THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: chronovore on July 03, 2009, 01:17:59 AM

Title: Japanboritos
Post by: chronovore on July 03, 2009, 01:17:59 AM: Are there any other Japanboritos in the Kansai area? Or are all you peeps in Tokyoland?
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: Mr. Gundam on July 03, 2009, 02:16:52 AM: The Mantra family is coming to Tokyo in early April, you Japanboritos in the area should hang out with us.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: CrystalGemini on July 03, 2009, 07:04:42 AM: Everytime you guys use the term "boritos" I keep thinking it's a food thread. Then I realize it's not and disappointment sets in. :'(
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: Reb on July 03, 2009, 07:42:13 AM: ok, borita.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: chronovore on July 03, 2009, 12:44:43 PM: Quote from: CrystalGemini on July 03, 2009, 07:04:42 AM
Everytime you guys use the term "boritos" I keep thinking it's a food thread. Then I realize it's not and disappointment sets in. :'(

Ironically, everytime I see the term "boritos" I want a burrito, then realize I'm in Japan where THERE ARE NONE.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: Cyanista on July 03, 2009, 12:46:09 PM: OMG no burritos. You need a care package of tortillas, refried beans, and salsa. I would WEEP if I couldn't go to the store and buy burrito makins.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: chronovore on July 03, 2009, 01:04:28 PM: Bless your heart.

Actually, the last five years has seen the makings show up with reasonable accessibility. I can make tacos and burritos pretty decently, and my nieces and nephews come over and PLOW through them. However, I am relegated ONLY to making them by myself, and the makin's are not cheap.

Can o' refried beans ¥400
12 taco shells ¥600
10 soft flour tortillas (frozen, made in Belgium(wtf?)) ¥500
jar of salsa (El Paso, sadly) ¥600
100g natural cheese: jack or cheddar ¥400

...Then there's the actual meat, veggies, etc. Making burritos for an evening runs 40~60 bucks US, depending on how many I'm feeding. As opposed to living in San Jose, CA where I could grab one made for me for as low as 3 bucks. Gadzooks. Now I'm hungry. Time to go to bed before I Rarebit Fiend myself.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: Cyanista on July 03, 2009, 01:12:39 PM: Damn. >.< In texas I could make completely delicious burritos for 4-6 people for about $10 - most expensive things being cheese/hamburger meat.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: chronovore on July 04, 2009, 03:22:28 AM: Osaka in Osaktober? Hit me up.

I've had the worst taco of my life in Japan. The scenery was great: a little patio dining done up in pink adobe. But the taco platter that arrived had the ground beef cold on it, and instead of sour cream it had a side of... wait for it...
spoiler (click to show/hide)
whipped cream.
[close]
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: ch1nchilla on July 04, 2009, 06:52:42 AM: I'm moving to Tokyo in August (next month holy shit :hyper). Osaka kicks ass in a major way though, that's for sure. If I ever go down to Kyoto to scope it out (was in Osaka for nearly a week after HS graduation, skipped Kyoto ftl, like a boss), I'll be sure to visit Osaka.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: Cyanista on July 04, 2009, 01:13:03 PM: Quote from: chronovore on July 04, 2009, 03:22:28 AM
Osaka in Osaktober? Hit me up.

I've had the worst taco of my life in Japan. The scenery was great: a little patio dining done up in pink adobe. But the taco platter that arrived had the ground beef cold on it, and instead of sour cream it had a side of... wait for it...
spoiler (click to show/hide)
whipped cream.
[close]

This cannot be a true story. WHAT?
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: chronovore on July 06, 2009, 06:17:08 AM: It should be a lie but, alas, it is only one example of INEXPLICABLE BUT FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG things in Japan.

There's a spot in Shinsaibashi called El Pancho that's actually half decent. And that place with the patio is long, long dead and gone.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: bork on July 06, 2009, 06:55:35 AM: Ch1nchilla, what are you going to be doing out in J-Land?

Quote from: chronovore on July 03, 2009, 01:04:28 PM
Bless your heart.

Actually, the last five years has seen the makings show up with reasonable accessibility. I can make tacos and burritos pretty decently, and my nieces and nephews come over and PLOW through them. However, I am relegated ONLY to making them by myself, and the makin's are not cheap.

Can o' refried beans ¥400
12 taco shells ¥600
10 soft flour tortillas (frozen, made in Belgium(wtf?)) ¥500
jar of salsa (El Paso, sadly) ¥600
100g natural cheese: jack or cheddar ¥400

...Then there's the actual meat, veggies, etc. Making burritos for an evening runs 40~60 bucks US, depending on how many I'm feeding. As opposed to living in San Jose, CA where I could grab one made for me for as low as 3 bucks. Gadzooks. Now I'm hungry. Time to go to bed before I Rarebit Fiend myself.

I used to make my own Taco seasoning after a local supermarket started stocking tortillas (five for 300 yen, so 10 for 500 ain't bad!), then I found the wonder that is Yamaya (liquor store that also stocks some world foods, for those who don't know), and and they sold complete hard shell taco dinner kits, seasoning and taco sauce included, for only 500 yen. Salsa by itself was about 500 yen, and seasoning by itself only 150. Then it was off to the supermarket to get meat and lettuce. I think when my wife and I ate tacos, it was under 2500 yen total, which I didn't think was too bad for getting Mexican food in Japan.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: chronovore on July 06, 2009, 07:36:17 AM: It looks like I've got a better line on Belgian flour tortillas than you did. :-) Those taco kits are 600 yen where I am, and I don't really need the seasoning.

