-lumen/1-watt range. The housing is all plastic, so it isn’t generating a whole bunch of heat like an 80-lumen/3-watt unit would be. The light body is very similar structurally and aesthetically to the original light. The bezel is o-ring sealed (exact same silicone o-ring) and comes off the body with the same 1/8th-turn bayonet-style mounting. Power comes from the familiar three AAA (LR03) batteries. Battery run time is noted as 30-hours on high and 60-hours on low or flashing on the packaging. The HL-EL410 was also rated for 30-hours for the constant mode and 60-hours flashing (there was no low power setting). The HL-EL400 was rated at 80-hours constant and 160-hours flashing. Continue reading ‘Cateye HL-EL450 Headlamp’
Dropped by Toyota today to grab a now-tiny oil filter for the FJ-80. While I was there, I stopped by the showroom. I sat down in the new Matrix. It looks pretty nice inside, except for the non-DIN opening for the radio, but I know there are at least 2 adaptors available. The forward-folding front passenger seat looks like it would make it big enough inside for a DH/FR bike with both wheels on to fit, but the liftgate appears too narrow to accommodate a long fork and wide riser bars. The reach to the shifter might be a little far, especially 3 and 5. The one thing I disconcertingly noticed was the view out the windscreen. The hood line is so high and the seating position is so low that you probably won’t be able to see the road immediately in front of you! The bottom edge of the windscreen is about 108 cm (42”) above the ground. Continue reading ‘See? See Not!’
Saw something on the morning news on KHNL channel 8 this morning about the homeless situation a the McCully Library – they even interviewed Hillary. Mayby finally something will be done about it, like maybe enforcement of current statutes.
(0)
Stuck in traffic on the Eastbound H-1 this past Saturday morning between Pali and Punahou? Well, I’m not sure what exactly happened, but it’s this guy’s fault! There were no other vehicles visible nearby that could have also been involved.
Dropped in to Hiroshimayaki Shou-chan again with Root. Only the two of us, so we got one combination Hiroshimayaki, the beef tendon stew, and we tried the braised chicken. Everything was very good. The stew was tender and flavorful like last time. The Hiroshimayaki was cooked perfectly and constructed with care and attention. The chicken was soft and well-infused with the flavor of the tomato-based sauce. If you’ve ever had Japanese-style rolled cabbage, you’ll be familiar with the flavor of the sauce. Continue reading ‘Shouchan Revisited’
I saw this place on the channel 8 news this morning, so we dropped by for lunch today. Anticipating a crowd due to the coverage, we downloaded the menu and phoned in an order. I got the Hamburger Steak. The menu noted that it was handmade and ground from steak. We drove down to Kalihi to pick up the plates. Luckily we had a driver and someone to run out since there was no parking. There is limited street parking, but with all the industrial businesses in the area, most of it is taken. The restaurant itself is small and has only a pair of wooden tables and benches outside for seating. Their clientele is primary take out. Plates come with a choice of white or brown rice; a choice of tossed greens, macaroni salad, or a cooked vegetable; and a topping sauce. I chose brown rice and tossed greens. Since the hamburger steak included gravy, there was no need for sauce. Continue reading ‘Pongo’s Kitchen Hamburger Steak’
On the Friday before the Lunar New Year, I stopped by Kin Wah Chinese Restaurant for dinner. For the New Year, they had a special on Harbin Lager. I had never tried one of these before, so I gave it a shot. There was no indication of size on the ad, so I was initially shocked by the 600ml size. Flavor-wise, I was expecting a vile, overly-hopped, Pilsen-esque Heineken clone along the lines of a Tsingtao, but was pleasantly surprised with something wonderful. The initial mouth feel was dry not unlike a Japanese lager, but with more bittering hops. This gave it more of a Pilsen-like first flavor, but the middle had a distinct, full malt flavor like a Bavarian lager. The finish was clean. This was a good, refreshing, easily drinkable beer. I later called Fabio to tell him about it, and he stunned me with the revelation that Harbin fell under Anheuser-Busch ownership in 2004. Oh man… well, I guess if that wasn’t the case, I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to try it in the States! Continue reading ‘Beer Is Good – Harbin Lager’