yums

Tonight, after our (final!) consult with the event coordinator, we decided to try Tenkaippin Ramen (Kapahulu) for dinner. I'm a big fan of noodles (except, for some reason, pho). I knew to expect better than Ezo-Giku or Nishi Mon Cho (not that fast-food - i.e. Sun Noodles - ramen doesn't have its many merits; the aforementioned holes in the great wall of cheap eats are favorites I rely on heavily whenever take-out is feasible) but other than that, couldn't make any predictions about Tenkaippin.

Verdict: Can we go again tomorrow?

I ordered the A set, kotteri ("healthy chicken broth so unique it's habit-forming"), but got assari (chicken/shoyu broth) instead. I'm not one of those service Nazis so I ate the assari without complaint and was not disappointed. I'm not a foodie so when writing about food I pretty much only know "yum" and "yuck." This was definitely a yum. I would have preferred actual chicken in it, rather than menma and charsiu, but I would definitely go back, and would definitely recommend it.

Note: Boyfriend prefers Taishoken.

So, our final meeting. Yeah. Kinda wanted to blog about the final this and the final that and final preparations in general but I am ... tired. And full. And happy. As soon as we got home I drew a bubble bath, hopped in, and read 1) a really old Newsweek article on how Bobby Jindal might be the next Barack Obama and 2) my Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale catalog, which came in today. Bubbles, steam, Chicago politics, and half-off lingerie (har har). Sweeeeet. Oh, I do have the energy to say - surprise! We get a free ice sculpture! ("Which one should we pick?" asked Scott, to which I replied, "Anything but the swans.")

P.S. Have major garlic breath from the chili paste at Tenkaippin. The kind that can't be brushed, swished, or gargled away. It's the kind of garlic assault that will be leaving my pores by the truckload tomorrow. If I were still living at home, Mart would say, "You smell Korean!" Woe betide the BF, who's already in bed but not yet asleep.