In college, a friend of mine thought she was allergic to MSG and wouldn't use the packaged things. So I looked at the ingredients, and it's dirt, dirt simple: cumin and chili powder are the only two "spices" you need other than salt and pepper. The other ingredients are onion powder and garlic powder; those are easily substituted and better served by using fresh ingredients. Sautee the onions, drop the meat in, add the garlic later if you want more punch, earlier if you want it more mellow. Dump the spices in, then cover with a half can of beer, simmer for 1/2 an hour.

I made a mess of tacos yesterday; fed about a dozen people, and still had enough to do "taco rice" bento today. SO GOOD.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: ch1nchilla on July 07, 2009, 01:30:45 AM: Quote from: the lyte edge on July 06, 2009, 06:55:35 AM
Ch1nchilla, what are you going to be doing out in J-Land?

I'll be going to Sophia University in Tokyo to finish up my undergraduate degree for 2 years. Sometimes I think to myself "what the fuck are you doing?" but I'm sure it'll all work out in the end. Plus, getting to Tokyo has been my goal for at least 2 years, so I'm happy that it'll hopefully work out finally! Just gotta get this fucking epic post-acceptance stuff finished and hope everything goes smoothly with getting a visa, etc.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: Cormacaroni on July 07, 2009, 04:19:18 AM: apropos of nothing much: The station my wife used to live at when i met her is called 'Noborito'; we used to call it the Hungry Mexican.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: bork on July 07, 2009, 04:45:34 AM: One Mexican restaurant we found and liked is called "La Jolla." You guys ever been there? They even had "Tako Tacos!" The food was pretty good, but this one cook behind the counter would not stop staring at me the entire time.

Quote from: ch1nchilla on July 07, 2009, 01:30:45 AM
Quote from: the lyte edge on July 06, 2009, 06:55:35 AM
Ch1nchilla, what are you going to be doing out in J-Land?

I'll be going to Sophia University in Tokyo to finish up my undergraduate degree for 2 years. Sometimes I think to myself "what the fuck are you doing?" but I'm sure it'll all work out in the end. Plus, getting to Tokyo has been my goal for at least 2 years, so I'm happy that it'll hopefully work out finally! Just gotta get this fucking epic post-acceptance stuff finished and hope everything goes smoothly with getting a visa, etc.

I went to Sophia for a brief summer session back in 2004 and really enjoyed it! That was when they held all their English-language classes in an older building; I think they said it was going to be closed (and maybe demolished?), so you should be in the main campus or at least in a much nicer building! :lol

It was pretty cool being a student over there, although I kinda fucked up in my choice of living quarters. You could either stay at the Sunshine City Prince Hotel, or at this dorm called the "Azalea House." I chose the latter since it meant no roommate, but it ended up being a small mistake since it was further away from Sophia, the room was tiny (even for Tokyo, lol) and had no internet (it was promised but turns out they meant free internet in a small common room they had), and like 98% of everyone else doing the summer session chose the hotel, so I had no one to hang out with. :'(

Fortunately some of the kind Tokyo GAFfers (now J-Boritos!) met up with me and I got to have some fun with them. I remember Cormacaroni and DCharlie having a happy drunken brawl outside a station at one point in particular. :lol

Worst thing I did was go to bed too late my last two fridays there; both weekends were then fucked up to hell as I ended up sleeping the entire Saturdays/Sundays away and didn't get to do jack squat. I couldn't believe I had done this twice the final weekend! Fortunately I ended up going back over there on JET the following year, made new friends, met my wife, and the rest is history! I don't know if I would have done JET had it not been for my experience living there briefly as a student.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: chronovore on July 07, 2009, 05:36:13 AM: I've joked about making Tako Tacos, and have even considered tako-su tacos, but I'm pretty sure it would be culinary pun-ishment.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: Mr. Gundam on July 07, 2009, 03:20:29 PM: There's a place in Seattle called Tako Truk that does an awesome tako taco with yogurt and onions.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: chronovore on July 09, 2009, 01:05:22 AM: Quote from: distantmantra on July 07, 2009, 03:20:29 PM
There's a place in Seattle called Tako Truk that does an awesome tako taco with yogurt and onions.

I was about to write in a :gag emoticon, but then remembered how much I like that yogurt-and-garlic drink from the middle east. What's that called? I've only had it falafel places.
Title: Re: Japanboritos
Post by: ch1nchilla on July 09, 2009, 11:52:30 PM: lyte edge - I'm glad you enjoyed Sophia, because I kind of have no idea what I'm getting myself into, besides the fact that everyone that's Japanese that I've talked to seems to think Sophia is a great school. I also LOVE Tokyo. We'll see how I feel about that after a few months / two years there. And yes, the J-borers are great people, super nice. I met DC first, and game shopping in Akiba was getting old so we got drunk at 3 PM instead. It was win.